Heerekai( Ridge Gourd ) Sweet Curry.

Heere kai Sweet Curry is a side dish and you can have this with rice , chapati, poori  or dosa too.
All age group people will njoy eating this dish.
Things needed : 
Ridge gourd : 2 
Coconut : 3  to 4 Table spoons.
Jaggery : 1 Table spoon.
Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.
Mustard seeds : 1/4 Tea spoon.
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6 .
Red chilly : 2 to 3 .
Raw rice : 1 Tea spoon.
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon.
Salt : To taste.
Method : 
Wash Ridge gourd nicely and remove the edges by scraper. Wash again and remove the skin nicely and cut ridge gourd in to small pieces. Wash and soak raw rice for 10 minutes.
Boil these ridge gourd pieces till soft and keep it aside.( Use 1/2 cup of water). Grind fresh coconut and soaked rice till paste and keep it aside.
Now keep a pan on the fire. Heat and put ghee. Add mustard seeds, red chilly  and jeera to it. Let the mustard sprut. Add curry leaves to it and add boiled ridge gourd and ground coconut. Add salt, jaggery  and little water if required. Mix  nicely and boil for 5 minutes and put off the gas. Serve Ridge Gourd Sweet Curry with Hot rice and a spoon of ghee on the top. 
Note : Can add more jaggery if you like sweet. You can also use watermelon rind , sweet potato or red pumpkin or Snake gourd instead of ridge gourd. Adding soaked rice is to helps the mixture to be thick and it does not separate the water from the vegetable.
Ridge gourd outer skin can be used for preparing Chutney.
Serves 2 to 3 .

Jack Fruit Idly

Jack Fruit is a seasonal fruit and it is used for many dishes in South Canara. We do prepare curries, payasa/Kheer, sweet and spicy idli, appams, dosa and guli appa. Now a days Jack fruit is used in Rice Palav also.

Preparing Jack fruit idli/kadubu is very common in South Canara and it is healthy dish. During jack fruit season almost all houses prepare these idlis at least once a week. It can be eaten for breakfast or as snack. It is also done in using Indian oak /Tega leaves, idli plate, banana leaves or even flat plates.
Though the producer preparing the dough is same the container or the leaves gives a different shapes and aroma. It is the best way to get healthy properties of the fresh edible leaves.
Here I have done idli, kadubu and the tatte kadubu using jack fruits, raw rice and jaggery with coconut.
 Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Raw Rice (Dosa Rice ): 2 cups.
Coconut : 1 Cups.
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup.
Jack Fruits: 20 to 25 fruits. (separate the seed and its cover before using the fruit).
Salt : to taste.
Ghee or oil : 2 Tea spoons.

Method :

1. Wash and soak rice in water for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Grate coconut and cut jackfruits in to small pieces.

3. Now grind grated coconut and cut jackfruit together .

4. Add soaked and drained rice and grind it along with jack coconut mixture till rava consistency.
5. Add  jaggery and salt and grind it for 2 minutes.
6. Remove the jack rice mixture from the mixi jar and put it in a bowl.

7. If you are using a idli plate apply cooking oil to each plate and put the dough on each idli mould.
8. Cook in a pressure cooker or idli cooker for 20 to 25 minutes. '

9. If you are using plates apply oil on each plate and pour the ground dough and cook in idli cooker for 25 to 30 minutes.

10. If you are using tega leaves/indian oak tree leaves/ Teak wood tree leaves, wash the leaves and then put a spoonful of dough in the middle of the leaf and fold.

11. Arrange these kadubu in a idli cooker and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

12. Serve Ready kadubus with ghee. Hot or cold both way you can enjoy these traditional jack fruit kadubus.

Note :
No need to use any water while grinding. Jack fruits do contain lots of water. ( or use very little water)
If the dough turns watery add some rava/semolina to the mixture. The taste differ.
Adding more /less jaggery is optional.
Adding more coconut helps the kadubu to be tasty. Use of more jack fruits helps to reduce the amount of coconut.
Remember the jack fruit must be ripen or Jack fruit kadubu does not taste good.
Time : 40 minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5 .
  Different shapes of Jackfruit Idli/Kadubu. It is healthy, easy to digest and yummy to have during the rainy season. Hot or cooled idli taste yum yum yummy. Try and enjoy these Jack fruit Idlis.