Pumpkin Acchar /Pickle flavoured Curry

Pumpkin /Sihi kumbala kai is a healthy vegetable which can be kept for a long time. I have prepared this curry with little mustard along with sambar powder. It is called as Pumpkin Achar Curry because the spices gives out slightly pickle taste.

Our home in Brahmavar/Near Udupi used to have at least 3 to 4 pumpkins and that pumpkins were used to store for the rainy days in olden days. I am calling those days as olden days since my father in law used to grow pumpkins, ash gourd and mangalore cucumber in the field and the grown vegetables are to be stored in Padasale/Pooja room. These vegetables are used in rainy seasons because during the rainy days normally you would not get much vegetables. The days are gone and now is all dream that we have seen.
Let us see some benefits of eating pumpkin in our diet.
Pumpkin is low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol. It is also low in sodium. It has a good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is filled with  Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Phosphorus. It has a good source of dietary fiber. Pumpkin is good for people who suffer from blood pressure. It is rich in anti oxidants which helps in preventing damage to our eyes.
Pumpkin Acchar /Pickle flavoured Curry has no onion or no garlic in it. Do not add more mustard seeds, it might give out bitter and strong spice taste.
Let us see the recipe now :
Things needed :
To Cook :
Red Pumpkin : 1 Bowl. ( 1/4 part of one medium sized pumpkin)
To grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup ( 3 to 4 Tablespoons)
Mustard seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Rasam / Sambar powder : 1 Tablespoon
To add :
Tamarind pulp : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
Seasoning :
Cooking oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A little
Curry leaves : 5 to 6 leaves

Method :

1. Wash and remove the hard part of pumpkin and cut them into small pieces.
2. Cook with little water till it turns soft. ( Do not over cook )

3. Grate coconut and grind it with rasam /sambar powder, jeera/cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
4. Add required water to grind and remove it from mixi jar.

5. Soak a marble size of tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp from it. Keep the pulp aside.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked pumpkin pieces. Add salt, tamarind pulp and turmeric powder to it.

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

8. Shift the curry to a serving dish.

9. Keep small pan on the fire and heat. Add a teaspoon of oil, mustard seeds. Let mustard seeds splutter.
10. Add little ingh/ asafoetida and cut curry leaves. Put this seasoning to prepared pumpkin curry.
11. Mix it well and Add cut coriander leaves.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

 Note :

Do not over cook the pumpkin pieces. No need to add any garlic or onion to this curry. Do not use more oil to season.  Do not add much mustard seeds to grind because the food might give bitter taste.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.
Purely South Indian dish.

Rava Urid Dal Dosa

Rava Urid dal dosa is god to have for breakfast, snack time or even dinner. It is easy and even you can prepare it with out fermentation. 

Varieties of  dosas with same batter

 I have prepared dosa without fermenting the batter, adding little curd and prepared spicy dosa, as set dosa and even thin and crispy dosa. Varieties of dosas can be prepared with this Rava urid dal dosa batter.
Let us see some benefits of using Rava/rave/semolina in our diet. 
Rava/Sooji/Semolina is rich in calcium, phosphorus,  potassium, iron, zinc, carbohydrates and proteins. They do contain vitamins B and E. It helps to loose weight. It is filled with fiber and good for digestion and easy bowel movement. It is low in cholesterol and sodium and is called as balanced food. Rava is digested slowly and keeps you full for a long time. Rava is good for people who suffer from diabetics. They help in building strong immunity system in our body. They also good for healthy metabolism and healthy muscles, nerves and bones.
Let us see the recipe now:
As I said earlier you can prepare dosas immediately as soon as you grind, then ferment and then use the batter for set dosas, thin dosas and spicy dosas.

Ingredients :

Urid dal : 1 Cup
Rava : 3 to 3 1/2 Cups.
Salt : As required
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method : 

1.Wash and soak urid dal for 2 to 3 hours and then grind it with required water.

2. Remove it from the mixi jar to a big bowl.

3. Add a glass of water to rava and then mix it well. Add this wet rava to ground urid dal batter.
4. Add salt and mix it well.
5. Let it ferment for over night or 6 to 7 hours.

6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put little on the tava and clean it with a kitchen tissue.

 7. Mix the ferment batter nicely and take a ladle of dosa batter and spread it on hot tava in a circle shape. (Let the flame be low while spreading dosa batter).

 8. Cover and cook for a minute. Sprinkle little oil on the top. Turn the other side and cook for 10 seconds.

9. Remove dosa from the pan and serve hot dosa with curry /chutney/pickle.

10.Repeat the same with remaining batter.
Crispy Dosa ( From the same batter)

Note :

Do not make the batter very  watery. The consistency of the batter should be normal dosa batter consistency.

Preparing spicy dosa :

Wash and cut coriander leaves, curry leaves and green chilly to dosa batter and prepare thick /set dosas.
Dosa with out fermenting the batter.
Mix dosa batter nicely and prepare dosas as normal dosa.

Preparing dosa with out fermenting the batter.

Palak Paratha (Green Spicy Chapati)

Palak Paratha is a healthy dish. It is a main dish and we can have them for breakfast, for lunch or for dinner. Normally kids do not want to eat leaves. So here is a simple way that you can make them eat leaves. It is a healthy recipe and not much of spice is used here.
Palak or any other edible leaves are loaded with iron and other minerals.

Lets see some benefits of eating Jeera /cumin seeds in our diet.
Cumin /Jeera seeds have wonderful flavour and aroma. They are loaded with number of health benefits. It is good for improving digestion. They are loaded with fibre and good for people who are suffering  from constipation. They are good sources of potassium and it helps to regulate blood pressure and heart rate. They contain anti inflammatory, anti bacterial and anti fungal properties and they are good remedy for cold and asthma. They contain good amount of iron, and are good for people suffering rom anemia. They also contain high amount of calcium good for women.
No onion or no garlic used in this " Palak Paratha ", and it is easy to prepare. A healthy paratha for all age group, easy to carry for the traveling, kids lunch box and even for the working people.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour : 3 Cups
Palak Leaves : 1 Bundle
Jeera powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala : /12 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : Handful (of a small bundle).
Chilly powder : 1/4 Teaspoon
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablesppon
Salt : as required

Method :
1.Wash and cut only the leaves of palak (spinach) and keep it aside.
2. Wash and keep coriander leaves aside.
3. Now keep a pan on the fire and put 1/2 glass of water. Let it boil.
4. Add cut palak leaves and let it turn slightly cooked. (1 to 2 minutes). Remove the leaves from the pan and keep the boiled water aside.

5. Let the palak leaves cool. Grind them with coriander leaves nicely till paste. (Do not add any water while grinding).
6. Put the ground palak paste in a bowl. Add salt, garam masala powder jeera powder and chilly powder. Mix it well.

7. Add wheat flour and use palak boiled water and prepare chapathi dough. Keep it for 5 minutes. ( Add extra water if it requires).

8. Keep the dough for 5 minutes and then divide the dough in to small ball size.

9. Dip a ball size of paratha and then roll it out like chapati.

10. Keep tava on the fire and cook paratha on both side by using very little oil.
11. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare parathas.

12. Serve paratha with cup of curd and the side dish you have prepared.

Cooking palak is to get away the raw smell. Do not over cook. Cook with little water and use the extra water while preparing the dough. (Palak cooked water). Do not use more spices. Mild spice is always healthy. You can use little ( a tablespoon) ghee or oil while preparing the dough. It helps the and turns the paratha soft. Use of garlic or onion is optional. While grinding you can add garlic pods and thin cut onions can be added while mixing the flour. (Completely optional). The taste differ. You can add jeera seeds instead of jeera powder. (Jeera powder helps the paratha to roll well and you can not see any spice on the top).
Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4 .

Simple Wheat Rotti

Simple Wheat Rotti is an easy rotti and we do not add any thing except salt and water. It can be eaten with any curry or chutney, saambar. We can have them as diet food too. (You can prepare them without oil too). It is very good for dinner and digest easily. I have seen my mother preparing this very often.

Lets see some benefits of Wheat flour.
Wheat controls the weight and good for body metabolism. It prevent type 2 diabetes. It reduces chronic inflammation. it also prevents the gallstones. Whole grain wheat assures the healthy life style. It is full of fiber. It helps to reduce the blood pressure and obesity.
It also good for childhood atama. Not only these Wheat has many more healthy values.

Ingredients :

Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Water : Required water
Salt : according to the taste.
Oil : 2 to 3 Table spoons

Method :

1. Put wheat flour and salt in a big bowl.

2. Add required water and mix it. Let it be thicker than dosa dough. ( Not very thick too).
3. Mix it nicely and leave it for 5 minutes.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil.
5. Take a handful of dough in hand and spread it in circle form.
6. Sprinkle oil on the top of the rotti. Cover it and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on medium flame.

7. Remove the cover and sprinkle oil. (very little). Turn the rotti other side and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Wheat rotti is ready to serve. Add a spoon of ghee on the top before you serve.

9. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare rotti.

10. Serve with any curry or sambar or chutney you prepared. Curries and sambar goes well with this rotti.

Note : Rotti dough should be well mixed. ( should be able to take it out and spread on tava). Using ghee is optional.
You can add milk (1/2 cup), or a spoon of curd. ( I did not). Adding less or more oil is optional. It is one of the good diet food. Keeps you full for a long time. (use less oil if dieting). Adjust the flame of fire while cooking to get the good rotti. (medium to low).
Time : 15 minutes
Serves : 3