Lady's Finger & Potato Curry

Lady's Finger & Potato Curry is a gravy dish  and it can be served as one of the side dish. Many people love Lady's finger. It is one of the healthy vegetable which is available all the time.

Lets see some benefits of having lady's finger/Okra. 
Lady's finger/okra /bhindi contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. It is good for people who suffer from constipation, since it is high content of fiber. It helps to digest the food easily and good bowel movement. It is good for pregnant women since it contain Folate. Vitamin K present in the lady's finger helps to clot the blood (during any injury/bleeding). It also helps to strengthen the bones. It helps to control astama. It controls the obesity and prevents sun strokes. It also controls the cholesterol level and diabetic in our body. Eating lady's finger helps in taking care of our skin in healthy way. Vitamin C present in Lady's finger helps to keep the skin younger. It helps to prevent skin pigmentation.
Lets see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

To cook:
Lady's Finger : 1/4 KG.
Potato : 1 Potato
Toor Dal : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
To Grind :
Coconut : 1/2  cup ( 2 to 3 tablespoons)
Rasam/Sambar powder :2 Teaspoons.(Full)
To Add :
Green chilly : 1
Tamarind pulp : 2 Tablespoons
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : as required
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Methi/Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 teaspoon
To season :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera : 1/4 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and remove all the moister (water) with clean dry cloth and cut it into small.
2. Wash and remove the outer skin of the potato and cut them into small and keep it aside. Wash dal and pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Wash and slice a green chilly. Wash and cut coriander leaves. Soak tamarind in hot water.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds. Let the mustard splutter.
5. Add jeera and fry for 5 seconds. Add ingh and curry leaves.
6. Add cut lady finger and fry them nicely for 2 minutes.
7. Add tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and turmeric powder. Cook lady's finger till they turn soft.
8. Cook potatoes in separate pan with little water.

9. Grate coconut with rasam powder with little water. Remove the coconut mixture from the mixi jar.

10. Now add cooked potatoes, cooked toor dal, ground coconut mixture to cooked lady's finger. Add water if required. Add raw methi seeds to the boiling curry. Put little salt.(If required).
11. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes and shift it to the serving bowl. Add coriander leaves.

12. Serve with the main dish.

Note :

Fry lady's finger nicely or curry might turn stick. Adding potato is optional. You can pressure cook potatoes. ( but it can turn very soft and smashed). Adding moong dal is optional. (Taste differ).  Use of any brand of rasam powder is optional. Adding home made rasam powder adds to the taste. Adding more chilly is optional. Adding raw methi seeds help to reduce the cholesterol content in the curry. Adding coconut is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5 

Home Made Fresh Rasam/Sambar powder: 

Dry roast 2 tablespoons of daniya/coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds, red chilly (5 to 6) and 1/2 teaspoon of jeera with a pinch of ingh. Add 4 to 5 curry leaves. Dry grind when it is cooled. 

Sambaar Powder:
Dry roast  1/2 Teaspoon of channa dal/urid dal, 2 tablespoons of daniya/coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds, red chilly (5 to 6) and 1/2 teaspoon of jeera with a pinch of ingh. Add 4 to 5 curry leaves. Dry grind when it is cooled. 

Dry Fruits Laddu (Without Sugar)

Happy New Year 2016 to Each and Every one.

Just thought of some thing sweet. My last post also is a sweet dish. This time I wanted to try this sweet with natural sweet content from dry fruits it self. It is a big hit and you also will love this sweet laddu and it is healthy dish, I don't have to tell you.
I have used some figs, dates and some nuts like almond, cashew and raisins.
Dry Fruits Laddu can be kept long and it can be given to kids in their lunch /snack box to munch during their snack time. It is 100% healthy and any one can eat them or munch them.
Lets see some benefits of having figs in our diet. 
Figs/Anjeer has numerous health benefits. It is rich source of dietary fiber and improves the digestion. It is good for people who suffer from constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. They are low in calories. It also helps to prevent hypertension. They are rich in antioxidants. They also help to eliminate free radicals that can cause blood vessels and take good care of heart. Figs help in strengthens our bones. It helps to cure anemia since it contain good amount of iron. Eating figs is a natural way to raise the hemoglobin level. It is rich source of minerals like zinc, iron,  manganese and magnesium. It also helps to balance the minerals between the potassium and sodium level in our body. It helps in reproductive health.
These Dry Fruits Laddus are easy to prepare and can be kept for many days.

Things Needed :

Dry Figs : 1 Cup
Dry dates : 1 Cups
Apricot : 1/2 Cup
Raisins : 1/2 Cup
Almonds : 1 Cup
Cashew Nuts : 1/2 Cup
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Red Kallusakkare ( Rock Candy) : 2 Tablespoons

Method :
1. Dry grind all the dry fruits (almonds, figs, dates, apricot and rock candy), one by one except raisins/drakshi and cashew nuts and keep it aside.
2. Cut cashew nuts into small pieces.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put ghee and fry cashew till they turn slightly red. Remove from the ghee. Add raisins and fry till they turn fluffy.

4. Now put all the dry ground ingredients in a big bowl. Add fried cashew nuts and raisins to it. Mix it well.

 5. Take a handful of nuts mixture and prepare laddu. The moisture in the dates, figs and apricot helps to prepare the laddu easily.

 7. Eat or serve a laddu in a day. (one laddu is more than enough per day).

Note :
Dry grind all the ingredients nicely till they turn powder. It helps to prepare laddu easily. You can add more ghee if you wish to. (but not necessary). Do not add any ground nuts or roasted chenna (hurikadale/pottu kadale). The taste differ. Adding more cashews and raisins are optional. Adding more rock candy is also optional. Adding dry coconut (Kobbari) is also optional. ( I have not used). Roasting all the nuts are also optional. (I have not roasted).

Time : 20 minutes
20 laddus can be made.  (size of the laddu matters).