Tonde Kai Palya (Ivy Gourd Dry Curry)

Tonde Kai Palya/Ivy Gourd Dry curry is a side dish. Palya (Dry curry) and Tonde kai means Ivy gourd,
Ivy Gourd is known in different names like, baby watermelon, little gourd, tindora, Tonde Kayi (Kannada) Kovakka (Tamil), Dondakaya(Telugu), Tendli or Tondli (Marati), Kunduri (Oriya)  and kundri/Kovai or Kovakkai in Malayalam.
In Dakshina Kannada or South Karnataka (Udupi, Mangalore etc ), we do prepare this Tondekai Palya on a Yugadi Festival Day. (Soura Yugadi). Fresh cashews are added to this curry. One mor dish Kadale - Tonde kai gasi  (Ivy Gourd - Channa thick curry) is also very famous in South Canara. (South Part of Karnataka).

We can have this curry with so many main dishes like, Plain or masala rice, chapati, poori, rotti , naan, roti and even dosas. In Maharastra, Rice Palav prepared using this vegetable is very famous.
Lets see some benefits of eating Ivy gourd in our diet.
Ivy gourd helps to control diabetes. It contain Vitamin A (beta carotene). Ivy gourd has an excellent source of protein and fiber. It helps to treat people who supper from bowel movements. Ivy gourd has good source of vitamins which is essential for human body. It is a rich source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B 1 and B 2 and Vitamin A. It has some amount of anti oxidant properties.
Tonde Kai Palya has no onions or garlic in it. We can prepare them on any day. Be it a festival or fasting or a normal day or party time.This Palya goes well with all items. It is a simple and easy curry that anyone can prepare it very quickly.
Lets see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Tonde Kai/ Ivy gourd : 1/4 Kg
Red chilly : 2 to 3
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoons
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Salt : As required
Ondelaga Leaves  ( Gotu Kola leaves) : 1 Handful

Method :

1. Wash and cut tonde kai in to pieces, (according to your wish). Put it in a bowl of water.
2. Wash and cut ondelaga /Gotu Kola leaves into thin and keep it aside.

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Cut red chilly in to pieces and keep it aside.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil, mustard seeds and urid dal. Add red chilly pieces
5. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves.

6.  Remove all the tondekai pieces from water and add it to the seasoning.
7. Mix it well and fry for 2 minutes. Add water (1/2 cup) and cook till they turn soft.
8. Let all the moisture disappear. Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix it well and cook on low flame.
9. Now add grated coconut the dry curry. Add cut Ondelaga leaves and mix it well.

10. Shift the cooked Tonde Kai dry curry to a serving bowl. Palya is ready to serve.

Note :

Cut ondelaga leaves into thin. Using ondelaga (one leaf in each branch ) is optional. You can use coriander leaves. Eating ondelaga leaves helps in circulating and purifying blood in our body. You can also cook tonde kai first and then season it. Cook till the vegetable is soft. Adding onions and
garlic is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 

Little Millet & Whole Moong Dosa

Little Millet & Whole Moong Dosa is a breakfast dish. It is one of the healthy dosa I can say.
These days people seems to be more health conscious and they prefer to eat healthy food. They have become very careful and know what to eat.

Awareness of health in some part but many fall pray to the fast food trend, The younger generation  is turning towards fast food, street food and spicy food. More and more children are already suffering from so many disease because of this bad eating habits. It should be stopped or reduced to minimum and turn their habits to be healthy and to be fit. Parents are to be more careful in choosing the good food for their kids and develop healthy attitude for eating habits.
Let us know more about the little millet, 
Little millet is called in different languages. Little millet is called as Saame in Kannda, Saamai in Tamil. Kutkiv - Hindi, Sama - Telugu. Chama in Malayalam.
Little millets are wonderful millet and it can suit everyone's diet and all age group. It helps to prevent constipation, It also helps to resolve all the problems related to stomach. It helps women with irregular problems and improves the semen counts of men. It is high fiber content and helps to reduce the fat depositions in the body. It contain good amount of antioxidant properties and good for diabetes.
I have tried Little Millet Dosa in two ways. One type is prepared dosa just after grinding the ingredients and the other one is after the dough is fermented. Try both of them You will surely like it I am sure.

Lets see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Little Millet/ Saame : 2 Cups
Whole Moong : 1 Cup
Flattened Rice / Avalakki : 2 Handful
Methi seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 2
Dry ginger powder : 1 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods; 6 to 8
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Salt : as required
Oil/Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons.

Method : 

1. Wash and soak whole moong, little millets and flattened rice + methi seeds separately for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grind them separately one by one. Add red chilly, jeera, ginger powder, pepper pods to whole mooong while grinding.

3. Put them in a big bowl. Add salt.
4. Allow the dough to ferment. (over night or 6 to 8 hours).

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil on the tava and clean it with a kitchen tissue.
6. Take a ladle full of dough and put it on the hot tava. Spread it in circle shape. (Reduce the heat to minimum, while spreading the dough).

7. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of oil on the top and cook for 1 minute. (Cover with a lid).
8.No need to turn the other side to cook.
9. Whole moong and little millet dosa is ready to serve.
10 Serve with any side dish you have prepared.

Dosas prepared just after grinding the ingredients. 

Notes :

Grind it to idli dough consistency. Adding any extra spice is optional. (You can add green chilly, ingh also). Adding ghee while preparing dosa is also optional. Fermenting the dough is also optional. But dosa will not be so thin and crispy. Remember to Eat or Serve Hot dosas. No urid dal is added here.
Adding spices like peppers, jeera and dry ginger powder is to give a spicy taste. (Optional).  You can use rava (medium size or pearl millet or rice instead of little millet and try this whole moong dosa). No urid dal is used in this moong - little millet dosa.
Time : Total time : 8 hours 20 minutes. ( Soaking time - 2 hours, fermenting time - 6 hours and dosa preparation time : 20 minutes).
Serves :  4 to 5