Seeme Badane - Sweet Potato Jeera Curry

Seeme badane kai /Chayote Squash is one of the healthy vegetable. It grows in plenty during winter and is healthy too. I have tried Sweet potato and Seeme Badane Kai jeera curry and the combination of the vegetable suits so well. The curry came out so well and I would like you also try and enjoy this yummy side dish.

Starting of November as the rains stops slowly these Seeme badanekai plants starts to give out the vegetables. It is a climber plant and the vegetables are curvy shaped vegetables which are rich in minerals and vitamins.

Let us see the benefits of eating " Chayote Squash " in our diet.

Chayote squash/Seeme badanekai has no saturated fat or cholesterol. It is a rich source of dietary fiber. The vegetable has good amount of minerals vitamins and good for weight loss. They do contain B complex Vitamins, folates, potassium and Vitamin C. Chayote Squash helps in dissolving kidney stones and regulating high blood pressure. They are good for people suffering from constipation.
No Onion OR No Garlic is added in this " Seeme Badane - Sweet Potato Jeera Curry".
I have used Chayote Squash/Seeme Badanekai (Kannada language), Sweet potatoes, jeera, green chilly and coconut. This curry goes well with almost all the main dishes.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Chayote Squash/Seeme badanekai : 2
Sweet Potatoes :  1 (Medium sized)
Moong or Toor Dal : 1/4 Cup
Methi seeds/Fenugrik Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
To Grind :
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ginger : A small piece
Green chilly : 2 to 3
To Add : 
Salt : As required
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Turmeric powder : A pinch
To Season : 
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves

Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook moong dal and methi seeds with required water ( I have used moong dal) and keep it aside.
2. Wash and remove the outer layers of sweet potatoes and chayote squash nicely.

3. Cut them into small pieces and cook with required water.

4. Grate coconut and grind it with jeera, cut ginger and green chilly with required water till paste.
5. Now keep a pan and put cooked dal, cooked veggies. Add turmeric powder and salt.

6. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ground coconut jeera mixture and mix it well.

7. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in between so that it does not get burnt.
8. Shift curry to a serving bowl. Add mustard, jeera and curry leaves seasonings.
9. Serve with hot rice or any choice of your main dish.

Note :

It is better to cook veggies separately. Keep the veggies in a big pan and put some water and then cook till they turn soft. Use of any cooking oil is optional. Use of more/less chilly is optional.
Use of garlic or onions are optional. You can add carrots, beans to this curry. I have not used any curd or tamaraind since the curry is very mild.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 
Type : South Indian/South Canara /Udupi.

Banana Stem Chutney

Banana stem is one of the healthy stem that can be used in our dishes. In olden days people make sure, that they prepare some dish using banana stem at least once in a month. It is one of the traditional dish and signature dish of Udupi food.

South Canara and Malanadu area bananas are grown even at homes. At least one or two banana plants do grow and the leaves are used for eating food and when banana is grown and it is cut after ripe/unripe the stem is used in cooking. The flowers also will be used as dry curry /majjige huli./chutney and even leha. ( The Home prepared medicine cum energetic dish done to give for lady after the child is born.
This banana stem is given by our neighbour and I did prepared some dal , chutney, kosumbari etc.
I have used banana stem, little roasted urid dal, red chilly and coconut.
Let us see some benefits of eating Banana Stem.
It is said that every part of banana is packed with nutrition and health benefits. Banana stem helps to detoxify our body. It helps to flushing out toxins from our body. It cleanses our body system and helps in digestion. It is full of fiber and good for healthy bowel movement. It also helps in removing the kidney stones. Drinking banana stem juice helps to prevent the formation of kidney stones. It regulates the cholesterol and blood pressure in our body. Banana stem is rich in Vitamin B6, good amount of iron and helps to improve the haemoglobin count. It has good source of potassium. It helps in regulating acidity levels in our body. Drinking banana stem juice ( add lemon also), provides relief from heartburn and discomfort in our tummy.

No Onion or No Garlic is used in this " Banana Stem Chutney".
It is an easy, simple and healthy chutney goes well with almost all main dishes.
Let us see the reciep now :

Things Needed :

To fry :
Coconut/any brand cooking oil : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon
Pepper pods : 4 to 5
Methi seeds : 1/4 Tsp
Red chilly (Byadagi chilly) : 5 to 6
Curry leaves : 1 Handful
Ingh : A little
To grind : 
Coconut : 1 Cup
Tamarind : 1/2 of one marble size
Cut banana stem pieces : 1 Bowl
Salt : As required
Fried Ingredients.
To Season :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh : A little.

Method :

1. Wash and remove the inner part of the stem.
2. Cut it as circle and remove the thread form of fiber. ( Roll on the thread around the finger).

3. Cut the circle pieces of banana stem into small pieces after that.
4. Put it in a big bowl of water and let it be there till you grind.

5. Grate coconut and keep it aside
6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and urid dal, methi seeds and pepper pods. Fry till they turn golden brown.
7. Add red chilly and fry for a minute. ( On low flame).

8. Add curry leaves and ingh and put off the fire.
9. Put it in a big bowl or tray, so that the fried ingredients cool down.

10. Take a mixi jar and put cooled fried urid dal mixture,
11. Add grated coconut, cut banana stem pieces and add little salt , tamarind and grind it with very little water.

12. Grind till all the ingredients mixes well and your desired consistency. ( Some like it smooth and others bit coarse)

12. Shift the chutney to a serving dish.

 13.  Add mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves seasoning and mix it well.
14.  Banana Stem Chutney is ready to serve.

13. Serve with a main dish you have prepared.
14. We normally have this Banana Stem Chutney with Plain Rice and little ghee /coconut oil.

Note :

No need to cook the pieces. Just grind it along with coconut. You can soak banana stem pieces in butter milk also. (Optional). Adding more/less chilly is optional. It taste better if it is bit spicy. Take care of urid dal while frying/roasting. It should not get burnt or raw. Use of onions or garlic optional. Taste may differ.
Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Roasted Chenna - Dry Coconut Karchikai.

Happy Deepavali : Enjoy the Festival of Lights with loads of Sweets and Savoury.
KarchiKai/Karanji/Jujiya/Karchikayilu 

Karchikai/karanji/sweet poori /Jujeeya , the names are bit different. The sweet is the same with different stuffing. Here is one of the traditional Karchikai Recipe that is very easy and with simple ingredients.
I have seen Our relative and a close friend Tara preparing these Kachoris for Ganesha Festival. I realized that kadale poppu, roasted chenna, sugar and dry coconut makes a good combination and it does not make the kachori that soft very next day.
Since long I wanted to try these kachoris and Deepavali is the perfect time and Kachori is the perfect sweet that one can prepare in lot and distribute it around the neighbours and friends.
I have used Thin variety of rava/semolina, roasted chenna, sugar and dry coconut/Copra. You can use dry fruits like raisins and cashews. (Optional).
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Thin variety of Rava/Chiroti rava/Semolina : 1 Cup
Maida : 1/2 Cup.
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Sugar : 2 to 3 Tablespoons (1/4 Cup)
Dry coconut :  1 Cup
Roasted Chenna /Hurikadale/Kadale poppu : 1 Cup
Salt : Very little (1 to 2 pinch)
Cooking Oil : 1 to 1 1/2 cup.

Method : 

1. Put Rava, maida, salt and ghee in the big bowl.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients nicely.

3. Add required water little by little and prepare thick chapati dough.

4. Dry grind roasted chenna and coconut. Dry grind sugar.

5. Mix all these powdered sugar, chenna and coconut nicely. Keep it aside.

6. Now kneed chapati dough nicely and divide them in to small portions.
7. Take a small portion of the dough and kneed it well.

8. Roll it as big chapati and take a small cap or cup, cut into small round shape.
9. Place a tablespoon of sweet mixture and fold it at the end and give 1/2 moon shape.

10. Press the edges tight so that it does not open up while frying in hot oil.

11. Keep a frying pan on the fire and put oil. Let it get hot.
12. Fry the ready kachoris on both side in low and medium flame.

13. Remove from the hot oil and put them on a kitchen tissue.
14. Repeat the same and fry remaining kachoris.

15. Let it get cooled. Put it in a glass jar or airtight box. Serve whenever you feel like.

Note :

You can add more maida if you wish.
You can also add more sugar to the sweet mixture. Just fill in the sweet mixture. (Do not fry or roast).
You can divide the dough into very small quantity and then roll each portion and then prepare kachori.(Optional)
Frying them on low flame makes kachoris crisp and it does not get soft later.
Time : 30 to 40 minutes.
Serves : 20 Small Kachoris. 

Chakkuli ( Rice Flour- Urid Flour & Chenna Flour)

Happy Deepavali - Happy Deepavali - Happy Deepavali - Happy Deepavli To You All.

Deepavali is festival of lights and Goodies. Spicy and Sweet dishes are poured in distributing and eating 😉😃.

Chakkuli/Chakli is one of the easy dish that you can prepare in lots and one of the favourite Namkeen (Salty dish) of many.
Chukkuli is done in using different ingredients and their are varieties of  Chakkulis that you can prepare.
Here I have tried Chakkuli and is adopted from Madhura Pradeep's recipe. She has put up this particular recipe in FOODIE (cookery) blog. She is one of the admini in Foodie blog. It is one of my favourite blog also.
Madhura Pradeep is very interested in cooking and baking. Very creative  and got the Queen crown
for baking,from Our Main FOODIE Admini   Sadashiva Rao Mailankody. Madhura Pradeep 's interest in cooking made her to have her own Cookery blog recently.
A big thanks to Shri Kripa who is also a Foodie Group Admini, very intelligent, very good in cooking, informative, sincere and helpful to members in all manners. When I asked her to find about the writer of this recipe she helped me to get the recipe writer by checking  up the recipes. Thanks Shri Kripa for finding exact. That is happened to be our lovely Madhura Pradeep. Thank You Shri Kripa.
Shri Kripa also started writing foodie blog very  recently. All the best you 2 and keep going...It might help some one some where that is what I believe.
I have used urid dal, roasted chenna /Huri kadale/pottu kadale, rice flour, butter and white sesame seeds.
Instead of urid flour I have dry roasted urid dal and then powdered and used it. This particular Chakkuli does not take much oil and it is crisp, aromatic and stays fresh for many days.

Lets see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Rice flour : 4 Cups
Urid dal : 1 Cup
Roasted Chenna /Huri Kadale/Pottu kadale : 1 Cup
Red chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon
White Sesame Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Cooking Oil : 2 Cups

Method : 

1. Clean and dry roast Urid dal till the raw smell disappear. (Slightly golden brown). Let it cool. Dry grind and keep it aside.

2. Dry grind roasted chenna and keep it aside.

3. Take a big bowl. Add rice flour. powdered urid dal, powdered chenna dal, sesame seeds, salt and butter.

4. Mix all the ingredients nicely and then add required water. Prepare chukkuli dough. ( Not too hard or not too soft).

5. Kneed the dough nicely and divide the dough into smaller portions.
6. Apply oil to chakkuli preparing mould and place the chakkuli plate inside.
7. Put a portion of chakkuli dough and close the lid. Keep it aside.

8. Take a plate and press the mould and form chakkuli in circle shape. Prepare 4 to 5 chakkulis.
9. Now keep a frying pan on the fire. Add oil and let it get hot. (Medium flame).

10. Drop the prepared chakkuli and fry them on both sides till golden brown.

11. Remove the done chakkuli and place it on kitchen tissue. So that extra oil will be absorbed.
12. Repeat the same and prepare remaining chakkuli in the same way.

13. Hot chakkulis are ready to serve. Serve as you wish.

14. Let the fried chakkulis turn cool. Put them in a clean Jar. Enjoy when ever you feel like.

Note : 

I have used fresh roasted and powdered urid dal powder. It adds to the taste and aroma. You can  use ready available urid flour got from the shop. Dry roast the flour slightly just before using. Add only required butter. Adding more butter to chakkuli dough might spoil the chakkuli while frying. ( It might turn as powder because it turns too soft while frying). Adding more /less chilly optional. You can also add jeera/cumin seeds along with sesame seeds.
Time : 40 Minutes.
Serves : 25 to 30 Chakkulis can be prepared. ( Depends on shape and size).