Bottle Gourd Jeera - Pepper Curry

Bottle Gourd /doodhi/sorekai is one of the healthy vegetable and it has become very popular these days. It is filled with vitamins and minerals. It helps to regulate the blood pressure and sugar level in our body. It is filled with fiber.

I have used bottle gourd, moong dal, coconut, jeera and pepper.

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

Peeper has been used since ages and it is loaded with medicinal values. It is known as king of spices and we Indians do use in our cooking. It is high in antioxidant and helps to improve damaged cells in our body. It is loaded with anti inflammatory properties. It helps to improve blood sugar level. Pepper also helps in lowering the cholesterol levels. It is good for cough and cold. it helps in absorbing nutrients from the food we eat. It good for digestion. It is good for brain health. It is said that  it may help the brain health. ( Avoid losing memory).
No Onion or No Garlic Curry .
Let us see the recipe now :

To Cook :

Bottle gourd pieces : 1 Bowl
Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
Green chilly : 2
To grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6 pods
Ginger : An inch
To Add :
Ground coconut mixture
Tamarind Tokku : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A little
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1 Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd. Cut bottle gourd into small  small pieces.

2. Wash and cook moong dal with required water.

3. Wash coriander leaves, curry leaves and cut them in to small pieces. Wash ginger and scrape out the outer layer. Cut ginger into pieces and keep it aside.
4. Prepare seasoning with coconut oil and add cut bottle gourd pieces. Mix it well and add water. Let it cook till the pieces are soft. Add little turmeric powder while cooking. Add cut green chilly.

 5.Grate coconut and grind with pepper, jeera and ginger with required water.

6. Now mix cooked dal and cooked bottle gourd pieces. Add tamarind tokku. Add salt. Stir slowly and mix the curry well.

7. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well.

8. Let it cook on medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.

9. Shift bottle gourd, jeera - pepper curry to a serving dish. Add cut coriander leaves.

10. Serve bottle gourd, jeera - pepper curry for lunch or as you wish. (with chapati or any other main dishes).

Note :

Cut bottle gourd in to small pieces so that it cooks quickly. Adding more chilly is optional. Adding toor dal instead of moong is optional.
Adding tamarind pulp instead of tamarind tokku is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Pumpkin Flower Tava Fry

Pumpkin Flower Tava Fry is an side dish and favourite dish of  Dakshina Kannada, especially Konkanis. Pumpkin flowers are loaded with healthy properties.

I have used besan, jeera/cumin seeds and chilly powder and salt. No added cooking soda or eno here.

Let us see some benefits of having these pumpkin flowers in our diet.

Pumpkin flowers are good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Pumpkin flowers are known to be full of health benefits. They are good for strengthening immunity system in our body. Good for treating for common cold and they are good for bones. They improve our vision since it contain Vitamin A. They are rich source of vitamin B9. The intake of pumpkin flower helps to improve the sperm quality and helps in infertility issues. It has vitamin c, vitamin B2 and vitamin B3. They  are good source of minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus.
 iron, phosphorus,
Pumpkin plants bear two types of flowers. One is male which has no fruit under the flower and the female bear the fruit. (Small pumpkin).
Male flower which has no fruit under the flower.

Female flower which has fruit under the flower.

This Pumpkin Flower Tava Fry is simple, quick, yummy and easy to prepare.
I have used pumpkin flowers which grew in our pots, salt, chilly powder, cumin seeds and
besan./Channa flour .
Pumpkin flowers should be checked, cleaned and washed nicely. There will be ants inside the flowers.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Besan /Channa flour : : 1/2 Cup
Pumpkin flowers : 4 to 5
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash pumpkin flowers nicely.

2. Take out the end part completely.  It is only the petals are used.
3. Check the petals to make sure there are no ants or any worm is hid in the petals.

4. Take a bowl and add 1/2 cup of besan, required salt, jeera/cumin seeds and chilly powder.
5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and add water to prepare bajji batter. It should be like dosa batter consistency.

6. Keep a dosa pan on the fire and heat. Add little oil to it. Let the fire be low.
7. Dip each pumpkin petal in besan batter and place it on the tava. Sprinkle some oil on it.

8. Cook on low and medium heat. Put some oil on the top and turn the other side and cook till they turn slightly golden brown.

9. Now Pumpkin flower Tava fry is ready to serve.

10. Serve as one of the side dish with lunch.

Note :
You can also prepare pakodas, dry palya, mosaru bajji and other side dishes with this Pumpkin flower.
Adding little rice flower to the batter while mixing is optional.
Adding little more chilly powder is optional.
Adding more oil helps the food to be tasty.

Time : 15 minutes.
Serves  : 2.

Crispy Nippattu

Crispy Nippattu is a fried dish. Nippattu / Rice fritters are very famous crunchy fried dish. We can munch it at any time of the day. It is nice to have with a cup of coffee or tea or Juice.

These crispy Nippattu has little Millet flour and chiroti rava /thin variety of rava in it.
I have used rice flour, chenna /hurikadale /pottu kadale, millet flour, chilly powder, jeera, ingh and little rava/semolina in it.
I tried this fried fritters and it was really yummy. Some people do not like very crispy and they want the bite to be bit hard too. I thing Millet flour adds the crunchiness and the bit hardness to Nippattu.
Mr. Sadashiva Mailankody has put up this recipe and as usual I tried this Nippattu since it is a fried dish. I am very much love the varieties of fried dishes.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Nippattu.

Things Needed :

Rice flour : 2 1/2  Cups
Jola/Millet flour : 1/2 Cup
Putani/chenna /Huri Kadale : 1/3 cup
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Chilli Powder : 1 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Sesame seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Oil : 1 1/2 Cup

Method :

1. Dry roast rice flour for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool
2. Add millet /Jola flour .
3. Dry grind chenna /putani and add it to rice flour.
4. Now add butter, red chilly powder, salt, sesame seeds, jeera and little ingh.

5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and add required water and prepare the dough.

5. Kneed the dough well and divide them into small portions.
6.Take a butter paper or put little oil on your palm.
7. Take a small portion of the dough and spread it slightly and make small pooris

.

 8. Keep a frying pan and put oil. Heat and let it got hot.
9. Put the small puri in hot oil. lower the flame and fry on low and medium flame.

10. At time you can fry 3 to 4 puris. Fry on both sides and remove it from the pan.

11. Put it on the kitchen tissue. Repeat the same and prepare all the Nippattu.

12. Now let it get cool. Put them in a air tight bottle or box.
13. Serve it with a cup of coffee /tea/juice.

14. Munch at any time you want to.

Note :

Frying on low flame helps the Nippattu to get crispy. You can use hot oil instead of butter.
Do not add much oil. It might get broken in to pieces while frying.
Adding more chilly is optional. Do not add more Huri Kadale /putani/roasted chenna. Nippattu dough turns very soft and you might not get the round shape.It might absorb more oil.
Time : 40 Minutes.
Serves : 20 to 25 Nippattu.

Simply Aloo Samosa

Samosa is one of the street food and is very famous all over the world. Samosa is filled with varieties of  vegetables, dals, potatoes and onions. Even sweet Samosas are also available is yummy to have spicy or sweet samosas at any time of the day. Samosas goes well with a cup of hot coffee/chai or even juices. Here I have tried aloo filled small samosas and of course it is in a healthy way.

" Healthy way " is a good word to use because I have used wheat flour and small chiroti rava/semolina for the covering and the potatoes are cooked as dry curry and then it is used. They are cooked with very little oil and then used water to get it soft. I have used very less spice and made the samosa as small. Even the elderly people can also have these samosas and enjoy their day. We can pack it for kids for their school snack box. You can take it for travelling and the ladies to their kitty party.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

To stuff :
Potato Dry Curry : 1 Bowl.
For the outer layer/Cover 
Chiroti Rava/Semolina : 2 Cups
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Salt : As required
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Oil : To Fry : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Take a big bowl. Add rava. Add salt, jeera/cumin seeds and ghee.

2. Mix all the ingredients nicely and prepare the dough. (Poori dough consistency).

3. Divide the dough into small portions. Take a small portion and roll it.

4. Cut the rolled chapati into half.
5. Take the cut portion and put it on your palm.

6.Make a triangle shape and press the edge. Fill in 1 tbs of potatoes.

7. Bring the sides on the top together and press it and bind the two sides very tightly.

8 Arrange the potato stuffed samosas in a plate /tray.
9. Keep a small frying pan and put oil. Heat it. Let the flame be low now.
10. Fry potato filled Samosas one by one on low and medium flame. Fry on both sides.

11. When you fry on low flame Samosa turns crispy.

12. Serve with the side dish you have prepared. We had it with Mango - Carrot Sweet and Sour Curry.

Note :

Fry samosa in low and medium flame to get them crispy. Adding ghee makes the samosa crispy.
Do not add more ghee, it might absorb more oil while frying.
The samosa size can be big/small.
Time : 30 Minutes.

Serves : 10 to 12 Samosas.