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.

Spring Onion and Kesu Curry

These spring onions are grown in our pots, on the terrace and even kesu leaves are also from home.
I just thought and remembered the curry that Leela dodda prepares and prepared this curry.
The combination of Spring onions and kesu leaves goes in hand and hand. the combination is also gives out the good taste.

I have used kesu leaves, spring onion leaves and the onions attached to the stem, rasam powder, coconut, tamarind and turmeric powder. Fried little urid dal and red chilly/byadagi chilly.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

To cook : 
Spring Onions : 1 Small bundle
Kesu leaves : 10 to 15

To Fry :
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Byadagi Red chilly : 3 to 4
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

To Add :
Cut onion pieces : 1 Small cup
Tamarind Pulp : 2 Tbs
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Salt : As required
Jaggery : 2 to 3 Tbs

To Grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup
Fried Urid mixture

To Season :
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1 /2 Tsp
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch

Method :

1. Wash and cut kesu leaves, spring onion leaves and the onions at the edge.

2. Keep a pan add oil, mustard seeds and jeera. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp.

3. Let it splutter. Add cut onions and fry for a minute. Add cut kesu leaves and spring onions.

4. Mix all the ingredients nicely and stir. Add tamarind pulp and salt. Add turmeric powder. Add 1/2 cup of water.

5. Add jaggery and 1/2 cup of water. Let the leaves cook till soft.

6. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
7. Keep a pan on the fire and add 1/2 tsp of oil. Fry urid dal and red chilly till the dal turns golden brown.

8. Add curry leaves and ingh. Add rasam powder and grated coconut. Let the mixture be cool.

9. Grind the coconut - urid dal mixture using little water.

10. See that the leaves are cooked till soft. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well.

11. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and shift the curry to a serving dish.

12. Serve with plain rice or chapati or idli or dosa or any choice of your main dish.

Note :

Do not use much water to grind. You can adjust the thickness of the curry by using less water.
Use of more jaggery is optional. One should use tamarind pulp to avoid itching feeling from kesu leaves. Use of more chilly is optional. Use of more oil is optional. It taste better but not good for health.
Time : 30 Minutes

Serves : 2 

Snake Gourd - Moong Dal Curry

Snake Gourd is filled with fiberm minerals and vitamins.
Here is a yummy curry using Snake Gourd /Padavala Kai (in Kannada language).

I have used Snake gourd, moong dal, green chilly, ginger and milk.
It simple, quick, easy, delicious and very mild.
Snake gourd is known as Padwal/Chichinda in Hindi, Padavala Kai in Kannada/ Karnataka, Pudavalana in Malayalam/Kerala, Pudalankaai in Tamil/Tamil Nadu and Potlakkaya in Telugu/Andra Pradesh.

Let us see some benefits of Having Snake Gourd in our diet.

Snake Gourd is known for its medicinal values and health benefits in Ayurveda from Ancient periods.
Snake gourd supplies plenty of nutrition to our body. It is filled with water content and helps to cool our body. It is good for heart health and loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Snake gourd has very low calories and zero cholesterol. It is good for people who diet for weight loss. It is full of dietary fiber and digested easily. It is good for diabetes. Snake gourd is helps to remove the toxins from our body. Snake gourd is full of fiber and helps to prevent constipation and regulate the bowel movements. Snake gourd is rich in antioxidants. It helps to strengthen respiratory process in our body. It is good for hair, skin and hair growth.
 There is no Onion or No Garlic in this Snake Gourd Moong Dal Curry.
This simple curry is good for all age group.It is yummy, easy, quick and delicious.

 Let us see the recipe :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
Snake gourd : 1 Small size
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : An inch
Methi seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
To Add :
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
Boiled Milk : 1/2 Cup
Besan /Channa flour : 1/2 Tsp
Lemon : 1 Tsp. (1/2 lemon).
To Season :
Mustard Seeds : 1 Tsp
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ghee : 1 Tbs
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little

Method :

1. Wash and cut Snake gourd. Remove the pulp and seeds. Cut into small pieces. Keep it aside.

2. Wash moong dal.
3. Wash and peel off the outer layer of ginger, wash again and grate it.
4. Wash curry leaves, coriander leaves cut into small pieces. Wash and slit green chilly.

5. Put snake gourd pieces, moog dal, slit green chilly, grated ginger, 1/2 tsp of methi seeds and 1/2 cup of water in a pressure cooker and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

6. Let it cool. Take out the cooker lid, add little turmeric powder and required salt. Mix it well.

7. Add little water and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Add boiled milk and 1/2 tsp of besan/channa flour and mix it nicely. Cook for 2 minutes.

9. Put off the gas and add 1/2 lemon extract, Ghee seasoned mustard seeds, jeera, ingh and curry leaves and mix it well.

10. Shift Snake Gourd - Moong Dal Curry to a serving dish and serve as one of the side dish.

Note :

Adding more chilly is optional. Adding methi seeds is optional. Use of besan is optional.
Ghee adds to the taste. Adding any spice is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Pumpkin Spicy Mustard Curry

Pumpkin spicy mustard curry is a side dish and it is one of the traditional dish from Udupi.

Udupi Brahmins have their own style of cooking, use of spices are simple and good for health. 

That how they got the popularity and Udupi Brahmin's hotel is very famous world wide.

Here is Pumpkin dry curry which is a simple and yummy dish that every one love to have it.

I have used pumpkin, mustard seeds, red chilly powder and coconut.

Let us see the benefits of eating pumpkin on our diet.

Pumpkin is very nutritious and rich in Vitamin A.

It is rich in Antioxidant and helps to reduce chronic diseases. It helps to boost energy. Vitamin A in pumpkin helps to protect our eye sight. Pumpkin is low in calorie and good for shedding extra weight. They are rich in Vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Pumpkin is good for our skin.

No Onion OR No Garlic is used in this Pumpkin Spicy Mustard Curry.

Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

To cook :

Pumpkin : 1 Bowl

To Grind : 

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Coconut : 1/2 Cup

Red chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon

Tamarind : Very little quantity. (Half of small marble size).

To Add :

Salt : As required 

Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon

Coriander leaves : 1 Tbs

Seasoning :

Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp

Urid dal : 1/2 Tsp

Curry leaves : 6 to 8 

Method :

1. Wash and remove the skin of pumpkin and cut into small pieces.

2. Grate coconut and dry grind it with mustard seeds, tamarind and chilly powder.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Add mustard seeds,urid daland let mustard seeds splutter.

4. Add curry leaves, pumpkin pieces and stir nicely.

5. Add water and cook till the pieces turn soft.

6. Add jaggery and little turmeric powder.

7. Add salt and stir. Let all the moisture dry. 

8. Add ground mustard - coconut mixture and mix it well.

9. Let it cook on low flame for 2 minutes.

10. Shift the curry to a serving dish , add cut coriander leaves and serve as one of the side dish.

Note 

Do not cook the vegetable very soft or over cooked. It does not taste good. 

Adding jaggery to the curry is optional.

Use of any cooking oil instead of coconut oil is optional.

Adding more chilly is optional.

Time : 30 Minutes.

Serves : 2 to 3.