Pumpkin Sweet Rotti

Sweet Rotti is one of the easy and healthy breakfast that helps to pull your day with energetic and lively.

This sweet rotti here is prepared using pumpkin, jaggery, Rava and coconut. Rava /rave/semolina is good to have in the morning since it is full of carbs. Pumpkin and jaggery provide energy and sweetness to rotti. Coconut provides taste and some good vitamins and minerals.
I grated the pumpkin and added fresh boiled milk, coconut and organic jaggery to make it more tasty.

Let us see some benefits of having "Pumpkin" in our diet.

Pumpkin helps to take care of your heart health. It helps in boosting our immunity system. It is filled with rich vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is low in calorie and good for weight loss. It helps to protect our eye health. Pumpkin contain good source of potassium and vitamin c. It is rich in fiber and good for easy digestion and helps to ease constipation problems.
No Onion or Garlic is used in this Pumpkin Sweet Rotti.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Pumpkin : Grated : 1 Big bowl. (Quarter part of one medium sized pumpkin).
Rava ; Semolina /Rave /Sooji : Medium sized : 2 Cups
jaggery :  2 to 3 Tablespoons of jaggery.
Salt : As required
Coconut : 1 Cup /5 to 6 Tbs.
Oil : 3 to 4 Tbs
Ghee : 2 Tbs

Method :

1. Wash and peel off the skin of pumpkin. Remove the pulp and seeds.
2. Grate pumpkin and keep it aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

3. Take a big bowl and put medium size rava/semolina/sooji/ rave.

4. Add jaggery, salt, coconut and grated pumpkin. Add 1/2 cup of milk and mix it well.

5. Add required water and prepare the rotti batter little watery. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle some oil on top of the dosa tava.
7. Take a handful of the pumpkin rava batter and spread it on the tava in circle shape.
8. Spread as thin as you like it. Sprinkle some oil on the top and cover it.

9. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the other side and cook for a minute.

10. Pumpkin Sweet rotti is ready to serve.

11. Add ghee on the top on hot sweet rotti and serve with your choice of side dish.

12. Repeat the same and prepare rottis.

Note :

Adding milk adds to the taste and gives softness to rotti. Adding coconut is optional. I have used liquid jaggery. Any jaggery is optional. Turn into powder form and then use it. Adding more pumpkin gratings is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Pumpkin Flower Tava Fry

Pumpkin Flower Tava Fry is an side dish and favourite dish of  Dakshina Kannada, especially Konkanis. Pumpkin flowers are loaded with healthy properties.

I have used besan, jeera/cumin seeds and chilly powder and salt. No added cooking soda or eno here.

Let us see some benefits of having these pumpkin flowers in our diet.

Pumpkin flowers are good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Pumpkin flowers are known to be full of health benefits. They are good for strengthening immunity system in our body. Good for treating for common cold and they are good for bones. They improve our vision since it contain Vitamin A. They are rich source of vitamin B9. The intake of pumpkin flower helps to improve the sperm quality and helps in infertility issues. It has vitamin c, vitamin B2 and vitamin B3. They  are good source of minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus.
 iron, phosphorus,
Pumpkin plants bear two types of flowers. One is male which has no fruit under the flower and the female bear the fruit. (Small pumpkin).
Male flower which has no fruit under the flower.

Female flower which has fruit under the flower.

This Pumpkin Flower Tava Fry is simple, quick, yummy and easy to prepare.
I have used pumpkin flowers which grew in our pots, salt, chilly powder, cumin seeds and
besan./Channa flour .
Pumpkin flowers should be checked, cleaned and washed nicely. There will be ants inside the flowers.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Besan /Channa flour : : 1/2 Cup
Pumpkin flowers : 4 to 5
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash pumpkin flowers nicely.

2. Take out the end part completely.  It is only the petals are used.
3. Check the petals to make sure there are no ants or any worm is hid in the petals.

4. Take a bowl and add 1/2 cup of besan, required salt, jeera/cumin seeds and chilly powder.
5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and add water to prepare bajji batter. It should be like dosa batter consistency.

6. Keep a dosa pan on the fire and heat. Add little oil to it. Let the fire be low.
7. Dip each pumpkin petal in besan batter and place it on the tava. Sprinkle some oil on it.

8. Cook on low and medium heat. Put some oil on the top and turn the other side and cook till they turn slightly golden brown.

9. Now Pumpkin flower Tava fry is ready to serve.

10. Serve as one of the side dish with lunch.

Note :
You can also prepare pakodas, dry palya, mosaru bajji and other side dishes with this Pumpkin flower.
Adding little rice flower to the batter while mixing is optional.
Adding little more chilly powder is optional.
Adding more oil helps the food to be tasty.

Time : 15 minutes.
Serves  : 2.

Quick Channa Palav

Palav is full meals food and it is easy to do it and it can be one pot meal, quick meal or tasty meal. Palav is prepared in many ways. This time it is Channa /Kabooli Channa Palav and is very easy to prepare and serve.

 Good for sunday brunch, or for packing kids lunch box or even for picnics.
I have used cooked channa, (Use of cooked channa helps in softening the hard pods to quick little more and easy to digest), coriander leaves, carrots, handful of cashews, garam masala and chutney powder, little spices like cinnamon pieces, 3 to 4 cloves, a little bit of sonf /fennel seeds or Aniseeds, green chilly, grated ginger and grated coconut.
Channa /Kabooli Channa helps you to keep you fit and provides proteins and energy. It helps to keep your body warm.
Channa helps in keeping your bones strong and fit. Channa is full of fiber and anyone can eat and enjoy.
It is my own creation and love the taste and aroma of this Palav.
No Onion or Nor Garlic is used here. "Quick Channa Palav" is yummy to have, filling and easy to prepare.

Things Needed :

Cooked Kabooli Channa : 1 Bowl.
Raw Rice : 2 Cups. (I used Basumathi Rice)
Carrots : 2 to 3
Cashews : 1 Handful
Saffron : 2 to 3 Rakes
Ginger : 1 Tablespoon (Grated).
Spices :
Cinnamon : An inch
Cloves : 3 to 4
Sonf/Fennel Seeds/Aniseeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Chutney Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Green chilly : 2
Fresh grated coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Coriander leaves : 1 Handful
Ghee : 2 To 3 Tablespoons
Cooking Oil : 1Tablespoon
Salt : As required

Method :

1. Wash and cut carrots and keep it aside. Wash and slit green chilly.
2. Wash rice and drain the water completely and keep it aside. ( At least 10 minutes before you prepare Palavu).

3. Wash and grate ginger and keep it aside.
4. Wash and cut coriander leaves and cut into small pieces. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

5. Now keep a pan/pressure cooker on the fire and heat.
6. Add oil and 1 tbs of ghee. Add sonf, cinnamon, cloves and fry for 10 seconds.

7. Add carrots, cooked channa, grated ginger, slit chilly and fry nicely for 1 minute.

8. Add cashews and fry till they turn slightly brown.
9. Add garam masala, chutney powder and stir just once or twice.

10. Add  rice and stir nicely for 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Add 4 cups of water and mix all the ingredients well.
12. Add  grated coconut, saffron and required salt.

13. Add cut coriander leaves close the lid and cook. Put weight after 2 minutes.

14. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Put off the fire and let the pressure come down.

15. Open the lid, add remaining ghee and mix it well. Shift the delicious palav to a serving dish.

16. Serve with your choice of Raitha. We had it with carrot raitha

Note : 

Any brand of Basumathi rice is optional. Use of Sona masoori is also useful. Use little more water if you use Sona Masoori Rice. Use of steamed rice gives different taste. Use of green chilly is optional.
Use of curry leaves chutney pudi adds to the taste. (Optional).
40 minutes

Serves : 3 to 4 .

Avarekai - Bottle Gourd Gasi

Avarekai/Field beans - Bottle Gourd Gasi /Thick Curry is one of the side dish you can prepare as a side dish. Gasi means thick curry.
We do not use any dal in Gasi. Here I have used Avarekai - Bottle Gourd and a Sweet potato.

Spices are freshly fried in coconut oil and the aroma is just awesome. This Gasi is One of the Udupi special curry.
Gasi is prepared using some pods/peas/cow peas or whole channa, ( black or Kabooli channa).  Dakshina Kannada , Udupi and Malenadu side this Gasi is well known dish.
I have used fresh fried spices and coconut. The fried ingredients are then grind with fresh grated coconut.
Avarekai is field beans.  It is a seasonal pod which grows well during the month of November to February. It is available plenty in the market since this is the season we get the best Avarekai.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

To Cook :

Avarekai : 1 Bowl (250 gr).
Bottle Gourd : 1 Bowl ( 1/2 of One medium size bottle gourd).
Sweet Potato : Boiled : 1
To Fry :
Channa dal : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Coriander seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
To Grind : 
Fried ingredients
Fresh Grated Coconut : 1 Cup
To Add :
Ground coconut mixture
Salt : As required
Tamarind : A small marble size.
Turmeric powder : A pinch.
Seasoning done in coconut oil. (Mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves).

Method :

1. Wash and peel off bottle gourd outer layer. Cut into small pieces.

2. Wash Avarekai pods and cook with bottle gourd. (Pressure cook). Cook sweet potato and remove its skin.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tsp of coconut oil.
4. Add a tsp of channa dal and urid dal. Fry till they turn golden brown.

 5. Add red chilly and fry. Add coriander seeds fry slightly and put off the fire.

6. Add curry leaves and ingh. Mix all the ingredients well. Let it cool.
7. Grate coconut,  grind with fried ingredients and marble size tamarind. (Soak tamarind in little water so that it gets soft. Use the soaked water to grind). Keep this aside.

8. Keep cooked veggy on the fire. Add salt, turmeric powder and little water.
9. Boil for a minute. Add ground coconut mixture and boil for 3 to 4 minutes.

10 . Cut cooked sweet potato into small pieces. Add the pieces while gasi is boiling.

 11. Add seasoning and serve with any of the main dish.

12. We had Avarekai - bottle gourd Gasi for lunch. It was perfect and yummy.

Note :

Gasi can be prepared with any pods. If you are using dry pods, soak them at night and then cook in the morning. Adding more chilly is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.