Green Tomato Sweet and Spicy Curry

Green Tomatoes Sweet and Spicy Curry is a bit sweet curry/menasukai/kairasa/gojju. Tomatoes are from our garden and makes me more happy to tell you Thats a nice thing to have plants at home. You can just pluck it and prepare it.

I have used green raw tomatoes, colocasia stems (which are also from our home garden) and some spices which adds to the taste.
Green tomato curry taste like menasukai as we say in Kannada which is one of the traditional dish. Menasu Kai (green chilly) is very famous and a must dish during feast. It has savoury, sweet and spicy taste.
Let us see some benefits of using " Turmeric powder " in our cooking.
Turmeric/Haladi/Yellow Powder has been used in India as spice and medicinal herb for thousands of years. The Curcumin is the main ingredient in turmeric and it has anti inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It helps the body to fight against infections and has the ability to repair the damages caused. It also helps to improve brain function and lower the risk of brain disease. It lowers the heart diseases. It is also said that turmeric helps to prevent cancer. Turmeric is a good remedy for joint inflammation. It helps to control diabetes, reduces the cholesterol level in our body and a good immunity booster.
Let us see the recipe now : Happy to use tomatoes which are grown in our garden.

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Green Tomatoes : 10 to 12 (Small sized)
Kesuvina Dantu/Colocasia stems : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Tamarind Pulp : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required

For frying : Spices :
Methi/Fenugrik Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1Teaspoon
Channa Dal : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly :Byadagi chilly : 5 to 6
Coriander Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Sesame Seeds/Ellu/Til : 1 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch

For Grinding :
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Fried spices
For Seasoning :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : a pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Wash and cut tomatoes and colocasia stems into small pieces. (Remove the outer layer of colocasia stems before cutting into small)

2. Soak gooseberry size tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp and keep the pulp aside.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of oil, 1/4 teaspoon of methi/fenugrik seeds.
Fry it till they turn slightly brown. Add red chilly and fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add Urid dal, channa dal and fry nicely. Add coriander seeds and sesame seeds. Fry for a minute.

5. Add curry leaves. 1/2 teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds and put off the fire. Add ingh.
6. Mix all the ingredients well and let it cool. Grind it with little water and remove from the mixi jar.
7. Add coconut to the fried ingredients and grind it nicely with required water.

8. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
9. Add curry leaves and ingh/Asafoetida, cut tomatoes and colocasia stems. Mix it nicely and fry.
10. Fry nicely for 5 minutes and add tamarind pulp and jaggery. (2 to 3 tablespoons).
11. Add little turmeric powder and required salt. Let it cook till it turns soft.

12. Add ground spice coconut mixture and mix it well. Boil it for 3 to 4 minutes.

13. Shift the ready " Green tomato Sweet and Spicy Curry" to a serving bowl.

14. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

Adding colocasia stems is optional. Adding more/less jaggery is optional. Adding more/less chilly is optional.
Time  30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4. 

Home grown tomatoes from our garden.

Avalakki Pongal

Happy Sankranthi One and All.

Avalakki/flattened rice/Poha/Pova/Aval Pongal is a healthy dish that you can prepare for this Sankranthi. Sankranthi is celebrated most of the states in India. It is to mark the first of the season and people pray and thank God for the good harvest.
It is also known as Makara Sankranthi because The Sun starts moving towards north and is called
" Uttaraayana ".
In South India people prepare Huggi/Pongal on this day and do Nevedyam to God. In Karnataka it is called Suggi Habba and the festival is celebrated for two days. First it is for the kids and the festival celebrated by doing Arati to Kids and "Ellu -Bella" (Sesame seeds and Jaggery), is poured on them to get away with the evil eyes. Little girls distributes "Ellu Bella " to housed around their neighbourhood. It is very beautiful sight seeing girls in traditional dresses and running around. The second day Huggi/kichidi/Pongal is prepared and Nevedyam is done to God and tasty traditional food is prepared and feast food is served to people at home.
Huggi is prepared using Moong dal and Raw Rice. Freshly harvested pulse and rice is used to cook this Pongal.
Sankranti is called in different names in different places. 
It is known as Makar Sankrnti, Thai Pongal, Uttarayan, Maghi, Bhogali Bihu, Shishur Saenkraat, Khichidi, Poush Sangkrant
As I said Pongal is an easy and one of the traditional dish, I used Avalakki instead of rice which helps in eating less starch.
I have used Avalakki, little Moong dal/Hesaru bele, ghee, jaggery, cardamom, raisins and cashews.

Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Avalakki (Thick Variety) :  1 Cup
Moong Dal: 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Fresh Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Cardamom : 3 to 4 Pods
Raisins and Cashews : 1 to 2 Tablespoons
Pepper Pods : 2 to 3

Method :

1. Wash and soak avalakki/poha/Flattened Rice for 10 to 20 minutes.
2. Wash and cook moong dal till it turns soft. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
3. Add soaked avalakki and mix it well. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add jaggery and mix it well. Add a spoon of ghee. Mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Let the avalakki -moong dal get the thick consistency. Add cardamom powder.
6. Mix it well and shift " Avalakki Pongal" to a serving dish.
7. Keep a pan on the fire and put 2 tablespoons of ghee. Fry raisins and cashews.
8. Add this fried cashews and raisins to " Avalakki Pongal" and serve with little ghee on top.

Note :

Use of jaggery More/Less is optional. Use of ghee more/less is optional. You can add same quantity of moong dal to avalakki. (Optional). Adding more/less nuts is also optional. Roasting the moong dal before cooking is optional. (According to your taste).
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves :  3 to 4.