Alasande/southekai Kootu /Jeera Curry

Alasande /Cow Peas and Southekai /Mangalore Cucumber Kootu /Curry is one of the Udupi style dish and it goes well with all most all the main dishes. 

I have used fresh Alasande/ cow peas, carrots, Southekai/Mangalore cucumber and coconut.
No Onion or No garlic is used in this Kootu Curry. This type of curry is done during festivals, feast and some grand functions.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

To Cook :
Alasane /Cow Peas : 1 Cup
Southekai /Mangalore Cucumber : 1
Carrots :  2 ( Small Ones).
To Grind : 
Coconut : 1 Cup
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Tamarind : Tamarind seed size. (Very small)
To Add :
Ground coconut mixture
Salt : As required
Seasoning :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Wash and  pressure cook  cow peas and vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool.

2. Grate coconut and grind it with coriander seeds, jeera, green chilly and tamarind.

3. Keep a big pan on the fire and put cooked vegetables in it. Add salt, turmeric. Let it boil.

4. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Shift the curry to a serving dish. Add seasoning and serve with your choice of main dish.

Note :

Do not over cook the vegetables. You can cook them separately. Adding more /less green chilly is optional. Use of coconut oil for seasoning is optional. No need to roast /fry any spice. Do not add much tamarind to this curry. Use of curd instead of tamarind is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 . 
Purely South Indian Dish. 

Simple Carrots Bread Roll

Simple bread roll needs no preparation. What ever the dry curry you have or just grate some vegetables or panner /Indian cottage cheese, place it inside the bread slice and roll it and then you can shallow fry, dry roast, add little oil and then roast or deep fry it in oil.

I do not like to deep fry bread because it absorbs lots of oil and definitely is not good for health. (Purely my opionion)
Anyways here is one such roasted bread roll on tava and I have used carrots dry curry which was done for lunch as one of the side dish,
You can use any type of bread and I have used wheat bread for this Carrot Bread Roll. As I said it is very easy and quick and you can give it to children when they are back from school. Elders love it because it is crispy but not oily. Easy to digest because carrots are stuffed inside. Tasty because carrots have some simple spices.
Try with your own desired filling and Enjoy.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Carrots Dry Curry : 1 Cup
Bread Slices : 6 to 8
Oil / Ghee /Butter : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Roll the bread slice with the help of chapati roller. ( Let it be completely flat).
2. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of carrots dry curry and roll the bread covering the curry.

3. Keep a dosa pan on the fire and let it heat. Add a teaspoon of oil and place the bread roll.
4. Sprinkle a teaspoon of oil around and let it roast on low flame till golden brown.

5. Turn the other side and roast that side.
6. Simple and quick Bread Roll is ready to serve.

7. Spread some ketch up on the top or serve with your desired side dish. (Chutney, any other dip of your choice).

Note :

I have used carrots dry curry which was prepared for lunch. Not much of oil in it and it is mild spicy.
Filling any other ingredients is optional. (You can fill potatoes, beans and peas, paneer or honey or jam.
Use of more oil/butter/ghee is optional.
Use of more / less chilly is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3.

Bottle gourd - Carrots Mango fruit Curry

Mango fruits season is here and we do eat and enjoy these fruits. Mango is known as King of fruits and is loved by most of the people. Mango fruits are also used in our curries and drinks, chutney/gojju and even in ice creams.
Here is one of the Traditional curry using Mango fruits in it. Curries are cooked by adding fruit
mangoes and it is one of the traditional curry done during Mango Fruit season.

I have used bottle gourd, carrots and mango fruits.
Let us see the recipe now "

Things Needed :

To cook:
Bottle Gourd Pieces : 1 Bowl (1 Small bottle gourd)
Carrots : 2 : ( 1 small bowl)
To Fry :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Methi/Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly : Byadagi chilli : 4 to 5
Ingh : A pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 or little more
To Grind :
Fried spices
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
To Add : 
Salt : As required
Mango Fruits : 2 ( Medium sized and well ripen)
Coconut oil seasoning : 1 Teaspoon
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 2 to 3 seeds
Ingh : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method 

1. Wash and peel of the outer layer of bottle gourd and carrots. Cut them in to pieces.
2. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 minutes and let it cool.

3. Keep a small pan on the fire and put oil. Add methi seeds and fry till they turn golden brown.
4. Add urid dal and red chilly and fry till urid dal gets golden brown. Put off the fire.
5. Add ingh and curry leaves mix it well and let it cool.
6. Grate coconut and grind with fried spices with required water.

7. Now keep a big pan and put cooked bottle gourd + carrots, add salt.
8. Wash and peel off mango fruits skin. Squeeze out the pulp from it.

9. Now add the whole mango and its pulp. ( Squeeze out the pulp slightly from inner side). ( Do not add the peel).
10. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well.

11. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Shift the Bottle gourd - Carrots -Mango fruit Curry to a serving dish.
12. Add coconut oil seasoning and serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Do not cook the vegetable very soft. You can cook with little water in a big pan with out using pressure cooker. Adding chilly more/less is optional. Use of coconut oil is optional. Use of more mango fruits is optional. No need to use tamarind or lemon. Squeeze the mango fruits slightly so that the pulp mixes well with other vegetables. Adding a tablespoon of ghee adds to the taste.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4
Style : Udupi Traditional.

Carrots -Coriander leaves & Avalakki Cutlets

Cutlets are one of the yummy snack that most of the people and kids love it.  They are spicy, tasty and stomach filling. They are done in many ways. I have just tava/pan roasted the cutlets, used very little oil to shallow fry.

I have used wheat bread crumbs, carrots, coriander leaves, avalakki /poha/flattened rice to give a good bind. Cooked on tava using little oi.
No Onion and No garlic is added here.
Green chutney is also done at home and it is an easy dish.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Carrots : 2 +  2
Coriander leaves : 1 small bunch
Bread crumbs : 1 Small bowl. ( 4 to 5 slices)
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ginger : An inch
Avalakki /Flattened rice/Poha : 1 Cup
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Dry grind bread and keep it aside. (Including the sides).

2. Wash and remove the outer layer of carrots and grate 2 carrots. Cut green chilly into small pieces.
3. Wash and clean coriander leaves nicely. Cut them into very small pieces. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger, wash it again and grate it.
4. Wash thick avalakki and remove  all the water.

5. Now take a big bowl. Add grated carrots, ginger, powdered bread and cut green chilly.
7. Add cut coriander leaves and washed avalakki. and the spices like jeera, garam masala powder and turmeric powder. Add required salt.

8. Mix all the ingredients nicely and keep it aside. Do not add any water. It mixes well with avalakki/poha and bread crumbs.
9. Kneed the mixture nicely and divide them into small portions.

10. Take small portion and give a desired shape.
11. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add some oil and place the cutlets you have done.
12. Cook them on low flame till they turn slightly golden brown. Turn the other side add oil and cook.

13. Remove from the pan and serve hot cutlets as you wish.

14 We had the cutlets with like this.
a)  Cutlets with carrot's gratings and spicy sweet and spicy chutney.

b) Cutlets with carrots and pomegranate

c) Cutlets with little fried cornflakes

d) Cutlets with all the above mixture and curd.

Note :

Little carrot gratings should be kept aside for serving with cutlets.

You can deep fry the cutlets. (optional). You can use more oil and shallow fry it. (optional).
You can also use minimum oil and cook on low flame. (optional).
You can also use lots of other vegetables like beans, peas, capsicum. (Optional).
I have done with only carrots and coriander leaves. Use of bread slice edge is optional. ( I have used).
Use of other spices like chat masala/amechur powder or any other masala is optional.
Use of more chilly/red chilly powder is optional.
No potato is used here. Use of potatoes, onions or garlic is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4. ( Shape ans size matters).
Type : Indian snack.

Green chutney preparation :

Clean and wash coriander leaves, pudina/mint leaves and green chilly.
Grind coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilly, 3 to 4 soft dates,  little tamarind and salt with minimum water. Add water whenever you want the chutney to be little more liquid. 

Cucumber - Jaggery Dosa & Guli Appa

Cucumber/Mullu southekai as we call it, is mainly used in salads and eaten raw. We do make use of it in curries, idli, roti or dosa.

Here I have prepared Sweet Dosa, using Cucumber, Bottle gourd and the normal dosa ingredients with jaggery.

Cucumber Jaggery Dosa turns soft once it is fully fermented. Soak rice for 2 to 3 hours and grind it with cucumber and strictly no water. The batter should be thick and you can add water if needed once you start preparing dosa the next day morning or after 5 to 5 hours.
This is one of the South Canara /Udupi recipe which my doddamma and amma used to prepare. Dosa turns soft and fluffy and very nice to have them for breakfast or as snack.
Let us see some benefits of having breakfast in the morning.
Breakfast is one of the best meal for the day. It gives energy for the whole day. It helps to strengthen  metabolism and helps you to concentrate at work.Eating breakfast is good for health. It helps for better memory and concentration, lowers the bad cholesterol and helps in increasing good cholesterol.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Raw Rice : 2 Cups
Urid dal : 1/2 Cup
Methi /Fenugrik seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Fresh grated coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Cucumber : 2 (Very small ones or 1 medium size)
Grated bottle gourd : 1 Small bowl. (1/2 bottle gourd of medium size)
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons./Powdered
Salt : As required
Oil/ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and soak raw rice, urid dal and methi seeds together for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grate coconut. Wash cucumber and cut into small pieces. Grate bottle gourd.

3. Now grind soaked rice-dal mixture with coconut,grated bottle gourd and cucumber till paste.

4. Add jaggery to the dough. Grind it for 2 minutes. Remove from mixi jar to a big bowl and add salt. Mix it well and let it ferment nicely till next morning/Overnight.

5. Mix the dough nicely.

6. Next morning see that dough is fermented well. Dough should be like normal dosa consistency.
7. Keep a pan on the fire and add very little oil and clean it with a kitchen tissue.
8. Take a ladle full of Cucumber jaggery dosa dough and pour it on the hot pan.

9. Do not spread much. Add oil on the top, cover and cook on medium flame for a minute.
10. Remove the cover and turn the dosa on the other side and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

11. Remove it from the pan. Dosa is ready to serve.

12. Serve it with a spoon of fresh ghee on the top of hot Cucumber jaggery dosa and a side dish of your wish.

Note :
The dough has to be fermented well or you will not get good dosas. So you need to see the dough is fermented well. Use of jaggery more /less is optional. Thick dosas taste better. Spreading and making it thin might tare and it will not come out of the pan. Let the flame be low while pouring the dough to the pan and then increase the flame to medium flame). I have used organic jaggery. Powder the jaggery and then add it. ( It is easy to grind powdered jaggery). Adding bottle gourd is optional. ( I have added grated bottle gourd while grinding along with cucumber). Time : Soaking the ingredients 3 hours + grinding 10 minutes and fermentation over night/6 to 7 hours.
Dosa preparation : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 .

You can also prepare Guli appa /guntponglu/kuli appam/paddu using the same dough. I added little grated carrots on the top of Guli appa.