Energy Laddu

Energy Laddu /Laadu /Unde is an easy dish and it helps to keep you full and provides energy. These energy laddu is prepared using dry coconut, jaggery, poppy seeds, oats, almonds, raisins and little ghee.

These laddu/laadu/unde is full of nutritious and healthy. Eating a laadu keeps you full for a long time. These Energy Laadu can be taken for travelling, kids snack box, kids parties and ladies kitty party.
These Energy Laddu is diabetic friendly and it has oats.

Lets see some benefits of eating poppy seeds in our diet.
Poppy seeds are filled with medicinal values. They helps to keep our mind and body cool. They are filled with anti-oxidants and a mono saturated fatty acid called Oleic acid. It helps in lowering the bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol level in blood. Poppy seeds have good source of dietary fiber.It is good for people who suffer from constipation. Poppy seeds are filled with B -complex vitamins. They contain good amounts of minerals like, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. Copper helps in the production of red blood cells. Potassium helps in regulating heart rate and blood pressure. It is good for soothing nervous irritability and act as pain killers. Poppy seeds are used in many traditional medicines and in the preparation of cough mixture.
Let is see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Oats : 400 Grams
Almonds : 1 Small cup / 15 to 20 pods
Jaggery : 1 big cup 150 to 200 grams
Raisins : 1 Small cup
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Dry coconut : 1 ( Small one )
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Home made Rose Gulkand : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Dry roast oats for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes off. Dry grind once it is cooled.

2. Cut dry coconut into small pieces.

3. Dry grind almonds, dry coconut and oats like powder consistency.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery and 1/4 cup of plain water. Let jaggery melt completely.
5. Let it boil and get one thread consistency. Stir in between and let it boil for another 2 to 3 minutes on low and medium flame. Add home made gulkand at this point. Mix it well. ( Optional ).

6. Put off the fire and keep the jaggery melted pan down. Add powdered oats, almonds, coconut, raisins and 2 tablespoons of ghee.

7. Mix all the ingredients nicely and take a small amount of the mixture and make laddu/laadu/unde.

8. Prepare more laddus and arrange it in a big bowl or tray.
9. Sprinkle poppy seeds on them and slowly turn the bowl, roll laddu and make the unde to get proper puppy seeds on each laddu.

10 Let all the laddus cool a bit. Now you can put them in a box and serve when ever you want.
11. 40 Laddus can be prepared.

12. Put them in a steel box and store. This Laddu can be kept for a week.

Note :

It is a must to use completely dry coconut.
I have used organic jaggery from Udupi. So did not filter the jaggery water. Used it directly.
Use of more ghee is optional. Use of gulkand is optional. Gulkand adds to the taste and aroma.
Add more ghee on the top of the mixture and prepare laddu quickly or add little warm milk and prepare laddu.
Time : 30 to 40 Minutes.
Serves : 40 Small Laddu can be prepared.
Purely Indian Sweet/Desert/ Energy Laddu.

Udupi Style Lady's Finger Curry /ಬೆಂಡೆಕಾಯಿ ಹುಳಿ

Lady finger/Bendekai /bendi is one of the wonderful vegetable that most of us like to eat. It has got loads of nutrients and medicinal values. This Lady Finger Curry is one of the traditional dish that prepared regularly in Udupi homes. These Bendekai/Lady's finger is brought all the way from Udupi.

Recently I had been to Udupi/Udyavara for my aunt's one year rituals. The time one year has already passed but she is in our heart  and will remain as such sweet memory.
Udupi  car street was full of life because of Shri Krishna Janmastami/Gokulastami festival and the whole Udupi is lightened up. People were busy buying the things they want for the next day festival. Loads and loads of vegetables and fruits, flowers all over around car street. We had been for lunch in Bhojana Shale as Saturday lunch is so auspicious. God bless one and all. While coming back to Udyava/sister's house, we got this Ooru Bendekai/Lady's finger grown around Udupi and Mangalore.
I have used Bendekai, tamarind, jaggery and some simple spices.
This is one of the traditional dish from Udupi.
No Onion OR Garlic is used in this Lady's Finger Curry.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Lady's Finger /Bendekai : 5 to 6
Tamarind pulp : 2 Tablespoons
Jaggery : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Green chilly : 1
To Grind :
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera/ Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red byadagi chilly : 4 to 5
To Season :
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method : 

1. Soak marble size of tamarind in warm water and squeeze out the pulp. Keep the pulp aside.
2. Wash and clean the bendekai/Lady's finger and just wipe out the moisture from each lady's finger.
3. Cut lady's finger into small pieces ( an inch ) and keep it aside.

4. Put tamarind pulp in a pan and keep it on the fire.
5. Add salt, turmeric powder and a small piece of jaggery. Let it boil nicely.

6. Keep another pan on the fire, add mustard seeds and let mustard seeds splutter.
7. Add curry leaves and fry for 2 to 3 seconds.
8. Add lady's finger now and fry on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes on medium and low flame.

9. Now add this fried lady's finger pieces to tamarind water. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
10. Let Lady's finger turn slightly fried.

11. Grate coconut and grind it with raw coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red byadagi chilly.
12. Add required water and grind till paste. Remove the coconut mixture from the mixi jar.

13. Now add ground coconut mixture to cooked lady's finger and mix it well. Add slit green chilly.

 14. Add required water and mix it well. Let it boil on medium flame. Add salt if required.
Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at bottom.

  15. Shift Lady's finger curry to a serving dish and add cut coriander leaves.
16. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

 Note : 

Do not cut lady's finger when they have moisture on them. Wash it nicely and then clean it with a clean dry towel.
Fry lady's finger pieces nicely in little oil and then add / prepare curry of your choice.
Boil tamarind water with salt and turmeric and then add lady's finger pieces and then cook, so that you will not get sticky substance or your curry will not turn as sticky content.
Adding handful of cooked toor dal helps the curry to bind with coconut mixture or use little more coconut to get the thick curry. I have used a handful of cooked dal to this curry.
Adding more /less chilly is optional.
Adding jaggery to the curry is optional. It helps to avoid gas formation in the curry.
Do not roast or fry the spices. This is raw spice curry and easy to prepare.
Time.: 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.