Watermelon Rind - Cow Pea Curry

Watermelon Rind - Cow Pea Curry is simple and healthy curry which goes well with all the main dishes.

In this hot summer we do buy and eat watermelon. We can use the rind and prepare many dishes, curries, dosa and dry curries. Watermelon rind is full of fiber, rich with vitamins and minerals.
I have used watermelon rind, cow peas, some simple spices and coconut.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Watermelon Rind : 2 Cups
Cow Peas : 1 Cup
Basale stems : 1 Handful (Optional)
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Sambar Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Methi /Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Mango pieces : 1 Tbs
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch.

Method :

1. Wash and soak cow peas over night and keep it aside.
2. Peel off the outer layer of watermelon and cut the rind into small pieces.
3. Now cook watermelon rind and cow peas with handful of basale stem. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Grate coconut and grind it with half tsp of jeera, 1 tbs of sambar powder. Use required water to grind.

5. Keep a big pan on the fire and add cooked ingredients. Add cut mango pieces.

6. Add required water, salt, fenugrik seeds and pinch of turmeric powder. Mix it well and boil for a minute.

7. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it nicely and slowly. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. stir in between and cook.

8.Shift the ready curry to a serving dish and add coconut oil seasoned mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves.

9. Serve with any main dish of your choice.

Note :

Watermelon should be cooked till soft.  Using pressure cooker is a good idea to cook watermelon rind. Pressure cook watermelon rind for 5 to 6 minutes.
It is always better to use pressure cooker to cook peas and other pulses, except moong dal. Use of tamarind instead of raw mango pieces is optional.
I used basale /Malabar leaves stems since I had it. It is purely optional to use any edible leaves.
Use of any brand sambar powder is optional. I used home prepared Sambar Powder.
Use of garlic and onion is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Home made Sambar Powder :

Dry roast/fry with a tsp of oil, 1/4 tsp of methi seeds, 2 tbs of coriander seeds, 5 to 6 byadagi chilly, 1/2 tsp of urid dal and 1/2 tsp of jeera/cumin seeds on low flame. Add a pinch of ingh/asafoetida and curry leaves. Dry grind when it is cooled or grind it with 2 to 3 tbs of fresh coconut gratings.
We normally fry the spices when we prepare the curry. It is fresh, aromatic and healthy.
The above said sambar powder is enough for 1 time only.

Ragi - Urid Dosa

Dose or dosa is normally a breakfast food and most of us do eat them as snack in the evening
also.
Varieties of dosas are prepared these days. I still sick in to my style of preparing healthy dosas.
This time it is Ragi - Urid dal dosa which can be prepared easily and stay healthy.

I have used ragi flour, medium size rava and urid dal.
You should eat this dose when it is hot. It taste good even when it turns cool. But it is always good to eat food when it is hot. You can prepare this Ragi - Urid dose in the evening when kids come back from home. It is good for diabetic people and diet friendly too.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Urid dal : 1/2 Cup
Ragi Flour : 2 Cups
Toor dal : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : To taste.
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and soak urid dal and toor dal for 2 hours. Grind it with required water till it turn paste consistency.
2. Remove the batter to a big bowl.
3. Take a big bowl and add 2 cups of ragi flour in it. Mix the flour with a glass of water nicely. Add salt.

4. Add ground urid dal mixture to the big bowl. Add a fistful of rava. (2 to 3 tablespoons).

5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and allow it to ferment for the night or 5 to 6 hours.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil on the top of the pan and clean it out with a kitchen tissue.
7. Take a ladle full of ragi dosa batter and pour it on the tava. ( Reduce the heat to low while spreading the batter on tava). Spread it nicely around the pan.
8. Sprinkle oil on the top and let it cook on medium flame and low flame.
9. Turn the other side and cook for a minute. Ragi - Urid Dose is ready to eat. Prepare remaining dosas the same way.

10. Serve Ragi - Urid Dosa with your favourite side dish. Put a tsp of ghee just before serving.

Note :

The batter should be fermented well. Add little rava so that dosa gets crispiness. Do not add any other ingredients. Do not add Cooking Soda and any other mixture to it.\
Adding little ghee on the top of Dosa increased the taste. Do not add more oil while cooking dosa.
Time : Soaking urid and toor dal .= Over Night or 5 to 6 hours.
Preparing dosa : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 People.

Oats - Raagi - Almonds and Dates Laddu

Oats -Ragi - Almond -Dates Laddu Is yummy laddu.

It is easy, delicious and you can munch at any time of the day without hesitating because it is loaded with healthy ingredients.
Oats -Ragi - Almond -Dates Laddu Is yummy laddu.It is easy, delicious and you can munch at any time of the day without hesitating because it is loaded with healthy ingredients.It is good for all age group and will love to have them.
I have used oats, raagi flour, almonds, little sesame seeds, dates and little jaggery.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Oats : 2 To 3 Cups
Raagi Flour : 2 Cups
Sesame Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Jaggery : 1 Cup (Powdered)
Dates : 1 Cup
Almonds : 1 Small Cups

Raisins : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1.  Dry roast 2 cups of Oats, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and 2 Cups of Raagi flour and let it cool.

 2.  Dry grind oats, Almonds and sesame seeds.

3. Take 1 cup full of dates, remove the seeds from dates and cut in to small pieces.

4  .Now put 1 cup full Powdered jaggery to a big bowl.Add 1/2 cup of water and mix it well.
5.  Keep this jaggery on the fire and let it boil for 2 minutes. Sieve this jaggery mixture.

6.  Now keep a pan on the fire and put cleaned jaggery and boil it till it turns one string consistency.
Add raisins to it.

7.  Pour the jaggery mixture to the bowl and add ghee. Mix it slowly.
8. Add 1 /2 Cup ghee and cut dates pieces. Slowly mix all the ingredients nicely. (It is bit hot because of jaggery mixture).

9. Take a handful of the mixture and prepare laddu.

10. Let it cool. Store them in airtight box or bottle and munch whenever you want to.

Notes :

Fry oats and raagi on low flame.
Fry sesame seeds till it spluteer and turn golden brown. It adds to the taste.
Dry grind sesame seeds with roasted oats.
Use of jaggery can be minimized by using more dates
Adding more/less ghee is optional.
Adding coconut is optional. I have not added coconut or dry coconut. Laddu stay longer period if you skip using coconut.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 30 to 40 Laddus can be prepared.

Harka - Moong Patties

Harka Patties ar simple food and Patties are prepared using left over Harka Uppittu.

Just thought of doing some thing using the left over Harka/Kodo Millet Uppittu. It was raining and crave for some fried or shallow fried Patties came into mind. The left over Uppittu in fridge took the shape of patties. It turned as some thing yummy bit spicy and tasty Patties.
I have used 1 boiled potato, garam masala, jeera powder, coriander leaves and a small quantity of cashew pieces.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Harka - Mong Uppittu : 2 Cups
Boiled Potato : 1
Garam Masala : 1/2 Tsp
Jeera /cumin seeds powder : 1/2 Tsp
Chilly Powder : 1/2 Tsp
Cashew Pieces: 2 Tsp
Salt : If required
Oil : 3 to 4 Tbs

Method :

1. Take a big bowl. Put Kodo / Harka Millet Uppittu , add garam masala, jeera powder. Add cashew pieces.

2. Add washed and cut coriander leaves and boiled potato. ( Peel off its cover before you add).
3. Add little salt and mix all the ingredients nicely.
3. Divide the mixture into small quantity. Take a small portion and pat it on your palm.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle some oil on top.
5. Place the patties on hot tava and cook till it turn as golden brown. Sprinkle some oil on the top and turn the other side and cook.

6. Harka Moong Patties are ready to serve. Serve with your favourite side dish like ketch up or sweet and hot chutney.

Note :

Adding boiled potato helps to bind the mixture. Adding garam masala is optional. You can use chilly powder, jeera powder and daniya powder instead. Adding more oil is optional. Adding any other vegetable like carrots and beans is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 

Link for Harka - Moong Uppittu :
https://nsomayaji.blogspot.com/2019/05/kodo-millet-moong-kadubu-uppittu.html   

Kokum Juice

Kokum / Kokam /Punar Puli/ ಮುರುಗಿನ ಓಡು is one of the savoury fruit. Kokam /Kokum /Carcinia India is a fruit bearing plant and we use this fruit in our culinary as medicine. I have used this Kokam /Punarpuli in Juice and it is very healthy to consume during hot summer and all day round the year.

I have used dried Kokum fruit, jaggery, pepper pods, and little salt. 

Kokum is known as below in different languages in India.

In Kannada it is known as : ಮುರುಗನ ಓಡು , ಮುರುಗಲ, ಪುನರ್ಪುಳಿ, 

Konkani : Birinda , Hindi  and Gujarati : Kokam, Malayalm : Punarpuli , Tulu : Punarpuli , Marati : Bhernda, Biranda, Amlaveta, Amosole  Telugu : Chinta, Bengali : Mahada, Oriya Tintali

Let us see some benefits of having Kokam /Kokum /Punarpuli in our diet.

Kokaum helps and has cooling effect properties. It helps in reducing the pitta/bile in our body.

Kokum is good for digestion. It has anti inflammation properties. It is good prevention for gastric ulcers. It also helps to ease anxiety and depression. Good for diabetes and takes care of the skin and fight against obesity. It helps to control cholesterol level in our body. It is good for weight loss. It is used to reduce the rheumatoid pain. It is rich in fiber and good for people who suffer from bowel problems. It is also good for sores and women delay menstrual problems.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed : 

Dry Kokam / Kokum /Punar Puli : 2 to 3 Dried Fruits.
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Wash and soak dried Kokum fruits in 1/2 cup of hot water for 10 Minutes.

2. Grind those soaked Kokum with jaggery and pepper pods.

3. Sieve the content with a siever to a bowl.

4. Add a pinch of salt and mix it well.

5. Pour ready to serve kokum juice to glasses. (Adding ice cubes while serving juice is optional).

6. Serve Kokum juice.

Note :

Soaking kokum fruits helps the fruits to be soft. It is better to grind since you get the good extract.
Adding sugar or honey to juice is optional. Adding ice cubes while serving is optional. I have not done.
Time : 15 Minutes.

Serves : 3 Glasses.