Snake Gourd Kheer

Ready to serve Padavalakai/Snake Gourd Kheer/Payasa 

    

 

Snake Gourd is a vegetable and it is known as padavala kai in Kannada, Chinchinda or Padaval in Hindi, Padavalanga in Malayalam, Pudalnkai in Tamil. Snake gourd is used here in this recipe for Kheer.(Payasam). This Kheer contain Padavala kai, jaggery, coconut, milk and cardamom. This kheer helps you to cool down the body.  Since the jaggery is used all age group can enjoy this kheer.
Snake gourd is very high in water content and has a cooling effect on the  body. It is low in calories and fat free. Snake gourd contain lots of fiber which is helpful for the digestive system. The fiber is also helpful for those with diabetes. It is a good resource of minerals.

Things Needed :
Snake gourd : 2 (small size)
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Milk : 1 Cup
Beaten Rice (Awalakki) : 3 to 4 Table spoon
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Ghee : 1 Table spoon
Cashew nuts : 2 Table spoons

 Method :
1. Wash and cut Snake gourd into small pieces and pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
4. Grind coconut with little water and squeeze out the milk. Grind the coconut again with little more water and squeeze out the milk again from the ground coconut mixture and keep them separately.

5. Now keep a pan on the fire and put cooked snake gourd pieces and jaggery. Cook them together for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thinner (coconut milk which got in the second time).
6. Add beaten rice and mix it nicely and let it cook for 2 minutes.

7. Now add the thicker coconut milk and just boil for 1 minute. Put off the gas and pour the ready kheer to a serving bowl. Add cardamom powder.
8. Now keep a small pan and heat. Add ghee and fry cashew nuts for 10 seconds. Pour cashew ghee mixture to the ready kheer.
9. Add milk when you are ready to serve the kheer and serve hot or cold kheer.

Note :

 You can also grind coconut into paste and add it to the kheer instead of coconut milk. Use 5 to 6 almonds  with coconut if you are grinding the coconut into paste. It will help the coconut to be paste consistency and helps the kheer to thickens. You can also clean the jaggery by boiling jaggery with little water and when it dissolve sieve the jaggery in a siever. It helps to take away the dirt from the jaggery.

Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 6

Almond + Besan Wheat Holige

Almond  ( Badami in Kannada ) + Besan (Kadale Hittu in Kannada language)  Wheat Holige is a sweet dish and you can enjoy these holiges  (pooran Poli) at any time of the day and all age group will surely like it.
Normally Holige is done with Maida. Here I have used wheat flour.

Eating Almonds yield many benifits like they reduce heart attack risk. They lower the bad cholesterol. They protect artery walls from damage. Almonds help build strong bones and teeth. They provide healthy  fats. They nourish the nervous system. They help provide good brain function. Using almonds have many more benifits.
Besan is naturally higher in protein, Contain good amount of vitamins and minerals and it is gluten free.
Wheat flour contains vitamins, protein and fiber.
Almond Besan Wheat Holige  stuffing is prepared using milk, sugar, almonds,besan and cardamom.
Outer layer dough is prepared with wheat flour instead of maida.
Almond + besan Holige can be had for lunch during festivals and also you can have them for evening snack. You can also pack them for your kid's lunch-box as snack for the school going kids.

Things Needed : 

For the stuffing  
Milk :1 cups
Sugar : 1 1/2 cups
Almonds : 1 Cup
Besan :  2 Table spoons
Coconut : 1/2 cup
Cardamom : 6 to 8 pods

For the outer layer
Things Needed :
Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Water : required
Salt : a pinch
Oil : 1 Cup

Method : 
For stuffing : Sweet mixture: (Hoorana)
1. Powder cardamom and Almonds, dry grind coconut and keep it aside.
2. Boil Milk and add sugar to it.
3. Add Almond powder to the milk and mix it well.
4. Keep stirring. Add dry ground coconut and besan to the mixture.
5. Stir continuously till it stars to leave the pan. Add a spoon of ghee.
6. Now remove the mixture and put it in a bowl. Let it cool.
7. Mix the mixture nicely when it cools and keep it aside.

Chapati dough ( The outer layer ) :
1. Take a bowl and put wheat flour and salt. Put required water and prepare chapati dough.

Now Almond + Besan wheat Holige.
1. Knead the chapati dough and divide them into small portion. (little bigger than lemon size).
2. Keep a small portion of  dry wheat flour in a small bowl.
3. Take a small ball and roll out to small papad size.

4. Keep a tablespoon of sweet mixture and cover the chapati from all side and bring it ball shape.
  ( like aloo stuffing).

5 Now take that sweet mixture ball and roll a little on dry wheat flour and roll like a chapati.

6 Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle little oil on the pan.
7 Now put the sweet chapati on the pan and cook on both sides. Use little oil on both sides.

8 Repeat the same with remaining dough.
9. Serve Hot Amond + Besan Wheat Holige with a teaspoon of ghee on the top.

Note : Do the whole process of sweet mixture on low flame. If you feel the mixture is still liquidy use little more besan and mix it nicely. No need to add more ghee or oil to it. Once the mixture is cooled it thickens. You can reduce or add the amount of the sugar as your wish.
Serves :  3 to 4
Time : 40 min.