Sorekai Sihi / Bottle Gourd Sweet Curry

Sorekai/Bottle gourd one of the wonderful, healthy vegetable is available in the market around the year. I do have done many types of curries and chutney using this vegetable. Here is one more curry Sorekai Sihi / Bottle Gourd Sweet Curry,  which is usually prepared during feat / festival.
I have used bottle gourd, fresh grated coconut, little jaggery,  3 to 4 almonds, and seasoned with home made ghee.

 
Let us see some benefits of eating " Fresh Ghee " in our diet.
Ghee is one of the good fat content that our body needs to be fit. They help in easy digestion and rich in the oil soluble Vitamin A and Vitamin E.. It contain anti oxidnt and anti- viral properties. They help and take care of immune system. They have good source of anti inflammatory properties also.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Sorekai /Bottle Gourd : 1 Bowl. ( Half bottle gourd of small size bottle gourd ).
Coconut  5 to 6 Tablespoons
Almonds : 4 to 5 pods.
jaggery : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
For Seasoning :
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 3 to 4
 Curry Leaves. : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd/sorekai and cut into thin /small pieces.
2. Cook with little water. Let it get soft.

3. Grate coconut and grind it with 3 to 4 almonds into thin paste. Add water if required.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked sorekai/bottle gourd pieces.
5. Add salt, little turmeric powder and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add ground coconut - Almond mixture and mix it. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put a tablespoon of ghee. Add mustard seeds, cut red chilly.
8. Let it splutter. Add curry leaves and put off the fire
9. Add this seasoning to Sorekai Sihi./Bottle Gourd Sweet Curry.

10. Serve with hot rice or any other main dish.

Note :

Grind coconut into fine paste. Use only required water to grind. The curry should be thick. Adding almonds helps the curry to be thick. You can use a teaspoon of raw rice. Use of more coconut adds to the taste. Use of ghee adds to the taste. Use of jaggery is optional.
The vegetable should be cooked well. So that it mixes well with gravy.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Millet/Jola - Moong - Urid Dal Dosa

Preparing healthy breakfast is one of the task for ladies who have adopted some healthy concepts. Thinking of healthy, protein rich and yummy dish that should accommodate each member of the family. I my self think some healthy options and do prepare healthy breakfast for my family. This is such one dish which is very healthy.

I have used millet flour, moong dal, urid dal and a special chutney which is very easy to prepare and healthy to eat it.

Having  Pepper in your diet helps to keep away Alzheimer disease.

This dosa is filled with proteins and less carbohydrates and easy to prepare, healthy to have them and is one of the diabetic friendly Dosa.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Moong dal : 1/4 Cup
Urid dal : 1/2 Cup
Millet flour : 1/2 Cup
Pepper pods : 2 to 4.
Salt : As required
Curd : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and soak moong and urid dal together for 2 hours and grind it with 2 to 4 pepper pods.

2.Use required water to grind and remove the batter to a big bowl.

3. Put little water and mix millet flour and add this batter to moong - urid batter. Add required salt,          2 tablespoons of curd and mix it well.

4. Add little water to the batter and mix it well and the consistency should be normal dosa batter.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Clean the pan nicely with a kitchen tissue. ( Let the flame be low ).
6. Take a ladle full of dosa batter and spread it on the pan in circle shape.

7. Sprinkle little oil on the top of dosa and cook on medium and low flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Turn dosa on other side and cook for 20 to 30 seconds.

9. Dosa is ready to serve. Serve with your choice of side dish.

10. Repeat the same with remaining dosa batter.

11. You can ferment the batter for 5 to 6 hours and then prepare dosa. It turns crispy and golden colour.

12. We had these Millet /Jola - Moong - Urid Dal Dosa with  chutney pudi chatney and jaggery. .

Note :

Adding curd to batter turns the batter bit soft. You can add little cooking soda. ( Optional, I have not added). Add little water to millet flour and mix it well and then add it to urid - moong dal batter. It helps to mix all the ingredients well. Use of ghee instead of oil is optional. I have used oil.
Sprinkle water on tava each time and clean the tava, it helps to reduce the heat of the pan and you can spread the batter nicely on tava/pan. One should adjust the batter to dosa batter consistency and then make dosa. Do not pour batter on hot tava, it sticks to the ladle and you may not be able to spread the batter into thin dosa. ( Do not put your weight on ladle.
Sprinkle oil on the dosa not on pan. Sprinkle oil on tava will not allow you to spread the dosa easily. It turns thick  and the batter sticks to ladle. Let the flame be low while pouring the dosa batter to tava. And then spread it easily and lightly.
Time : 2 hours + 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 

Curd - Chutneypudi Chutney :

Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of chutney pudi to 2 to 3 tablespoons of curd and mix it well. Season with mustard, curry leaves and ingh. Add this seasoning and little salt to the chutney you prepared and serve.
Time : 5 Minutes.