Uddina Bonda - Sorekai Sambaar.

Uddina Bonda or biscuit ambode as this bonda is called in Dakshina Kannada, is a fried snack. It is called biscuit ambode since it is soft inside and crisp out side and taste yemmy.

Most of the South Indians normally eat Uddina vada ( Urd vada ) along with Idli in the mornings. Many hotels  serve Idli - Vada in the mornings.  We can have this Vada or Bonda in the evening with tea or as evening snack.  Uddu means Urd dal and its ground to paste with little water and then added with chilly, ginger, ingh and salt. Then it is fried in hot oil and the lovely bonda is soft inside and crispy outside.  It is nice to have these bondas and a cup of coffee or tea at any time of the day. You can also enjoy these bondas with Rasam, Sambar or even with Curd.
Here is a recipe of Urd Bonda and Sambar which is prepared with Sorekai that is Bottle gourd. The whole family can enjoy Bonda Sambar.
Things Needed : For Urd Bonda
Urd Dal : 2 Cups
Green chilly : 3 to 4
Curry Leaves : 18 to 20
Coriander leaves : 3 to 4 Table spoon.
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Salt : as required
Oil : 2 Cups
Channa Dal : 1 Table spoon
Black Pepper : 1/2 Tea spoon

Method :
1. Wash and soak Urd dal and Channa dal for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Wash and cut curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilly in to small pieces.
3. Powder Pepper pods and keep it aside.
4. Now grind Urd dal with very little water till paste and remove from the jar.
5. Now mix ground urd dal dough, pepper powder, ingh, salt, green chilly, grated ginger, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Mix it nicely.

6. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Add oil . Let it become hot.
7. Take a handful of dough and leave it slowly like a ball shape. Fry them on medium flame till both the sides turn golden colour.

8. Remove from the frying pan and put it on a tissue paper so that the extra oil will be obserb by the paper.

9. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.
Serve these bondas with tea or with Sambar or Rasam and Chutney.
Note :  Do not add lot of water while grinding. It absorbs oil while deep fring and it does not taste good. You can also  add 1 Table spoon of rice with Urd dal instead of Channa dal. Be careful while frying the bondas since the green chilly seed may burst some time and its dangerous.
           Bottle Gourd Sambar
Things Needed:
Bottle Gourd pieces :  2 Cups
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Sambar Powder : 3 Table spoons .( MTR)
Salt : To taste
Tamarind Pulp : 2 Table spoons
jaggery : 1 Table spoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Table spoon
Curry leaves : 4 to 5
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd dal: 1/2 Tea spoon

Method : 
1. Wash and cut sorekai (bottle gourd) into small pieces.
2. Wash and cook moong dal in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water.
3. Cook Sorekai separately  and keep it aside.
4. Soak tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and keep the pulp aside.
5. Keep a big pan on the fire. Add oil and heat. Put mustard seeds, urd dal. Let it spurt. Add curry leaves and cooked Sorekai.
6. Add cooked dal to the Sorekai mixture. Add 2 glasses of water, salt, jaggery and tamarind pulp. Mix it nicely.
7. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add MTR sambar powder and boil for another 5 minutes. Stir in between.
8. Put coriander leaves and put the sambar in a serving bowl.
Now serve hot Urd bondas with Sorekai sambar  and chutney.

Note : You can use Toor dal instead of Urd dal. You can also use home made sambar powder. Dr roast coriander seeds, (2 table spoons), methi 1/4 tea spoon, jeera 1/2 Tea spoon and 6 to 8 red chillies and powder when it is cooled. Add curry leaves and ingh while roasting the spices. You can also add 1/2 tea spoon of urd dal while roasting and dry grind all the roasted ingredients to get sambar powder. Adding Jaggery is an optional.
Time : 1 Hour (Urd bonda and Sambar)
4 to 5 Servings.             

     Cup of coffee /chai/tea with Hot Uddina Bonda (Urid dal fried fritters).    

      

Bottle gourd-Channa dal Dosa (Ade)

Bottle gourd is filled with fiber and  helps to digest the food easily. The glucose and sugar related compounds are nearly nil in the bottle gourd. It is one of the food option for the diabetic patients. It is one of the body heat control food and keeps your body temperature at normal level. It helps to reduce the inflammations in the liver and kidneys.

I have tried dosa with bottle gourd and channa dal and moong dal. This dal dosa is also known as  Ada. This is a healthy dish and easy to prepare and easy to digest too. We can have this dosa for breakfast or as snack or for dinner too.

Things needed:

Bottle gourd : 2 to 3 cups: (1/2 of medium sized bottle gourd)
Channa dal:  2 Cup
Moong dal: 1/2 cup
Rice: 1 fist. (1/4 cup)
Salt : to taste
Coriander leaves: 2 Table spoons
Curry leaves :  6 to 10
Green chilly : 1
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Pepper pods: 3 to 4
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Coconut: 2 Table spoon
Ingh : a pinch'
Oil:  4 to 5 Table spoons.

Method:
1. Wash and soak channa dal, moong dal and rice together for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grate coconut and wash and grate ginger. Wash and keep curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilly.
3. Wash and cut bottle gourd into small pieces and keep it aside.
4. Now grind all the ingredients like, channa dal, moong dal, rice, curry -coriander leaves, ginger and coconut together till paste.
5. Add cut bottle gourd pieces and grind along with dal. Add ingh and salt and grind nicely and remove from the jar and put it in a big bowl.

6. Do not add much water while grinding.
7. Now keep a pan on the fire. sprinkle oil on the top.
8. Take a spoon ful of batter and spread it like dosa. Use 1/2 spoon of oil and sprinkle on the dosa and cover the lid. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

9. Now turn the dosa on the other side and cook for 1 minute.
10. Now serve Bottle gourd dosa with any kind of chutney you like or with any sambar or with pickle or chutney pudi

Note:  You can add onions (cut into small pieces). You can also add tour dal (2 to 3 table spoons will do). It helps to give crisp to the  dosa.
Prepare these dosas on medium flame and see that it does not get burnt.
Time: 15 to 20 Minutes (except soaking time)
Serves : 2 to 3.

Sorekai Kai Huli . (Bottle Gourd- coconut Curry )

Sorekai/Bottle gourd curry is a gravy dish. Bottle gourd is known as one of the best vegetable which has so many healthy properties. I have prepared Curry. Huli as we call it in our Kannada language./Karnataka /India.

.This Sorekai Huli can be served with almost all the main dishes like plain rice, chapatis, rotis, rotti, dosa, idli, poori etc. I have cooked this curry in a traditional way.
I have used Bottle gourd, rasam powder, tamarind and coconut with some spices. No dal is used in this curry.
No Onion or garlic is added in this curry.

Things Needed :

Sorekai : 2 to 3 cups.
Fresh coconut : 1 cup. (grated).
Rasam or Sambar Powder : 2 Tea spoon.
Tamarind Pulp:  1 Table spoon.
Turmeric powder : a pinch.
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon.
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Salt : to taste

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer skin of  sorekai  and cut it into small pieces. ( 1/2 of the medium sized sorekai will do).
 2 Cook it with one cup of water till its soft.
3. Grate coconut and grind it with Rasam powder with little water.
4.Soak small ball size of tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and add it to the boiled Sorekai.
5. Cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and ground coconut mixture to the curry. Add a pinch of turmeric powder.
6. Mix nicely and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add curry leaves and a spoon of ghee to the curry.
7. Serve with plain rice/chapati/poori/idli/dosa.

Note:  

You can add tomatoes and reduce the quantity of tamarind pulp.
You can also add mustard seasoning to the curry to make it more tasty.  I have not done. I just added some ghee and curry leaves. (Optional).
You can also add potatoes with sorekai, curry taste different.
Sorekai must cook till soft. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of soaked raw rice while grinding coconut and rasam powder. It helps to thickens the curry and mixes well with cooked vegetable. I have used home prepared rasam powder. Use of any branded rasam powder is optional. It might taste differ.
Time : 25 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 People.

Recipe for home prepared Rasam Powder:

Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Methi seeds/Fenugrik seeds  :1/4 Teaspoon
Byadagi chilly : 5 to 6
Jeera/cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

Dry roast methi seeds till it turns slightly golden brown, add coriander seeds and red chilly/Byadagi chilly and fry for 1 t 2 minutes on low flame. Turn off the gas and add ingh, curry leaves and jeera. Mix it nicely and let it cool. Dry grind and use. ( I time use for 2 to 3 people ).

Sorekai or Bottle Gourd Juice.

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd Juice is very good for health and it helps to reduce the gastric and toxin in our body.
I have used bottle gourd, salt and lemon.

Things Needed :

Sorekai/Bottle gourd : 1 cup . (1/4 of medium sized Bottle Gourd cut in to pieces ).
Lemon : 1
Water : 2 glasses.
Pepper powder : A pinch
Salt : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and cut Sorekai/bottle gourd and grind it nicely.
2. Remove from the mixi jar and mix it with water. Add salt.

4. Add pepper powder and lemon juice and mix it well.

5. Serve the ready Sorekai/Bottle Gourd Juice. (Add ice cube just before serving) (Optional).

Note :
Grind bottle gourd pieces with little water till paste to get good consistency. You can also grate some pieces and add it while serving. Adding Honey (2 tablespoons) adds to the taste. Adding more lemon is optional. Adding chat masala or jeera powder is optional.
Serves : 2 to 3
Time : 10 Minutes.

Sorekai Kootu (Doodi or Lauki or Bottle gourd) ( Pepper Kootu)

Sorekai /Bottle gourd/Lauki Kootu is one of spicy and tasty side dish. Kootu is a side dish prepared using vegetables and little spice. I have seen my friends preparing this type of kootu with varieties of vegetables.

I have used bottle gourd, Ridge gourd as vegetables, channa dal, pepper pods, curry leaves, ingh and byadagi chilly as spices. This type of Kootu is very famous dish of Iyengars.
This Sorekai and Ridge gourd pepper Kootu is one of the Iyengars signature dish that I learnt it from our close Iyengar friend. Strictly do not use onions or garlic to this Kootu Curry.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients : 

To Cook :
Sorekai/Bottle Gourd : 1 ( Medium sized)
Heerekai/ Ridge Gourd
To Dry roast /fry 
Channa dal : 1 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Red chilly : 2
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Oil : 1 Teaspoon ( Optional)
To Grind :
Dry roasted /Fried spices
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons. ( 1/2 Cup)
For Tempering / Seasoning
Oil /ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Red chilly ( Any variety ): 1
To Add :
Turmeric powder : A little
Salt : As required

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer /peel off  of bottle gourd and Ridge Gourd.
2. Cut it into small pieces and cook with required water till soft. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and dry roast /fry channa dal till they turn golden brown.
4. Add red chilly and pepper pods to it and fry for 1 minute.
5. Put off the gas and add curry leaves and ingh. Add grated coconut.

6. Grind fried ingredients with coconut. Add required water to grind. Shift the ground mixture to a bowl.
7. Now keep a pan and add cooked bottle gourd and ridge gourd pieces. Add turmeric powder and salt.
8. Add little water and let it boil for 2 minutes.
9. Add ground coconut spice mixture and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Shift the kootu a serving dish. Add tempered mustard seeds mixture to the curry and mix it well.
11. Add washed and cut coriander leaves and mix it well.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :
Use of other vegetables like, carrots, beans, clustered beans is optional. Use of chilly/Chilly powder is optional. Using red byadagi chilly adds to the taste. Use of ghee to temper the kootu adds to the taste. Pepper pods are good for health. It helps to digest the food well. Do not use onions or garlic to this kootu. It may spoil the original taste.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 ..

Sorekai ( Duudhi ) Juice.

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd./Lauki Juice is a drink and  this juice is very healthy drink for every one. Drinking this juice in an empty stomach gives good result.

It is very good to have bottle gourd pieces in the morning help to control your B.P. and Diabetic problems and helps in digestion.
I have used bottle gourd, jaggery (organic), lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Lets see the recipe now: This is an easy drink that any one can try it.

Things Needed:

Sorekai/bottle gourd Pieces: 1 cup.
Water : 2 Glass
Salt :a pinch
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera Powder : a pinch (optional)

Method: 

1. Wash bottle gourd and remove the outer layer. (Well washed outer layer can be used for chutney)
2. Grind it in a mixi jar, till paste with little water and put it in a big bowl.

3. Add required water (3 to 4 glasses), jaggery and a pinch of salt.

4. Mix it well with a spoon, see that jaggery melts completely. Add lemon juice and mix it well.

                                            

5. Add a pinch of jeera powder and pour it a serving glass and serve.

Note :

Grind bottle gourd pieces well. It should turn as paste. Adding honey instead of jaggery is optional.
Adding more lemon is optional. For 1/4 of medium size bottle gourd is enough for 2 to 3. Adding jeera powder/chat masala or any other spice is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes 
2 to 3 servings. 

Sorekai Pappu ( Dall with Sorekai )

Sorekai/Bottle gourd/Doodi is one of the healthiest vegetable and it is loaded with many nutrious minerals and vitamins. Pappu is nothing but the dal cooked with vegetables. Vegetables like bottle gourd, edible leaves, mooli, brinjals, beans and carrots can be added with dals and cooked with some simple spices. Pappu is known name for dal in Telugu Language. (Andra Pradesh in Indian). Pappu goes well with almost all the main dishes and it is one of the healthy, easy and quick dish anyone can prepare.

Lets see the recipe now. I have used Moong dal here. No onion or no garlic is added to this dish.

Ingredients:

Toor Daal or Moong Daal : 1/2 cup.

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd    : 2 cups .( Cut according to your wish).

Green chillies : 4 to 6
Corianer Leaves : 3 to 4 sticks.

Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.

Oil or Ghee : 1 Table spoon .

Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon.

Urd Daal : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Ingh ( Asafatodia ) : a pinch .

Ginger : small piece

Salt : To taste .

Water : According to the requirement.

Turmeric : a pinch
Lemon Extract : 1 Teaspoon (1/2 Lemon)

Method :

1. Wash Moong dal and add a cup of water. Pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Wash bottle gourd, remove the outer layer and cut it into small pieces.

3. Wash green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves.
4. Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash again. Grate it. Cut coriander leaves.
5. Cook cut bottle gourd pieces with little water till they turn soft.

6. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add mustard seeds, urid dal. Let mustard splutter. Add jeera.
7. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add cut green chilly and fry for a while.
8. Add cooked bottle gourd pieces and cooked moong dal.

9. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well. Add required water and mix it well.

10. Let it boil nicely for 4 to 5 minutes.
11.Shift the ready dal to a serving bowl and add lemon extract. Mix it well.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

 Adding onions and garlic is optional. Adding ghee is optional. Ghee adds to the aroma and taste. You can add more chilly . (Optional).
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

Bottle gourd Kichidi :

Add a cup of cooked rice and little salt. Mix it well . Let it cook nicely for 3 to 4 minutes.
Bottle Gourd Kichdi is ready to Eat. Serve with Papad and pickle.