Snake Gourd Dry Curry

Snake Gourd / Padavala Kai is one of the healthy vegetable and is full of nutritious. We should have these fiber rich vegetables in our diet regularly.

I have tried Snake Gourd Dry Curry, using jeera/cumin seeds/fennel seeds and little mustard seeds.
Added coconut to add the taste and good vitamins.
Udupi Taste Snake Gourd Dry Curry is one of the traditional dish prepared during any festival or feast. We do not use onions or garlic usually in our dishes.
Let us see this simple recipe.
NO ONION or NO GARLIC IS USED IN THIS DRY CURRY.

Ingredients : 

Snake Gourd : 1 ( Small one )
Coconut : 1/2 Cup /2 to 3 Tablespoons
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Sambar Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly Powder : 1/2 Tsp
Salt : As required
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
 To Season : 
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Wash and cut snake gourd into very small pieces. Wash curry leaves and coriander leaves.
2. Grate coconut and grind it with sambar powder, red chilly powder and mustard seeds. Remove the ground mixture from the jar and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add coconut oil and mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
4. Add curry leaves. Add cut snake gourd pieces and mix it well.
5. Add required water and cook till they turn soft.

6. Add salt. Add little turmeric powder and stir nicely.
7. Add ground coconut mixture and let mix it well. Let it cook on low flame till all the moisture disappear.

9. Shift it to a serving dish, add cut coriander leaves and serve as one of the side dish.

Note :

You can use pressure cooker to cook snake gourd pieces.Do not over cook.
Adding more /less green chilly is optional. Use of jaggery is optional. Use of any cooking oil instead of coconut oil is optional.
Time : 15 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Kesu Spicy Curry /Karakali

Kesu Spicy Curry are simple and an easy dish.

In Facebook page there is one ladies group called " Pakashale/ಪಾಕಶಾಲೆ and me also the member of that group. I like that group because there are so many ladies who give good suggestions,tips and put up their recipes too. I read this recipe there and tried it. It is simple as we also do the same but something little different. Malini Guruprasad one of the Pakashale member has done this Karakali and she had put up the recipe in Pakashale Page.
We normally cook Kesu leaves with tamarind pulp and green chilly and then grind it as chutney. It can be done both the ways like adding the fresh grated coconut or without coconut. Both are yummy to have with plain rice and coconut oil. The chutney with out coconut is known as KARAKALI. Some people use garlic while seasoning and some add ingh/asafoetida since they do not eat garlic.
But this recipe is still simple. You just cook till it the leaves turn soft. Thats it. Karakali is ready to eat. Here too people who like garlic use garlic while seasoning and some ingh/ asafoetida.
Let us see the recipes now :

Kesu /Colocasia Spicy Gojju :

Things Needed :
Kesu leaves : 10 to 15 Leaves
Green chilly : 2 to 3 or 4
Tamarind Pulp : 2 To 3 tablespoons
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A little
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry leaves : 4 to 5

Method :

1. Wash and cut kesu leaves and its stems into small. ( Remove the outer thread if the stems are big and grown.
2. Soak half lemon size tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp. Keep the pulp aside.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add coconut oil and heat. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4. Add washed and slit green chilly and fry for a minute. Add ingh and curry leaves.
5. Add cut Kesu /Colocasia leaves and stir a bit. Add turmeric powder, tamarind pulp and required salt.
6. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix all the ingredients nicely and let it cook till the leaves are soft.
7. Shift the curry to a serving dish once it is done.

Note :

Adding tamarind pulp will help to remove the itchyness in Kesu leaves. Do not add any jaggery to it. It should be spicy. We used ghee while eating instead of coconut oil. Coconut oil just got over. Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 2.