Sweet Potato - Basale (Malabar Spinach) Curry

Sweet Potato - Basale (Malabar Spinach) Curry is a gravy dish. Basale/Malabar Spinach is loaded with healthy properties and grow nicely even in pots. I have used one full bowl of leaves from our home garden.

I have used Basale, sweet potatoes, coconut and some spices.
Let us see some benefits of having Tamarind in our diet.
Tamarind contain chemincal compounds, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber. The dietary fiber in tamarind helps in preventing constipation. They also help in reducing the bad cholesterol level in our body. Tamarind is rich in tartaric acid. It gives sour taste to food and it is powerful antioxidant. It helps our body to protect from harmful free radicals. Tamarind has rich source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. Potassium helps in controlling heart beat and blood pressure. Iron content in tamarind helps in production of red blood cells. Tamarind has good source of Vitamin A, folic acid, Vitamin C.
" Sweet Potato - Basale Curry " goes well with almost all the main dish.
Let us see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Basale  /Malabar Spinach 1 bundle
Sweet potatoes : 2
To Grind :
Coconut : 1/2 cup
Red byadagi chilly : 4 to 5
Coriander seeds : 1 1/2 Tablespoons
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Tamarind : Small marble size
Seasoning ;
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds " 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : a pinch
To add :
Salt : To taste
Coriander Leaves : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and cut Malabar Spinach/Basale leaves and keep it aside.
2. Wash and remove the outer layer of sweet potato and wash it again and cut it into desired size.

3. Cook Basale/Malabar Spinach and sweet potato till soft.
4. Grate coconut and grind it with tamarind (remove the seeds if any), raw coriander seeds and jeera.
5. Grind it nicely and remove from the mixi jar. ( Use only required water).

6. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked sweet potato and basale /malabar spinach.
7. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and required salt. Mix it well and let it boil for a minute.
8. Add ground coconut -spice mixture and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Shift the ready Sweet Potato - Basale curry to a serving dish.
10. Add cut coriander leaves and mustard seasoning.

11. Add a spoon of ghee and mix it nicely.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note:

You can use a pressure cooker to cook leaves and sweet potatoes. (Optional). This curry is called Hasi Huli (curry) since the spices are used raw. (Not roasted). Use of jaggery is optional. I have not used.
It has no dals in in it. (Toor /Moong). Use of dals are optional. You can also use very little (1 teaspoon of) soaked raw rice while grinding coconut and spices. It helps the curry to be thick but the taste differ.  I have not used. This is one of traditional raw spice curry in Dakshina Kannada/South Canara and Malenadu side. Use of onions and garlic is optional. I have not used.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 

Sweet Potato - Brinjal - Tomato Curry

Sweet Potato - Brinjal/Egg Plant/badanekai/Kattarikai and tomato curry is sweet and spicy curry.
NO Onion or No Garlic is added in this " Sweet Potato - Brinjal - Tomato Curry". 

It goes well with almost all main dishes. Good to have with plain rice, chapatis, pooris and all types of rotis. Adding sweet potato adds to the sweet taste and helps the curry to be thick.
I have used small brinjals/badanekai, tomatoes, capsicum and sweet potato. Added some home made rasam powder and very little urid dal powder. (Roasted and powdered).
Brinjal lovers always love to have brinjals cooked in different ways. It is for the brinjal lovers. It suits to all age group and goes well with any main dish as I said it earlier.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this " Sweet Potato - Brinjal - Tomato Curry"

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Brinjals/Egg Plants/Badane Kai/ : 4 to 5
Capsicum : 1
Tomatoes : 2 to 3 (Medium size)
Sweet potato : 1 Big one
Fresh spice powder : 2 Teaspoons
Green chilly : 2
For seasoning :
Mustrd seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 4 to 5 seeds
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
To Add :
Ginger : Grated : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander Leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Sambar powder : 2 Teaspoons

 Method :

1. Wash and cut brinjals and put it in a big bowl of water. . Pressure cook sweet potato and remove its outer skin once it is cooled. Keep the sweet potato aside. Cut cooked sweet potato into small pieces.
2. Wash and cut capsicum and tomatoes in to small pieces. (Remove the seeds from both the veggies before cutting).
3. Wash and slit green chilly, remove the outer layer of ginger wash it and then grate it.
4.Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil and mustard seeds, urid dal and methi seeds.Let mustard seeds splutter. Add jeera and green chilly.



4. Add curry leaves and ingh. Fry for a little. Add cut brinjal and fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add cut tomatoes, capsicum and fry nicely. Add turmeric powder and little water. (1/2 Cup).



6. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooked sweet potato pieces and stir nicely.
7. Add sambar/rasam powder. Mix it well. Let it cook for a minute.

8.Shift the ready " Sweet Potato- Brinjal - Tomato curry to a serving dish.

9. Add cut curry leaves and serve the dish with your choice of main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Add 1/2 Cup of water and cook all the vegetables till soft. Adding sweet potato adds sweet taste to the curry. Adding jaggery is optional. I have used home made Sambar Powder. Choice of Sambar powder is optional. Use of coconut is optional. I did not add. Adding any other spice instead of sambar powder is optional. Use of fresh sambar powder adds to the taste. Use of onions and garlic is optional. Fry them and then add brinjal and other veggies.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 
Home made Sambar powder :
1/4 Teaspoon methi seeds/Fenugrik seeds
2 Tablespoons of coriander seeds :
1/2 Teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds
4 to 5 Red chilly
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Dry roast the ingredients one by one on low flame and dry grind it once it is cooled. ( 1 Time use).

Little Millet Pongal. (Saame Huggi)

Sankranthi is for this year is over. But still we do prepare ponal/huggi very often. Here is a recipe of Sweet Ponal/Chakkara Pongal which is prepared using Little Millet and Moong Dal.

I have used Moong dal, little millet, jaggery and ghee.
Eating jaggery and ghee is good for this cold season. Ghee helps us to get the moisture to the skin that is necessary. Jaggery helps the body to keep warm and energetic. Moong dal provides the carbohydrates that we need to do the daily chores.
Let us see some benefits of eating jaggery in our diet.
Jaggery provide good amounts of minerals and vitamins. It helps to cleanse our body. Helps digest the food easily. Jaggery provides energy to the body since it has carbohydrates. Jaggery is good for cough and cold. It is a rich source of iron.
Let us see the recipe:

Things Needed :

Little Millet : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup (Powdered)
Cardamom : 2 to 3 Pods
Cashew and raisins : 2 Tablespoons
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons.
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Turmeric powder : Very Little (A pinch)
Water :1 1/2 to 2 Cups.

Method :

1. Clean and wash Moong dal and Little millet.

2. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a teaspoon of ghee and fry raisins.
3. Add washed moong and fry nicely for a minute. (On medium flame).
4. Add a glass of water and let it cook for a minute. Add washed little millet and cook till it turn soft.
Add more water if required.

5. Powder jaggery and cardamom. Keep it aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

6. Add powdered jaggery once the little millet is cooked.
7. Add turmeric powder and 2 tablespoons of ghee and stir slowly. Let it mix well and cook.

8. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.
9. Let jaggery melt and mixes with pongal nicely. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and powdered cardamom.

10. Mix the pongal well and let it cook for a minute. Shift the pongal to a serving dish.
11. Fry cashews with 2 Teaspoons of ghee and pour it on the pongal. Add coconut and mix it nicely.

12. Serve " Little Millet Pongal " along with other dishes, have it as a desert, or as you like.

Note : 

You should cook Little millet till it is soft. Frying moong dal helps the pongal to get aroma and it taste better. Add required water and cook well. Adding more/less ghee is optional. Adding more/less jaggery is optional. Adding coconut to pongal is optional. I did not use pressure cooker because the content gets smashed which does not taste good.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.

Wheat flour Sweet Guli Appa

Wheat sweet guliappa/Gundpongalu/small puffed dosas/ sweet paddu/ kuli appam what ever you call, it is one of the yummy sweet dish. Perfect for breakfast, as evening snack and even for kids snack box.

Healthy and yummy Guli appas are flavoured with ghee and banana, the aroma of jaggery spreads around and you are tempted to have some I bet.
I have used wheat flour, organic jaggery, two yalakki bananas and a pinch of salt and cooking soda.
Let us see some benefits of eating jaggery in our diet.
Jaggery has the ability to cleanse our body. It act as a digestive agent and sweeten our food in a healthy way. It provides minerals like iron, and mineral salts. It helps for good digestion and good for people who suffer from constipation. Jaggery provides energy to the body.
Sweet Guli Appa is nice to have as breakfast/snack .  

Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : Grated : 1/2 Cup
Banana :Ripen : 2
Salt : A pinch
Cooking Soda : A pinch
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Cardamom : 2 to 3 Pods.
Ghee/Cooking oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Guli Appa/paddu/Gunduponglu : mould pan

Method :

1. Remove the skin of bananas and put it in a bowl. Add jaggery and smash it in hand nicely.
2. Take a big bowl and add wheat flour, smashed banana jaggery mixture, salt and soda.
    Remove the pods from cardamom, powder and add it to the wheat flour.

3. Add milk and mix  it well. Add required water and prepare dough. (Dosa dough consistency).

4. Leave it for 5 minutes.

5. Keep Guli appa pan on the fire. Heat and put little oil/ghee to each mould.
6. Put a tablespoon of prepared wheat -banana dough and put little oil/ghee on the top.

7. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the cover and turn the other side of guli appa.
8. Put little oil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the pan and serve with little ghee on the top.

9. Repeat the same with remaining dough.

Note :

Do not make the dough watery. Add required water. Adding milk is optional. (It adds to the taste).
Adding ghee instead of oil is optional. Any type of wheat flour is optional. (No need to be branded one, use the milled flour). Adding more/less jaggery is optional. Adding grated coconut is optional. You can add coconut pieces which gives a good taste while eating.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3.

Ridge Gourd Peel Green Chilly Chutney

Ridge gourd green chilly chutney is spicy chutney. Ridge gourd is used in varieties of curries and the outer layer can be used for chutney/dip. It tasty yummy with plain rice, dosa, idli and any type of rotis.

I have used Ridge gourd pieces and its peel, green chilly and coconut.
This is one of the traditional dish done whenever we use ridge gourd. Ridge gourd peel also has the same healthy properties that the gourd contain.
Please remember to wash Ridge gourd nicely if you are buying from the market. Wash it nicely and then soak in salt water for at least 30 minutes and then wash it again before using it. It helps the
chemicals to wash off, which is used while growing Ridge gourd.
Let us see the recipe Now :
No Onions or No Garlic is used in this " Ridge Gourd Peel Green Chilly Chutney ".

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Ridge gourd pieces and its peel : 1 Bowl
Tamarind : 1 small marble size
Coriander seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ingh/Asafoetida : a little
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
To Grind :
Coconut ( Fresh) : 1 Cup
Cooked Ridge gourd mixture
Water : Required
Seasoning :
Mustard Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Oil : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash Ridge Gourd nicely and scrape out the edges of it.
2.Wash it again and remove the peel of ridge gourd.
3. Put it in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of water.
4. Wash and add tamarind. (Remove the seed if any ).
5. Add 1/4 Teaspoon of coriander seeds, salt and turmeric powder.
6. Pressure cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let it cool.

7. Grate coconut and grind it with cooked ridge gourd mixture. Add water if required.
8. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a serving dish.

9. Keep a pan and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds and ingh. Let mustard splutter.

10. Add curry leaves and add the seasoning to Ridge Gourd Chutney and njoy...

Note : 

No need to fry the peel. You can directly cook in a big pan instead of pressure cooking.
Adding more chilly is optional. Better check the hotness of the chilly before using.
Adding red chilly to the seasoning is optional. Take care while grinding. Use water if require. Cooked Ridge gourd contain water. Watery chutney do not taste good.  You can use ridge gourd also (I have used some pieces).
Time : 20 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 .