Simple Aloo Jeera Dry Curry

Aloo / Potato is one of my favourite vegetable and I do feel many will join me and say Hurry .
Here is a simple Aloo / Potato dry curry, it is very easy to prepare and enjoy as one of the side dish.

Lets see the recipe now:

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Aloo/Potatoes : 2 to 3
To Season :
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper pods : 4 to 5
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
To Add :
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander Leaves : 1 Handful.
Salt : As required
Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Method : 

1. Wash and peel off the skin of potatoes.
2. Cut them as you desire. (cut as thin pieces). Put it in bowl of water and wash it nicely.
3. Wash curry leaves and coriander leaves and cut into small pieces.
4. Crush pepper and keep it aside.
5. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds. Add a pinch of asafoetida.
6. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and Jeera. Let it fry for 5 seconds.
7. Add cut potatoes and stir slowly. Let all the ingredients mix it well.
8. Add crushed pepper pods. Add 1/2 glass of water and cook till it turns soft. (Not very soft).
9. Add required salt and chilly powder once the potatoes are cooked.
10.Let it cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Mix it nicely once again.
11. Let all the moisture disappear. Shift the curry to a serving bowl.

12. Add cut coriander leaves and serve as one of the side dish.

Note :

Add water little by little so that potatoes will not be overcooked. Adding more oil is optional.
Cook on low flame. Adding jeera and pepper helps the food to be digested easily. Cook on medium and low flame to get good dry palya. It you feel the water is excess then increase the flame and the water evaporates quickly. Be careful while cooking on high and medium flame. Palya might get burnt if you do not see at times.
Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves 2 to 3.
The Next recipe is Samosa from this Potato Dry Curry.

Simple Sweet Potato Patty

Having an Evening Snack is fun. You feel like having some thing spicy, yummy, quick and healthy snack. Lets try this yummy, easy, quick and simple " Simple Sweet Potato Patty " and Njoy our snack.
Try and Enjoy...

Some time dosa, idli or some street food like pani poori, vada pav. paneer pav baaji, so many lovely dishes arise in front of eyes and starts to dance. I mean you feel like having them.
Here is some thing which is very easy, quick and very very simple patties that can be prepared at home and enjoy eating them.
Here comes SWEET POTATO - WHEAT BREAD PATTY and it is so yummy that one should enjoy after preparing this.

All you need is Sweet Potatoes and Wheat bread with simple spices like garam masala, chilly powder and some cumin seeds.
All I said is to do it quick and gulp it leisurely.
NO Onion OR NO Garlic is added to these " Sweet Potato Patty ".

Ingredients :

Boiled Sweet Potatoes : 2 Medium size
Wheat Bread : 5 to 6 slices.
Salt : As required
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Chilly Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Toppings : ( Optional )
Curd : 1 Cup
Onion : 2
Ketch Up

Method :

1. Take a big bowl and add cooked sweet potatoes.  (Better remove the outer layer).
2. Take the bread slices and powder it by hand or make in to pieces. No need to remove the edges.
3. Add garam masala, chilly powder, jeera and salt.
4. Mix all the ingredients nicely. Do not add any water.  Make it as a dough.
5. Divide them in to small portions.
6. Keep a pan on the fire. Heat the pan. Add a teaspoon of oil on the pan.
7. Take small portion of the patty dough and make as a ball shape and press it and give the shape you desired. Square or round or Oval. Prepare at least 4 at time.
8. Place them on the tava and put some oil on it. Let it cook on low flame. Let it cook till it turns golden brown.
9. Turn the other side and cook. You can add little oil while its cooking.

10 Take it out from the pan and serve with the choice of your side dip.

11. Repeat the same and complete all the patties.
12. We had it with cut onions, curd and ketch up as sides or dip.

Note :

Do not over boil sweet potatoes. You can powder bread in mixi jar. No need to dip the patty in rava or bread crumbs. Directly add bread pieces to sweet potatoes while mixing. No need to add any water.
Adding more spice or oil is optional. You can even fry. But it is not healthy. You can also add more spices or spices of your choice.  Remember having mild spice is always good for health. Cooking on low flame helps the patty to be tasty. Use of onions or garlic to patties is optional. I have not added to patties.  Served the onion pieces.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4

Patties with with Ketchup

Patty served with Curd 

Patties served with curd and onion

Ondelaga Gotu Kola Butter Milk

Ondelaga/ Gotu Kola is one of the healthy medicinal plant and we do make use of the leaves. We can prepare Tambuli (South Canara /Malenadu Karnataka Special side dish. We can prepare chutney using this leaves. Ondelaga leaves are good for hair, skin and has loads of medicinal properties and good for our health.

Many a times Ondelaga/Timire is called as Brahmi leaves. But they are not. Brahmi leaves are different from Ondelaga leaves.These Ondelaga leaves are known as Gotu Kola leaves.
The other common name is Asiatic Pennywort or Indian Pennywort.

Let us know what do they call Gotu Kola in different regions of India 
In Kannada it is known as Ondelaga or Timire. ( ತಿಮಿರೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು ). Ondelaga means only one leaf in a stem. In Telugu it is known as Saraswathi Aku, Tamil - Vallari Kirai. Marati : Karivan or Karivana.
Gujarati : Khanda Bramhi and in Hindi : Bengsang.

The benefits of having Ondelaga /Gotu Kola.
It is good for cough, cold and fever. The leaves are good for digestion and it balances pitta ( Bile ) and kapha / mucus or phlegm. They help to produce healthy sperm. Ondelaga is known to improve the good blood circulation to the mind and improves our intelligence. They are good for liver related disorders. Gotu Kola is a good blood purifier. It helps in good sleep, good voice and rejuvenation. It helps in treating of various diseases.
Let us see the recipe Now :
This Ondelaga /Gotu Kola Butter Milk helps to cool your body and mind. Try and enjoy.

Ingredients :

Ondelaga /Timire /Gotu Kola Leaves : One handful : 10 to 15.
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh / Asafoetida :  A pinch
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Salt : As required
Curd : 4 to 5 Tablespoons or little more.

Method :

1. Clean and wash only the leaves. ( Some time the stems are hard to grind and they remain as the stick. So it is better to use only the leaves).

2. Put jeera /cumin seeds. pepper pods, Ondelaga Leaves, salt and curd to a mixi jar.
3. Add 1 Cup of water and grind all the ingredients nicely till everything mixes well.

4. Pour it to a big bowl. Add some more water and mix it  nicely.

5. Shift the ready Ondelaga / Gotu Kola Butter Milk to serving glasses and serve.

6. Adding Ice cubes are optional. ( I have not added ).

Note : 

It is better to remove the stem before grinding. There will be two types of Ondelaga leaves. Natural and hy breed type. Natural Ondelaga leaves stems are soft and high breed leaves stems are bit hard. And they do not get into smooth powder or paste. Remember both have the same type of medicinal values. So which ever you get make use of it. Adding butter milk is better. I have used curd and mixed sufficient water to make it thin. Adding less spice is always good.

Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 2.

Kara Pongal /Huggi

Huggi/ Pongal is prepared during Dhanurmasa as I said earlier post. But this Kara /Spicy Pongal can be prepared at any time of the day. It is an easy and healthy dish that provide purpose of food.

It is prepared using moong dal and raw rice. I have learnt this recipe from one of my close friends daughter in Chennai. She has prepared this yummy dish and we all loved it.
We Udupians usually do not prepare kara /spicy pongal. It has become a practice these days and it is one of the stamped recipe of Tamailnadu. People do have this pongal mostly for breakfast in Tamilnadu.
Even Iyyers do prepare this Pongal in such a yummy way. Iyyers and Iyyangar's  Pongal is loaded with pepper and ghee. It has such a wonderful aroma, one should feel like eating it again and again.
Ok, coming back to this Kara Pongal is easy.
All you need is moong dal, rice, ghee, jeera /cumin seeds and pepper. They do not use any other spice. They do pour ghee on it...( As much it takes ).
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Raw Rice : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Pepper Pods : 8 to 10.( 3/4 Teaspoon ).
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Ghee : 1/2  Cup
Cashews : 6 to 8 or more
Salt : As required
Green chilly : 1 ( Optional )
Ginger : An inch

Method :

1. Wash and cook moong dal and raw rice separately.

2.Wash and slit green chilly., crush pepper pods and cashews cut into small pieces.
3. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add cooked rice and moong dal.
5.Add little turmeric powder, 1/2 glass of water and required salt. Mix it well and cook on low flame.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee, slit green chilly and grated ginger.

7. Keep a pan on the fire and add a tablespoon of ghee. Add cut cashews and fry til they turn golden brown.

8. Add jeera /cumin seeds and pepper. Fry for 10 seconds and put half of the seasoning to this mixture to already done pongal.

Cook on low flame for a minute.

9. Shift the pongal  / Khara Huggi to a serving dish. Add remaining cashews mixture on the top. Add remaining ghee to Khara Pongal /Spicy Huggi .
10. Serve when it is piping hot. Hot huggi taste delicious.

Note :

Do not over cook rice or moong dal. Adding more / less ghee is optional. Adding green chilly is optional. Do not add any oil or vanaspathi except ghee.
Time : 20 Minutes.

Serves : 4 to 5.

Kabooli Channa - Potato Curry

Kabooli Chenna or White Channa is one of the pod comes in handy when you boil it and store in freezer. I do cook kabooli channa, freeze and use it whenever I need it. It is not that I keep this cooked channa for months together. I do use it regularly at least once in 20 days and use the frozen ones as early as posssible. The above said Kabooli Channa Curry is such  one of it. 

Poori - channa goes hand in hand. Channa helps you keep your tummy full for a long time. It has all the minerals and vitamins you need for a day. It is protein rich, fiber rich and full of carbs.

I have used Kabooli channa, tomatoes, aloo/potatoes and some spices which are easily available at home.

No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Kabooli Channa Curry

Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Kabooli Channa : 1 Big Cup ( Cooked )

Potatoes : 2

Curry Leaves : 1 Handful

Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Tomatoes : 2 to 3 

To Add : 

Lemon : 1 Lemon extract

Salt : As required 

Dry Methi leaves/kasori methi  :  2 Tablespoons

Rasam Powder : 2 Tablespoons

Jeera Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Ginger : An inch 

Seasoning :

Cooking Oil : 2 Tablespoons

Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Methi Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon

Green Chilly : 2 

Curry Leaves : 1 Handful

Method :

1. Wash and cut potatoes into small pieces. (Peel off its outer layer). 

2. Wash and cut tomatoes, curry leaves and slit green chilly.

3. Wash and peel off outer layer of ginger, wash it again and grate it. Keep it aside.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and let it get hot. Add jeera/cumin seeds. Add slit chilly.5. Fry for 10 seconds, add cut potatoes and fry nicely for 2 minutes. Add a cup of water and cook.

5. Add tomatoes, grated ginger, when the potatoes turn soft. Mix it well. Add cooked Kabooli Channa.

6. Add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Mix it well and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add rasam powder, jeera powder and garam masala.

 Let the curry boil for 3 to 4 minutes.Add Kasori Methi / Dry Methi Leaves.

8. Add a teaspoon of butter on the top and let it get melt. Add lemon extract.  Mix it well and put off the fire.

9. Shift Kabooli Channa Curry to a serving dish and serve.

10. We had Kabooli Channa Curry with Hot Pooris.

Note :

Cook potatoes till they turn soft. Soak kabooli channa for  5 to 6 hours before you cook. Adding any spice is your choice. You can use any brand of channa masala, pav bhaji masala or simple chilly powder. I have added home prepared rasam powder and garam masala.  Adding methi seeds helps to digest the food well. It reduces the cholesterol level in the food and is fiber rich.

Time : 30 Minutes.

Serves : 3 to 4 .

Field Beans Dry Curry

Field beans /ಅವರೆಕಾಯಿ is one of the seasonal pods we get plenty in winter. People long to prepare varieties of dishes using this Field beans.

This recipe is told by Renuka Manjunath one of my fb friend and she said this has to be cooked directly and not in pressure cooker. Sogadu Avarekai should be used to get the best taste.
Here I have tried traditionally as Renuka Manjunath mentioned, which has beautiful aroma of averekai.  and it is yummy, filled with ghee taste roasted methi/fenugrik seeds and jeera/cumin seeds powder.
This Field  beans dry curry is one of the traditional dish from Tumkur district. The process of cooking is done in the night with low flame may be cooked with using the fire wood, and the butter quantity is more nearly 200 grams and with the help of slow cooking the butter turns as ghee and adds to the taste.
Let us see the recipe now :
I have used tender avarekai/field beans, onions, green chilly, curry leaves, coriander leaves, grated coconut and butter.
This curry taste better when you cook the pods directly with low flame. The aroma adds to the taste and we can have this curry with plain rice, rotis, chapati, poori and especially akki rotti.
I have prepared Akki rotti with remaining Field Beans dry curry also.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients 

Avarekai/Field Beans : 1 Cup
Onions : 2 to 3
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Butter : 2 Tablespoons full
Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Methi /Fenugrik seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1/2 Bundle
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Remove avere kalu /Field beans and keep it aside. Use the tender pods. Do not wash it.

2 Remove the outer layer of onions and cut in to small. I have used the chopper to cut onions, curry leaves and green chilly.

3. Take a bowl, put field beans, cut onions, green chilly, curry leaves and mix it well.

4. Keep the pan on the fire and put mixed avarekai/field beans mix and little turmeric. Let the flame be very low.

5. Mix it well and sprinkle some water on the top. Do not add much water to cook. Field beans has to be cooked slowly with the help of onions and sprinkled water.

6. Add a tablespoon of butter and mix it well. Let it turn slowly as ghee. Sprinkle some more water on the top and cover the dry curry.

7. Let it cook on low flame. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt. Add a tablespoon of butter again and mix it well.
8. Dry roast jeera/cumin seeds and methi seeds and dry grind it.  Keep it aside.

9. Stir the mixture again and sprinkle some more water. Do not add much water at times.
10. See that pods are cooked and turned soft. Add dry roasted jeera and methi powder. Mix it well.
11. Add required salt and mix it well. See that it is done completely. Add grated coconut and mix it well.

12. Add cut coriander leaves and shift the curry to a serving dish. We had this curry as one of the side dish.

Note :

You should use more onions so that it helps to cook field beans nicely. Adding butter gives a ghee aroma and taste yummy. This dry curry should be cooked directly to get the best taste. It might take at least one hour to cook. But the taste is divine. You should use the tender seeds to prepare this curry.
Time : 1 Hour 
Serves : 3 to 4 
I have added the same dry curry to rice flour and prepared Akki Rotti and it tasted yummy.