Toor Dal - Ondelaga Chutney

Toor dal - Ondelaga Chutney is a side dish that goes well with most of the main dishes. We had this Toor Dal - Ondelaga chutney for lunch.

Ondelaga/Gotukola is used as culinary vegetable and it is a medicinal herb plant. 

I have used Toor dal, red byadagi chilly, ingh/Asafoetida, curry leaves, tamarind pulp and fresh coconut gratings.

Let us see some benefits of eating Ondelaga/Gotukola leaves in our diet.

The plant yield only one leaf in its stem so that it is called as Ondelaga. (One leaf). 

It is used as a culinary vegetable and as a medicinal herb. It is known a Mandukaparni In Sanskrit. It is in the shape of frog so that it got its name as Mandukaparni.
People call it as Brahmi also because it is loaded with medicinal values.
Its known as Ondelaga in Kannada/Karnataka.
Saraswathi Aku in Telugu/Andra pradesh.
Vallari Keerai in Tamil/Tamilnaadu
Karivan or Karivana in Marati /Maharasthtra
Kandha Brahmi in Gujrati /Gujarat
Thulkudi in Bengali /Bengal
Bengsag and Brahmi in Hindi

It helps in good relief for pains. It boost cognitive function.
 Ondelaga helps in reducing anxiety and stress. It helps in controlling the blood sugar level.
It also helps in reducing the swelling and improve the circulation of blood.
Gotukola is rich in anti inflammatory properties and helps to reduce the joint pains and arthritis.
It is good for memory power. It is good for our skin health and hair health.
Gotukola helps to detoxify our body and keeps us in good health
It is good for blood pressure since it helps in controlling the blood pressure level by decreasing the tension and anxiety in our body.
It is good for digestive disorders, helps in strengthening nervous function and memory power in us.
Let us see the recipe Now :
Do Not Fry the leaves when you cook. It looses its healthy benefits when it is cooked. It should be added at the end of the process of cooking.

Ingredients :
Ondelaga Leaves : 1 Handful
Toor Dal : 1 Tbs
Oil : 1/2  Tsps
Tamarind : Small marble size
Byadagi chilly : 4 to 5
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Salt : As required
Coconut : 1 Cup
To Season :
Oil : 1 Tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Ingh : A little
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method : 

1. Keep a small frying pan on the fire and heat. Add half tsp of oil, 1 tablespoon of toor dal.
2. Add 4 to 5 byadagi chilly and fry nicely till toor daal turns as golden red.
3. Add little ingh and put off the fire.

4. Add a handful of ONDELAGA leaves and mix it well. Keep it aside.

5. Soak little tamarind in warm water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp. Keep the pulp aside.

6. Grate coconut and grind it with fried mixture, tamarind pulp, salt. Add water if required while grinding.
7. Take it out from the mixi jar and put it to a serving dish.

8. Add mustard seeds seasoning with little ingh and curry leaves.

9. Toor dal - Ondelaga Chutney is ready to serve.

10. Enjoy Toor Dal - Ondelaga Chutney with your food.

Note :

Fry dal till it turns golden brown. You should be careful while adding water if required.
Adding more chilly is optional.
Use or more coconut is optional.
Time : 15 to 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Aloo Palya

Aloo/Potato Palya / Potato Dry Curry is an easy and yummy Palya. It is fantastic combination for Curd Rice or any other main dishes. Here is Aloo Palya with South Indian touch, try and enjoy.

I have used Potatoes/Aloo, seasoning with usual mustard seeds and jeera. Added some sambar powder to give South Indian taste. Added some coconut to give South Canara taste. The combination was super good and we enjoyed it as one of the side dish with our lunch.
I also prepared Parata/Parota with the same Aloo Palya. Give a try and enjoy parota also. You will definitely like the taste.
Aloo is full of carbs and it provides energy to our body. It is better to cook rather than frying. Frying potato is not that good.
Its a simple curry and easy to prepare it.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Potatoes /Aloo : 2 to 3 (Medium sized).
Seasoning : 
Cooking Oil : 2 Tb
Mustard Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Tsp
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
To Add :
Salt : As Required
Turmeric Powder : A little
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Chilly Powder : 1/2 Tsp
Pepper Pods : 4 to 5
Sambar Powder : 1 Tbs
Fresh Grated Coconut :  2 to 3 Tbs
Green chilly : 1

  Method :

1. Wash and peel off the outer layer of potatoes.
2.Cut them as french fry shape. ( Long and thin).  Wash and slit a green chilly.

3. Wash it again and take out all the water and keep the potatoes aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add cooking oil, mustard seeds and jeera.
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add ingh, slit green chilly, crushed pepper and curry leaves.

6. Add cut potatoes and stir slowly. Let the flame be low and medium.
7. Sprinkle some water and cook. Stir in between. Crush pepper pods and keep it aside.

8. Add little turmeric powder and mix it well.

9. Let it cook till soft. Add required salt.
10. Add chilly powder and sambar powder.

11. Mix it nicely and add grated coconut. Cook on low flame for 2 minutes.

12. Put off the fire and shift Palya to a serving dish.

13 We had Aloo Palya for our lunch.

14. I used the palya to prepare Parota at night.

Note :
Adding more oil is optional. You need to add water little by little till Potato turns soft. (Do not add at once. Adding little by little is advisable).
Adding sambar powder adds to the taste.
No onions or garlic used.
Adding coconut is optional.
Time : 25 to 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Almond /Badam Halva

Almond Halva /Badam Halva is one of the delicious sweet treat and I love to have it at any time of the  day. I am not a big fan of sweets but I always prefer to have this Badam Halva.

It is very easy and quick to prepare it. The taste is amazing when you do prepare at home.
The ingredients I used are almonds, sugar, boiled milk, ghee and Kesar/Saffron.
Posting this sweet dish for to note our son Rishikanth Got married to Kavitha Last week and We wish the newly wedded couple to all the best and lead Happy Life.
I also request all my friends to Wish  Rishi - Kavitha for their bright future.

Lets see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Almonds : 1 Cup
Sugar : 1 Cup or little less
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tbs
Milk Powder : 2 Tbs

Method :

1. Soak almonds in hot water and remove its husk.
2. Grind almonds with milk to paste consistency.

3. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to a big pan and keep the pan on the fire.

4.Put ground almond - milk mixture and milk powder.

5. Add a tbs of ghee and stir it slowly.

6. Let the flame be on slow flame.

7. Stir continuously it it starts to leave the pan.

8. Add a tbs of ghee and put off the fire.

9. Mix it nicely and put it in a serving dish.

10. Serve as You Wish.

Time : 15 to 20 minutes.
Serves : As you like it.

Note :

Adding more sugar to halva is optional. Adding more ghee is optional. Take out the halva once it starts to leave the pan. Then add a tbs of ghee. Grind it till paste to get good taste. Adding milk powder is optional.

Long Brinjal Palya

Long Brinjal is a dry palya is a yummy side dish that you can even prepare brinjal rice as one pot meal.

These brinjals are from the garden of Dhatrivana  a beautiful resort near Tumkoor. Anthapura ladies group from Face book page has arranged a trip to Dhatrivana as picnic. Mrs. Gheetha Upendra Bangalore has organised this picnic and I joined the group as one of the member.
There were lots of events which were really fun to group and lots of prizes we got vegetables as compliments to the winners. It was indeed a very memorial trip and I enjoyed it thoroughly with other sakhis of Anthapura.

Let us see the recipe now :

No Onion or No Garlic is used in this dry curry/Palya.

Ingredients :

Long Brinjals : 5 to 6
Capsicum : 1
Coconut Chutney Powder : 2 Tbs
Rasam Powder : 1 Tbs
Tamarind Tokku : 1 Tbs / Tamarind Pulp.
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A little
Jaggery : 1 Tbs
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 2 Tbs
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Urid Dal : 1/2 Tsp
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8.leaves
Coriander leaves : 2 Tbs

Method :

1. Wash and cut brinjal into small pieces and put it in a bowl of water for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Wash capsicum and remove seeds. Cut capsicum into small pieces.

3. Wash a green chilly and slit, coriander and curry leaves into small.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil. Add mustard seeds, urid dal and ingh.
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add slit green chilly and curry leaves. Add brinjal pieces. (Remove water completely before adding).

6.Fry nicely and add cut capsicum. Stir slowly. Add little turmeric powder and 1/2 cup of water.
7. Let it cook till soft on medium flame.
8. Add tamarind Tokku, required salt and 1 tbs of jaggery and mix it well. Reduce the flame to low.

9. Add Coconut chutney powder and rasam powder. Stir slowly and let it cook for 2 minutes. (Low Flame).

10. Shift it to a serving dish and serve when all the moisture disappear. Add cut coriander leaves just before serving.

Note :

Soaking cut brinjal helps to remove the bitterness in brinjal. Take out the water from soaked brinjal and then add it to the seasoning. Adding tamarind tokku is optional. You can add Tamarind pulp instead of tokku. Adding more/less jaggery is optional. Adding any cooking oil is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.
Coconut Chutney powder :
Dry grind dry coconut pieces 1 Bowl, roasted urid dal 1 tb, dry fry chilly  and tamarind , required salt. Mix it well and fill in the glass bottle.