Sorekai Kai Huli . (Bottle Gourd- coconut Curry )

Sorekai/Bottle gourd curry is a gravy dish. Bottle gourd is known as one of the best vegetable which has so many healthy properties. I have prepared Curry. Huli as we call it in our Kannada language./Karnataka /India.

.This Sorekai Huli can be served with almost all the main dishes like plain rice, chapatis, rotis, rotti, dosa, idli, poori etc. I have cooked this curry in a traditional way.
I have used Bottle gourd, rasam powder, tamarind and coconut with some spices. No dal is used in this curry.
No Onion or garlic is added in this curry.

Things Needed :

Sorekai : 2 to 3 cups.
Fresh coconut : 1 cup. (grated).
Rasam or Sambar Powder : 2 Tea spoon.
Tamarind Pulp:  1 Table spoon.
Turmeric powder : a pinch.
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon.
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Salt : to taste

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer skin of  sorekai  and cut it into small pieces. ( 1/2 of the medium sized sorekai will do).
 2 Cook it with one cup of water till its soft.
3. Grate coconut and grind it with Rasam powder with little water.
4.Soak small ball size of tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and add it to the boiled Sorekai.
5. Cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and ground coconut mixture to the curry. Add a pinch of turmeric powder.
6. Mix nicely and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add curry leaves and a spoon of ghee to the curry.
7. Serve with plain rice/chapati/poori/idli/dosa.

Note:  

You can add tomatoes and reduce the quantity of tamarind pulp.
You can also add mustard seasoning to the curry to make it more tasty.  I have not done. I just added some ghee and curry leaves. (Optional).
You can also add potatoes with sorekai, curry taste different.
Sorekai must cook till soft. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of soaked raw rice while grinding coconut and rasam powder. It helps to thickens the curry and mixes well with cooked vegetable. I have used home prepared rasam powder. Use of any branded rasam powder is optional. It might taste differ.
Time : 25 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 People.

Recipe for home prepared Rasam Powder:

Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Methi seeds/Fenugrik seeds  :1/4 Teaspoon
Byadagi chilly : 5 to 6
Jeera/cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

Dry roast methi seeds till it turns slightly golden brown, add coriander seeds and red chilly/Byadagi chilly and fry for 1 t 2 minutes on low flame. Turn off the gas and add ingh, curry leaves and jeera. Mix it nicely and let it cool. Dry grind and use. ( I time use for 2 to 3 people ).

Capsicum Fry

Capsicum fry is a dry curry and can be eaten with Rice, Chapatis or pooris and even with Buns and Bread too. Can be used as side dish along with main dish also.
Things Needed :
Capsicum : 2 ( big sized).
Red chilly powder : 1/2 spoon.
Green chilly : 1
Curry leaves : 4 to 6
Coriander leaves : 1 Table spoon.
Oil : 1 Table spoon.
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.
Methi seeds : 6 to 8 seeds.
Salt : to taste.
Turmeric : a pinch.
Ingh : a pinch.
Method :
Wash and cut capsicum  into small pieces. Cut green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Keep a pan on the fire. Put oil and heat. Put mustard seeds and urd daal. Let it spurt. Put jeera and methi seeds. Put curry leaves and green chillies, and ingh  and fry for 1 second. Put cut capsicum and fry it nicely on low flame until its soft. add salt and red chilly powder and fry nicely for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the pan. Add coriander leaves and serve hot Capsicum fry with chapatis or Hot rice.
Note : Must be fried on low flame. Fry till its soft. No need to add water. Can also use sambar powder or Rasam powder along with red chilly powder.( just a 1/2 spoon will do). Can add boiled potatoes also while frying done.
2 serves.