Mattina Gulla - Mango Curry

Mattina Gulla is a brinjal which is specially grown in place called Mattu near Udupi/Karnataka.
The brinjal /Mattina gulla has a special taste and any dish You prepare has a yummy taste. I am joking, it is really true.

These Mattina Gulla is brought from my brother in law when he came last week. I forgot post the gulla pic, since I was so busy with house chores.
I have used small mango with these Brinjal and the taste was heavenly.
I have written about Mattina Gulla and has some yummy recipes too in my blog. The seeds of Mattina Gulla was given to people in Mattu when they were struggling to lead normal life because of poor living. Shree Guru Vadhirajaru blessed and gave the seeds of Mattina gulla to those people who were very poor. With the blessings of Guruvarya, the brinjals gave a good yield and had the best taste in them. So these Mattina Gulla from Mattu has become very famous in that area and the poor people survived by selling these Gulla /Brinjals.
Even now the first yield of Mattina Gulla is given to Udupi Krishna Matt as a samarpane.
One has to taste Mattina Gulla Curry in Krishna Temple, in his or her life time to get the divine taste of the Curry.

No onion or No garlic is used in this Mattina Gulla - Mango Curry. 

Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Mattina Gulla /Brinjal : 2
Spices To Fry :
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Methi Seeds/Fenugrik Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 1 Tbs
Red chilly /Byadagi Chilly : 5 to 6
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
To Grind :
Fried ingredients
Coconut : 1 Cup
Raw Mango :  1 (Small one)
To Add :
Salt : As required
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Turmeric powder : A little
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Seasoning :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
Green chilly : 2
Oil : 1 Tablespoon + 1tsp

Method :

1. Wash and cut Brinjal into big pieces. Soak the pieces in plain water for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare seasoning with mustard seeds, ingh and curry leaves. Add 2 green chilly.

3. Add cut brinjal pieces to seasoning and stir slowly.

4. Add a cup of water and little turmeric powder. Let it cook till soft. (Not very soft).
5. Keep a pan on the fire and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Add 1/4 tsp of methi seeds.
6. Fry till they turn slightly golden brown. Add urid dal and fry till they turn golden brown.
7. Add coriander seeds and byadagi chilly. Fry all the ingredients nicely for a minute on low flame.
8. Put off the fire and add ingh/asafoetida. Mix it well and let it cool.
9. Grate a cup of fresh coconut.
10. Wash and cut mango into small pieces.
11. Grind coconut, cut mango pieces,pepper pods and fried ingredients with required water.

12. Add salt and jaggery to cooked brinjal and stir slowly. Let it boil.

13 Add ground coconut mixture to cooked Brinjal. Mix it nicely and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

14 Shift the curry to a serving dish and add cut coriander leaves.

15. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil on the top and serve.

Note :

Adding little coconut oil on the top just before serving taste best. (Optional).
You can use any type of brinjal to prepare this curry.
Adding more chilly is optional.
Adding tamarind instead of raw mango is optional.
Time 30 Minutes.

Serves : 3 to 4 .

Bottle Gourd Jeera - Pepper Curry

Bottle Gourd /doodhi/sorekai is one of the healthy vegetable and it has become very popular these days. It is filled with vitamins and minerals. It helps to regulate the blood pressure and sugar level in our body. It is filled with fiber.

I have used bottle gourd, moong dal, coconut, jeera and pepper.

Let us see some benefits of eating Pepper in our diet.

Peeper has been used since ages and it is loaded with medicinal values. It is known as king of spices and we Indians do use in our cooking. It is high in antioxidant and helps to improve damaged cells in our body. It is loaded with anti inflammatory properties. It helps to improve blood sugar level. Pepper also helps in lowering the cholesterol levels. It is good for cough and cold. it helps in absorbing nutrients from the food we eat. It good for digestion. It is good for brain health. It is said that  it may help the brain health. ( Avoid losing memory).
No Onion or No Garlic Curry .
Let us see the recipe now :

To Cook :

Bottle gourd pieces : 1 Bowl
Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
Green chilly : 2
To grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6 pods
Ginger : An inch
To Add :
Ground coconut mixture
Tamarind Tokku : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A little
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1 Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd. Cut bottle gourd into small  small pieces.

2. Wash and cook moong dal with required water.

3. Wash coriander leaves, curry leaves and cut them in to small pieces. Wash ginger and scrape out the outer layer. Cut ginger into pieces and keep it aside.
4. Prepare seasoning with coconut oil and add cut bottle gourd pieces. Mix it well and add water. Let it cook till the pieces are soft. Add little turmeric powder while cooking. Add cut green chilly.

 5.Grate coconut and grind with pepper, jeera and ginger with required water.

6. Now mix cooked dal and cooked bottle gourd pieces. Add tamarind tokku. Add salt. Stir slowly and mix the curry well.

7. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well.

8. Let it cook on medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.

9. Shift bottle gourd, jeera - pepper curry to a serving dish. Add cut coriander leaves.

10. Serve bottle gourd, jeera - pepper curry for lunch or as you wish. (with chapati or any other main dishes).

Note :

Cut bottle gourd in to small pieces so that it cooks quickly. Adding more chilly is optional. Adding toor dal instead of moong is optional.
Adding tamarind pulp instead of tamarind tokku is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Oats & Finger Millet Laddu 2

Oats and Finger Millet Laddu is a sweet dish and is one of the healthy laddu that helps you to keep strong and energetic for the whole day. You can have this as Laddu/Unde whenever you feel hungry OR crave for some sweets or to skip some carbs.

I do try and varieties of laddu/laadu/unde and though it looks same it has different ingredients and is mostly available at your home store.
Here in this laddu I have used Oats with its husk and Ragi flour. Dates and jaggery , handful of raisins and cashews.

Let us see some benefits of eating Dates in our diet.

Dates helps in boost energy and increasing iron in our body. They help in digestion. They are rich in fiber and contain various nutrients. They are loaded with antioxidants. They have good amount of anti inflammatory properties. Dates help in balancing blood sugar level. They help in reducing blood pressure. They are said to good brain booster. They contain minerals like, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. They do have vitamins like, folate,  thiamin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin A and Vitamin K.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Oats : 500 Grams
Ragi/Finger Millet : 3 Cups
Ghee : 1 Small Cup
Dates : 20 to 30 or 250 grams or little more
Raisins and Cashews : 1 Handful
Jaggery : 250 Grams : 1 Cup (Powdered).

Method :

1. Dry roast Oats and keep it aside.

2. Dry roast ragi flour till the raw flavour disappear.

3. Dry grind Oats and keep it aside.

4. Remove the seeds from dates and cut or smash it nicely.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put 1/2 cup of water. Add jaggery and let it melt nicely.

6. Sieve jaggery mixture and Put cleaned jaggery to a pan.

7. Boil liquid jaggery till it get one string consistency.
8. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add powdered Oats and Ragi/finger millet flour to it.

9. Mix it nicely and take out from the fire. Add ghee

10. Add cut dates and mix it nicely and handful of cashews and raisins. Mix it thoroughly.

11. Dry Grind this mixture including dates, cashews and raisins. ( Do not grind for a long time. Just churn twice or thrice).
12. Put the ground mixture to a big bowl. Mix it nicely and prepare laddus.

13. Serve or munch when ever you crave for some sweets.

14. Store in a glass jar or  air tight boxes.

Note :

No coconut is used in this Oats and finger millet Laddu recipe. Adding cardamom is optional.
If the mixture turns dry, please do add some melted ghee or drops of hot milk. It helps to prepare laddu easily. Ghee used laddu shelf life is more and the taste does not change.
If laddu turns more moisture stir the laddu mixture little more.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 50 Laddu can be made.
Use of more jaggery is optional.
Use of less/more ghee is optional.

Palak - Gongura Dal

Palak /Spinach leaves are healthy leaves and filled with iron and other minerals and vitamins.
Leaves are to be  in your diet to keep you healthy. Here I have prepared Palak - Gongura Dal.
Gongura dal is prepared using Gongura Chutney.

Gongura chutney is used instead of tomatoes/lemon/tamarind. Palak dal turned as yummy and spicy.
Dal should be consumed with hot rice and a spoonful of ghee.

Let us see some benefits of eating ghee in our diet.

Ghee helps to rejuvenates the body from inside out. It nourishes and protect the brain health.
Ghee is rich in Vitamins and Minerals. It contain Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K 2 and Good cholesterol. Ghee is good for cough ( ghee mix with ginger powder helps to cure cough) It improves our eye sight and good for constipation. Gee helps to  boost our immunity system and it has anti inflammatory properties.
Ghee is an excellent source of good fats and ghee helps to remove the toxins in our body. It helps to improve metabolism of our body.
The Palak leaves are from our pot, home grown and its organic.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Palak /Spinach leaves : 1 Bundle
Toor dal : 1/2 Cup
To Add :
Gongura Chutney : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
To Season :
Cooking Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Green chilly : 2
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Clean and wash Palak leaves.

2 Cut them into small.

3. Wash toor dal and cook with palak leaves. (Pressure cook).

4. Keep the cooked palak, toor dal on the fire.

5. Add Salt, little turmeric powder and mix it. Let it boil for 2 minutes.
6. Add a tablespoon of Gongura Chutney and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Shift Palak - Gongura Dal to a serving dish.

8. Prepare seasoning with mustard seeds, jeera, ingh, green chilly and curry leaves.

9. Add the seasoning to Palak - Gongura dal and it is ready to serve. Add a tablespoon of ghee.

10. We had Palak - Gongura dal for lunch.

Note :

Adding moong dal instead of toor dal is optional.
Adding onion and garlic is optional.
Gongura Chutney adds taste and savoury to dal.
Use of ghee is adds to the taste.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.
 Gongura Chutney Recipe : Link
https://adige.somayajiskitchen.com/2015/07/gogura-kenaf-leaves-chutney.html