Star Fruit Gojju (Spicy Curry)

Star fruit or Carambola or Kamala Drakshi in Kannada language, is a savoury and sweet flavour fruit . The taste of this fruit is similar to Goose berry. Star fruit is one of the very low calorie fruit. The fruit has an impressive list of essential nutrients, antioxidants and Vitamins. It contains good quantities of vitamin -C . Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Star fruit is a good source of B- Complex vitamins. It also contains small amount of minerals.
Here is a recipe of Star Fruit gojju prepared with spices , jaggery and tamarind. Star fruit Gojju goes very well with rice, chapati, poori, roti, dosa or Idly.
Ingredients :
Star Fruit :1 to 2
Jaggery : 2 Table spoons
Sesame Seeds : 1 Table spoon
Channa dal : 1 Table spoon
Coriander seeds ; 1 Table spoon
Methi seeds : 1/4 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Tamarind pulp :1 Table spoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Salt : to taste
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea poon
Oil :1 Tea spoon
Urd dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Coconut : 2 Table spoon

Method : 
1. Wash and cut star fruit into small and keep it aside.

2. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put methi seeds and roast till brown then channa dal, coriander seeds, sesame seeds and jeera and red chilly one by one till they turn little brown and leave it for cooling. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp after 5 minutes.

3. Grind all the roasted ingredients with coconut till it turns into paste, remove from the jar and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a pan on fire and heat. Put oil and mustard seeds and urd dal. Let the mustard seeds spurt.
5. Add ingh and curry leaves to the mustard mixture. Add cut Star fruit pieces and mix it nicely.

6. Add Tamarind pulp, salt, turmeric powder and jaggery. Add a cup of water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

7. Mix ground coconut mixture to the star fruit. Mix it nicely and boil for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in between.
8. Mix it well and remove from the pan and put it in a serving bowl.
Serve the gojju with rice or chapati.

Note : You can add more jaggery to the gojju if you wish. No need to add more oil. You can prepare this gojju with out coconut. But the taste differ.

 Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

Star fruit

Uddina Bonda - Sorekai Sambaar.

Uddina Bonda or biscuit ambode as this bonda is called in Dakshina Kannada, is a fried snack. It is called biscuit ambode since it is soft inside and crisp out side and taste yemmy.

Most of the South Indians normally eat Uddina vada ( Urd vada ) along with Idli in the mornings. Many hotels  serve Idli - Vada in the mornings.  We can have this Vada or Bonda in the evening with tea or as evening snack.  Uddu means Urd dal and its ground to paste with little water and then added with chilly, ginger, ingh and salt. Then it is fried in hot oil and the lovely bonda is soft inside and crispy outside.  It is nice to have these bondas and a cup of coffee or tea at any time of the day. You can also enjoy these bondas with Rasam, Sambar or even with Curd.
Here is a recipe of Urd Bonda and Sambar which is prepared with Sorekai that is Bottle gourd. The whole family can enjoy Bonda Sambar.
Things Needed : For Urd Bonda
Urd Dal : 2 Cups
Green chilly : 3 to 4
Curry Leaves : 18 to 20
Coriander leaves : 3 to 4 Table spoon.
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Salt : as required
Oil : 2 Cups
Channa Dal : 1 Table spoon
Black Pepper : 1/2 Tea spoon

Method :
1. Wash and soak Urd dal and Channa dal for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Wash and cut curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilly in to small pieces.
3. Powder Pepper pods and keep it aside.
4. Now grind Urd dal with very little water till paste and remove from the jar.
5. Now mix ground urd dal dough, pepper powder, ingh, salt, green chilly, grated ginger, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Mix it nicely.

6. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Add oil . Let it become hot.
7. Take a handful of dough and leave it slowly like a ball shape. Fry them on medium flame till both the sides turn golden colour.

8. Remove from the frying pan and put it on a tissue paper so that the extra oil will be obserb by the paper.

9. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.
Serve these bondas with tea or with Sambar or Rasam and Chutney.
Note :  Do not add lot of water while grinding. It absorbs oil while deep fring and it does not taste good. You can also  add 1 Table spoon of rice with Urd dal instead of Channa dal. Be careful while frying the bondas since the green chilly seed may burst some time and its dangerous.
           Bottle Gourd Sambar
Things Needed:
Bottle Gourd pieces :  2 Cups
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Sambar Powder : 3 Table spoons .( MTR)
Salt : To taste
Tamarind Pulp : 2 Table spoons
jaggery : 1 Table spoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Table spoon
Curry leaves : 4 to 5
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd dal: 1/2 Tea spoon

Method : 
1. Wash and cut sorekai (bottle gourd) into small pieces.
2. Wash and cook moong dal in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water.
3. Cook Sorekai separately  and keep it aside.
4. Soak tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and keep the pulp aside.
5. Keep a big pan on the fire. Add oil and heat. Put mustard seeds, urd dal. Let it spurt. Add curry leaves and cooked Sorekai.
6. Add cooked dal to the Sorekai mixture. Add 2 glasses of water, salt, jaggery and tamarind pulp. Mix it nicely.
7. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add MTR sambar powder and boil for another 5 minutes. Stir in between.
8. Put coriander leaves and put the sambar in a serving bowl.
Now serve hot Urd bondas with Sorekai sambar  and chutney.

Note : You can use Toor dal instead of Urd dal. You can also use home made sambar powder. Dr roast coriander seeds, (2 table spoons), methi 1/4 tea spoon, jeera 1/2 Tea spoon and 6 to 8 red chillies and powder when it is cooled. Add curry leaves and ingh while roasting the spices. You can also add 1/2 tea spoon of urd dal while roasting and dry grind all the roasted ingredients to get sambar powder. Adding Jaggery is an optional.
Time : 1 Hour (Urd bonda and Sambar)
4 to 5 Servings.             

     Cup of coffee /chai/tea with Hot Uddina Bonda (Urid dal fried fritters).