Gooseberry Tokku & Chitranna

Goose berry (nellikai ) is one of the god's gift to the mankind. It has immense medicinal values. It is used in Ayurvedic medicines and according to Ayurveda, aamla balances all three doshas, like vata, pitta and kapha.

In South India Gooseberry is pickled with salt, oil and spices. Aamla is eaten raw or cooked into various dishes. It is used to prepare dal and aamla murabbah. (traditional sweet dish eaten after heavy meal).

Gooseberry contain lots of minerals and vitamin C. It helps to reduce the blood sugar levels and helps to reduces the cholesterol in blood.

Here is a recipe of Gooseberry Tokku and chitranna prepared using Gooseberry tokku. We can have this tokku with any type of food, as side dish. We can have them with idli, dosa, chapati or poori.
These Gooseberries are bought from Organic Mela in Bengalooru -Chamarajpet.

Ingredients:

Gooseberry : 1 Kilo
Salt : 4 to 5 Table spoons
Oil : 2 Table spoons
Chilly Powder : 3 to 4 Table spoons
Methi : 1/2 Table spoon
Ingh : Asafoetida : 1/4 Tea spoon (powdered)
Turmeric powder : 1/4 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Tea spoon

Method :

1. Wash and dry goodberry and pressure cook them with out adding water.

Nellikau (Gooseberry bought from Organic Mela

2. Remove the seeds (de-seed) by cutting them into half.
3. Now keep a small pan and roast methi seeds nicely and dry grind when it is cool. Keep it aside.
4. Keep a bigger pan and heat. Add 1 table spoon of oil and put mustard seeds to it.
5. Let the mustard seeds spurt, add ingh and deseeded nellikai.
6. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix it well. Keep on stirring.

7. Add dry grond methi and chilly powder. Mix it well and stir till it starts to leave the pan.

8. Add one more spoon of oil and mix it well.

9. L eave it for cooling and fill them in glass jars.

10. Serve with any main dish or with Chapatis as one of the side dish.

Note : 

Do not use any water while cooking.Put gooseberry in a bowl without water cover with a plate and keep in the pressure cooker and cook for 8 to 10 minutes  (with weights). Adding more or less chilly powder is optional. Roast methi on low flame. Adding more or less oil is also optional.
You can keep this Nellikai Tokku out side for a month. Keeping this in a fridge is better and you can use it for many days. (3 to 4 monts or more). You can grind gooseberry after deseeded. It makes the process easy. (I did not grind).

Time 30 minutes
Shelf life :  6 Months (Keep it in the Fridge)

 Nellikai Chitranna Recipe:

 You can also prepare Nellikai Chitranna, using this Nellikai Tokku.
Keep a pan and put 2 Table spoons of oil and heat. Add 1/2 tea spoons of mustard seeds and urid dal.

Add 2 green chilly cuts. Add curry leaves when mustard seeds spurt. Add Nellikai Tokku and mix it well and add cooked rice.  Mix it well and add 1/2 cup of fresh coconut. Add coriander leaves and mix it well.

Serve Nellikai Tokku Chitranna with a cup of curd.

 Serves : 2 to 3
Time : 10 minutes

Palak - Sweet Potato Palya & Mosaru Bajji

 Palak (spinach) - Sweet Potato Palya and Mosaru bajji are side dishes, using Palak and Sweet potatoes, coconut, green chilly. Palya is a dry curry and mosaru bajji is like Raitha.

Sweet Potato is one of the average calorie starch foods. It contain no saturated fats or cholesterol and is rich source of dietary fiber, anti - oxidants, vitamins and minerals. Sweet Potato provides a good amount of vital minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium. manganese and potassium.

Palak is very low in calories and fats. It contains a good amount of soluble dietary fiber. It controls cholesterol. Fresh leaves are rich source of several vital anti - oxidant vitamins like vitamin A,
Vitamin C and antioxidants. Palak leaves are an excellent source of vitamin K. Palak leaves contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc. It is also rich source of Omega - 3 fatty acids.

Here is a recipe of Palak - Sweet Potato Palya and Mosaru bajji. We can have this dishes with rice, chapati, vegetable rice or palau and roti or pooris.

Ingredients :

Sweet Potato : 2  (medium sized)
Palak leaves :  1 Small Bundle
Gree chilly : 2
Curry leaves : 1/2 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh (Asafoetida) : a pinch
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
Salt : to taste
Coconut : 2 Table spoons (Fresh and grated)
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Methi seeds : 4 to 5 seeds

Method :

1. Wash and boil (pressure cook) sweet potatoes and leave it for cooling. Remove the skin when it is cooled.

2. Wash and cut palak leaves, green chilly and coriander leaves.

3. Now keep a pan and heat. Add oil.
4. Add mustard seeds, urid dal and methi seeds. Let the mustard seeds spurt.
5. Add jeera, ingh and curry leaves. Add cut green chilly and fry for 10 seconds.

6. Now add palak leaves and mix it nicely and add 1/2 cup of water, turmeric powder and cook.

7.  Cut or smash cooked sweet potatoes and add to palak.
8. Cook on low flame for 2 minutes and put off the gas.
9. Add grated coconut, mix it well and shift Sweet potato - Palak Palya to a serving dish.

10. Serve as side dish with chapati or rice.

 

Recipe for Mosaru Bajji (Raitha)

1 Bowl of  Palak -Sweet potato Palya
1 Small cup of curd
1 Table spoon of coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Method :
 Take a little bigger bowl.  Add cooked palya and curd. Add salt and coriander leaves. Raitha is ready to serve.

Note :
No need to use much oil. You can add chilly or chilly powder according to  your wish. You can also add cut onions with Raitha. I have added riped chilly..
Time : 20 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4