Banana stem Curry

Banana stem curry is one of  the side dish. Banana stem is full of fiber and it should be eaten at least once a month or two.

Banana Stem has loads of benefits and people say that it takes away the dirt from intestine in a fine manner. It helps to flush out the stone from kidney. It eases the problem of indigestion.
I have used Banana Stem, little jeera and pepper. Added some grated coconut. Little jaggery is used to give a sweet taste.
The stem was given by our neighbour and they do have lots of place to grown banana plants. They do give us some banana and the stem most of the times. So it is easy for me to try many dishes out of banana stem.
Some time I do cut and put the raw pieces in curd and make  raw pachadi. (With out cooking). some time dal, some time curry so this time its dry curry with simple spices.
Let us see some benefits of eating banana stem in our diet.
Banana stem is good for taking out the kidney stone.
It is good for detoxifying our body. It is good for digestion.It helps to control the blood pressure and cholesterol. Healing acidity and gastric problems.
Banana Stem Curry simple, easy and healthy.
Lets see the recipe Now :

No Onion or Garlic is used in this Dish : Banana Stem Dry Curry.

Ingredients :

Banana stem : Small Piece
Butter milk : 1/2 Cup
To Add :
Dry ginger powder : 1/2 Tsp
Jaggery : 1 Tbs
Turmeric Powder : A little
Salt : As required
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tbs
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tbs
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Jeera : 1/2 Tsp
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.

Method : 

1. Add a cup of water to butter milk and soak banana stem pieces in it.
2. Wash and cut banana stem into small pieces.

3. Wash banana stem and drain out all the water from it.

4. Pressure cook banana stem for 6 to 8 minutes adding little water. Let it cool.

5, Prepare seasoning with coconut oil, mustard seeds, jeera, add green chilly and curry leaves.
6. Add cooked banana stem and let it boil.Add turmeric powder, jaagery and ginger powder.

7. Add salt and cook till all the water disappear.
8. Add grated coconut and mix it well. Shift it to a serving bowl.

9. Banana stem curry is ready to serve.

Note :

You can use 2 tbs of curd instead of butter milk. Add a cup of water and mix it well and dip the banana stem cut pieces in it.
Adding any other masala taste differ.  Adding red chilly powder instead of green chilly is optional.
Adding jaggery is optional. Use of any cooking oil instead of coconut oil is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.

Serves : 4 to 5.

Quick Channa Palav

Palav is full meals food and it is easy to do it and it can be one pot meal, quick meal or tasty meal. Palav is prepared in many ways. This time it is Channa /Kabooli Channa Palav and is very easy to prepare and serve.

 Good for sunday brunch, or for packing kids lunch box or even for picnics.
I have used cooked channa, (Use of cooked channa helps in softening the hard pods to quick little more and easy to digest), coriander leaves, carrots, handful of cashews, garam masala and chutney powder, little spices like cinnamon pieces, 3 to 4 cloves, a little bit of sonf /fennel seeds or Aniseeds, green chilly, grated ginger and grated coconut.
Channa /Kabooli Channa helps you to keep you fit and provides proteins and energy. It helps to keep your body warm.
Channa helps in keeping your bones strong and fit. Channa is full of fiber and anyone can eat and enjoy.
It is my own creation and love the taste and aroma of this Palav.
No Onion or Nor Garlic is used here. "Quick Channa Palav" is yummy to have, filling and easy to prepare.

Things Needed :

Cooked Kabooli Channa : 1 Bowl.
Raw Rice : 2 Cups. (I used Basumathi Rice)
Carrots : 2 to 3
Cashews : 1 Handful
Saffron : 2 to 3 Rakes
Ginger : 1 Tablespoon (Grated).
Spices :
Cinnamon : An inch
Cloves : 3 to 4
Sonf/Fennel Seeds/Aniseeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Chutney Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Green chilly : 2
Fresh grated coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Coriander leaves : 1 Handful
Ghee : 2 To 3 Tablespoons
Cooking Oil : 1Tablespoon
Salt : As required

Method :

1. Wash and cut carrots and keep it aside. Wash and slit green chilly.
2. Wash rice and drain the water completely and keep it aside. ( At least 10 minutes before you prepare Palavu).

3. Wash and grate ginger and keep it aside.
4. Wash and cut coriander leaves and cut into small pieces. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

5. Now keep a pan/pressure cooker on the fire and heat.
6. Add oil and 1 tbs of ghee. Add sonf, cinnamon, cloves and fry for 10 seconds.

7. Add carrots, cooked channa, grated ginger, slit chilly and fry nicely for 1 minute.

8. Add cashews and fry till they turn slightly brown.
9. Add garam masala, chutney powder and stir just once or twice.

10. Add  rice and stir nicely for 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Add 4 cups of water and mix all the ingredients well.
12. Add  grated coconut, saffron and required salt.

13. Add cut coriander leaves close the lid and cook. Put weight after 2 minutes.

14. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Put off the fire and let the pressure come down.

15. Open the lid, add remaining ghee and mix it well. Shift the delicious palav to a serving dish.

16. Serve with your choice of Raitha. We had it with carrot raitha

Note : 

Any brand of Basumathi rice is optional. Use of Sona masoori is also useful. Use little more water if you use Sona Masoori Rice. Use of steamed rice gives different taste. Use of green chilly is optional.
Use of curry leaves chutney pudi adds to the taste. (Optional).
40 minutes

Serves : 3 to 4 .

Easy and Quick Dal

Easy and Quick Dal is one of the easiest way of cooking dal. It is filled with leaves, dal, spices and tomatoes.

I have put every thing together and cooked in pressure cooker.
This recipe has been told by Geetha Bangalore Upendra and It is packed with vitamins, minerals and proteins.
Then smashed everything together and added seasoning with mustard seeds and ingh/asafoetida.
Let us see this recipe now :

Things Needed :

Toor dal : 1/2 Cup
Tomatoes : 2
Palak /Spinach leaves : 1 Bundle (small).
Ginger : An inch
Coriander Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Green chilly : 2
Salt : As required
Seasoning :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coconut Oil : 1 Tbs
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry leaves : 5 to 6 Leaves

Method :

1. Wash and cut palak or your choice of leaves or mixed leaves.
2. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
3. Wash and cut tomatoes and keep it aside.
4. Wash toor dal and put it in a pressure cooker. Add cut palak, grated ginger, cut tomatoes.
5. Add coriander seeds and  slit green chilly.
6. Add required water and pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Put off the fire and let it cool.
7. Take out the cooked mixture and  churn once in a mixi jar.
8. Keep a pan on the fire and add coconut oil. Add mustard seeds.
9. Add little ingh. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves.
10 . Add churned dal - leaves mixture and cook. Add required salt and mix it well.
11. Yummy dal is ready to serve.

12. Shift it to a serving dish and serve as one of the side dish.

Note :

Adding more chilly is optional. Use of any cooking oil is optional. Let cooked dal - leaves mixture cool completely. Just give a churn to get the full benefits.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Quick Capsicum Curry

Capsicum is one of the yummy vegetable and it adds aroma and taste to the food we love to have.
It is used as raw and cooked too. Here is a simple recipe which I tried long back and thought will put up here. It is one of the quick and simple dish but definitely you will end up eating more than what you usually eat.

I have used capsicum and tomatoes with home prepared sambar powder. This curry goes well with all the main dishes.
Let us see some benefits of having capsicum in our diet.
Capsicum is an excellent source of vitamin A and C. It has a rich source of dietary fiber. It has Vitamin E, B6 and folate.  Capsicum helps to get relief from stomach issues, back pain, headaches, skin aging, peptic ulcers, menopause problems. It is good for diabetes. It has anti inflammatory properties.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Capsicum : 3 to 4
Tomatoes : 2 to 3
Sambar Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
To Season :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
Green chilly : 2
Oil : 2 Teaspoons
To Add :
Methi /Fengrik Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoons
Grated Ginger : 1 Teaspoon (An inch)
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon.

Method :

1. Wash and remove the seeds from capsicum and cut into small pieces.

2. Wash and cut tomatoes and cut into small pieces.
3. Wash and slit green chilly, cut coriander leaves and curry leaves.
4. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and grate it.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 2 tsp of oil
6. Add mustard seeds, jeera and fry. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add slit green chilly
7. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add cut capsicum and fry nicely for 2 minutes.
8. Add cut tomatoes, a pinch of turmeric powder and stir nicely. Add methi seeds and glass of water.

9. Let the capsicum and tomatoes cook till they turn soft.
10. Add required salt, grated ginger and mix it well.

11. Add Sambar powder /curry powder, jaggery and stir the curry well.

12. Let it boil nicely for 3 to 4 minutes.

13. Shift the capsicum curry to a serving dish.
14. Add cut coriander leaves and serve with the main dish of your choice.

Note :

Before You use vegetables it should be washed and kept in plain water for at least 10 minutes.
Wash and Dip full capsicum and tomatoes in water at l east for 10 minutes.
Use of jaggery is optional. Use of any sambar powder is optional.
I have used home made Sambar powder.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3

Home Made Sambar Powder

Dry roast 2 to 3 tbs of coriander seeds, 1/4 tsp of methi seeds, 1/2 tsp of jeera, 1 tsp of urid dal, 6 to 8 byadagi chilly and 1 tsp of channa dal separately. (One by one).
Dry grind once it is cooled.
Mix it well and use fresh Sambar Powder to have good aroma.

For 1 time use.

Mixed Dal Rasam

Mixed dal Rasam is one of the simple dish and goes well with almost all the main dishes. It is full of protein filled and fiber rich Rasam.

I have used Channa Dal, Toor dal and moong dal here. I also used some tomatoes and green chilly with home prepared  curry powder.
Dal /lentils are filled with minerals and vitamins. They are rich in carbohydrates and provide energy to our body. They are rich in protein.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Toor dal : 1/4 Cup
Chana dal : 1/4 Cup
Moong dal : 1/4 Cup
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : An inch
Tomatoes : 3 to 4 ( Medium sized ).
Salt : As required
Methi seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Curry Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons
For Seasoning :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Muster seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : 1 Pinch
Curry leaves : 8 to 10

Method :

1. Wash and boil all the three dals together in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Wash and cut tomatoes, curry leaves, coriander leaves and slit green chilly
3. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
5. Add jeera and ingh. Add curry leaves. Add tomatoes and fry for a minute.
6. Add green chilly and cooked dal. Mix it well. Add little water if required. Add methi seeds.

7. Add salt, grated ginger and little turmeric powder. Let it boil for 2 minutes.
8. Add curry powder/rasam powder and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Add a tablespoon of ghee and put off the fire. Shift ready mixed dal to a serving bowl.

10. Add cut coriander leaves and serve with the main dish.

Note :

You can soak channa dal for 1 to 15 minutes. So that it cooks well and mixes well with other dals.
Adding any spice is optional. Adding any brand rasam powder is optional. Adding more green chilly is optional. The rasam should be bit thicker than rasam. It taste heavenly with plain rice. It goes well with chapatis and other main dishes.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Home prepared Spice /Curry Powder:

Fry 1/4 tsp of methi seeds till golden brown and add 1 tablespoon of coriander leaves with 4 to 5 red byadagi chilly. Add 1/2 teaspoon of jeera and a pinch of ing. Use 1 teaspoon coconut oil to fry. Dry grind this and add it to Mixed dal rasam. Fresh spice powder adds to the taste. 

1 time use

Dil Leaves - Fresh Alsande Curry

Alsande /cowpeas and dil leaves curry is one of the yummy curry and it goes well with almost all the main dishes. I have tried this Dil leaves /Sabbassige soppu, Amaranth leaves / dantina soppu and cow peas. It is yummy, healthy, easy curry.

Leaves are loaded with iron and other minerals and cow peas is full of energy, protein content. I have used very little spices and it is very easy to prepare I can assure.
Use of pressure cooker helps to bind the curry well. It is quick and easy too.
No onion OR No Garlic is used in this Dil leaves - Fresh Alsande Curry.
Fresh Alsande in this season are full of healthy nutritious content. It is always better to use seasonal pods and vegetables.
Let us see the recipe.

I have used :

Dil Leaves : 1 Small bundle
Amaranth leaves : Green : 2 Small bundles
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : An inch /Grated
Alsande pods/Fresh cow peas : 1/2 Kg
Tomatoes : 3 to 4
Salt : As required
To Season :
Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Methi Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Turmeric powder :  A little

Method :

1. Wash and clean the leaves nicely and cut into small.
2 Remove the pods and wash it once. Wash curry leaves and make pieces using your fingers.

3. Wash green chilly and slit. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it.
4. Wash and cut tomatoes and remove the seeds as much as you can. Cut them into small.
5. Now keep a pressure cooker on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds and methi seeds.
6. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add jeera, ingh, curry leaves and fry for a second.
7. Add cut tomatoes and fry for a minute. Add cut leaves, slit green chilly, turmeric powder and grated ginger.
8. Add cow peas/Alasande pods and mix it. Add a glass of water and close the pressure cooker lid.

9. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Put of the fire and leave it for cooling.
10. Open the lid and mix all things nicely. Add required salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Shift the ready Dil leaves - Fresh Alsande Curry to a serving bowl.

12. Serve with the choice of your main dish. We had it Dil Leaves - Fresh Alsande Curry for our lunch.

Note :

The leaves and pods should be cooked well to get a good taste. You can add little garam masala. It adds to the taste. I did not use it. Use of onions or garlic is optional. It is like a mudde palya /Thick dry curry. To get a thick curry you need to cook it till it gets thick. Use of less water helps the curry to be thick too. I have kept a small plate on the top of leaves. No Dal is used here.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

The advice is : Place a cover on the food. It is always safe. ( The lead used around the whistle pipe spills lead to food and cause health problems.