Ondelaga Gotu Kola Butter Milk

Ondelaga/ Gotu Kola is one of the healthy medicinal plant and we do make use of the leaves. We can prepare Tambuli (South Canara /Malenadu Karnataka Special side dish. We can prepare chutney using this leaves. Ondelaga leaves are good for hair, skin and has loads of medicinal properties and good for our health.

Many a times Ondelaga/Timire is called as Brahmi leaves. But they are not. Brahmi leaves are different from Ondelaga leaves.These Ondelaga leaves are known as Gotu Kola leaves.
The other common name is Asiatic Pennywort or Indian Pennywort.

Let us know what do they call Gotu Kola in different regions of India 
In Kannada it is known as Ondelaga or Timire. ( ತಿಮಿರೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು ). Ondelaga means only one leaf in a stem. In Telugu it is known as Saraswathi Aku, Tamil - Vallari Kirai. Marati : Karivan or Karivana.
Gujarati : Khanda Bramhi and in Hindi : Bengsang.

The benefits of having Ondelaga /Gotu Kola.
It is good for cough, cold and fever. The leaves are good for digestion and it balances pitta ( Bile ) and kapha / mucus or phlegm. They help to produce healthy sperm. Ondelaga is known to improve the good blood circulation to the mind and improves our intelligence. They are good for liver related disorders. Gotu Kola is a good blood purifier. It helps in good sleep, good voice and rejuvenation. It helps in treating of various diseases.
Let us see the recipe Now :
This Ondelaga /Gotu Kola Butter Milk helps to cool your body and mind. Try and enjoy.

Ingredients :

Ondelaga /Timire /Gotu Kola Leaves : One handful : 10 to 15.
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh / Asafoetida :  A pinch
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Salt : As required
Curd : 4 to 5 Tablespoons or little more.

Method :

1. Clean and wash only the leaves. ( Some time the stems are hard to grind and they remain as the stick. So it is better to use only the leaves).

2. Put jeera /cumin seeds. pepper pods, Ondelaga Leaves, salt and curd to a mixi jar.
3. Add 1 Cup of water and grind all the ingredients nicely till everything mixes well.

4. Pour it to a big bowl. Add some more water and mix it  nicely.

5. Shift the ready Ondelaga / Gotu Kola Butter Milk to serving glasses and serve.

6. Adding Ice cubes are optional. ( I have not added ).

Note : 

It is better to remove the stem before grinding. There will be two types of Ondelaga leaves. Natural and hy breed type. Natural Ondelaga leaves stems are soft and high breed leaves stems are bit hard. And they do not get into smooth powder or paste. Remember both have the same type of medicinal values. So which ever you get make use of it. Adding butter milk is better. I have used curd and mixed sufficient water to make it thin. Adding less spice is always good.

Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 2.

Urid - Moong Dal Harka Kadubu & Dosa

Kadabu is one of idli family. We do prepare different varieties of kadubu. This Kadubu is done with Moong dal, urid dal and harka/Araka. Araka or Harka is one of the siridhanya's grain. It is just like foxtail millet or little millet.

Use of Siri Dhanya /Millets is definitely benefits our health. It is free of gluten, and full of fiber. It is digested easily but slowly. It is good for diabetic, high blood pressure or any other related problems.
Let us see the recipe Now>
I have soaked urid dal and moong dal, Harka/Kodo Millet separately for 3 to 4 hours. Then grinding with green chilly, pepper pods, an inch of ginger and little coconut.
Harka is to like rava consistency means it should not be powdered completely. The dals should be into fine paste.
I have cooked this batter with out fermenting and I used a teaspoon of Eno. Eno helps to digest the food easily and turns the food soft and fluffy.
I kept some remaining batter to ferment and prepared dosa with that batter, which has turned so yummy and crispy.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Urid dal : 1 Cup
Moong dal : 1 Cup
Harka/Araka /Kodo Millet : 1/3 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup /3 to 4 Tablespoons
Green chilly : 2
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Ginger : An inch
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Eno Salt : 1 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and soak urid dal, moong dal and Harka/Kodo Millet separately for 2 to 3 houts.

2. Wash and cut coriander leaves, curry leaves and green chilly. Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Cut into small pieces.

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Grind Urid dal, moong dal, cut ginger, coriander leaves, curry leaves,  1/2 cup of coconut, green chilly, jeera and pepper with required water. Grind it nicely.
5. Grind Harka /kodo millet into rava consistency. Mix all the batter with required salt.

6. Apply little ghee/oil to a bowl and keep it ready.

7. Keep a idli cooker /pressure cooker on the fire, put some water and keep a bowl upside down.
8. Add a teaspoon of Eno Salt and mix the batter nicely. Spread some coconut on the top.

9. Put this batter to ghee spread bowl and keep this bowl in pressure cooker.

10. Close the lid and steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Open the lid and take out the kadubu bowl.

12. Replace the kadubu to a plate. Put some coconut and press it slowly.
13. Cut this Kadubu into small pieces,add little more grated coconut and serve.

14. Serve with the side dish you have prepared.

Note : 

Add little water to grind and see that the batter is not so watery. It should be like idli batter. Adding jeera/cumin seeds and pepper helps to reduce the gas properties in dals and helps the food to digest easily. Use of Eno salt helps to soften the kadubu.
Time :
Soaking dals and Harka/Kodo millet : 3 Hours.
Grinding time :  5 Minutes.
Cooking time : 15 minutes.

Serves : 3 to 4 .  

Dosa preparation :

Keep the remaining batter for fermenting. ( Over night ).

Next morning you can prepare dosas and enjoy.

Kara Pongal /Huggi

Huggi/ Pongal is prepared during Dhanurmasa as I said earlier post. But this Kara /Spicy Pongal can be prepared at any time of the day. It is an easy and healthy dish that provide purpose of food.

It is prepared using moong dal and raw rice. I have learnt this recipe from one of my close friends daughter in Chennai. She has prepared this yummy dish and we all loved it.
We Udupians usually do not prepare kara /spicy pongal. It has become a practice these days and it is one of the stamped recipe of Tamailnadu. People do have this pongal mostly for breakfast in Tamilnadu.
Even Iyyers do prepare this Pongal in such a yummy way. Iyyers and Iyyangar's  Pongal is loaded with pepper and ghee. It has such a wonderful aroma, one should feel like eating it again and again.
Ok, coming back to this Kara Pongal is easy.
All you need is moong dal, rice, ghee, jeera /cumin seeds and pepper. They do not use any other spice. They do pour ghee on it...( As much it takes ).
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Raw Rice : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Pepper Pods : 8 to 10.( 3/4 Teaspoon ).
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Ghee : 1/2  Cup
Cashews : 6 to 8 or more
Salt : As required
Green chilly : 1 ( Optional )
Ginger : An inch

Method :

1. Wash and cook moong dal and raw rice separately.

2.Wash and slit green chilly., crush pepper pods and cashews cut into small pieces.
3. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add cooked rice and moong dal.
5.Add little turmeric powder, 1/2 glass of water and required salt. Mix it well and cook on low flame.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee, slit green chilly and grated ginger.

7. Keep a pan on the fire and add a tablespoon of ghee. Add cut cashews and fry til they turn golden brown.

8. Add jeera /cumin seeds and pepper. Fry for 10 seconds and put half of the seasoning to this mixture to already done pongal.

Cook on low flame for a minute.

9. Shift the pongal  / Khara Huggi to a serving dish. Add remaining cashews mixture on the top. Add remaining ghee to Khara Pongal /Spicy Huggi .
10. Serve when it is piping hot. Hot huggi taste delicious.

Note :

Do not over cook rice or moong dal. Adding more / less ghee is optional. Adding green chilly is optional. Do not add any oil or vanaspathi except ghee.
Time : 20 Minutes.

Serves : 4 to 5.

Urid - Moong Dal Kadubu

" Eat breakfast like a king  lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper " is an old saying.

Yes, you need to eat breakfast nicely. That helps you stay healthy for a long duration. But you should also note one should eat good healthy breakfast. Here is such one breakfast  prepared using urid and moong dal. Dals/legumes are healthy and rich in proteins.

I have used Urid dal, moong dal, very little amount of rava / semolina, pepper, ginger, curry leaves and green chilly. 

I call this food as Kadubu because it is fermented and steamed food. We can call it as spicy kadubu or tatte kadubu. You can try out dokla which is very famous Gujarathi /Rajastani food. You can add seasoned mustard and bit of sugar /jaggery mixture on the top with coconut gratings. 

You can have any type of chutney or gojju. We had this kadubu with pickle, Curry leaves chutney powder and Kesu /colocasia gojju / curry.

This Urid - Moong Dal Kadubu is good for breakfast, as snack in the evening and for dinner. 

Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed : 

Urid dal : 1 Cup 

Moong Dal : 1 cup

Rava /Semolina : 1 Handful : Optional

Pepper Pods : 6 to 8 

Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Coriander leaves :  2 Tablespoons

Salt : To Taste

Asafoetida : A little 

Eno Salt : 3/4 Tablespoon

Method :

1. Wash and soak urid dal and moong dal for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grind it with pepper pods with required water. ( Grind it nicely ).

3. Remove from the mixi jar and put the batter in a big bowl. Add salt and mix it well.

4. Let it ferment for over night or 5 to 6 hours.

5. Wash and cut coriander leaves, curry leaves, washed - grated ginger and mix it with the batter.

6. Add a little asafoetida and mix it well. Add a handful of rava and mix it. (2 to 3 tablespoons)

7. Apply ghee or oil to two bowls or plates . I used one cooker container and a round plate.

8. Mix all the ingredients nicely and add 1teaspoon of eno. Mix it well and pour it to the plate and the container.

9. Keep a pressure cooker or idli cooker on the fire and put some water. Place a bowl inside.

10. Keep the batter filled bowl and the plate inside the cooker and cover its lid.

11. Let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes. 

12. Remove the cooker lid and prick the knife edge to cooked kadubu to know it is done. ( Cooked completely)

13. Remove it from the cooker and leave it for few seconds. Sprinkle some water on the top and cut kadubu into half and quarter. 

14. Remove it from the plate and put it to a serving plate. 

15. Serve with the side dish you have prepared and a spoon of fresh ghee.

Note : 

Grind dals with required water. Adding pepper while grinding helps to reduce the gas content in dals.

The batter should be fermented well to get soft kadubu. Adding rava /semolina is optional.

Time :

Soaking time : 2 hours + grinding 5 to 8 minutes + fermentation 6 hours and cooking time + 30 Minutes. 

Serves : 4 to 5 .

You can try with same kadubu as dokla..Add mustard seeds and jaggery / sugar mixture on the top of kadubu and serve with coconut chutney.