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.

Cow Pea & Bottle Gourd Curry

Cow pea / ಅಲಸಂದೆ and bottle gourd Curry is a side dish that goes well with all the main dishes like lunch, chapatis, rotis, idli, dosa, poori or chapati.

Cow pea season is here and lots of fresh cow peas available in market in most of the places.
It is always better to use seasonal pods to get good nutrients from the pods.
I have used cow peas, bottle gourd and carrot. Used some fresh fried spices which is always there in the kitchen store.

Let us see some benefits of eating Cow Peas in our diet.

Cow peas are low in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium. They are good source of protein. They are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese. Cow Peas is rich in fiber.
Cow peas is rich in magnesium and it is good for controlling our sugar level. It also take care of metabolism of our body. It helps our digestive system to be healthy. It helps to control our blood pressure and take care of it. Cow peas helps in loosing the extra weight and good for people who suffer from anemia. Eating cow peas is good for our skin health. It is good for our bones.
Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion or No Garlic Curry.
Try and enjoy the taste of Cow Pea & Bottle Gourd Curry.

Things needed : 

To Cook :
Cow Peas : 1 Bowl (250 Gr)
Bottle Gourd : 1/2 (1/2 From medium sized bottle gourd)
Carrot : 1
To Fry :
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon.
Red Byadagi chilly : 5 to 6
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
Coconut : 1 Small cup
Coconut Oil : 1 Tsp
To Grind :
Tamarind : Small marble size
Fried and cooled mixture.
To add :
Coriander leaves
Salt : As required
Seasoning : Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon, ingh : a pinch, Curry leaves : 5 to 6 with coconut oil.

Method :

1. Remove the pods from Cow Peas and wash it nicely.

2. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd and carrot. Cut them in to small pieces.

3. Pressure cook cow pea, bottle gourd and carrots with required water for 5 to 6 minutes. Put off the fire and let it cool.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a ts of coconut oil.
5. Put urid dal and fry till they turn slightly golden brown. Add byadagi chilly, pepper pods and fry.
6. Add ingh and curry leaves. Mix it well and put off the fire. Add coconut. Let it cool.

7. Grind fried ingredients with tamarind and required water.
8. Grind into fine paste.

9. Keep cooked vegetables on fire. Add salt and little turmeric powder. Mix it and boil for a minute.

10. Add ground coconut mixture to the boiling vegetables and mix it nicely. Add water if required.
11. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt.

12. Shift the Cow Pea & Bottle Gourd Curry to a serving dish.

13. Add mustard seasoning done in coconut oil.

14. Serve for lunch or with any main dish of your choice.

Note :

Do not over cook the vegetables. Adding more chilly is optional. Use of coconut oil is optional.
Use of coconut more or less is optional. Do not boil more after you add ground coconut mixture.  2 to 3 minutes is more than enough.
Time : 30 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.

Vada In Curry

Vada in curry is similar to Gojju Ambode. This is my idea of cooking whole moong, toor dal and bottle gourd Daal and then dip Channa Dal Vadas/Ambode as we call , in the daal prepared.

Gojju Ambode is one of the famous dish from South India. Gojju means curry and ambode means Vada/Vade.
Channa dal vada is known as ambode in South Canara.
Gojju Ambode is one of the traditional dish from South Canara.
The way of preparing Gojju Ambode is very interesting and the taste is yummy and Gojju Ambode is one of my favourite snack too.
Channa dal and fistful of urid dal is soaked in water for 20 to 25 minutes. Then it is grounded into coarse consistency. Adding all the spices, like, cut green chilly, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger coconut pieces and required salt. Water should be used minimum while grinding. This dough is mixed well with curry leaves, ingh, jeera, then shaped as bit fat and fried on medium flame. .
While Preparing Vadas, side by side the Gojju is also prepared.
Coconut is grated and ground with coriander seeds, red byadagi chilly, ingh turmeric powder, a little tamarind and jeera/Cumin Seeds. These coconut + spice mixture is ground into paste form using required water.
Then the ground mixture is kept to boil, adding salt and little water. Once it is boiled nicely add the fried Channa dal Vadas in this curry and cook on low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Leave it for 10 minutes. Add mustard seasoning in coconut oil/any cooking oil, curry leaves. Add this seasoning to the Gojju Ambode and serve.
It is heavenly to have these Gojju Ambode and enjoy this with your lunch, snack time or whenever you feel like.
I have used bottle gourd curry as gojju, believe me it tasted yummy.
No Onion or No Garlic Dish.  (Do not add any onion or garlic to taste the brahmin traditional, yummy, Pure vegetarian Gojju Ambode.

Ingredients : 

Cooked Bottle Gourd Dal : 1 Bowl
Channa Ambode/Vada : 6 to 8
Coriander leaves : 1 Tbs
Salt : A little

Method :

1. Keep a pan on the fire and put bottle gourd curry in it. Add required water and mix it well.
2. Add salt if required. Wash and cut coriander leaves into small pieces.

3.Let the curry boil for 2 minutes.

4. Dip already done Channa Vadas in it.
5. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Put off the flame and let the Vadas get absorb the curry. (5 to 10 minutes).

7. Shift the curry along with Vadas to a serving bowl

8.Gojju Ambode is ready to serve. Sprinkle some coriander leaves on the top and serve.

Note : 

Prepare the curry little watery, but at the same time it should be tasty.
Let the vadas boil nicely in the curry. So that it absorbs the curry nicely and get bit soft and tasty. You can increase the number of vadas to prepare gojju ambode.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Link to Bottle Gourd Curry....

https://nsomayaji.blogspot.com/2019/10/bottle-gourd-whole-moong-curry.html

Link to Channa dal Carrot Vada :

https://nsomayaji.blogspot.com/2019/09/channa-dal-carrot-vadavade.html