Dals + Oats + Dil leaves Nucchinunde

Dil Leaves known as Sabbassige of Sabsige soppu in Kannada. Nucchinude is very famous in Karnataka.

Nucchina Unde is a healthy food for breakfast, lunch, evening snack or dinner.

Nucchu means coarsely (rava consistency), unde means ball shape. We call this as nucchinunde since dals are ground coarsely and mixed with green chilly, jeera , ginger and salt. Then roll in to ball shape and steam.

Nucchina Unde is normally eaten with coconut chutney or Majjige huli. You can have your own choice now a days.

Lets see some benefits of using Dals and Oats.

Moong dal is a good body builder food for vegeterians. Moong dal provides high protein and is very digestible. It has only a small amount of fat. Moong dal is full of Vitamins and minerals.They are rich in protein, vitamin C, iron, zinc potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and phosphorus.

Toor dal are excellent source of nutrients and plant protein and they also contain dietary fiber. they provide essential nutrients, fiber and protein for vegetarians.

Oats are good for weight loss. They help to lower the bad cholesterol. Oatl also help to control blood pressure in people who suffer from high blood pressure. Oats are great source of phosphorus, manganese. They are good source of soluble dietary fiber, iron and magnesium and Vitamin B1.

Here is a recipe of Sabbassige +Dalls and Oats Nucchinunde. It is a healthy dish and with out onion and garlic. You can have these Nucchinunde any time of the day. Even you can powder the unde and prepare dry curry or Uppittu out of Nucchinunde. It is a healthy dish as I said before and I am sure every one and all age group will surely like Sabbassige + Dals + Oats Nucchinunde. (Dal Dumplings).

Ingredients : 

Moong Dal : 1 Cup

Toor Dal : 1 Cup 

Oats : 3/4 Cup

Dil Leaves :  1 Bundle 

Ginger : An Inch 

Green Chilly : 4 

Jeera : 1 Tea spoon

Pepper Pods : 5 to 6

Ingh : a pinch

Salt : Required 

Oil or ghee : 1/2 Tea spoon

Coconut : 1/2 Cup (3 Table spoons)

Method :

1. Wash and soak dals for 2 to 3 hours. Dry roast Oats till the raw smell disappear and leave it for cooling.

2. Wash and cut ginger, green chilly and Sabbassige (dil leaves) soppu and keep it aside.

3. Grind dals with ginger, green chilly  and pepper pods with very little water.

4. Put dry ground dal mixture in a big bowl. Add ingh, jeera, salt, cut dil leaves, fresh grated coconut and roasted oats. 

5. Mix it well and take a handful of dough and make ball. Prepare the same dumplings and keep it aside. 

6. Take a big bowl which fits in to your pressure cooker and apply oil for the bowl or container you use.

7. Arrange the ready dal dumplings in the oil applied bowl. 

8. Put water in a pressure cooker or idli cooker. Keep a small bowl in the pressure cooker. (Keep the small bowl upside down). 

9. Now place the dumpling filled bowl in the pressure cooker. ( on the top of the bowl kept).

10. Cover the lid and pressure cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Check with a tooth pick or insert a knife end to a cooked nucchinunde to confirm that is cooked. Put ready Nucchinunde to a serving bowl. 

10. Serve with the choice of your curry or chutney. 

Note : 

You can use mixed lentils or each one separately to prepare nucchina unde. Like wise the leaves.  You can use lots of edible leaves like palak, methi leaves, dil leaves etc. You must use little water while grinding or you will not be able to prepare dumpling. These dumplings can be used to prepare Upma , Unde huli or dry curry. Eating with coconut chutney  adds to the taste. Adding Oats may result in little hard but it taste fantastic. Eat when they are hot. It hardens when it is cooled.

Time : 40 minutes .(Extra 2 hours for soaking).

Serves :  4 to 5
 Preparing Upma with Nucchinude :  
Powder the balls and keep it aside. Keep a pan and put 1 Table spoon of oil, mustard seeds and urid dal.
Let the mustard seeds spurt. Add curry leaves and powdered unde and mix it well. Add coconut and serve when it is hot.

Mustard spurt 

Ready undes (dal dumplings)

Fry it slowly

Ready to serve Dal Oats Upma

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Bottle Gourd + Carrot Curry (Kootu)

Bottle gourd (Sorekai ) Carrot curry is a gravy dish. It is also known as Kootu in Karnataka. Kootu is a vegetable curry with spices.

Bottle gourd is known as Sorekai in Kannada, Churaikai or Churakka - Malayalam, Sorakkay -Tamil, lauki - dudhi or ghiya -Hindi / Urdu, Lau - Bengali and Anapakaya in Telugu.

Lets see some health benefits of Bottle gourd and Carrots.

Bottle gourd is full of fiber and easy to digest. Cooked bottle gourd helps the body to cool and it is very good for people who are suffering from headache, vomiting sensation. Bottle gourd supports the urinary system of our body by reducing burning sensation from high acidic urination. It also reduces the chances of urinary infection. It contains many vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, Vitamin A, and C. Bottle gourd helps to reduce the high blood pressure.It is good for diabetic patients. It is full of fiber and minerals and is a very good remedy for people who are suffering from constipation.

Carrots are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and dietary fiber. Carrots are rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B and Vitamin C. They contain minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.

Here is a recipe of Bottle Gourd + Carrots Curry. This gravy goes very well with rice, chapatis, rotis, poori , dosas, idli or even with Akki Rotti.

Ingredients :

Bottle gourd :  2 cups
Carrots : 1 Cup ( 2 carrots)
Jeera : 1/2  Tea spoon
Pepper Pods: 5 to 6
Red chilly : 4 to 5
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tea spoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Salt : to taste
Lemon or tamarind pulp : 1 Tea spoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Table spoon

Method: 

1. Wash and cut carrots, bottle gourd and coriander leaves.
2. Boil cut carrots and bottle gourd pieces for 5 to 8 minutes and keep it aside.

3. Keep a small pan on the fire. Heat and put 1/2 spoon of oil.
4. Add urid dal and fry till brown. Now add pepper pods, 1/2 tea spoon of jeera, ingh and red chilly. Fry for 1 minute.

5. Now put off the gas and add coconut and just stir once and mix well. (Fried items).

6. Grind all the fried items using little water.
7. Keep another big pan. Add remaining oil and heat. Add mustard seeds, and urid dal.
8. Let the mustard spurt. Add curry leaves and ingh.
9. Add cooked carrots and bottle gourd pieces. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix it well.

10. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Now Add ground coconut spice mixture. Stir nicely.

11. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes and put off the gas. Add lemon, stir and replace the curry to a serving bowl.
12.Serve with rice, chapati or any other main dish you prepared.

Note :

Adding lemon juice to Kootu is optional. Normally tamarind or lemon is not added to kootu. Using less or more chilly is also an optional. Adding a ghee just before serving the curry, adds to the taste of the curry. Adding onions and garlic is purely optional. ( I did not use).
You can also prepare using different vegetables with the same ingredients. (Beans, peas, potatoes and sweet potatoes etc). If bottle gourd is tender no need to remove its outer skin. Wash it nicely and then cut it.
Time : 30 minutes.
Serves : 5