Mangalore Cucumber Spicy Curry

Mangalore Cucumber/Managalooru Soutekai/bannada southekai is one of the nutritious vegetable   available around the year. I have tried Mangalore Cucumber Spicy Curry here and it is yummy and quick.

I have used Mangalore Cucumber, toor dal and spice powder prepared at home. (ಹುಳಿ ಪುಡಿ/curry powder). I have used little cinnamon in curry powder. So let us see some benefits of using cinnamon here.
Use of cinnamon in our daily diet.
Cinnamon is one of the spice used in many Indian kitchens. We get cinnamon from the inner bark of Cinnamomum Trees. Cinnamon has a sweet aroma and it is delicious and contain medicinal properties. It helps to lower the blood suger levels, reduce heart disease risk factors. Cinnamon is rich source of antioxidants and anti inflammatory properties. Cinnamon helps to fight against fungal infections because they do contain anti fungal and anti bacterial properties.
Caution : Always make sure you use very little quantity of cinnamon at times.
No Onion or No garlic Recipe.
Happy to say these are our home grown Mangalore Cucumber/Mangalore Southekai.

Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Mangalore Cucumber Pieces :  1 Big bowl. (Cut into very small pieces).
Toor Dal : 1/4 Cup
To Add :
Home Prepared Spice Powder : 2 Tablespoons
Tamarind Pulp : 1Tablespoon (A small marble size).
Jaggery : 1 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt : As Required
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons.
For seasoning :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method : 

1. Wash and cut Mangalore southekai into very small pieces. Soak the cut pieces in a bowl of water.
( Remove the outer layer of cucumber and then cut into small pieces). Wash and cut coriander leaves into small pieces.

2. Wash and cook toor dal and keep it aside. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and put coconut oil.Add mustard seeds and little jeera.
4. Let mustard splutter. Add ingh, curry leaves and mix it well.
5. Add cut mangalore cucumber and stir once. Add required water and cook for till they turn soft.

6. Add cooked dal to cooked mangalore cucumber pieces. Add pinch of turmeric. Add methi seeds.
7. Add required salt and tamarind pulp. Mix it nicely and let it cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add home prepared spice powder and stir it slowly and let it mix it well.

9. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Shift the ready " Mangalore Cucumber Spicy Curry" to a serving dish. Add cut coriander leaves.

10. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

You can use moong dal instead of toor dal.(Optional).
Use of home prepared spice powder is optional. You can use any brand of sambar /rasam powder. The taste differ.
Use of onion and garlic is optional.
Use of any cooking oil is optional.
Putting Mangalore Cucumber pieces in a bowl of water helps to remove the bitterness in the pieces, or the curry might turn as bitter and you will not be able to eat it.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 
Type :  South Indian curry : Mild Spicy.

Recipe for Home Prepared Spice Powder :

Dry roast 1/4 Teaspoon of methi seeds, 3 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 6 to 7 byadagi red chilly, 1/2 Teaspoon of jeera, 1/2 teaspoon of urid dal, 1/2 teaspoon of channa dal, an inch of cinnamon piece, 2 to 3 tablespoons of copra. (Dried coconut pieces) and handful of curry leaves with little ingh.
Dry roast one by one and let it cool. Dry grind and powder to get home prepared spice powder.

Little Millet & Walnut Laddu

Happy Deepavali to One and All. These Little Millet Laddus are specially prepared for Jayashree Trao's Deepavali special post.
Thanks to Jayashree Trao. She has asked us to join her, for posting recipes for Deepavali. It is a good gesture and nature. Thanks Jayashree and I feel very happy to be part of it.

Deepavali is here and the celebration starts. The sweets and savoury dishes pour and you need to start preparing them ahead of the festival. Exchanging/distributing/serving all turns you into world of "JOY".
Once you start preparing sweet the festive moods already starts and the sweet wave brings you happiness around you.
Preparing sweets is fun. Let us keep in mind and prepare some healthy dishes too. Here is such one and I love to prepare these sweet round balls/laddu/Laadu/Unde as it is easy, healthy and quick. These Little Millet Laddu is filled with Healthy nutritions and you can enjoy them at any time of the day.
I have used little millet, jaggery, walnuts, coconut and cardamom. Added some raisins and cashews.
Little millet is one of the millet which is gluten free and loaded with minerals and healthy properties.
It is known as " Same " in Kannada and is a spoken language of Karnataka /India.
Let us see the recipe Now:

Ingredients :

Same/Little millet : 2 Cups
Walnuts : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1 Cup (Powdered)
Cardamom : 6 to 8 pods
Dry coconut /Copra : 1
Cashews and Raisins : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Ghee : 1/2 Cup

Method :

1. Clean and dry roast little millet nicely till the raw smell disappear. Let it cool.
2. Cut or grate coconut in to small pieces and dry grind into powder consistency.
3. Remove the cardamom pods and powder the pods.
4. Now dry grind walnuts nicely and keep it aside.
5. Dry grind roasted little millet and cardamom pods and keep it aside.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery. Put 1/4 cup of water and let jaggery melt completely.
7. Sieve melted jaggery with a strainer and remove all the dust particles.
8. Put cleaned jaggery mixture in a big pan and let it boil and it starts to bubble up.
9. Stir in between and check for one thread consistency. ( just 2 to 3 minutes after bubbles).
10. Add powdered little millet and stir nicely and let it mix it well. Add powdered walnuts mixture.
11. Mix it well and add coconut mixture and put off the fire.
12. Shift the ready mixture to a big bowl.
11. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put 2 tablespoons of ghee, cashews and raisins.
12. Fry till raisins turn golden brown. Put these ghee fried nuts to little millet mixture.
13. Add remaining ghee and mix it well. Take a small portion of the mixture and prepare laddu.
14. Repeat the same and prepare remaining laddus
15. Arrange them in a tray and let it completely cool.

16. Shift the laddus to an airtight bottle box. Serve as you wish.

Note :

Be careful while preparing jaggery syrup consistency. Do not over boil. Laddu turns very hard and is difficult to make into small portions while eating. Prepare it on low and medium flame. Add more ghee if you find hard to prepare laddu. You can also use warm milk instead of ghee but the shelf stay of laddu is short when you use milk. So ghee is a  good option. Adding more jaggery is optional. Adding normal coconut instead of dry coconut is optional. Adding ghee helps the laddu to be soft and tasty.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 20 to 25 Laddus/Laadu/Unde.


Sending this above recipe to : for Deepavali sweets

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