Raw Tomato Spicy Curry

Raw tomato Spicy Curry is mild spicy and goes well with all most all the main dishes.

These tomatoes are home grown. We do try and grown some of the easy veggies on the terrace in pots. Some time they grow nicely and some time some insects will spoil the whole plant. This Time we could get some large bunch of tomatoes and I decided to remove it when they are raw. I have prepared the spicy curry using these raw tomatoes and some cherry tomatoes are dipped inside the curry. Cherry tomatoes are given by our friends who stays very close to us and they do have a big space for gardening and work hard in their garden.
I have also used a handful of  ಹೊನೆಗೊನೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು /Sessilis Joy weed/   Alternanthera sessilis. These leaves are grown plenty in our pots and it is said it is very good for health and keeps our body and mind cool.
Let us see the benefits of eating Honegone Soppu in our diet.
Honegone soppu ( In Kannada language) is known as Sessile Joy weed /Dwarf copperleaf /Joy weed in English. Garundi in HIndi, Kanchari in Marathi, Ponnanganni in Tamil. In Malayalam it is known as Ponnakannikkira and in Telugu Ponnagantikura. In Konkani - Koypa , Sanskrit - Matsyakshi.
Honegone Soppu/Sesssile joy weed is loaded with nutrients and lot of medicinal benefits. The leaves contain anti-fungal and anti bacterial properties. The leaves helps to soothe the wounds and helps in reducing the acidity level in our body.They help to improve our vision. It is good for people who suffer from night blindness. Eating its flower continuously helps to improve the eye sight. It cools down the body and strengthens the eye nerves and muscles and improves the vision power. It acts as the best medicine for eye disease. It is good for people who suffer from piles and helps to cure jaundice. It is good for treating hepatitis, chest cold, asthma and liver disease. It helps to regulate the nervous system and helps to reduce weight. It helps to cure infertility. It provides energy to diabetic people and maintain the blood sugar level in our body. It is good for hair care and helps in cooling the body heat, eye irritation, knee pain, white discharge. It also helps in getting back to good appetite.  It prevents headache due to summer heat and helps in boosting milk production in  breast milk feeding mothers.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Raw Tomato Spicy Curry.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients.

Fresh Cow Peas : 1 Cup
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup
Raw tomatoes : 10 to 15 or little more. ( I have used small size tomatoes).
Honegone soppu/ Sessilis joy weed : One handful (Optional).
Spice powder  :  2 Teaspoons
Tamarind pulp : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Seasoning : 1 Tablespoon
Cherry Tomatoes : 12 to 15 (Optional)

Method :

1. Wash and clean Honegone soppu and cut into small. ( Tender stem easily breaks ).
2. Remove the pods from cow peas shell. ( Outer layer).

3. Wash and cut raw tomatoes into small.

4. Wash toor dal and put it in a pressure cooker. Put cow peas, cut Honegone soppu, tomato pieces.
5. Add little water and cover the lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes and put off the gas. ( Use weight).

6. Remove the pressure cooker lid and mix all the cooked mixture nicely. Soak marble size tamarind in hot water. Squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.
7. Keep the cooked mixture on the fire and add l/2 cup of water. Add tamarind pulp.
8. Add salt, and little turmeric powder. Mix it well and let it cook for 2 minutes.
9. Now add spice powder/Rasam powder/Sambar powder and mix it well.

10. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Put off the gas.  Put cherry tomatoes as they are. ( Optional).
11. Shift the ready Raw Tomato Spicy Curry to a serving dish.

12. Add the seasoning with mustard seeds, ingh and curry leaves and serve with the main dish of your choice.

Note :

Do not pressure cook the ingredients for a long time. It might get smashed. And the curry will not be that good. Adding spice powder of your choice is optional. I have added home prepared spice powder. Adding more/less spice is optional. Use of coconut oil for seasoning is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Servings : 3 to 4 .

Spice Powder : 

Dry roast 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds, 1/4 Teaspoon of mustard seeds, 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of urid dal and 1/2 teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds and 4 to 5 byadagi chilly.
Dry roast the ingredients separately till golden brown. Let mustard seeds start to splutter. It adds to the taste.
Dry grind it together once it is cooled. Try this spice powder and enjoy your curry with this spice powder.
One time Use only.

Rava Pakoda /Crispy Semolina Pakoda

Rava Pakodas are fried fritters done using rava/semolina. 

It is nice to have with a cup of coffee/tea/juice or even it goes with lunch or any other rice dishes.
I had prepared some Onedelaga/Timire/ Gotukola leaves tambuli. /Buttermilk curry.
It was teatime and we wanted to have some munching/snack while having tea. I had this tambuli prepared for lunch. The idea of flashed in the mind and so the Rava Pakodas are prepared immediately.
These Rava Pakodas are done in the same way of Goli baje which is very famous in South Canara.
Instead of maida I have used medium size rava and instead of curd I have used Ondelaga Tambuli which is prepared using curd. And all other things are same like ginger, green chilly, coconut pieces and a pinch of cooking soda.
I have used Gotukola tambuli, medium size rava/semolina, ginger and a green chilly and some coconut pieces. I have also used cooking soda and the pakodas turned crispy out side and soft inside the pakoda.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

Rava /Semolina : 1
Ondelaga Tambuli/ Curd Curry : 1 Small cup
Green chilly : 1
Ginger : Grated 1/2 Teaspoon
Coconut pieces : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Cooking Soda : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 10
Cooking Oil : 1 Cup.

Method :

1. Wash and cut green chilly and curry leaves. Put it in a bowl.
2. Add Rava and required salt. Mix it well.
3. Add Ondelaga Tambuli to it. Mix it nicely and make slightly thick batter.

4. Add cooking soda and mix it well and keep it aside. Add some coconut pieces.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil. Let it get heated.
6.Mix the rava batter well and take a small portion of the batter and leave it in oil as pakodas. ( Small ball shape).

7. Let it fry nicely. Turn the other side and fry for till it turns slightly golden brown.
8. Remove it from the oil and put it on a kitchen tissue. It absorbs the extra oil.

9. Serve hot Rava Pakodas with a cup of coffee/tea/juice.

10. You can have them with tomato ketchup or any type of chutney.

Note :

Let the batter be bit thick. Not watery. Add little more rava if the consistency of the batter is very loose. Use of green chilly is optional. Tambuli will be having some spicy taste. Adjust your requirement and prepare the batter. No need to allow the batter to rest. Adding coconut pieces is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves :  3 to 4  .

Seeme Badane and Peas Curry ( Without Toor Dal )

Seeme badane/Chayote Squash is one of the vegetable which is available round the year. As usual you can do many dishes using this vegetable. Here I have done a simple curry with chayote squash and peas  which is very easy and it is without toor dal.

Normally curry /Huli means vegetables cooked with toor dal and mixed with spices grinding with coconut. Use of coconut is more in Dakshina Kannada /Mangalore/Udupi and Malenadu areas. Reason may be the life style, the weather, the food and the workload. It was those days people did very hard work, so that they could digest the food they eat. Use of coconut in cooking is very healthy habit, since coconut is full of minerals and vitamins. It is rich in fiber and easy to digest. Help to produce good cholesterol and helps in the growth of good hormones.
I have used fresh grated coconut, fresh rasam powder, seeme badane/chayote squash little jeera.
Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion or No garlic in this Seeme Badane Curry.

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Seeme badane /Chayote Squash : 2
Fresh Peas : 1 Cup
To grind :
Fresh grated coconut : 1Cup
Rasam Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Tamarind : A small marble size
To Add : 
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Salt : As required
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 5 to 6
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and remove the seeme badane outer layer. Remove the pea pods and wash it.

2. Remove the seed in side and cut them into small pieces.

3. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Put off the gas. ( You can cook separately with out using pressure cooker. ( Optional ).

4. Grate coconut and grind it with rasam powder and tamarind. (Remove tamarind pod if it is inside).

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked seeme badane and peas. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix it. Cook for 2 minutes. Add dry methi seeds.
6. Add ground coconut - rasam powder mixture and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Shift the curry to a serving dish and add seasoning.
8. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note : 

Use of pressure cooker to cook vegetables is optional.
Use of any cooking oil for seasoning is optional.
Use of tamarind pulp instead of tamarind is optional. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and use it.
Use of any brand rasam powder instead of fresh rasam powder is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 People.

For fresh rasam powder :

  Dry roast, 1/4 Teaspoon of methi seeds, 2 Tablespoons of coriander seeds, 1/2 Teaspoon of jeera and 5 to 6 byadagi chilly. Add little ingh. Put off the fire and dry grind when the dry roast spices cools. Dry roast on low flame.

Banana - Wheat - Rava - Gulkand Cake

Banana - Wheat - Rava Gulkand Cake is the special cake prepared for my dear hubby's Birthday. We had planned for family lunch get-together.

The cake has come out very nicely with excellent flavour of home made healthy Gulkand, soft and fluffy. No egg is used here and it is very simple.
It is always a pleasure to prepare some special dish for people who are near to your heart.
I have used wheat flour ( Ashirvaad ), chiroti rava /thin variety of semolina, banana, gulkand which is done using organic jaggery, normally jaggery, curd, milk, cooking soda and baking powder.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

Wheat flour : 1 1/2 Cup
Chiroti Rava / Thin variety of semolina : 1/2 Cup
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Well ripe banana : 1 ( Small  Elakki banana).
Baking soda : 1/4 Teaspoon ( Two pinches)
Baking powder : 1 Teaspoon
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Gulkand : 2 Teaspoons ( Optional)
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Sieve wheat flour, chiroti rava, salt,baking powder and cooking soda. ( 2 to 3 times.)

 2. Put curd, milk, butter and jaggery, banana to a mixi jar . Grind it nicely till it starts to get small bubbles. /Use egg beater and mix all the ingredients nicely.
3. Add two tablespoons of gulkand/any essence of your choice. Grind for another 2 minutes.

4. Remove from the mixi jar to a big bowl.

5. Add sieved wheat, rava, baking powder, salt and cooking soda.
6. Mix all the ingredients nicely. Move your hand on one direction while mixing the batter.

7. Heat the oven for 5 minutes.
8. Sprinkle some wheat flour in the baking tray.
9. Put ready cake mixture to the tray and tap the tray. Let the cake batter spread it equally.

10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes with 180 degree celsius.

11. Take out the cake and keep it on the oven for 5 minutes.

12. Cut and serve or decorate once it is cooled.

Note :

Egg is not used in this Banana - Wheat  - Rava - Gulkand Cake. Use of jaggery and the rest of the ingredients are healthy ingredients.  You can use sugar instead of jaggey. Use of curd has turned the cake very soft and fluffy. Use less cooking soda. I have topped dates and they look like as if they have burnt. No they haven't burnt. Brown and black baked dates taste awesome. I do not like topping the cake with sugar and butter. So I left it as it is. Instead of butter you can use ghee or normal cooking oil. But butter taste the best. Add only very little butter. It gives nice aroma and is healthy too. You can use egg beater or any other modern equipment to mix, instead of grinding. I like it because you will not have that energy. I have added some dates on the top. (Optional).
Time : 40 Minutes. ( All included , sieving, mixing, grinding and baking.
Serves : 8 to 10.
Some pictures of family gathering .  Birthday Boy Mr. Jayarama Somayaji and His family ..