Vegetable Saagu.

Who does not like Pooris and Vegetable Saagu (Curry)?
I think most of say Yesssssss. I know it is one of the favourite dish of many. Here is your favourite dish Vegetable Saagu which goes very well with pooris. Try and enjoy. Cooking should be fun and you should enjoy it thoroughly by creating yor own dish with your imaginataion and healthy option.

Every one is not a lover of spice, especially cloves, cinnemon etc, etc, etc. Our South Canara side these spices do not have much space in their kitchen spice box.Use of spice is limited or once in a hile may be during some functions. (Mostly with vegetarians). This attitude is more in vegetarian cooking. In South Canara, Day today cooking is completed with jeera/cumin seeds, mustard seeds, urid dal, coriander seeds, methi/fenugrik seeds, ingh and red chilly. May be because of the screetching hot weather. Use of eating spice should be limited or you might get some or the other problem. It has the type of food habit still we follow and we do not use much of these spices, I can say. One of my co sister does not even touch the food which has cinnemon or clove. That means she will not eat that food. This time she was here at our home, and she likes pooris very much. One sunday when she was here I did prepare this Vegetable Saagu and she enjoyed eating this saagu with hot pooris.
I have used jeera/cumin seeds, coriander leaves, green chilly 6 to 8 cashew nuts and vegetables.

Let us see some benefits of eating "Cashew Nuts" in our diet.
Cashew nuts contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients. They do contain a lot of fat, that are mostly mono saturated and polyunsatured. Mono and polyunsaturated fats can help to improve heart disease and reduce the risk of stroke. One should know that it should be consumed moderately. they are rich with vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that take care of overall health in human body.  They are rich with Vitamin B 6, folic acid and protein. They are rich with copper and iron which works together and help the body to form and utilize red blood cells. They also help to keep blood vessels, nerves, the immune system and bones healthy and functioning properly. They are rich source of antioxidants and help to protect our eyes from light damage. Nuts are naturally cholesterol free and contain good amounts of healthy fats, fiber and protein.
"Vegetables Saagu" do not contain any onions or garlic.
I have used pressure cooker to cook. (It helps to cook food faster).
Lets see the recipe Now.

Things Needed :

To cook :
Tomatoes :  2
Capsicum : 1
Knolkhol :  2
Sweet Potato : 2
Baby Potatoes : 5 to 6
Spices to grind :
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Ginger : An inch
Green chilly : 2 numbers.
Coriander leaves : One handful
To Add :
Jeera  for seasoning : 1 Teaspoon
Fresh cream : 2 Tablespoon OR Milk : 1/4 Cup
Salt : As Required
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Ingh : a pinch
Turmeric powder : a little

Method :
1. Wash cut all the vegetables except baby potato. (Remove the outer layer of sweet potatoes and Knolkhol before cutting). Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate or cut into small.
2. Keep a pan (pressue cooker) on the fire and heat. Add oil and put jeera/cumin seeds.
3. Fry for 10 seconds. Add tomatoes and fry nicely.
4. Add capsicum pieces and fry for another 1 minute.

5. Add knolkhol, sweet potato pieces and mix it well. Add baby potatoes.
6. Add grated ginger and required water (1/2 cup). Close the lid and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

7. Grate coconut and grind it with coriander leaves, cashew nuts, green chilly, jeera.
8. Add required water while grinding.
9. Now mix ground mixture to the cooked vegetable bowl.

10. Mix it nicely and add 1/2 teaspoon of haladi/turmeric powder.
11. Add required salt. Mix it slowly and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Put off the gas.

12. Shift the curry to a serving dish, Add fresh cream and serve the dish with your choice of food.

Note :
Using pressure cooker helps to cook food faster. One should also be aware if you cook for a long time it will be overcooked. So remember to switch off or remove the cooker from fire just after 5 to 6 minutes if you use it for vegetable cooking. Adding any spice is optional. Adding more cream might turn the curry tasteless. (reduces the spicy taste). Adding a spoon of butter is optional. I have not added. Use of chenna (hurikadale/putani) instead of cashew nuts is optional. Cashew nuts adds to the taste. I have used fresh cream (kene) which we get after boiling milk. Use of vegetables also optional. Adding onions and garlic to the curry is optional.
Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4 to 5 

Kesuvina Soppu (Colocasia Leaves) -Toor dal Dry Curry

Kesu/Colocasia Leaves are used in curries, Patrode.  ( A special dish from Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Malnadu). Kesu Leaves are rich with iron and is good to have during winter and rainy season since it helps to keep our body warm.
We can prepare many dishes using kesu/colocasia leaves like chutney, gojju, curries, spicy dosas, Kesu leaves upma, gasi etc the list goes on.
I have prepared dry curry using Kesu Soppu/Colocasia as we call it. I have used toor dal and some spices to prepare this curry. This curry might take little time but it taste really good.
Kesuvina soppu/Colocasia leaves and Toor Dal dry curry goes well with plain rice, chapatis and pooris.

I have seen one of our close friend preparing this type of curry. She has used cluster beans and toor dal. The combination is superb good and goes well with hot rice and spoon of ghee.
Cluster beans is seasoned with mustard seeds and then cooked on low flame. While cooking she added ground toor dal and spice mixture. It was cooked on low and medium flame. The clustered beans toor dal dry curry tasted fantastic. I have followed the exact way but used very littel oil.
There are 2 options to prepare this curry.
1. You soak and grind tour dal, grind with spices and steam and then powder the content and then add.it to cooked vegetable.
2. You grind tour dal with spices and then add it to the leaves and cook on low flame.
I have used the 2nd  method, though it takes little more time, but its authentic.
Lets see the recipe Now.
                 No Garlic OR No Onion Recipe.

Things needed:

Kesu Leaves : 6 to 8 Leaves.
Green chilly : 1
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup (3 Handful )
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Daniya/Coriander seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly powder : 2 Teaspoon
Tamarind : 2 Marbles size
Salt : As required
Ingh : a pinch
Ginger : An inch
Oil : 2 To 3 Tablespoons
Mustard seeds: 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal: 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry Leaves : 8 to 10

Method :

1. Wash and soak toor dal for an hour. Wash and slit green chilly
2. Wash and cut Kesu/Colocasia Leaves and cut it into small pieces.

3. Grate coconut, grind it with toor dal, red chilly powder, corinader seeds, ingh, curry leaves, ginger and jeera. (use very little water)

 4. Grind it like rava /rave consistency. (not fine paste).

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a tablespoon of oil. Add mustard seeds and urid dal.

6. Add curry leaves when it splutter. Add, slit green chilly, ingh and kesu leaves. Add tamarind pulp.
7. Stir once slowly. Add turmeric powder. Add salt. Mix it slowly.
8. Add ground toor dal mixture and stir once. Let it cook on low flame.
9. Add very little water and a spoon of oil. Mix it well and let it cook on low flame for 6 to 8 minutes.
7. Stir once slowly. Add turmeric powder. Add salt. Mix it slowly.
8. Add ground toor dal mixture and stir once. Let it cook on low flame. Sprinkle water inbetween so that it cooks well. I

10.Stir in between while cooking. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes to cook completely.
11. Add coriander leaves and little coconut on the top.

12. Shift the Kesu -Toor dal curry to a serving dish.

Note :

It should be cooked on low flame and make sure it has cooked well. (Do not allow it burn at the bottom). Adding more/less chilly is optional. Adding more oil is also optional. Adding more oil helps to cook the dish quickly. Adding more spice is optional. I have added tamarind pulp.
You can use any edible leaves to prepare this dry curry. (Use your choice of leaves instead of colocasia leaves. Reduce the tamarind. Let it be very little). Use of cluster beans and cabbage also can be used..
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4
You can also prepare Cutlet with this Cococasia Dry Curry.
All you need is
2 Boiled Potatoes, garam masala and jeera powder little salt.
Take big bowl and smash boiled potatoes,
Add a bowl of Colocasia - Toor Dal dry curry ( 3 to 4 Tablespoons of Dry curry),
1/2 Teaspoon of garam masala, 1/2 Teaspoon of jeera powder and required salt.
Mix all these ingredients well and divide them into small portion.
Keep a dosa tava on the fire. Add a spoon of oil and heat.
Take a small portion of cutlet mixture and pat it on your palm and give a shape.
Put this patted cutlet on the tava. Roast or shallow fry on both sides.
Use of oil is optional. More/Less. Use of more oil is taste. Use of less oil is healthy. I did it with minimum oil.
Repeat the same with remaining cutlet dough. Serve cutlets with chutney or ketch up/Sauce.