Sorekai Pappu ( Dall with Sorekai )

Sorekai/Bottle gourd/Doodi is one of the healthiest vegetable and it is loaded with many nutrious minerals and vitamins. Pappu is nothing but the dal cooked with vegetables. Vegetables like bottle gourd, edible leaves, mooli, brinjals, beans and carrots can be added with dals and cooked with some simple spices. Pappu is known name for dal in Telugu Language. (Andra Pradesh in Indian). Pappu goes well with almost all the main dishes and it is one of the healthy, easy and quick dish anyone can prepare.

Lets see the recipe now. I have used Moong dal here. No onion or no garlic is added to this dish.

Ingredients:

Toor Daal or Moong Daal : 1/2 cup.

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd    : 2 cups .( Cut according to your wish).

Green chillies : 4 to 6
Corianer Leaves : 3 to 4 sticks.

Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.

Oil or Ghee : 1 Table spoon .

Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon.

Urd Daal : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Ingh ( Asafatodia ) : a pinch .

Ginger : small piece

Salt : To taste .

Water : According to the requirement.

Turmeric : a pinch
Lemon Extract : 1 Teaspoon (1/2 Lemon)

Method :

1. Wash Moong dal and add a cup of water. Pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Wash bottle gourd, remove the outer layer and cut it into small pieces.

3. Wash green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves.
4. Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash again. Grate it. Cut coriander leaves.
5. Cook cut bottle gourd pieces with little water till they turn soft.

6. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add mustard seeds, urid dal. Let mustard splutter. Add jeera.
7. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add cut green chilly and fry for a while.
8. Add cooked bottle gourd pieces and cooked moong dal.

9. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well. Add required water and mix it well.

10. Let it boil nicely for 4 to 5 minutes.
11.Shift the ready dal to a serving bowl and add lemon extract. Mix it well.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

 Adding onions and garlic is optional. Adding ghee is optional. Ghee adds to the aroma and taste. You can add more chilly . (Optional).
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

Bottle gourd Kichidi :

Add a cup of cooked rice and little salt. Mix it well . Let it cook nicely for 3 to 4 minutes.
Bottle Gourd Kichdi is ready to Eat. Serve with Papad and pickle.

Sweet Potato Palya or Dry curry

 Sweet potato curry is a side dish. It is an easy dish and goes well with all the main dishes like chapatis, pooris, plain rice and rotis.

Sweet potato is said to be one of the healthy vegetable and filled with fiber and carbohydrates.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Sweet potatoes : 2 to 3

Green chillies : 2 to 3

Oil : 2 Tablespoons

Salt : to taste

Curry Leaves : 4 to 6

Coriander Leaves : 2 sticks

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Jeera : 1/4 Teaspoon

Urd daal : 1/2 Teaspoon

Ingh : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and boil sweet potatoes (Half boil)and leave it for cooling .
2. Remove the skin and cut into small pieces.

3. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil.

5. Put urid dal, mustard seeds and let mustard seeds splutter.
6. Add jeera and curry leaves. Fry for a second. Add ingh/asafoetida.
7. Add cut sweet potatoes and cook on low flame. Stir in between. Add cut green chilly and mix.

8. Let it turn soft. (Do not over cook). Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix it well.
9. Add coriander leaves and mix it. Shift the ready quick Sweet potato dry curry to the serving dish.

10. Serve with the main dish of your choice.
Note :
You can cut the pieces into small and then cook directly on the fire. One should take care while cooking. It should not be over cooked. Adding any spice is optional. Adding onions or garlic is optional. Use of minimum oil is optional and healthy too.
Time : 15 Minutes.

4 servings.;