Simple Bottle Gourd /Sorekai Dry Palya

Bottle gourd/Sorekai/Doodi is one of the healthy vegetable and it available plenty all around the year.

I have done many recipes with Bottle gourd. Here is a simple,  yummy, easy dry curry which is very quick too. 

I have used simple spices and the bottle gourd. 

Let us see the recipe now : 

No Onion or No garlic is added to this Simple Bottle Gourd /Sorekai Dry Palya

Things Needed :

Sorekai / Bottle gourd pieces : 1 Bowl.

Red byadagi chilly : 2 

Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds /Sasive : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal /Uddina bele : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry leaves :  6 to 8
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon ( Optional)

Method :

1. Wash and peel of the outer layer of bottle gourd./Sorekai.
2. Cut bottle gourd into very small pieces and cook with required water till soft.

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Wash coriander leaves and curry leaves and cut into small.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add coconut oil, mustard seeds and urid dal.
5. Cut red chilly into two to three pieces and put it the seasoning.
6. Let mustard splutter. Add curry leaves and mix it once.
7. Add cooked bottle gourd pieces and jaggery. Mix it well.

8. Add turmeric powder (a pinch) and required salt. Let jaggery melt and mix it with the pieces.
9. Let all the moisture disappear completely. Put off the fire and add grated coconut.
10. Mix it well and shift the ready dry palya .curry to a serving dish.

11. Add coriander leaves on the top.

12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared. We had this curry as one of the side dish with our lunch.

Note :

You need to cook bottle gourd pieces till soft to get good taste. (Do not over cook).
Adding jaggery is optional. We like to add little jaggery in some of the dishes in Udupi style of cooking. Adding green chilly instead of red chilly is optional. Taste differ. No need to add more oil. Do not cook the curry after adding fresh coconut. Adding coriander leaves is optional.
Time : 15 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 
Purely : Udupi Taste /Karnataka /India .

Jeera - Pepper Huggi /Khara Pongal

Jeera - Pepper Huggi/Khara Pongal is one of the quick, healthy and easy Rice dish. It is one of the favourite dish of many South Indians.

I have used jeera/cumin seeds, green chilly, ingh/asafoetida as spices and moong dal and raw rice.

Let us see some benefits of eating Pepper Pods/Black Pepper in our diet.

Black Pepper is called as Kaali Mirch in hindi, nalla miriyalu - Telugu, Karumilaku - Tamil and Kari menasu in Kannada language. It is known as Kurumuluk in Malayalam.
Black pepper is known as king of spices. Black pepper is traded widely to other parts of the world,  even in ancient times.
Black pepper is used as spices and medicine.It is loaded with antibacterial and anti - inflammatory properties.Pepper helps in improving digestion, relieve cold and cough. It helps to boost metabolism. It helps in treating skin problems and weight loss. It is good for treating asthama, sinus, nasal congestion. Pepper pods helps to reduce memory impairment and cognitive malfunction. It is helps in treating Alzheimer patients and those who suffer from dementia. Very good for other age related problems. Black pepper benefits in easing gastric problems and peptic ulcers, since they are loaded with antioxidant and anti -inflammatory properties. It contain good amount of dietary fiber.
Black pepper is rich in minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and small amount of protein. It has good amount of  vitamins like Vitamin K, Vitamin B6.

No Onion or Garlic is used in this Jeera - Pepper Huggi/Khara Pongal. It is very easy to cook, it is simple, delicious and protein rich food.
Let us see the recipe.

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Raw rice : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
 To Season :
Jeera/cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods : 2 to 3
Ingh/ Asafoetida : A pinch
Green chilly : 2
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
To dry roast :
Jeera /cumin seeds : 1/ 2 Teaspoon
Pepper pods : 5 to 6
To Add :
Pepper and jeera powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Grated Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Grated Ginger : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Water : 3 Cups of water.
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Cashew Nuts : 1 Tablespoon

Method :

1. Wash and cook raw rice and moong dal in a pressure cooker.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Wash curry leaves and green chilly. Slit green chilly and keep it aside. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger. ( An inch of ginger). Wash it again and grate it.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and dry roast pepper pods and jeera ( 2 minutes). Dry grind it and keep it aside.

4. Keep a big pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of ghee and put jeera, pepper pods and fry.
5. Add 3 to 4 pepper pods and 1/2 teaspoon of jeera. Fry them nicely for a few seconds and add green chilly.
6. Fry green chilly for a few seconds and add curry leaves. Add ingh.

7. Put cooked moong dal and rice mixture. Add required salt and ground jeera and pepper powder.
8. Add grated ginger. Mix all the ingredients slowly on very low flame. Let i t be on fire for 2 minutes.
9. Put off the gas. Add grated coconut.

10. Keep a small pan and put ghee. ( 1 tablespoon). Add cashews and fry nicely.
11. Add this fried cashews to ready Khara Pongal.
12. Serve with a cup of curd or coconut chutney with hot Jeera - Pepper Huggi/Khara Pongal.

Note :

Do not over cook rice. Adding more green chilly is optional. Adding more ghee is optional. It adds to the taste. Do not stir more . It might turn very soft.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5
Purely Karnataka Dish.

Channa Dal Payasa / Kheer

Shravana the month of festival is here. It is a festival of nature. Naagapanchami , Nagara chowthi, Raksha bhandhan, Shri Krishna Janmastami, so and so many festivals in this month. It looks like almost all the days in this month people are busy with poojas, naivedya and pooja functions.

So every day you need to prepare some or the other sweet dishes for Neivedya to God/Goddess.
Here is one such sweet dish which is prepared for festivals, feast and other happy functions.
Channa dal/kadale bele payasa is one of the easiest dish which we can prepare and serve as neivedya.
I have used channa dal, avalakki/flattened rice, jaggery, cardamom and coconut
This Channa Dal Payasa is done during poojas, festivals and feast. It is cooked and then mixed with jaggery, coconut milk, cardamom, and avalakki./flattened rice. Some use cooked rice instead of avalakki.
This Channa Dal Payasa is one of the Traditional Dish from South Canara /Karnataka and we can prepare them for festivals, feast and parties.

Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Channa Dal : 1 Cup
Avalakki /Aval/Poha : 1 small cup./2 handful.
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : A pinch.

Method :

1. Wash channa dal and pressure cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool.

2. Grate coconut and grind it with cardamom pods. Grind it nicely. Remove coconut mixture  in a bowl. Wash avalakki/flattened rice and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery. Add a cup of water and mix it. Let jaggery melt and it turns as liquid. Sieve it with a siever and keep it aside.
. Let it get cool. Strain it keep cleaned jaggery aside.

4.Keep cooked dal on the fire and put cleaned jaggery water to it. Add washed avalakki and boil.
Let it boil nicely. Add a pinch of salt.

5. Now add ground coconut mixture and mix it well. Let it boil for at least 5 minutes.

6. Shift Channa Dal Payasa /Kheer to a serving bowl.
7. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put a tablespoon of ghee and fry cashews and raisins till raisins get fluffy.

8. Add this ghee fried nuts to Payasa/kheer.
9. Serve ready payasa after a lunch/dinner as desert.

Note :
Channa Dal should be cooked softly to get the best payasa. Adding coconut milk instead of ground coconut is optional.
Use of fresh coconut milk is a must to get good taste. Use of more/less ghee is optional.
Using coconut milk adds to the taste. You can use cooked rice instead of avalakki. (Optional). You can also use little raw rice grains while grinding coconut. It adds to the thickness of payasa.
Adding boiled and cooled fresh milk to Payasa , just before serving is optional. It adds to the taste. Do not add hot milk. Payasa might get curdled.
Time : 30 Minutes 
Serves : 4 to 5 
Purely : South Canara Sweet Dish.

Little Millet / Saame & Moong Dal Sweet Pongal

                          Little Millete/Saame & Moong Dal Sweet Pongal

Ready to serve Little Millete/Saame & Moong Dal Sweet Pongal

Little Millet/Saame is one of the healthy millet and millets are on the healthy wave these days. Though it is said even in those days may be thousands of years ago in India people used to only millets as their daily food not rice. Millets  are grown easily and they do not need much water either.
I have prepared Little millet Huggi and of course it is one of the easy dish that you can cook when you are expecting some guest. No one can say no to this yummy dish I know.
I have used Moong dal, little millet, jaggery, ghee, cardamom and some dry fruits. The fresh coconut adds to the taste.
Little millet is full of fiber and gluten free. It is easy to digest and keeps you full for a long time. It is good for diabetic patient and helps to maintain the blood sugar level.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Little millet : 1 Cup
Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Fresh grated coconut : 1/2 Cup
Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods
Salt : A pinch
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Milk : 1/2 cup

Method :

1. Wash and cook little millet and moong dal. Add 1/2 cup of milk while cooking.
( 1 Cup little millet : 2 cups of water + 1/2 cup of moong dal : 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk. All together 3 cups ).

2. Now keep jaggery in a pan and put some water. Let it melt completely. Sieve this jaggery water and keep the clean jaggery water aside.

3. Keep  a big bowl on the fire and put cleaned jaggery and cooked little millet with moong dal. Add a tablespoon of ghee, so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.
4. Mix all the ingredients nicely. Add salt. Let it turn bit thick. (Let it be on low flame).
5. Mix it well and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Powder cardamom and add it.

6. Grate coconut and add it.

7. Keep a small pan on the fire and put remaining ghee. Fry dry nuts in it. ( Raisins, cashews).

8. Shift the ready Little Millet/Saame & Moong dal Sweet pongal to a serving dish.
9. Put fried nuts and serve hot Little Millet/Saame & Moong dal Sweet Pongal.

Note :

Adding milk while cooking adds to the taste. Add milk along with water. It is better to cook in pressure cooker because it turns soft and nice. Or you might feel the millet grain bit hard. Adding less or more jaggery is optional. Adding more/less ghee is optional. You can add one or two cloves along with cardamoms. It gives nice aroma and good for digestion.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5 .

Wild Mango Spicy Curry /ಕಾಟು ಮಾವಿನಹಣ್ಣಿನ ಮೆಣಸುಕಾಯಿ

Ready to serve Wild Mango Spicy Curry/ಕಾಟು ಮಾವಿನ ಹಣ್ಣಿನ ಮೇಣಸುಕಾಯಿ

Wild mangoes are sweet and tangy. We have a this mango tree in our Birthimane near Udupi. We do love to eat this fruit, though it is bit tangy. Whenever I visit our home here during mango season I make a point to bring these mango fruits to prepare dishes like mango curry, jam, gojju, saasive etc.
This time I just wanted to try one of Udupi Special - Mango Menasukai/Mango curry.
Normally Menasukaayi is prepared using fresh coconut. It is full of spice and taste savoury, sweet and hot. Lots of spices are used  and the long procedure too.
I have used fresh roasted spices, mango pulp, jaggery and salt. Coconut is not added so that Mango curry can be kept for many days.
Wild Mango Spicy goes well with dosas, idli, kadubu, rotti, chapati, roti and plain rice. It is good to have with curd rice.
Let us see the recipe Now:

Ingredients :

Wild Mango Fruits : 10 to 15 ( Wild mangoes are normally small in size ).
Jaggery : 1/4 Kg.
Salt : As required.

Spices to roast :
Dry chilly /Byadagi : 10 to 15
Channa Dal / Kadale bele : 1 Tablespoon
Urid dal/Uddina bele : 1 Tablespoon
Methi seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 3 to 4 Tablespoons. (One handful)
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Sesame seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Ingh/Asafoetida : 1/4 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : One handful

Seasoning:
Coconut oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Mustard seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 8 to 10

Method : 

1. Wash and wipe out the moisture of mango fruits. Let it be aside for 10 minutes. ( Wipe out the complete moisture).

2. Now cut mangoes and squeeze out pulp. Put the mango peel in a glass of water and squeeze out the pulp from peels and seeds.
3. Put all the mango pulp in a big bowl and keep it on the fire. Add jaggery and mix it nicely and let it boil. Let it get thick. Add salt.

4. Dry roast methi seeds, sesame seeds, channa dal, urid dal, red chilly/byadagi chilly, coriander seeds ,jeera and  curry leaves one by one. ( Dry roast on low flame till they turn golden brown). Let it cool.
5. Powder all the ingredients once it get cooled.

6. Add little turmeric powder and let the pulp turn bit thick.
7. Add ground spice powder and stir it well. Let it cook and turn thick consistency.

8. Keep a small pan on the fire and put coconut oil and mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
9. Add curry leaves and ingh /Asafoetida and put this seasoning to the cooked mango spicy curry.

10. Shift it to the serving dish and let it cool. Put it in a airtight bottle or any other container and use it whenever you want.

Note :

It should be cooked to thick consistency. No need to add coconut to it. If coconut is added it might get spoiled. Keep the Wild mango fruit spicy curry in a fridge. ( Shelf life at least 2 months). Adding any cooking oil is optional.  Adding garlic is optional. This is one of the traditional dish of Udupi/Malenaadu. Fresh roasted spices adds to the taste.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 1 Big or 2  Small bottles. 
Shelf life : At least 2 months if kept in the fridge.