Channa Dal - Ridge Gourd Tovve/ Dal

Tovve /Dal is one of the must dish served in the beginning of the food. tovee is full of dals and is normally with very little spices.

Tovve is eaten with ghee and it provides minerals and vitamins.
I have prepared Heerekai/Ridge Gourd with channa dal/Kadale bele and it goes well with almost all the main dishes.
Tovve is filled with proteins, because we do use lots of dal while preparing it. Adding vegetables helps to digest the food we eat.
Different types of dals can be used for preparing Tovve. Moong dal, Toor dal, Masoor dal and even pulses like pea pods, cow pea, black eyed bean and whole moong  are used preparing tovee.
Let us see some benefits of eating channa dal in our diet.
Channa dal/split bengal gram is one of the nutritious dal . We indians use this channa dal for many dishes.It is filled with nutrition and minerals.
Channa dal is low in fat and it helps to lower the cholesterol. It is good for diabetes. It has minerals like zinc, folate and proteins. It helps to boost our energy and immunity. It is good good for weight loss. It is good for people who suffer from high blood pressure. It protects from digestive problems.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Channa Dal - Ridge Gourd Tovve/Dal.

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Channa Dal : 1/2 Cup
Ridge Gourd : 2 ( Medium sized )
Methi Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
To Add : 
Green chilly : 2
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Lemon Extract : 1 Tablespoon
Ginger : An Inch
Salt : As required
Fresh grated coconut : 2 Tablespoons
To Season : 
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 To 8
Oil/Ghee : 1 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and cook channa dal with required water.

2. Wash and remove the edges and the outer layer of Ridge Gourd and cut it in to small pieces.
( Use the outer layer to prepare chutney) .

3. Cook ridge gourd pieces till they turn soft.
4. Wash and slit green chilly, cut coriander and curry leaves.. Extract lemon juice from lemon. (1 lemon).
6. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add ghee/oil and put mustard seeds and jeera.
8. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add cut green chilly and curry leaves. Add ingh.
9. Add cooked dal and  ridghe gourd pieces. Add little turmeric powder. Add grated ginger.

10. Add required salt and water. Mix it well and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add Lemon extract.

11. Shift " Channa dal - Ridge gourd Tovve to a serving dish.
12. Add little  grated coconut and coriander leaves. Serve with the main dish of your choice.

Note :

Channa dal must be cooked well. It is better to cook in pressure cooker. Do not allow it to over cook or it turns fully powdered grains.
Adding green chilly is your choice. You can use red byadagi chilly. Seasoning with ghee is optional. I have done with coconut oil and I top up the tovve with a tablespoon of homemade ghee.
Adding any other spice is your choice.
Time : 20 to 25 minutes.
Serves : 2 to  3 .

Rava - Shavige

Rava Shavige is prepared using medium sized rava/rave/semolina. It is nice and you can enjoy having this Rava Shavige for breakfast, snack time or even for dinner.

I have used medium sized rava, water and salt. You need to have the mould to prepare the shavige.
Shavige is the name for vermicelli. Shavige is normally prepared with raw rice/boiled rice or using both variety of rice.
Shavige/home made vermicelli/noodles  is one of the traditional dish of South Canara. It is one of the tough preparation in those days. In olden days there were big Shavige mane (Shavige mould). One has to wash all the parts of this shavige and then use it. Rice is soaked and ground to smooth paste. Then stirring the ground batter with sufficient water (on fire), and then turn the dough in to big balls and steam. Steamed balls are put it into the mould and then press from the top. You will have to keep a plate at the below and then put them on the plain cloth. Once it it cooled down serve with coconut milk, chutney, thick coconut paladya (vegetable and curd curry), sambar the side list goes on and on. It is one of the nice food to have them for breakfast, lunch, snack time or dinner. Coastal area is rich with coconut trees and the use of coconut is used lavishly in cooking.

Let us see some benefits of having coconut milk in our diet. 
Having coconut milk as one of the side dish with our daily food like idli, dosa, neeru dosa, sweet chapati/Holige /pooran poli, is a habit of our South Canara people. Coconut is rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins.
 Coconut milk is filled with Vitamins C, E, B 1, B 3, and B 6. It contain minerals like iron, sodiumm, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Coconut milk contain saturated fat, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. It helps improves the health of digestive system and good for digestion. Coconut milk helps to relax the nerves and the muscles, control blood sugar level and lower the blood pressure and reduce joint inflammation.
Coconut milk is good for hair care and skin care.

Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Rava /Rave/Semolina (Medium sized) : 2 Cups
Water : 3  Cups
Salt : As required
Ghee / Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Shavige/chakkuli Mould

Method :

1. Keep water for boiling in a big bowl /pan. Add required salt.

2. Pour rava slowly and mix it with water nicely while the water boils. See that no lumps are formed.
3. Once the rava mixes well and it turns thick dough put off the fire.

4. Put a spoon of ghee/oil and mix the dough well.
5. Divide the dough into small portion and make them as ball shape.

6. Apply oil/ghee to idly plates and keep it ready.
7. Now take a small portion of rava dough and put it in the shavige mould.
8. Press/turn the top and put shavige into idly plate.

9. Arrange the idli plates.
10. Put some water in pressure cooker and place a small container or plate.
11. Keep the pressure cooker on the fire and let the water boil.
12. Place the idli plates filled with shavige. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes.

13. Remove the pressure cooker lid and remove cooked shavige to a serving dish.

14. Serve with the side dish that you have prepared.  We had " Rava Shavige " with coconut chutney and jaggery.

Note :

Let rava cooks well while stirring. Use of chiroti rava is optional. Do it on medium flame. The dough should be mixed well or it sticks in the mould and it is hard to press.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 . 

Quick Kodubale

Happy Deepavali to All. Festival of lights ..spreading the light to each and every one..Stay blessed.

Deepavali is fun to enjoy with full of hearts. Lighting Jyothis to chase away the darkness, bringing happiness by distributing sweets and namkeens (salted snacks) is a good thought indeed. Lets have one more spicy snack which is very famous in India and other countries of the world. That is Kodubale. Kodubale means a bangle shaped spicy snack.

It can be prepared using different ingredients. I too have prepared some different varieties of kodubales.

Let us see the recipe of Quick Kodubale. Kodubale, one of the yummy dish which goes well with a cup of coffee, as a side dish like papad, or when you are watching movie or any t.v. serial. 

I have used rice flour, chenna flour, chiroti rava, chilly powder, little jeera, oma (ajwan), salt and butter.

No maida/all purpose flour in this Kodubale recipe. You can also prepare lovely nippattu with same dough.

Things Needed :

Fine Rice flour : 2 Cups

Roasted Chenna / Pottu kadale/Huri kadale : 1/4 Cup

Chiroti Rava /Thin variety of semolina : 1 Tablespoon

Butter :  1 1/2 Tablespoons

Chilly Powder : 2 Teaspoons

Ajwan/ Oma /Carom seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Salt : As required :

Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Ingh/Asfoetida : A little 

Cooking Oil : 2 Cups or little less

Method :

1. Take a big bowl and add rice flour, rava/thin semolina, salt, butter, jeera, Carom seeds, Ingh and chilly powder.

2. Powder Roasted Chenna and add it with other ingredients. Mix all the ingredients well.

3. Add required water slowly and prepare dough. Kneed the dough well.

4. Divide the dough into small portion.

5. Take a small portion of the dough and then with your palm make a rope shape.

6. Join two ends and make circle. Arrange these done kodubales in a tray or plate.

7. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Slowly drop in the done kodublales. 

8. Fry them on low and medium flame till they turn golden brown. 

9. Fry them on both sides and remove it from the oil. Put it on a kitchen tissue.

10. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare kodubales.

11. Store them in a airtight bottle /box once it is cooled.

12. Serve with cup of coffee/tea/Fresh juice.

Note :

Do not add more butter. It will turn very soft and get powdered while frying. You can also add sesame seeds instead of carom seeds. Use of more chilly is optional. Use of any cooking oil is optional. Do not make the dough very soft. It absorbs more oil if the dough turn very soft. Add little more rice flour and kneed the dough well before preparing. 

Time 30 Minutes

Serves : 25 to 30 Kodubales. (According to size and shape. 

Roasted Chenna - Dry Coconut Karchikai.

Happy Deepavali : Enjoy the Festival of Lights with loads of Sweets and Savoury.
KarchiKai/Karanji/Jujiya/Karchikayilu 

Karchikai/karanji/sweet poori /Jujeeya , the names are bit different. The sweet is the same with different stuffing. Here is one of the traditional Karchikai Recipe that is very easy and with simple ingredients.
I have seen Our relative and a close friend Tara preparing these Kachoris for Ganesha Festival. I realized that kadale poppu, roasted chenna, sugar and dry coconut makes a good combination and it does not make the kachori that soft very next day.
Since long I wanted to try these kachoris and Deepavali is the perfect time and Kachori is the perfect sweet that one can prepare in lot and distribute it around the neighbours and friends.
I have used Thin variety of rava/semolina, roasted chenna, sugar and dry coconut/Copra. You can use dry fruits like raisins and cashews. (Optional).
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Thin variety of Rava/Chiroti rava/Semolina : 1 Cup
Maida : 1/2 Cup.
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Sugar : 2 to 3 Tablespoons (1/4 Cup)
Dry coconut :  1 Cup
Roasted Chenna /Hurikadale/Kadale poppu : 1 Cup
Salt : Very little (1 to 2 pinch)
Cooking Oil : 1 to 1 1/2 cup.

Method : 

1. Put Rava, maida, salt and ghee in the big bowl.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients nicely.

3. Add required water little by little and prepare thick chapati dough.

4. Dry grind roasted chenna and coconut. Dry grind sugar.

5. Mix all these powdered sugar, chenna and coconut nicely. Keep it aside.

6. Now kneed chapati dough nicely and divide them in to small portions.
7. Take a small portion of the dough and kneed it well.

8. Roll it as big chapati and take a small cap or cup, cut into small round shape.
9. Place a tablespoon of sweet mixture and fold it at the end and give 1/2 moon shape.

10. Press the edges tight so that it does not open up while frying in hot oil.

11. Keep a frying pan on the fire and put oil. Let it get hot.
12. Fry the ready kachoris on both side in low and medium flame.

13. Remove from the hot oil and put them on a kitchen tissue.
14. Repeat the same and fry remaining kachoris.

15. Let it get cooled. Put it in a glass jar or airtight box. Serve whenever you feel like.

Note :

You can add more maida if you wish.
You can also add more sugar to the sweet mixture. Just fill in the sweet mixture. (Do not fry or roast).
You can divide the dough into very small quantity and then roll each portion and then prepare kachori.(Optional)
Frying them on low flame makes kachoris crisp and it does not get soft later.
Time : 30 to 40 minutes.
Serves : 20 Small Kachoris.