Bottle gourd-Channa dal Dosa (Ade)

Bottle gourd is filled with fiber and  helps to digest the food easily. The glucose and sugar related compounds are nearly nil in the bottle gourd. It is one of the food option for the diabetic patients. It is one of the body heat control food and keeps your body temperature at normal level. It helps to reduce the inflammations in the liver and kidneys.

I have tried dosa with bottle gourd and channa dal and moong dal. This dal dosa is also known as  Ada. This is a healthy dish and easy to prepare and easy to digest too. We can have this dosa for breakfast or as snack or for dinner too.

Things needed:

Bottle gourd : 2 to 3 cups: (1/2 of medium sized bottle gourd)
Channa dal:  2 Cup
Moong dal: 1/2 cup
Rice: 1 fist. (1/4 cup)
Salt : to taste
Coriander leaves: 2 Table spoons
Curry leaves :  6 to 10
Green chilly : 1
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Pepper pods: 3 to 4
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Coconut: 2 Table spoon
Ingh : a pinch'
Oil:  4 to 5 Table spoons.

Method:
1. Wash and soak channa dal, moong dal and rice together for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grate coconut and wash and grate ginger. Wash and keep curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilly.
3. Wash and cut bottle gourd into small pieces and keep it aside.
4. Now grind all the ingredients like, channa dal, moong dal, rice, curry -coriander leaves, ginger and coconut together till paste.
5. Add cut bottle gourd pieces and grind along with dal. Add ingh and salt and grind nicely and remove from the jar and put it in a big bowl.

6. Do not add much water while grinding.
7. Now keep a pan on the fire. sprinkle oil on the top.
8. Take a spoon ful of batter and spread it like dosa. Use 1/2 spoon of oil and sprinkle on the dosa and cover the lid. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

9. Now turn the dosa on the other side and cook for 1 minute.
10. Now serve Bottle gourd dosa with any kind of chutney you like or with any sambar or with pickle or chutney pudi

Note:  You can add onions (cut into small pieces). You can also add tour dal (2 to 3 table spoons will do). It helps to give crisp to the  dosa.
Prepare these dosas on medium flame and see that it does not get burnt.
Time: 15 to 20 Minutes (except soaking time)
Serves : 2 to 3.

Sorekai Kootu (Doodi or Lauki or Bottle gourd) ( Pepper Kootu)

Sorekai /Bottle gourd/Lauki Kootu is one of spicy and tasty side dish. Kootu is a side dish prepared using vegetables and little spice. I have seen my friends preparing this type of kootu with varieties of vegetables.

I have used bottle gourd, Ridge gourd as vegetables, channa dal, pepper pods, curry leaves, ingh and byadagi chilly as spices. This type of Kootu is very famous dish of Iyengars.
This Sorekai and Ridge gourd pepper Kootu is one of the Iyengars signature dish that I learnt it from our close Iyengar friend. Strictly do not use onions or garlic to this Kootu Curry.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients : 

To Cook :
Sorekai/Bottle Gourd : 1 ( Medium sized)
Heerekai/ Ridge Gourd
To Dry roast /fry 
Channa dal : 1 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Red chilly : 2
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Oil : 1 Teaspoon ( Optional)
To Grind :
Dry roasted /Fried spices
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons. ( 1/2 Cup)
For Tempering / Seasoning
Oil /ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Red chilly ( Any variety ): 1
To Add :
Turmeric powder : A little
Salt : As required

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer /peel off  of bottle gourd and Ridge Gourd.
2. Cut it into small pieces and cook with required water till soft. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and dry roast /fry channa dal till they turn golden brown.
4. Add red chilly and pepper pods to it and fry for 1 minute.
5. Put off the gas and add curry leaves and ingh. Add grated coconut.

6. Grind fried ingredients with coconut. Add required water to grind. Shift the ground mixture to a bowl.
7. Now keep a pan and add cooked bottle gourd and ridge gourd pieces. Add turmeric powder and salt.
8. Add little water and let it boil for 2 minutes.
9. Add ground coconut spice mixture and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Shift the kootu a serving dish. Add tempered mustard seeds mixture to the curry and mix it well.
11. Add washed and cut coriander leaves and mix it well.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :
Use of other vegetables like, carrots, beans, clustered beans is optional. Use of chilly/Chilly powder is optional. Using red byadagi chilly adds to the taste. Use of ghee to temper the kootu adds to the taste. Pepper pods are good for health. It helps to digest the food well. Do not use onions or garlic to this kootu. It may spoil the original taste.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 ..