Raw Jack - Mango Curry

This is the time we get Raw Jack. Just before it grows and turns as fruit. Raw Jack. can be used in many types of curries and other items. We can  prepare Raw Jack dry curry, (Palya), Raw jack sambar, Jack coconut curry, jack papad, chips, curd curry and even pickle etc.
Here is a recipe of Raw Jack Curry. I have used some raw mango pieces instead of tamarind pulp. It has given a tangy taste to the curry. Adding jaggery helps the curry to reduce the tangy taste. Jaggery helps to reduce the gastric properties while cooking, Since it contain anti oxidant properties.
Raw Jack Curry can be eaten with plain rice, chapati, poori, naan, idli, dosa and even any kind of rotti.
Lets see the Recipe :
Things Needed:
Raw Jack : 1 Bowl
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup
Raw Mango Pieces : 1/2 Cup ( Or half of one medium sized mango)
Jaggery : 1 Table spoon
Coconut : 3 to 4 Table spoon
Rasam Powder : 2 to 3 Table spoons
Salt : to taste
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Asafoetida (Ingh) : a pinch

Method :
1. Remove the top skin of the raw jack nicely and clean it nicely. Cut the vegetable in to pieces. (Remove the hard stem from inside).
2. Soak these cut pieces in water for 5 to 10 minutes. Wash it again and Pressure cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Leave it for cooling.

3. Wash and cook dal in a pressure cooker. ( You can pressure cook at one time keeping them in separate bowls). .

4. Grate coconut and cut mangoes. Grind coconut, jeera, mango pieces and rasam powder together with little water till paste.

5. Remove from mixi jar.

 6.. Keep a pan on the fire. Put cooked dal, raw jack, salt, turmeric powder and jaggery. Mix it well and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
7.. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it slowly and cook for another 2 more minutes.

 

8 Shift it to the serving bowl and add mustard,ingh and curry leaves. splutter. 
9. Serve this Raw Jack Mango curry with the main dish.

Note : It is very difficult to remove the outer skin of Jack fruit. Use a strong knife. Be careful. Apply some oil to the knife before start cutting the Jack fruit. Jack fruit contain loads of wax in it. You kneed to cut the stem (the hard part inside the jack fruit). Cooking in pressure cooker will save the time. Adding extra jeera along with rasam powder helps to reduce the gas. You can also use Maiyyas or MTR Rasam powder. I used home made. (Roast 1/4 Tea spoon of methi seeds till brown, add coriander seeds ( 2 Table spoons), fry nicely and add red chilly ( 5 to 6) and jeera. (1/2 Tea spoon). Add ingh and curry leaves. Leave it for cooling and dry grind. Fresh Rasam powder is ready to use. Using of more chilly is optional. Use of onions and garlic to the curry is also optional. I have not used.
Using  a spoon of ghee adds to the taste.
Time : 40 minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5 

Brinjal Baath

Brinjal Baath is a rice dish and we can have them for breakfast or lunch or dinner. In South India  people do prepare rice dishes in the morning for breakfast and it can be packed for lunch too. So 2 in 1 easy rice dishes are famous here, like bisibele bath, Vanghi bath, Mixed vegetable baath etc etc etc. Brinjal Baath is one of the such recipe that you can  easily depend upon.
All you need is the Masala powder, tender brinjal, coconut and the spices which are already in the kitchen shelf. 
Lets see some benefits of having "Brinjal" in our diet.
Brinjal (egg plant ) is very low in calories and fats  and rich in soluble fiber content. They contain good amount of anti oxidants. Brinjal contain many essential B-complex groups of vitamins. They contain good source of minerals like manganese, copper, iron and potassium. Brinjal helps to loose your extra weight. It controls and lowers the blood pressure. Brinjal is good for diabetics. They also helps to lower the cholesterol in the body.

"Brinjal Baath" is easy to prepare and the whole family can sit together and enjoy the dish. I have not used any onions or garlic in this dish. It is purely optional. 

Ingredients : 

Brinjal : Green and Long : 6 to 8
Basmati Rice : 2 Cups
Bisibele baat powder : 3 to 4 Tea spoons.
Rasam powder : 1 Tea spoon
Cloves : 3 to 4
Cinnamon : An inch
Lemon : 1 or Tamarind Pulp : 1 Table spoon.
Coconut : 1 Cup (fresh and grated).
Salt : Required
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Oil : 2 Table spoons
Ghee : 2 Table spoons
Coriander leaves  : 3 to 4 Table spoons.

Method :

1. Wash and drain the water from rice and keep it aside 
2. Wash and cut brinjal in to small and soak in normal water for 10 minutes. Wash and cut coriander leaves in to small pieces.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.

4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil. Let it become hot. Add cloves and cinnamon. Fry for 2 to 3 seconds. 

5. Squeeze out water from brinjal and put them in the pan. Mix it nicely and fry for 1 minute.

6. Add rice and fry for 2 minutes all together.

7. Add bisibele bath powder and rasam powder. Mix it nicely.
8. Put off the gas and add grated coconut.

9. Shift this fried mixture to the rice cooker. Add 4 cups of water, tamarind pulp and salt. Add turmeric powder.

10. Mix all the ingredients nicely and cover the lid. Let it cook . Once it is done it turns off.
11. Once it is cooked add ghee and mix it well . Cover and keep it for 2 to 3 minutes. (with out the power).

12. Now shift the ready "Brinjal Baath" to a serving dish  add coriander leaves and serve with a cup of curd.

 Note : 

1.You can use Sona Masoori or any other raw rice. Add water according to the rice you choose.( Sona masoori  1 cup rice = 3 cups water). Basmati rice - 1 cup rice = 2 cups of water ).
2. You can use MTR or Maiyya's Bisibele bath powder . ( I use home made powders). Roast channa dal , urid dal each  2 spoons, coriander seeds 1 Tablle spoon, jeera 1/4 tea spoon and  4 to 6 cloves, an inch of cinnamon piece, curry leaves all the one by one and powder it . You get fresh bisibele bath powder).
3.Using more oil or ghee is also optional.
4You can cook this Brinjal Baath in the pressure cooker . Use little less water than usual. or it may turn sticky.
5.You can also use fresh Peas or Awarekalu along with brinjal. Aware kalu should be cooked before adding ( or it may not be cooked well). Use of onions and garlic is also optional.
Time : 40 minutes (preparation + cooking).
Serves : 5 

Green Channa -Capsicum -Tomato Rice.

Green Channa is Kadale Kaalu(Kannada)  which we get during winter season. Kadale soppu is available in these months from December to February. This  seasonal Channa or Kadale (Karnataka) is used for different food items. We can just remove the outer skin and eat green channa as it is since it is very tender. You need to separate pods from the leaves and then remove the outer skin of channa.
I have tried Tomato Rice with using this green channa. I was bit busy after buying the fresh channa leaves (along with channa) and could not eat or prepare some thing out of it. It all turned little yellow so I cooked chenna and used for tomato rice.

Lets see the benefits of having channa (Kadale Kalu) in our diet. 
Green Channa is rich in Vitamins B, carbohydrates and protein. It also contain Vitamin B - 6.  It is also rich in soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Green channa contain many minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zink, and calcium. It is a good source of antioxidant
Here is a recipe of "Green Channa -Capsicum -Tomato rice. We can have this rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have used tomatoes, capsicum, green channa and rice with simple spices. You can enjoy eating this with a cup of curd. No onion or no garlic is used and it can be prepared during festival. Adding Onion and garlic is surely an option. We can  prepare this tomato rice for get together or Kitty parties.

Things Needed :

Cooked Rice : 2 Cups
Capsicum : 1
Tomatoes : 4 to 5
Green Channa : 1 Cup
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : 1 Table spoon ( an inch of ginger)
Rasam Powder : 2 Table spoon
Garam Masala : 1/2 Tea spoon
Oil : 2  Table spoons
Ghee : 2 to 3 Table spoons
Mustard Seeds : 1 Tea spoon
Urid Dal : 1 Tea spoon
Coconut : 3 to 4 Table spoons. (1/2 Cup)
Salt : To taste
Curry Leaves : 8 to 10
Lemon Extract : 1 lemon extract.

Method :

1. Wash and cook 2 cups of rice and green channa separately in pressure cooker.  Let it cool.

2. Wash and cut tomatoes, Capsicum, Green chilly. 

3.Wash and remove the outer skin of ginger and wash again and great and keep it aside.

4.Grate coconut and keep it aside.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat.Add oil and put mustard seeds, urid dal.

6.Let the mustard spurt. Add green chilly and fry for 10 seconds. 

7. Add curry leaves and cut capsicum and fry nicely for 2 minutes.

8. Add cut tomatoes and fry for 2 more minutes. Now add cooked  green channa and mix it well.

9. Add Rasam Powder and Garam Masala powder and fry nicely till it thickens.

10. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and required salt. Mix it well. 

 11. Add cooked rice and mix it well. Let the process be on low flame.

12. Now let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Now add ghee and lemon extract and mix it well.

13. Shift Green Channa - Capsicum Tomato rice to a serving bowl.

14. Add coconut to this rice and mix it well again.

15. Serve  Green Channa Capsicum Tomato rice with cup of curd.

Note :

Do not over cook rice. You can add raw green channa it you able to get it. It taste differ. You can also add more vegetables like beans, potatoes, carrots etc. The taste may differ. MTR or Maiyya;s Rasam powder and Garam Masala powder can be used. You can also use tamarind pulp instead of lemon extract. Adding a spoon of " Puliyogre Powder" instead of lemon gives the good taste and aroma.
Do not burn the vegetables while frying or no need to use more oil. You can also use onions and garlic. Add it when the mustard spurt and fry them nicely. you can use dried channa instead of green channa . Soak dry channa in water for at least 4 to 5 hours and then cook in a pressure cooker and then use it for the preparation.
Time : The whole process 40 minutes.
If cooked rice is ready then its only : 20 minutes.
Serves : 5 to 6

Moong Dal Chakkuli

Chakkuli , Chakli, Muruku...name it, you crave for it. You all know Chakkuli can be prepared in so many types, using different ingredients. Rice flour, Rava, Maida, Wheat the list goes on. We can use Urid, Channa or Moong dal. We can prepare Peas chakkuli also. Anyways its done according to the taste bud, or give a try what ever it is, munching chakkuli and watching a movie or reading a book takes us to our own world. Hmmmmmmmm.

Here I have prepared Chakkuli using Moong dal, Rice flour and some spices like jeera, red chilly powder and little ingh. (Asafoetida). I prepared  this chakkuli, when I called some of my relatives to our home for lunch. This was the munch served with coffee  and tea. It goes so well with Coffee, Tea and Fruit juice. We can put these chakkulis to kids lunch box to munch after food or during break time. Good for Kitty Parties, kids parties and any parties of course.

This is the simple recipe and we can prepare this any time if we have moong dal and rice flour. I am sure you all will love to have this  crispy, crunchy Moong dal Chakkuli.

Things Needed :

Moong Dal : 1 Cup.

Rice flour : 3 1/2 to 4 Cups

Salt : to taste

Sesame Seeds : 2 Table Spoons

Red chilly Powder : 1 Tea spoon

Butter : 2 Table spoons

Oil : 2 Cups

Chakli Mould

Method :

1. Wash and cook Moong dal in a pressure cooker with required water.( 3/4 cup of water will do ).

2. Leave it for cooling.

3. Take a big bowl. Add salt, sesame seeds, chilly powder, rice flour (use fine rice flour) and butter. Mix all the ingredients nicely.

4. Now add cooked dal and mix all the ingredients nicely and prepare thick dough. ( Use extra water from cooked moong dal if required)

5.Wash and clean the chakli mould ready.

6. Keep oil on the fire and heat.

7. Divide the chakli dough into small portion and fill the small portion in chakli mould.

8. Press chakli mould and prepare chakli, arrange them on the plate.

9. Fry these chakli on medium and high flame ( balance in between) on both sides till they are change their colour.

10.Remove from the pan and put it on kitchen tissue. It helps to absorb extra oil . Repeat the same with remaining dough.

Note :

Cook moongdal nicely and kneed the dough well. Let it be not too soft or hard. ( You should be able to press from the mould).

you can use more chilly powder if you want the chakli to be spicy. You can also use jeera instead of Sesame Seeds. Better to use any one of them.. Do not use more butter. The chakli turns too soft and it may absorb more oil.

Time : 40 minitues.

25 to 30 Chakkulis can be prepared.