Palak - Gongura Dal

Palak /Spinach leaves are healthy leaves and filled with iron and other minerals and vitamins.
Leaves are to be  in your diet to keep you healthy. Here I have prepared Palak - Gongura Dal.
Gongura dal is prepared using Gongura Chutney.

Gongura chutney is used instead of tomatoes/lemon/tamarind. Palak dal turned as yummy and spicy.
Dal should be consumed with hot rice and a spoonful of ghee.

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

Ghee helps to rejuvenates the body from inside out. It nourishes and protect the brain health.
Ghee is rich in Vitamins and Minerals. It contain Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K 2 and Good cholesterol. Ghee is good for cough ( ghee mix with ginger powder helps to cure cough) It improves our eye sight and good for constipation. Gee helps to  boost our immunity system and it has anti inflammatory properties.
Ghee is an excellent source of good fats and ghee helps to remove the toxins in our body. It helps to improve metabolism of our body.
The Palak leaves are from our pot, home grown and its organic.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Palak /Spinach leaves : 1 Bundle
Toor dal : 1/2 Cup
To Add :
Gongura Chutney : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
To Season :
Cooking Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Green chilly : 2
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Clean and wash Palak leaves.

2 Cut them into small.

3. Wash toor dal and cook with palak leaves. (Pressure cook).

4. Keep the cooked palak, toor dal on the fire.

5. Add Salt, little turmeric powder and mix it. Let it boil for 2 minutes.
6. Add a tablespoon of Gongura Chutney and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Shift Palak - Gongura Dal to a serving dish.

8. Prepare seasoning with mustard seeds, jeera, ingh, green chilly and curry leaves.

9. Add the seasoning to Palak - Gongura dal and it is ready to serve. Add a tablespoon of ghee.

10. We had Palak - Gongura dal for lunch.

Note :

Adding moong dal instead of toor dal is optional.
Adding onion and garlic is optional.
Gongura Chutney adds taste and savoury to dal.
Use of ghee is adds to the taste.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.
 Gongura Chutney Recipe : Link
https://adige.somayajiskitchen.com/2015/07/gogura-kenaf-leaves-chutney.html

Raw Mango - Sasive Avalakki

Avalakki/ poha/ aval is one of the handy grain that come into help for breakfast or snack. 

Avalakki is prepared using boiled rice.
I have seen this process in my Doddamma's house when I used to stay in my childhood days. Its all a precious memory that come as dream for now.
Here is Sasive Avalakki one of the famous dish from Udupi. Even in big functions they do prepare Sasive Avalakki (Avalakki prepared using mustard seeds).
Here I have used raw mango tokku instead of tamarind pulp and ground mustard with coconut and added it.
Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion or No Garlic is used here and is one of the traditional dish from Udupi.

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Avalakki /Poha /Aval (Thick) : 3 Cups
To Add :
Mango Tokku/Grated Mango : 1 Tablespoon
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A little
Grated carrot : 1
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
To Grind :
Cut or grated coconut : 1 Cup
Mustard seeds : 3/4 Teaspoon
Red chilly /Byadagi chilly : 4 to 5
To Season :
Cooking Oil : 2 Tablespoons
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Groundnuts : 1 Handful
Curry leaves :6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash avalakki, drain out all the water. Add salt and mix it.

2. Add turmeric powder, jaggery, mango tokku and mix it nicely. Add 1/2 Cup of water and leave it for 5 minutes.

3. Cut or grate coconut and grind it with mustard seeds. Wash and grate carrot.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds, urid dal and 1 red chilly.

5. Add groundnuts and fry till it turns golden brown. Add curry leaves.

6. Add soaked avalakki mixture and mix it slowly on low flame.

7. Add 2 tbs of ghee and mix it slowly. Cover and cook for a minute.

8. Let it cook on low flame. Add ground mustard - coconut mixture and mix it nicely.

9. Add grated carrots and mix it nicely. Shift the ready avalakki to a serving dish.

10. Serve it with a cup of curd and banana.

Note :

It should be soaked well, so that avalakki cooked turns soft. You can use more oil instead of ghee. Use of more /less chilly is optional. You can adjust jaggery according to your taste.
Do not grind coconut and mustard into paste. Use the thick variety of Avalkki.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Apple Kesari baat / ಕೇಸರಿಬಾತ್

Apple Kesaribaat is a sweet dish and it can be prepared quickly and it is very easy too.

Kesari baat, sheera the names are very familiar because Uppittu - Kesari baath go hand in hand.

Even in the hotel it is known as khara baath for Uppittu and Kesari baath is the sweet combination for Uppittu /Upma.

As the name mentioned this Kesari baat has apple in it. It also has rose petals which are grown from our pot garden. We have a pink rose plant in a pot and it does bloom flowers. I use these flowers in preparing the other sweets also.

Rose petals adds to the taste and it gives out the aroma of divinity. I have prepared this Apple Kesari baat for evening snack on last Saturday.. We had some bread bajji/pakoda with this Apple Kesari baat and kesari baat tasted heavenly.

I just spread the kesari baat in a tray and cut into pieces later. 

Let us see the recipe now : 

Ingredients :

Rava/ Rave /Sooji /Semolina : 1 1/2  Cup

Sugar : 1 1/2 Cup

Cardamom : 4 to 5 Pods

Natural Rose Petals : 10 to  15. (2 flowers)

Apple : 1 Medium sized

Ghee : 3/4 Cup

Cashews and Raisins : 2 to 3 Tbs

Boiling Water : 2 1/2  to 3 Cups

Method :

1. Powder Cardamom and keep it aside.

2. Grate apple and keep it aside with Rose flower petals. Keep 3 Cups of water to boil.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 3 to 4 tbs of ghee and fry cashews and raisins.

4. Add Rava/Semolina and fry till the raw smell goes off. Fry on low flame.

5. Add boiling water and mix it slowly till it turns thick and cooks soft.

6. Add sugar and mix it slowly. It turns as liquid and continue stirring.

7. Add grated apple and rose petals.

8. Slowly mix all the ingredients nicely till it turns back to thick.

9. Now add remaining ghee and powdered cardamom.

10. Stir slowly and shift the ready Apple Kesari baath to a tray or bowl. Spread Kesari Baat evenly

and cut it later once it is cooled or serve as you like.

Note :

You can reduce the ghee quantity. (Optional).

Remember that you should fry  rava on low flame, so that rava does not get burnt. Adding more sugar is optional. 

Time : 20 Minutes.

Serves : 5 to 6 (According to the quantity you serve).

Almonds - Oats - Ragi Laddu

Laddu/Laadu/Unde as we call it a sweet round ball of different healthy ingredients like jaggery or sugar, ghee and other ingredients. I always prepare varieties of laddu, and I do give it to our relatives and friends. Here I have prepared Rag and Oats laddu with dry fruits like almonds and raisins.
I have used Oats, almonds, raisins, ragi flour/finger millet flour and jaggery.

Oats are very rich in fiber and good for diet. Almonds filled with minerals and vitamins. Ragi flour is gluten free and good iron content.Raisins are best dry fruit and loaded with good health benefits. Jaggery provides energy and take care of our health.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Sesame Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Oats : 250 Grams
Ragi /Finger Millet flour : 2 Cups
Almonds : 1 Small Cup
Raisins : 1 Small Cup
Jaggery : 1 1/2 Cups
Ghee : 1 Small Cup
Dates : 1 Big Bowl

Method :

1. Dry roast sesane seeds,  finger millet and Oats till the raw smell disappear. (Dry roast in low flame).

2. Dry grind Almonds, sesame seeds, Oats separately and remove it to a big bowl.

3. Powder Jaggery and keep it aside.
Remove the seeds from dates and smash the dates and see that it turns as one bundle.

3.Keep a pan and put powdered jaggery and 1/2 cup of water. Let it melt completely.
4. Sieve the liquid jaggery and keep it aside.

5. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put cleaned jaggery and stir till it turns into one string consistency.
6. Add raisins and mix it well and stir for  a minute.

7. Put powdered Oats, Almonds and dry roasted Ragi/Finger Millet. Mix the ingredients nicely.
8. Pour jaggery mixture on the top of Ragi - Oats - Almonds powder. Do not pour at once. (
Add it little by little).

9. Add a cup of ghee and mix the ingredients nicely.

10. Take a small amount of laddu mixture and give a laddu shape. ( Round Ball shape).

11. Repeat the same and prepare all the laddu. Let it cool completely.

12. Store in a air tight box. Eat or Serve as you wish to.

Note :

The jaggery consistency should be Little more than one string consistency. Adding any nuts on the top is optional. Frying raisins in ghee is optional. I have used it with out frying. Use of more ghee is optional. You can add little more melted ghee, if you feel that laddu mixture is dry and not able to prepare laddu. (If it dries up it breaks while you are making laddu).
You can also use organic joni bella to prepare the laddu. No need to clean it.
Time : 30 to 40 Minutes.

Serves : 25 to 30 Laddus.