Udupi Style Lady's Finger Curry /ಬೆಂಡೆಕಾಯಿ ಹುಳಿ

Lady finger/Bendekai /bendi is one of the wonderful vegetable that most of us like to eat. It has got loads of nutrients and medicinal values. This Lady Finger Curry is one of the traditional dish that prepared regularly in Udupi homes. These Bendekai/Lady's finger is brought all the way from Udupi.

Recently I had been to Udupi/Udyavara for my aunt's one year rituals. The time one year has already passed but she is in our heart  and will remain as such sweet memory.
Udupi  car street was full of life because of Shri Krishna Janmastami/Gokulastami festival and the whole Udupi is lightened up. People were busy buying the things they want for the next day festival. Loads and loads of vegetables and fruits, flowers all over around car street. We had been for lunch in Bhojana Shale as Saturday lunch is so auspicious. God bless one and all. While coming back to Udyava/sister's house, we got this Ooru Bendekai/Lady's finger grown around Udupi and Mangalore.
I have used Bendekai, tamarind, jaggery and some simple spices.
This is one of the traditional dish from Udupi.
No Onion OR Garlic is used in this Lady's Finger Curry.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Lady's Finger /Bendekai : 5 to 6
Tamarind pulp : 2 Tablespoons
Jaggery : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Green chilly : 1
To Grind :
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera/ Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red byadagi chilly : 4 to 5
To Season :
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method : 

1. Soak marble size of tamarind in warm water and squeeze out the pulp. Keep the pulp aside.
2. Wash and clean the bendekai/Lady's finger and just wipe out the moisture from each lady's finger.
3. Cut lady's finger into small pieces ( an inch ) and keep it aside.

4. Put tamarind pulp in a pan and keep it on the fire.
5. Add salt, turmeric powder and a small piece of jaggery. Let it boil nicely.

6. Keep another pan on the fire, add mustard seeds and let mustard seeds splutter.
7. Add curry leaves and fry for 2 to 3 seconds.
8. Add lady's finger now and fry on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes on medium and low flame.

9. Now add this fried lady's finger pieces to tamarind water. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
10. Let Lady's finger turn slightly fried.

11. Grate coconut and grind it with raw coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red byadagi chilly.
12. Add required water and grind till paste. Remove the coconut mixture from the mixi jar.

13. Now add ground coconut mixture to cooked lady's finger and mix it well. Add slit green chilly.

 14. Add required water and mix it well. Let it boil on medium flame. Add salt if required.
Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at bottom.

  15. Shift Lady's finger curry to a serving dish and add cut coriander leaves.
16. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

 Note : 

Do not cut lady's finger when they have moisture on them. Wash it nicely and then clean it with a clean dry towel.
Fry lady's finger pieces nicely in little oil and then add / prepare curry of your choice.
Boil tamarind water with salt and turmeric and then add lady's finger pieces and then cook, so that you will not get sticky substance or your curry will not turn as sticky content.
Adding handful of cooked toor dal helps the curry to bind with coconut mixture or use little more coconut to get the thick curry. I have used a handful of cooked dal to this curry.
Adding more /less chilly is optional.
Adding jaggery to the curry is optional. It helps to avoid gas formation in the curry.
Do not roast or fry the spices. This is raw spice curry and easy to prepare.
Time.: 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Pumpkin Acchar /Pickle flavoured Curry

Pumpkin /Sihi kumbala kai is a healthy vegetable which can be kept for a long time. I have prepared this curry with little mustard along with sambar powder. It is called as Pumpkin Achar Curry because the spices gives out slightly pickle taste.

Our home in Brahmavar/Near Udupi used to have at least 3 to 4 pumpkins and that pumpkins were used to store for the rainy days in olden days. I am calling those days as olden days since my father in law used to grow pumpkins, ash gourd and mangalore cucumber in the field and the grown vegetables are to be stored in Padasale/Pooja room. These vegetables are used in rainy seasons because during the rainy days normally you would not get much vegetables. The days are gone and now is all dream that we have seen.
Let us see some benefits of eating pumpkin in our diet.
Pumpkin is low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol. It is also low in sodium. It has a good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is filled with  Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Phosphorus. It has a good source of dietary fiber. Pumpkin is good for people who suffer from blood pressure. It is rich in anti oxidants which helps in preventing damage to our eyes.
Pumpkin Acchar /Pickle flavoured Curry has no onion or no garlic in it. Do not add more mustard seeds, it might give out bitter and strong spice taste.
Let us see the recipe now :
Things needed :
To Cook :
Red Pumpkin : 1 Bowl. ( 1/4 part of one medium sized pumpkin)
To grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup ( 3 to 4 Tablespoons)
Mustard seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Rasam / Sambar powder : 1 Tablespoon
To add :
Tamarind pulp : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
Seasoning :
Cooking oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A little
Curry leaves : 5 to 6 leaves

Method :

1. Wash and remove the hard part of pumpkin and cut them into small pieces.
2. Cook with little water till it turns soft. ( Do not over cook )

3. Grate coconut and grind it with rasam /sambar powder, jeera/cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
4. Add required water to grind and remove it from mixi jar.

5. Soak a marble size of tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp from it. Keep the pulp aside.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked pumpkin pieces. Add salt, tamarind pulp and turmeric powder to it.

7. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
 

8. Shift the curry to a serving dish.

9. Keep small pan on the fire and heat. Add a teaspoon of oil, mustard seeds. Let mustard seeds splutter.
10. Add little ingh/ asafoetida and cut curry leaves. Put this seasoning to prepared pumpkin curry.
11. Mix it well and Add cut coriander leaves.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

 Note :

Do not over cook the pumpkin pieces. No need to add any garlic or onion to this curry. Do not use more oil to season.  Do not add much mustard seeds to grind because the food might give bitter taste.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.
Purely South Indian dish.

Easy Mandakki / Puffed Rice Oggarane

Mandakki / Mundakki / Puri /Puffed Rice is used in different types of chats. Bhel puri, charmuri, nippatu charumuri so and so.

I have prepared Easy Mandakki / Puffed Rice Oggarane. I have seen many cookery shows, varieties of Mandakki Oggarane.
I have used Mandakki, onion, green chilly and ground nuts.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Mandakki/ Puffed rice : 2 to 3 cups ( 1 Bowl )
Green chilly : 1
Ground Nuts : 2 Tablespoons
Roasted Chenna /Huri Kadale : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Cooking Oil : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Remove the outer layer of onion, wash and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash green chilly and slit, cut curry leaves into small.

3. Dry grind roasted chenna and keep it aside.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds.
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add ground nuts and fry till they turn slightly brown.
6. Add onions and fry for a minute. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.

7. Put mandakki in a bowl of plain water and squeeze out the water quickly.

8. Add squeezed out puffed rice to the pan and mix it well.

9. Mix it well and add powdered roasted chenna and mix it well.

10. Now Madakki oggarane is ready to serve. Serve with fried fritters or pappad.

Note :

Do not soak mandakki in water. It might turn very soft and it does not taste good whiel eating.
Adding more / less oil is optional. Adding tomatoes to the mandakki is optiional. You can use lemone extract instead of tomatoes. Adding garlic to mandakki oggarane is optional.

Time : 10 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 .
A quick snack in the cold evening.
Purely Karnataka Snack.

Kempu Harive /Amaranth leaves Saasive

Harive soppu/Amaranth Leaves are the healthy leaves which grows nicely all round the year. We do prepare different dishes using Harive Soppu. Here is one of the traditional dish from Udupi .
It is one of the  dish prepared even in Temples.
Temple Food :

I have used harive soppu, mustard seeds, tamarind and red chilly ( Byadagi chilly ) and coconut.
Mustard seeds help us to digest the food easily, keeps our body warm and take care of our health.
Kempu Harive/Amaranth leaves Sasive is one of the traditional dish of Udupi/Karnataka. It is one of the traditional dish prepared on festival or feast day in temples. 
The food prepared in temples do not have Onions or Garlic. It is easy, simple and quick. 
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Harive soppu/Amaranth Leaves : 1 Small bundle
To Grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup: Fresh and grated
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 4 to 5
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch
Tamarind : A small marble size
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
To Add :
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder :

Method :

1. Wash and cut harive soppu/amaranth leaves and cut into small pieces.
2. Pressure cook with little water. ( 4 to 5 minutes).

3. Grate coconut and grind it with half teaspoon mustard seeds, byadagi chilly, small marble size tamarind and little ingh. Add required water to grind.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and add cooked harive soppu. Add turmeric powder. Add required salt and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add ground coconut - mustard seeds mixture. Mix it well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add required water if necessary.

6. Shift the ready Kempu Harive /amaranth leaves Sasive to a serving dish.
7. Add mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves seasoning done in coconut oil.

8. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Hot plain rice is a good combination for this Kempu Harive Sasive. Sasive means mustard seeds.
Mustard seeds are good for digestion. It is full of fiber. Adding more chilly is optional. Use of little tamarind is advised. Use of 1/2 Teaspoon of moong dal or soaked raw rice while grinding coconut is advised. It mixes all the ingredients nicely.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .
Purely South Canara /Udupi Style / Indian Recipes.