Bottle Gourd - Almond Kheer

Bottle Gourd - Almond Kheer is a sweet dish and it is one of the quick and delicious dish.
One of the yummy desert to serve after food.

 This way you can make kids eat some veggies. Bottle gourd is full of fiber, rich source of vitamins and minerals. Jaggery and almonds provide energy and boost your health.
We South Canara People have sweet tooth, and do eat lots of Payasa/kheer. Many vegetables are used in preparing Payasa/Kheer.
I have used jaggery, bottle gourd, almonds, coconut milk, poppy seeds and Seasoned with cashews, and raisins. Added cardamom to give inviting aroma.
We had some guest some time last week and I prepared this delicious Bottle gourd - Almond kheer.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

Bottle Gourd Gratings : 1 Bowl
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Almonds : 6 to 8
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom : 3 to 4 Pods

Method :

1. Wash bottle gourd and take out the outer layer and grate bottle gourd.
2. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Soak almonds in hot water and remove its skin.
3. Clean poppy seeds and soak in plain water for 5 minutes.
4. Keep a pan and add 1 cup of water. Heat it. Add jaggery and let it melt completely.
5. Sieve jaggery liquid and keep it aside.
6. Now keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery liquid to the pan.
7. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add bottle gourd grating and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Grind, coconut, almonds, poppy seeds and cardamom with little water.
9. Grind it nicely. It should turn into fine paste consistency.
10. Add this ground coconut mixture to boiling bottle gourd mixture.
11. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Let it cook on low flame. Stir in between Shift the Kheer to a serving dish.
12. Add ghee fried cashews and raisins to the kheer and serve.

Note 

Adding more almonds makes the kheer thick. It is just enough to add 5 to e almonds to get the aroma and good health. You can add more jaggery. But I like mild taste. Adding ghee fried cashews and raisins is optional. You can add them with out frying .
Time : 20 Minutes. 
Serves : 4 to 5 .

Sweet Potato - Poppy Seeds Payasa / Kheer.

Sweet Potato Payasa is one of the traditional Payasa/kheer done during the harvest of sweet potatoes.  You get plenty of fresh sweet potatoes during winter season.
It is normally during winter and sweet potatoes helps the body to be warm and energetic.

 I normally prepare sweet potato payasa without poppy seeds and use coconut milk.
I thought of using poppy seeds and wanted to try and enjoy this payasa. Anyways it is an easy dish and it taste delicious.
Normally we do use coconut milk in payasa and this time I have used poppy seeds/gasgase with coconut and use the whole ground paste. Use of poppy seeds helps us to get rid of gas in food.

Let us see some benefits of eating Sweet Potatoes in our diet.
Sweet Potatoes help us to lose weight. Eating sweet potatoes helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It is high in fiber and helps to prevent constipation. Sweet potatoes helps to improve immunity. It helps to control diabetes.
Sweet Potato contain no fats and filled with antioxidants. It is rich in carbohydrates and proteins. It contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and potassium. It contain minerals like Vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc.
Sweet Potatoes are good for diabetic people. It helps to improve the digestion and reduces the inflammation. It helps in reducing the stress and strengthens the body immunity.
I have used sweet potatoes, jaggery, coconut, cardamom and poppy seeds.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Sweet Potatoes : 3 to 4 ( Small in size ).
Jaggery : 1 Small cup  ( Powdered jaggery 4 to 5 tablespoons ).
Fresh grated coconut : 1 Cup
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom : 4 to 5 Pods
Avalakki :2 Tablespoons ( Optional )
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Keep a pan and put jaggery and 1 cup of water. Let jaggery melt nicely. Let it boil for 2 minutes after it melts. Sieve this mixture and keep the clean jaggery aside.
2. Wash and peel off the skin of sweet potatoes and cut in to small. Wash it again and soak in clean water for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Now cook sweet potato pieces with required water till they turn soft. Wash and soak a tablespoon of avalakki / flattened rice.
4. Grate coconut and remove the seeds of cardamom. Grind it with 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds with required water till it turn as paste.

5. Add jaggery water to cooked sweet potato pieces and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to boiling mixture.

6. Now add ground coconut and poppy seeds - cardamom mixture. Mix it well.

7. Add soaked avalakki /flattened rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. It helps to bind the payasa nicely.

8. Shift Sweet Potato payasa to a serving dish. Add a cup of fresh milk just before serving.

9. Serve delicious Hot or cold " Sweet Potato Payasa /Kheer " and enjoy.

Note :

Cut sweet potato pieces into small to relish the taste. It helps to cook sweet potatoes fast. Adding flattened rice/Avalakki helps to bind the payasa well. You can use a teaspoon of soaked raw rice instead of avalakki. Wash and soak raw rice for at least for 5 minutes. Use of poppy seeds is optional. Use of coconut milk instead of coconut paste is optional. Adding more / less jaggery is optional. Use of sugar instead of jaggery is optional. Adding fresh milk adds to the taste. Add it once the payasa turns slightly cool.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves :  5 to 6.

Sajjappa / Kajjaya

Sajjappa is one of the traditional dish prepared during the festival. Sajje means rava/semolina and appa is a sweet. The outer layer is covered with rava and maida and the stuffing is Gasa gase/Poppy seed, coconut and jaggery.

Festivals are celebrated not only to have fun. we family members learn a lot like adjusting each other member in the family.  Lots of traditions and culture passing on to the next generations. It is not only about the food, family bonding, respecting the elders, love and care everything that comes together.
Sajjappa can be kept in airtight box for 15 days. We all love to have them at any time of the day.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Chiroti Rava : 2 Cups
Maida : 1 Cup
Salt : A pinch
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Copra /Dry Coconut : or normal coconut gratings. : 1 cup
Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : To Fry /2 Cups of oil

Method :

1 Grate coconut and Dry grind it with cardamom pods.  powder jaggery.
2. Take a big bowl and put chiroti rava and maida. Add a pinch of salt and ghee.

3. Mix all the ingredients nicely Add water and prepare thick dough.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add dry ground coconut and jaggery. Let the jaggery melt and mix with coconut.
5. Stir till all the moisture disappear from coconut - jaggary mixture. Add poppy seeds and stir till all the moisture disappear.

6. Shift the ready hoorana ( coconut-jaggery mixture) to a small bowl. Let it cool.

7. Divide the ready dough into very small portion. Kneed it well and give a ball shape.
8. Now roll the small pooris, place 1 teaspoon of jaggery -coconut mixture.

9. Fold the edges and bring it in the middle. Press it slightly with your palm.
10 Arrange these folded sajjappa in a plate or tray.

  11. Keep a pan and heat. Put oil and let it get hot. ( Low flame ).
12. Fry Sajjappa on low and medium flame one by one or as you wish.
13. Fry Sajjappa on both sides and remove it from the pan. Put it on a kitchen tissue.

  14.Shift the ready Sajjappa to a serving bowl.
15. Serve hot or cooled Sajjappa at any time of the day.

 Note :

Use of ghee while preparing the dough helps the sajjappa to be crispy and adds to the   taste. You can use hot oil instead of ghee. You can also dry roast maida slightly and then use it. Allow the maida to cool completely before adding water. dry roasting helps the Sajjappa to be crispy.
For the stuffing you can use copra / dry coconut or normal coconut.  Dry grind the coconut and then use it.
Time 30 to 40 Minutes
Serves : Around 20 Sajjappa.

Teachers' Day Cake

This is Wheat - Chiroti Rava  - Carrot Cake and prepared for Our Indian Teachers' day special.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was our First Vice President and second President of India.
His Birthday is celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.
He Believed that " Teachers should be the best mind in the country".
He was awarded several high awards during his life, The Barat Ratna the highest civilian award in India.

We wanted to celebrate the day with our kids and I thought of preparing this Cake.

I have used wheat flour, chiroti rava/thin rava, sugar, curd, milk, oil and very little amount of carrot gratings.

Let us see the recipe now:
Simple and healthy Cake without Eggs.:

Things Needed :

Wheat flour : 1 1/2 Cup
Chiroti Rava : 1/2 Cup
Baking Powder : 1 Teaspoon full
Baking soda : 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt : A pinch
Sugar : 1 Cup
Cinnamon : A small piece
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Oil : 1/2 Cup
Carrots : Grated : 1/2 Cup
Banana : Yalakki : 2

Method :

1. Sieve wheat, rava, baking powder, baking soda and salt. ( twice to thrice ).

2. Put sugar, cinnamon, milk and curd to a mixi jar.
3. Remove banana skin and cut banana into small pieces and put it to mixi jar.
4. Add cooking oil and  grind all the ingredients together for 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Remove it from the mixi jar and put it to a big bowl. Grate 1/2 carrot and keep it aside.
6. Add sieved flour mixture to a big bowl and put the wet mixture /ground mixture to the bowl.
7. Mix it well and, turn the ingredients on one direction and mix it well. Add milk if the mixture has thick texture.
8. Now add grated carrot to the cake mixture and mix it slowly. Put the ready cake mixture to a cooking tray. Grease the tray with ghee/oil before pouring the cake mix.
9. Switch on the oven and let it get hot. 5 minutes.
10 Keep the cake mixture in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 180 C.

11. Check the cake by inserting a knife edge or small stick. Remove the fully baked cake and keep it up on the oven for 5 minutes.
12. Now the cake is ready to serve. Serve as you wish.
13 We shared this particular cake with our tuition children on behalf of Teachers' day special.
14. Have this healthy cake and enjoy whenever you want.

Note :

The cake batter should be like pouring consistency. Add little milk and adjust the consistency, if it is too thick. Do not add so much of milk, it might turn watery and cake may not be good after baking.
Adding ghee/butter instead of oil is optional. Adding jaggery instead of sugar is optional. Use of maida instead of wheat - rava is optional.
Time 30 /25 minu to bake + 10 minutes for preparation.

Clicks with Our Students : 

Jack Fruit - Rava Halubai/ Pudding

Haalubai/pudding is one of the traditional dish of South Canara./Karnataka. It is a sweet dish prepared using raw rice, jaggery and coconut normally. Here I have tried this Halubai using jackfruits and rava instead of raw rice. Jack Fruit - Rava Halubai is soft and delicious and is one of the healthy traditional dish normally done during Nagara Panchami festival.

Nagara Panchami is one of the festival which falls in the month of Shravana.  On this day Snakes are worshiped by Hindus through out India and other parts of the world where Hindus live. People pray for snakes to get their blessings and welfare of the family. According to Garuda Purana offering prayers to snake on this day is auspicious and will usher good health and wealth in one's life. This day there is a custom that girls pray for their brother's health.
In Dakshina Kannada/Udupi/Mangalore /Malenadu region there is a traditional saying that one should not season the food, or prepare dosa or even keep oil for frying. Doing these frying, preparing dosa on hot tava and keeping a pan on the fire and seasoning will hurt the snake body and people who does might get a curse from the snake. There may be a reason to do these customs but it is said in this way.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Jack Fruits : 10 to 15
Rava/Semolina : 2 Cups ( Small cup)
Jaggery /Bella : 1 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Cardamom : 6 to 8 pods
Ghee 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Salt : A pinch
1 Cup Rava : 1 and 1/2 Cup Water. 

Method :

1. Grate coconut and remove the pods from jack fruits. Remove the pods from cardamom.

2. Grind it nicely till it turns like paste. Use required water to grind. Add jaggery and give a churn.
3. Shift the mixture to a bowl. Add a pinch of salt to it.

4. Dry roast medium size rava for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add ground jack fruit -coconut mixture to rava and mix all the ingredients nicely.

6. Stir till the batter turns thick. Add ghee little by little and stir.

7. The batter starts to get thick and leaves the pan.

8. Stir for another 5 more minutes and shift the ready jackfruit halubai to a ghee spread plate.

9. Spread it nicely and equally around the plate.

10. Leave it for cooling and then cut it according to your desired shape.

Note .

Dry roast rava/semolina. You can use chiroti rava instead of medium size rava. The water should be
 1 1/2 times more than rava. 1 Cup rava; 1 1/2 cup of water.  Adding more jaggery is optional. Adding more ghee is optional. We do eat this halubai with a spoon of ghee on the top. Adding cashews or any other nuts is purely optional.

Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : According  to your wish.
Purely South Canara Dish.