Banana stem Dal

Banana Stem dal is one of the healthy dish and it is said that at least once in a year you must eat banana stem. It helps to cleanse your intestine. It also helps to remove or reduce the stone in gal bladder.

Banana plant is one of the God's gift to mankind. Each part of this plant is used by man.  Banana fruit to eat, banana leaf to have food, banana stem is used  medicine.  It has very good medicinal value and used in home remedy medicines.
Eating banana stem helps to cleanse our body and take care of our kidney. It helps to reduce or remove the stone formed in the kidney. It is said if have gulped the hair by chance it can bring out the hair from your body. But remember this stem should be used rarely. (Once in a while). Often used  It heats up the body and you might get ulcer in your mouth, the eyes might turn red because of excess body heat.

I have used banana stem, moong dal, tamarind tokku (tender tamarind green chutney) and some green chilly.

Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

Banana Stem : 1 Bowl

Moong Dal : 1/2 cup

Green chilly : 2 to 3 

Tamarind Tokku : 1 Teaspoon full

Salt : As required
Ginger : An Inch 

Seasoning : 

Coconut Oil :1 Teaspoon

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and cut banana stem and remove the thread you get while cutting.
2. Cut it into very small pieces. Wash and soak them in plain water.

3. Wash and put moong dal in a pressure cooker and add cut banana stem.
4. Add little water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.( Or little more).

5. Wash and cut coriander leaves, curry leaves and slit green chilly.
6. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate the clean piece and keep it aside.
7. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil. Let it get hot. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
8. Add jeera and cut chilly. Fry for 10 seconds. Add ingh and curry leaves.
9. Add cooked banana stem and moong dal. Mix it well. Add little water, grated ginger and required salt.
10. Mix it nicely. Add turmeric powder. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Add tamarind tokku if you have or add tamarind pulp. ( 1 Tablespoon).

12. Mix it well and cook for another 2 minutes. Shift Banana stem Dal to a serving dish.

13. Add cut coriander leaves and serve.
14. Adding a tablespoon of ghee helps to enhance the taste.

Note :

You should soak banana stem pieces quickly in plain water. It helps to retain white colour as it is.
Adding any spice of your choice is optional. Adding tamarind pulp instead of tamarind tokku is optional. Adding more chilly and use of any cooking oil is optional. Adding water to get the thickness of the dal is optional. It taste better if it is bit thick. Do not get worried if the pieces are not soft and do not think they are not cooked well. They are bit hard even if cook them for long time even. So let the pieces be very small.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves :  4 to 5. 

Raagi /Finger Millet + Rice Flour Carrot Rotti

Rotti that too with finger millet, I have posted varieties of rotti. 
You might wonder why again rotti?

Because finger millet, though it is good for healthy many do not like finger millet because of its colour. Even our Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and South Kannadigas have no like for this wonderful grain. It is my way of making them to know, enjoy and get benefit from healthy finger millet grain.
This time I have used finger millet, very little rice flour, little wheat flour, carrots and onions.
I have used butter wrapper to spread the rotti batter, so that it can be as thin as I like and the rotti taste crispy or soft as you like it. No need to burn your hand while spreading the batter either.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients : 

Raagi /Finger Millet : 2 Cups
Rice Flour : 2 Tablespoons
Wheat Flour : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : 1 Tablespoon ( An inch)
Carrots : 2
Onions : 2 (Medium sized)
Coriander leaves : 1 Bundle ( Small)
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Boiling water : 2 to 3 Cups
Oil : 5 to 6 Tablespoons/1/2 Cup

Method :

1. Take a big bowl, add Raagi/Finger Millet, rice flour, wheat flour, salt and curd.

2. Add boiling water and let it rest for 5 minutes.

3. Wash onions, carrots, coriander leaves, curry leaves.
4. Remove the outer layer of carrots and ginger. Grate it and add it to the flour.
5. Remove the outer layer of onions and wash it. Cut onions, curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilly.
6. Put all this to the flour mixture.

7. Add grated coconut and mix all the ingredients with required water. Add normal water if required.
8. Let the rotti batter be bit loose. ( Not liquidy).

9. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Clean the pan with clean towel or kitchen tissue.
10. Take a butter paper and put a teaspoon of oil. Just spread it with your finger all over the paper.
11. Take a handful of rotti mixture and spread it with your fingers. Wet your hand in between while spreading. (Oil/water as you prefer).

12. Put a teaspoon of oil on the hot tava. Spread it around. Place the butter paper upside down. Let the rotti be on downward.
13. Slowly remove the butter paper from rotti , add oil on the top and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on low and medium flame. (Cover the rotti or the upper portion turns with white patches).

14. Turn the other side and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Now it is done.

15. Rotti is ready to serve. Serve with your choice of curry /chutney and ghee or butter.
16. Repeat the same with remaining batter.

Note :

Adding more water turns the batter liquid and you can not spread the batter easily on the butter paper. Add little more flour and make it bit thick. Use of oil or water while spreading rotti batter on butter paper is optional. (Oil gives better taste and I have used oil). Adding any other vegetables is optional. You can add dil /methi/palak leaves. Adding more chilly is optional. Cooking rotti on low flame turns the rotti hard.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5.

Bottle gourd - Carrots Mango fruit Curry

Mango fruits season is here and we do eat and enjoy these fruits. Mango is known as King of fruits and is loved by most of the people. Mango fruits are also used in our curries and drinks, chutney/gojju and even in ice creams.
Here is one of the Traditional curry using Mango fruits in it. Curries are cooked by adding fruit
mangoes and it is one of the traditional curry done during Mango Fruit season.

I have used bottle gourd, carrots and mango fruits.
Let us see the recipe now "

Things Needed :

To cook:
Bottle Gourd Pieces : 1 Bowl (1 Small bottle gourd)
Carrots : 2 : ( 1 small bowl)
To Fry :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Methi/Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly : Byadagi chilli : 4 to 5
Ingh : A pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 or little more
To Grind :
Fried spices
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
To Add : 
Salt : As required
Mango Fruits : 2 ( Medium sized and well ripen)
Coconut oil seasoning : 1 Teaspoon
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 2 to 3 seeds
Ingh : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method 

1. Wash and peel of the outer layer of bottle gourd and carrots. Cut them in to pieces.
2. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 minutes and let it cool.

3. Keep a small pan on the fire and put oil. Add methi seeds and fry till they turn golden brown.
4. Add urid dal and red chilly and fry till urid dal gets golden brown. Put off the fire.
5. Add ingh and curry leaves mix it well and let it cool.
6. Grate coconut and grind with fried spices with required water.

7. Now keep a big pan and put cooked bottle gourd + carrots, add salt.
8. Wash and peel off mango fruits skin. Squeeze out the pulp from it.

9. Now add the whole mango and its pulp. ( Squeeze out the pulp slightly from inner side). ( Do not add the peel).
10. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well.

11. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Shift the Bottle gourd - Carrots -Mango fruit Curry to a serving dish.
12. Add coconut oil seasoning and serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Do not cook the vegetable very soft. You can cook with little water in a big pan with out using pressure cooker. Adding chilly more/less is optional. Use of coconut oil is optional. Use of more mango fruits is optional. No need to use tamarind or lemon. Squeeze the mango fruits slightly so that the pulp mixes well with other vegetables. Adding a tablespoon of ghee adds to the taste.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4
Style : Udupi Traditional.

Dahi Channa

Dahi Chenna is a snack dish and it is filling dish too. Channa/Kadale /whole Kabooli Channa is used here. 

It is an easy dish and I have used Kabooli  Channa, little spices and curd.

Let us see the recipe

Things Needed :

To Cook :

Kabooli Channa : 1 Cup 

To Season :

Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Grated ginger : 1 /2 Teaspoon

To Add : 

Curd : 1/2 Cup

Sweet and Spicy Chutney : 2 Tablespoobs

Coriander Leaves : 2 Tablespoons

Salt : As required 

Chat Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon

Jeera /Cumin Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Red chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and soak kabooli channa over night. 

2. Wash it again in the morning or 5 to 6 hours and pressure cook with required water.

3. It should cook well it should be soft.

4. Keep a pan and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds, jeera and let mustard seeds splutter.

5. Add green chilly and fry for 20 seconds. Add cooked channa and stir nicely.

6. Add grated ginger,  1/2 teaspoon of garam masala powder and fry nicely. 

7. Add required salt and mix it well. Add a pinch of turmeric powder.

8. Mix all the ingredients nicely and allow it to cook for 2 minutes. Put of the gas.

9. Take a bowl and add curd, chat masala powder, a pinch of jeera powder.

10. Add chilly powder and little salt. Mix all the ingredients nicely, Let curd mixes well with all the other ingredients. Add little more curd if required.

11. Take a plate, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked channa, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of curd on the top. 

12. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and put 1/4 teaspoon of spicy and sweet chutney and serve.

Note :

Channa should be cooked soft. Adding onions on the top while serving is optional. I have not added.

Adding any other spice is optional. You can prepare Onion Rings and serve along with this Dahi Channa.

Time : Soaking time Over night or 5 to 6 hours + Cooking time + 20 to 25 minutes.+ Plating + 10 Minutes. 

Serves : 3 to 4 

We had it with home prepared Onion Rings. 

How to make Onion Rings ?

Mix 1/2 cup of besan/channa powder,  1 Tablespoon of rice flour, required chilly and 1/4 teaspoon of jeera and required salt. Mix with required water and prepare pakoda batter. (Bit thick).

Remove the outer skin of onions and wash it. Cut it as circle and keep it aside.

Keep 1 cup of oil in a frying pan. Let it get hot. 

Dip each onion ring in besan mixture and put it slowly in hot oil. Fry on both sides. 

Remove it from hot oil once it is done and put it on a kitchen tissue. 

Serve with Dahi Channa and it is a good combination to have with Dahi Channa.