Bottle Gourd Dokla

Dhokla is a Gujarati Eatable which is very famous all over the world now a days. Dokala ready mix is available in most of the shop. It is one of the easy and tasty tangy food. Even though it is one of the North Indian dish, it has  become every one's favourite and a famous street food too. Not only kids all the age group will sit and enjoy Dokla.

Many times I have prepared plain doklas and it came out very well and we all enjoyed it very much. Then as usual I thought of giving a twist in Dokla too. So this recipe is a result of the twist in dokla. It is raining here in Bangalore because of the Cyclone and the tongue is craving to eat some thing spicy and the mind says no oily please. Just remembered the dokla and it is really a exact food that we can have for rainy evenings. It is spicy, not much of oil or sweet is added and in a way it is healthy too.
 The recipe goes like this. Add channa flour ( Besan) to a savoury curd and mix it well.  Leave it for 2 to 3 hours. Add then lets see the recipe to know more about it.

 Lets see some benefits of eating Bottle Gourd (Sorekai in Kannada language ( Karntaka ).
Bottle Gourd helps the liver function in a balanced manner. It helps to fight constipation as it is rich in fiber.
Bottle gourd is low fat content vegetable and Ayurveda highly recommends this vegetable for diabetic patients and young children.
It is rich in Vitamin C, Zinc, iron and magnesium and it is helpful in improving overall health.
Bottle gourd juice helps to treat burning sensation in the urinary passage and it should be taken with lime juice.
The Juice of bottle gourd helps to reduce graying of hair and baldness. It reduces fatigue and keeps us fresh especially in summer.
The juice from the leaves help to cure jaundice.
Ayurveda recommends bottle gourd juice helps to reduce the acidity, indigestion and ulcers.
Not only above mentioned helpful tips, Bottle gourd helps to maintain the blood pressure,  good for weight loss, low in cholesterol and very good for Eyes. 
Here is a recipe of "Bottle Gourd Dokla", we can have have them for breakfast, as evening snack or for dinner too. This goes well with Green sweet Chutney and coconut chutney.

Things needed: 

Channa flour : 1 Cup
Rava : 1/2 Cup
Savoury Curd : 1 Cup
Salt : to taste
Green Chilly : 1 or  2
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Coriander Leaves : 1 Handful
Bottle Gourd : 1 Cup
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh (Asafoetida ) a pinch
Jaggery : 1 Table spoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Coconut : 2 Table spoons.
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Eno Salt ( Fruit salt) : 1 Tea spoon

 Method:

1. Take a bog bowl and mix Channa flour, rava, salt and curd. Let it rest for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Wash and grate bottle gourd, cut green chilly and remove the outer skin of ginger.

 
 3. Grind green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves with pepper pods.

4. Now sieve ground spice and add it to the channa rava batter.

5. Add grated bottle gourd to the besan batter and mix it well.

6. Keep pressure cooker or idli cooker on the fire and put some water in the pressure cooker.
7.Keep a bowl or small vessel up side down  inside the cooker.

 
8. Apply oil to the container or plate that you are going to use for dokla.
9. Add a spoon of Eno salt and mix the besan batter nicely.

 10 Put this batter to a container or plate that you already oiled

11. Keep this container (or plate ) on the bowl that you are kept it inside the pressure cooker. This way you can avoid water getting  inside the food.

 

 12. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and steam for 10 t0 12 minutes. Just check with a knife end to make sure that is completely cooker before taking out of the pressure cooker. ( if it is not done you need to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.

 13. Keep a small pan on the fire. Heat and put one spoon of oil.
14. Put mustard seeds and urid dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add ingh and curry leaves.
15. Add a table spoon of water and jaggery..Let the jaggery melt nicely.

16. Put this mixture on the top of done Bottle gourd Dokla.

 

17. Put grated coconut and cut Bottle gourd dokla into small pieces.

 18. Serve with  Sweet and Spicy chutney or coconut chutney.

Note :

You should mix the batter bit thick. Use of savoury curd will add to the taste.
The batter should be like idli batter. You can use cooking soda instead of Eno Salt.
You can use more or less chilly. Do not add more oil.
You can also use dil leaves instead of bottle gourd. ( cut them in to very thin and mix it).
Do not add too much of curd. Dokla may turn very soft. 

Time : 30 minutes + fermenting time.
Serves : 4 to 5.

Moong Dal Chakkuli

Chakkuli , Chakli, Muruku...name it, you crave for it. You all know Chakkuli can be prepared in so many types, using different ingredients. Rice flour, Rava, Maida, Wheat the list goes on. We can use Urid, Channa or Moong dal. We can prepare Peas chakkuli also. Anyways its done according to the taste bud, or give a try what ever it is, munching chakkuli and watching a movie or reading a book takes us to our own world. Hmmmmmmmm.

Here I have prepared Chakkuli using Moong dal, Rice flour and some spices like jeera, red chilly powder and little ingh. (Asafoetida). I prepared  this chakkuli, when I called some of my relatives to our home for lunch. This was the munch served with coffee  and tea. It goes so well with Coffee, Tea and Fruit juice. We can put these chakkulis to kids lunch box to munch after food or during break time. Good for Kitty Parties, kids parties and any parties of course.

This is the simple recipe and we can prepare this any time if we have moong dal and rice flour. I am sure you all will love to have this  crispy, crunchy Moong dal Chakkuli.

Things Needed :

Moong Dal : 1 Cup.

Rice flour : 3 1/2 to 4 Cups

Salt : to taste

Sesame Seeds : 2 Table Spoons

Red chilly Powder : 1 Tea spoon

Butter : 2 Table spoons

Oil : 2 Cups

Chakli Mould

Method :

1. Wash and cook Moong dal in a pressure cooker with required water.( 3/4 cup of water will do ).

2. Leave it for cooling.

3. Take a big bowl. Add salt, sesame seeds, chilly powder, rice flour (use fine rice flour) and butter. Mix all the ingredients nicely.

4. Now add cooked dal and mix all the ingredients nicely and prepare thick dough. ( Use extra water from cooked moong dal if required)

5.Wash and clean the chakli mould ready.

6. Keep oil on the fire and heat.

7. Divide the chakli dough into small portion and fill the small portion in chakli mould.

8. Press chakli mould and prepare chakli, arrange them on the plate.

9. Fry these chakli on medium and high flame ( balance in between) on both sides till they are change their colour.

10.Remove from the pan and put it on kitchen tissue. It helps to absorb extra oil . Repeat the same with remaining dough.

Note :

Cook moongdal nicely and kneed the dough well. Let it be not too soft or hard. ( You should be able to press from the mould).

you can use more chilly powder if you want the chakli to be spicy. You can also use jeera instead of Sesame Seeds. Better to use any one of them.. Do not use more butter. The chakli turns too soft and it may absorb more oil.

Time : 40 minitues.

25 to 30 Chakkulis can be prepared.