Jack Fruit Buns/Pooris

Jack fruit buns/pooris are yummy and it is an easy dish to prepare and very good for breakfast/snack with a cup of coffee.

I have used jack fruits, organic jaggery and wheat flour.
Buns are famous in South Canara and Malenadu . They are fried pooris, prepared using  Maida/All purpose flour, banana and sugar. We can easily prepare many varieties of Buns using different fruits.
I have prepared pineapple buns and wheat and jaggery buns etc.
Here I have tried wheat flour with jack fruit added and jaggery instead of sugar. No need to add any oil while preparing the dough. It does not take much of oil.
Our foodie blog's, one of the Admini, Madhura Pradeep had tried jack fruit buns and that encouraged me to prepare these Jack Fruit Buns/ Jack Pooris. She has used sugar and instead of sugar I have used jaggery. The Jack Buns turned as yummy as usual banana buns which we prepare very often.
Jack fruit is a seasonal fruit and it is just about to complete its season for this year.  I had some jack fruits from  my sister's home and jack fruit was just enough to prepare these pooris. (The remaining fruits were eaten before preparing the buns :) .
Let us see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

Jack Fruits : 10 to 15
Jaggery : 1 to 2 Tablespoons
Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Salt :  A little
Oil : 1 Cup ( To fry )

Method :

1. Remove jack seeds from fruits and grind it with out water. Put it in a bowl.

2. Add jaggery and mix it well.

3. Add wheat flour and little salt. Mix it well and prepare poori dough.
4. Kneed the dough well and divide them into small lemon size balls.

5. Turn them as round shaped balls. Grease each ball shaped dough with little oil.
6. Roll them as small poori. Arrange them in a plate/tray.

7. Keep oil for frying and let it heat.
8. Drop a poori slowly in hot oil and fry on both sides till they turn slightly brown.

  Remove it from oil and put it on a kitchen tissue. Let all the extra oil absorb by kitchen tissue.

9. Repeat the same and fry all the pooris.

10 Serve with chutney or you can just eat as they are.

Note :

Adding sugar instead of jaggery is optional. You can use normal jaggery instead of organic jaggery.
Powder jaggery and heat it with very little water. Let it boil and turn as liquid completely. Sieve it in a strainer and used it. You can add a teaspoon of ghee to the dough while preparing the dough. (optional). I did not. No need to rest the dough. It might absorb oil if you allow to rest the dough. Do not add any water while grinding fruits. Adjust the jack fruit mixture with wheat flour. Mix it with little quantity and check . (Divide both jack fruit ground mixture and wheat flour and add little by little while preparing the dough).
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 20 to 25 pooris. (According to size).

Ridge Gourd - Bottle Gourd Kootu

Kootu is nothing but a type of curry which is mild spicy. I have tried Ridge gourd and bottle gourd combination.  Kootu has turned very yummy and it goes well with all most all main dishes.

Ridge gourd and the bottle gourd were used as veggies and little coconut, channa dal and red chilly with little ingh and curry leaves. I remembered Mrs. Nagamani Prasad very much because she used to prepare this Kootu very often. I have seen her preparing this kootu curry and eaten as well. She is one of the good cook whom I have come across. I have learnt to cook by seeing her and Mrs. Prema Sundareshan. It is always a pleasure to eat and enjoy whatever they cooked.
Let us see some benefits of eating Channa dal in our diet.
Split bengal dal/channa dal is full of nutritious, high in fiber and easily digested. It helps to lower the cholesterol level in our body. It has very low fat. It has good amount of iron, sodium, selenium and small amount of copper, zinc and manganese. They do have folic acid and fiber. It has antioxidant properties. Channa dal is good for diabetes and helps to control the sugar levels. Channa dal has rich source of iron and good for people who are suffering from anemia.
Let us see the recipe Now:
This is one of the traditional dish of Mysorians (Ayyangaris) and has No Onion or No Garlic in it.

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Bottle Gourd : 1 Bowl (1/2 of medium size bottle gourd).
Ridge Gourd : 1

To Fry/roast  : Spices.
Channa Dal : 1 Tablespoon
Red Chilly : 4 to 5 (Byadagi)
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Methi Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

To grind :
Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons (Fresh and grated)
Fried or roasted spices.

To Add :
Salt : As required
Coriander Leaves.

Seasoning :
Groundnut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Channa dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh/ Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and remove the edges of ridge gourd and wash it again. Remove the outer layer and cut ridge gourd into small pieces. (Outer layer can be used for chutney).
2. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd and cut into small pieces.
3. Cook both the veggies with required water till soft.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a spoon of oil and fry methi seeds, urid dal till golden brown.
 Add channa dal and red chilly.(Byadagi menasu).
5. Let channa dal turn golden brown. Add pepper pods, Red chilly and mix it well. Put off the fire. Add curry leaves and ingh.
6. Grate coconut and grind it with fried methi seeds, urid dal, channa dal, pepper pods and red chilly mixture.

7. Keep a big pan on the fire. Add cooked vegetables (ridge gourd and bottle gourd).
8. Add salt and little turmeric powder. Mix it well. Let it boil nicely.
9. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it nicely. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes.

10. Shift the ready Kootu to a serving dish.

11. Keep a pan and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds, urid dal and channa dal. Let mustard seeds splutter.
12. Add curry leaves and ingh/Asafoetida. Put off the fire and add the seasoning to the ready curry.
13. Add cut coriander leaves and a spoon of ghee.

14. Ridge Gourd -Bottle gourd Kootu is ready to serve.

Note :

Do not over cook the veggies. Let it be soft. Adding tamarind or lemon to Kootu/Curry is optional.
Normally Kootu has mild spice and do not need any tangy/tamarind or lemon. Use of any cooking oil is optional. I have added a teaspoon of ghee just before serving. Adding ingh helps to digest the food easily and reduces the gastric content.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 .