Simple Aloo Jeera Dry Curry

Aloo / Potato is one of my favourite vegetable and I do feel many will join me and say Hurry .
Here is a simple Aloo / Potato dry curry, it is very easy to prepare and enjoy as one of the side dish.

Lets see the recipe now:

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Aloo/Potatoes : 2 to 3
To Season :
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper pods : 4 to 5
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
To Add :
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander Leaves : 1 Handful.
Salt : As required
Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Method : 

1. Wash and peel off the skin of potatoes.
2. Cut them as you desire. (cut as thin pieces). Put it in bowl of water and wash it nicely.
3. Wash curry leaves and coriander leaves and cut into small pieces.
4. Crush pepper and keep it aside.
5. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds. Add a pinch of asafoetida.
6. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and Jeera. Let it fry for 5 seconds.
7. Add cut potatoes and stir slowly. Let all the ingredients mix it well.
8. Add crushed pepper pods. Add 1/2 glass of water and cook till it turns soft. (Not very soft).
9. Add required salt and chilly powder once the potatoes are cooked.
10.Let it cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Mix it nicely once again.
11. Let all the moisture disappear. Shift the curry to a serving bowl.

12. Add cut coriander leaves and serve as one of the side dish.

Note :

Add water little by little so that potatoes will not be overcooked. Adding more oil is optional.
Cook on low flame. Adding jeera and pepper helps the food to be digested easily. Cook on medium and low flame to get good dry palya. It you feel the water is excess then increase the flame and the water evaporates quickly. Be careful while cooking on high and medium flame. Palya might get burnt if you do not see at times.
Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves 2 to 3.
The Next recipe is Samosa from this Potato Dry Curry.

Simple Pudina / MInt Chutney

Pudina /Mint leaves are loaded with medicinal values. People do use Pudina leaves in day today cooking. It has its own aroma.I have prepared traditional Chutney using Pudina Leaves.
I have used Pudina leaves, coconut, Urid dal, red chilly, tamarind.

Lets see some benefits of having Pudina /Mint leaves in our diet.

Pudina /Mint is one of the popular herb which helps in cooling our body system. It has been used as medicine even in hundreds years ago.
Pudina is good for easy digestion. It is good for treating astama.  Good for Respiratory problems. It helps in taking good skin care. It is filled with anti septic properties. It is good for treating nausea and headache. It is good for weight loss.
Pudina Chutney is an easy dish and good for lunch or other main dishes.

No ONION OR NO GARLIC is added in this Pudina Chutney.

Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

To Grind :
Fresh Coconut : 1 Cup
Tamarind : 1/2 Marble size
Salt : As required
and fried ingredients :
To Fry :
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Ingh/Asafoetida  : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Pudina Leaves : 1 Bundle
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Ingh : A little
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Wash and clean Pudina /Mint Leaves nicely and keep it aside.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and put 1/2 tsp of oil. Add urid dal and fry on low flame.
4. Let it turn golden brown. Add ingh, curry leaves and pudina leaves. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add grated coconut to fried ingredients.
5.Put off the fire and let the fried ingredients cool.

6. Grind fried ingredients with coconut and tamarind.  Add required water to grind.
7. Add required salt and churn for a minute. Remove the chutney from mixi jar to a serving bowl.
8. Add coconut oil seasoning with mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves.

9. Mix it well and serve Pudina Chutney with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Fry urid dal on low flame.
Do not use much oil to fry. Adding more chilly is optional. Do not add any onion or garlic to chutney.
The taste might change. Use of any cooking oil is optional.
Time : 15 Minutes

Serves : 3 to 4 .

Raw Mango Traditional Pickle / Kethe Uppina Kai

Raw mango Traditional Pickle  as we call it is one of the traditional dish done with raw mangoes. This pickle  is used as one of the side dish with dosa, idli, rice, curd rice and many more main dishes. This pickle can be prepared it quickly.
It is so easy to prepare and we do enjoy eating with Ganji.

This pickle is so handy and it helps and eases our daily work . In South Canara in our homes we normally do not prepare chutney always. It has become a habit that we use varieties of pickles especially mango pickles. The varieties of mango pickle like, ಕೆತ್ತೆ, ಅಡುಗಾಯಿ, ಮಿಡಿ, ಹಿಂಡಿ, /kette, adugaayi, midi, hindi etc. Each type of pickle is yummy to taste and some last long at least for 2 to 3 years even.

This particular variety of pickle is done very easily and quickly. Normally when the raw mango starts this variety of pickle is prepared.
I have used raw mango, mustard seeds, coconut oil, and  red chilly powder.
I have used two  big raw mangoes.
Let us see the recipe

Things needed :

Raw mango : 2 :Big size
Mustard seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : 5 to 6 Tablespoons
Chilly Powder : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
To Season/Temper :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch

Method :

1. Wash and wipe mango with clean towel. Leave it for a few minutes.
2. Peel off the green outer layer and cut mango into very small pieces.
3. Take a big bowl and put mango pieces and salt. Mix it well and leave it for a day.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and put a glass of water. Put a handful of salt and boil till it reduces to half.
5. Add salt water from the mango you have dipped. Let it boil for a minute. Put the cut mango pieces to boiling salt water and put off the fire. Let it cool.
6. Grind mustard seeds and chilly powder with cooled salt water. Let mustard seeds turn as paste.
7. Remove it from mixi jar and mix it with mango pieces. \

8. Let the ground paste and mango pieces mixes well.
9. Add coconut oil, mustard seeds and ingh/Asafoetida seasoning and mix it nicely.

10. Let it cool completely. Store it in a glass bottle and use it as you like. Better to store in fridge.

Note

Remember that to wipe mango nicely and then use it. Adding more oil, chilly powder is optional.
Use of coconut oil is optional.
Any brand of chilly powder is optional. I have used MTR red chilly powder.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : Depends upon the servings.

Urid dal & Saame /Little Millet Guli Appa

Preparing food for the family is really a big task. I think most of us do agree with it. In such time I just think some thing which is going to be healthy, quick, easy and delicious. Here is such one dish that you can prepare it easily without much hassle and healthy of course. Just try this Urid & Same Guli Appa/ Paddu/Gunthponglu or mini bondas.( It taste similar to Bondas.

I have used Urid dal as main and little Saame/Little Millet, pepper pods, jeera, green chilly and handful of coriander leaves. 

Let us see some benefits of using " Black Pepper Pods " in our diet. 

Black pepper is widely traded in the world since ancient times. It is known as pepper corn and it contain antibacterial properties. It is used for preserving food and it does contain anti-inflammatory agent. Black pepper is known as king of spices and it has loads of health benefits. It adds flavour to the dish we prepare. It helps to reduce weight, improve digestion and relieve cold and cough, boost energy and metabolism. It is used for treating skin problems. Black pepper is rich source of minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Vitamin B 6. It has high content of dietary fiber and good amount of protein and carbohydrates.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Urid dal : 1 Cup
Little Millet/Same Millet : 1/4 Cup
Green Chilly : 1
Black Pepper Pods : 6 to 8
Cumin Seeds / Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves :  1/2 Bundle /5 to 6 Tablespoons
Ginger : 1 Inch/ 1 Tablespoon (Grated)
Salt : As required
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Gulp Appa Pan and oil or ghee to cook Guli Appa.

Method :

1. Wash and soak urid dal for 1 to 2 hours. Wash and soak little millet separately for 2 hours.
2. Wash green chilly, coriander leaves and handful of curry leaves.
3. Now grind urid dal with jeera and black pepper pods with required water. Add curry leaves, green chilly, grated ginger and coriander leaves. Grind it for a few minutes. Remove the fine batter to a big bowl.

4. Add little millet/Saame and grind it. It should be rava/ semolina consistency.
5. Remove from the mixi jar and add it to urid dal batter. Add sal and ingh. Mix it well.

6. Keep guli appa pan on the fire . Add little oil to each mould and let it get heated.
7. Put the ready batter to each guli/deeper place in a pan.
8. Sprinkle some oil to each guli. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on low and medium flame.
9. Turn the other side and cook for a minute.

10. Guli appa is ready to serve. Add little ghee on guli appa just before serving.
11. Repeat the same with remaining batter.

12. We had this Urid dal and Saame Guli Appa with sambar and jaggery.

Note :

No need to soak for a longer time. No need of fermentation of the batter. Do not grind  the dough very watery. It might spoil the taste and it will not be removed easily from the pan. Adding ghee or butter while cooking Guli Appa is optional. I did added the coriander leaves while grinding and it turned as fine paste along with urid dal batter.Use of oil/ghee is optional while cooking Guli
Appa. Do not add more saame/little millet. Guli appa will be very hard.
Time : Urid dal soaking 2 Hours + Grinding 5 to 10 minutes + preparing Guli Appa 10 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Mangolore Bonda ( Ambode )

Mangalore Bonda /Uddina Ambode is one of the famous fried dish from Dakshina Kannada. 

South Canara people used to grow lots of urid and other pulsed after the paddy harvest. There used to be urid grains stored in each home and used to prepare many dishes using home grown urid.
Here is such one recipe which is very famous in South Canara and it is called Ambode, uddina ambode/Bonda.
Bonda is a round fried savoury dish prepared using Urid dal. It is very nice to have with coffee/tea as snack in the evenings. During the rainy season its fun to have all these fried dishes watching the heavy rains pouring from the sky and making the whole world around dark.
I have used urid dal, green chilly, coriander leaves, ginger and ingh as main ingredients.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients.

Urid Dal : 2 Cups
Rice Flour : 1 Tablespoon
Green chilly : 2
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Salt : As required
Ginger : An Inch
Oil : To Fry : 1Cup or little more

Method.

1. Soak urid dal for 2 hours and grind it with very little water. It should be thick. ( Divide soaked urid dal in to two parts and then grind it )
2. Wash green chilly, curry leaves, coriander leaves and cut into small pieces.
3. Wash ginger and remove the outer layer of it. Wash it again and grate it.
4. Take a big bowl, add ground urid dal, rice flour, cut coriander leaves, curry leaves, green chilly.
5. Add ingh and required salt. Mix it well and keep it aside.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil and let it get hot.
7. Take a handful of bonda batter and squeeze it as lemon size batter through your fingers.
8. Let it fry till it turn golden brown. Turn all the bondas to the other side and fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Remove it from the oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.

10 Repeat the same and prepare rest of the bondas.
11. Serve Hot Mangalore Bonda with coconut chutney/Soup bonda oo as you like it.
12. Bonda Soup are very famous dish and you can try and njoy bonda soup.

Note : 

Do not soak urid dal for more than 2 hours. It might absorb more oil while you fry bondas.
Do not keep the batter (after grinding) for a long time because it starts to ferment and turn savoury.
Use of rice flour is optional. Strictly do not add more water while grinding urid dal. You will not be able to prepare bonda and it absorbs so much oil while frying them. It does not taste good either. Not good for health also. Adding more /less chilly is optional.  Be careful while frying bonda because some time green chilly seeds might burst while frying bonda.
 Adding onions or garlic is optional. Usually we do not add onions or garlic to these Mangole Bonda. (Ambode). You can dip these Urid bonda in thick curd and prepare Mosaru Vada/Thair Vada.
Time : Soaking urid dal in water : 2 Hours, Grinding : 5 Minutes + preparing 30 Minutes.
Serves : 5 to 6.