Sweet Mango Gojju

Mangoes are seasonal fruits and one should make use of seasonal fruits and vegetables since they are filled with loads of minerals and vitamins.

We have mango trees in Our Birthimane (name of the area near Brahmavar / Udupi, my father in law's house). Normally during the mango season we do get good mangoes. Even the same mangoes are used for  pickle. This tree gives yummy mangoes. I do bring them here and prepare so many dishes from it.
These wild mangoes are bit savoury in taste and I used lots of JONI/liquid form of jaggery to it and prepared Sweet Mango Gojju.
This Sweet Mango Gojju taste sweet and good to have as one of the side dish with idli, poori, chapati, dosa, guli appa and bread.
I have squeeze out pulp from mango fruits, used that with jaggery, pepper and green chilly. Mango seeds/ಓಟೆ are dipped in the curry. It is very nice to have the seeds and enjoy having juice in them.
No Onion or Garlic is used in this Recipe. This is one of new creation from old traditional taste.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed : 

Wild Mangoes : 10 to 12
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup. (Powdered)
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Green chilly : 2
Salt : As required
For Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Methi Seeds : 5 to 6
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8.

Method :

1. Wash and clean all the mangoes. Wipe out all the moisture from mangoes and keep it aside.

2. Powder jaggery. Wash green chlliy and cut in to halves. Slit them in middle.
3. Now squeeze out the pulp from all the mangoes. Do not add any water.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put 1 tsp of coconut oil, mustard seeds and methi /Fengrik seeds.
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add ingh / Asafoetida, curry leaves and fry nicely till the leaves get crispy. Add mango pulp.

6. Add required salt and jaggery. Add turmeric powder and mix the curry well.
7. Add crushed pepper and slit green chilly. Let it boil for 5 to 6 minutes or little more.
8. Let the curry mix it well with jaggery and boil till it gets slightly thick.

9. Put off the fire and leave it to cool. Shift Sweet Mango Gojju to a serving dish.

10. Serve with the main dish of your choice.

Note :

You can add cut chilly to seasoning and fry nicely. Adding pepper to the curry helps to digest the
food properly.
Adding more / less jaggery is optional. Do not use much oil. It might give a bad adore later.
Adding more green chilly is optional. Use of curry leaves is optional.
Time  20 Minutes.

Serves : As you like it .

Simply Aloo Samosa

Samosa is one of the street food and is very famous all over the world. Samosa is filled with varieties of  vegetables, dals, potatoes and onions. Even sweet Samosas are also available is yummy to have spicy or sweet samosas at any time of the day. Samosas goes well with a cup of hot coffee/chai or even juices. Here I have tried aloo filled small samosas and of course it is in a healthy way.

" Healthy way " is a good word to use because I have used wheat flour and small chiroti rava/semolina for the covering and the potatoes are cooked as dry curry and then it is used. They are cooked with very little oil and then used water to get it soft. I have used very less spice and made the samosa as small. Even the elderly people can also have these samosas and enjoy their day. We can pack it for kids for their school snack box. You can take it for travelling and the ladies to their kitty party.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

To stuff :
Potato Dry Curry : 1 Bowl.
For the outer layer/Cover 
Chiroti Rava/Semolina : 2 Cups
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Salt : As required
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Oil : To Fry : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Take a big bowl. Add rava. Add salt, jeera/cumin seeds and ghee.

2. Mix all the ingredients nicely and prepare the dough. (Poori dough consistency).

3. Divide the dough into small portions. Take a small portion and roll it.

4. Cut the rolled chapati into half.
5. Take the cut portion and put it on your palm.

6.Make a triangle shape and press the edge. Fill in 1 tbs of potatoes.

7. Bring the sides on the top together and press it and bind the two sides very tightly.

8 Arrange the potato stuffed samosas in a plate /tray.
9. Keep a small frying pan and put oil. Heat it. Let the flame be low now.
10. Fry potato filled Samosas one by one on low and medium flame. Fry on both sides.

11. When you fry on low flame Samosa turns crispy.

12. Serve with the side dish you have prepared. We had it with Mango - Carrot Sweet and Sour Curry.

Note :

Fry samosa in low and medium flame to get them crispy. Adding ghee makes the samosa crispy.
Do not add more ghee, it might absorb more oil while frying.
The samosa size can be big/small.
Time : 30 Minutes.

Serves : 10 to 12 Samosas.

Simple Aloo Jeera Dry Curry

Aloo / Potato is one of my favourite vegetable and I do feel many will join me and say Hurry .
Here is a simple Aloo / Potato dry curry, it is very easy to prepare and enjoy as one of the side dish.

Lets see the recipe now:

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Aloo/Potatoes : 2 to 3
To Season :
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper pods : 4 to 5
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
To Add :
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander Leaves : 1 Handful.
Salt : As required
Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Method : 

1. Wash and peel off the skin of potatoes.
2. Cut them as you desire. (cut as thin pieces). Put it in bowl of water and wash it nicely.
3. Wash curry leaves and coriander leaves and cut into small pieces.
4. Crush pepper and keep it aside.
5. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds. Add a pinch of asafoetida.
6. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and Jeera. Let it fry for 5 seconds.
7. Add cut potatoes and stir slowly. Let all the ingredients mix it well.
8. Add crushed pepper pods. Add 1/2 glass of water and cook till it turns soft. (Not very soft).
9. Add required salt and chilly powder once the potatoes are cooked.
10.Let it cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Mix it nicely once again.
11. Let all the moisture disappear. Shift the curry to a serving bowl.

12. Add cut coriander leaves and serve as one of the side dish.

Note :

Add water little by little so that potatoes will not be overcooked. Adding more oil is optional.
Cook on low flame. Adding jeera and pepper helps the food to be digested easily. Cook on medium and low flame to get good dry palya. It you feel the water is excess then increase the flame and the water evaporates quickly. Be careful while cooking on high and medium flame. Palya might get burnt if you do not see at times.
Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves 2 to 3.
The Next recipe is Samosa from this Potato Dry Curry.

Ragi /Finger Millet - Jack Fruit Halva

Ragi/Finger Millet - Jack fruit Halva/Haalubai is a delicious sweet.
Jack fruits season is still there and we did get some Jack fruits from our relation. We did eat some and I used the fruits to prepare Ragi Haalu bai.

Haalu bai is one of the signature dish of Udupi region. Most of the festivals will complete only having Haalubai.
ಹಾಲುಬಾಯಿ / haalu bai is normally done with raw rice. Rice is soaked and grind with fresh coconut and jaggery. Then stir the batter till it gets thick.
Ghee and cardamom is added at the end and done Haalu bai is shifted to a plate and spread it on the plate or tray. Once its get cold. then cut them according to your wish.
Here I have used Ragi flour instead of Raw rice. Dry roasted the ragi flour and then added ground coconut. I have added Joni/liquid form of jaggery which is very fresh and healthy. Added a cup of ghee and then stirred the batter till is done. Poured the done haalubai to a greased plate.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Ragi flour / Finger Millet : 2 Cups
Jaggery : 1 1/2 Cups (Normal Jaggery : 1 Cup Full will be enough).
Coconut : 1 Cup Grated
Jack fruits : 5 to 10
Ghee : 1 Small Cup /4 to 5 Tablespoons
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Separate the seeds of jack fruit and keep the fruits aside.

2. Grate coconut and grind it with jack fruits. Do not use water while grinding. Put the mixture to a bowl and keep it aside.

3. Dry roast Ragi flour nicely till the raw aroma disappear.

4. Now mix jaggery, ground jack coconut mixture, salt. Add a spoon of ghee and mix it well.
Add 1/2 cup of water if you using powdered jaggery.
5. Keep this mixture pan on the fire and stir on low and medium flame.

5. Add ghee in between in small quantity.

6. Stir till the mixture gets thick and starts to leave the edges of pan. Add the remaining ghee if it is still there.

7. Stir for some more time (at least 5 to 6 minutes on medium flame).
8. Shift the ready Ragi - Jackfruit Haalubayi to a greased tray/plate and leave it till it is cooled.

9. Cut the cooled haalubai according to your wish and enjoy. Store in a glass or /steel box.

10. Serve or Eat whenever you feel like.

Note :

Do not any water while grinding. You can melt the jaggery and then use it. (If shop bought jaggery).
Adding more jaggery is optional. Adding more ghee is optional.
Time : 35 to 40 Minutes.
Serves : 25 to 30 Small pieces.

Simple Pudina / MInt Chutney

Pudina /Mint leaves are loaded with medicinal values. People do use Pudina leaves in day today cooking. It has its own aroma.I have prepared traditional Chutney using Pudina Leaves.
I have used Pudina leaves, coconut, Urid dal, red chilly, tamarind.

Lets see some benefits of having Pudina /Mint leaves in our diet.

Pudina /Mint is one of the popular herb which helps in cooling our body system. It has been used as medicine even in hundreds years ago.
Pudina is good for easy digestion. It is good for treating astama.  Good for Respiratory problems. It helps in taking good skin care. It is filled with anti septic properties. It is good for treating nausea and headache. It is good for weight loss.
Pudina Chutney is an easy dish and good for lunch or other main dishes.

No ONION OR NO GARLIC is added in this Pudina Chutney.

Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

To Grind :
Fresh Coconut : 1 Cup
Tamarind : 1/2 Marble size
Salt : As required
and fried ingredients :
To Fry :
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Ingh/Asafoetida  : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Pudina Leaves : 1 Bundle
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Ingh : A little
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Wash and clean Pudina /Mint Leaves nicely and keep it aside.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and put 1/2 tsp of oil. Add urid dal and fry on low flame.
4. Let it turn golden brown. Add ingh, curry leaves and pudina leaves. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add grated coconut to fried ingredients.
5.Put off the fire and let the fried ingredients cool.

6. Grind fried ingredients with coconut and tamarind.  Add required water to grind.
7. Add required salt and churn for a minute. Remove the chutney from mixi jar to a serving bowl.
8. Add coconut oil seasoning with mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves.

9. Mix it well and serve Pudina Chutney with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Fry urid dal on low flame.
Do not use much oil to fry. Adding more chilly is optional. Do not add any onion or garlic to chutney.
The taste might change. Use of any cooking oil is optional.
Time : 15 Minutes

Serves : 3 to 4 .