Watermelon Rind - Cow Pea Curry

Watermelon Rind - Cow Pea Curry is simple and healthy curry which goes well with all the main dishes.

In this hot summer we do buy and eat watermelon. We can use the rind and prepare many dishes, curries, dosa and dry curries. Watermelon rind is full of fiber, rich with vitamins and minerals.
I have used watermelon rind, cow peas, some simple spices and coconut.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Watermelon Rind : 2 Cups
Cow Peas : 1 Cup
Basale stems : 1 Handful (Optional)
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Sambar Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Methi /Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Mango pieces : 1 Tbs
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch.

Method :

1. Wash and soak cow peas over night and keep it aside.
2. Peel off the outer layer of watermelon and cut the rind into small pieces.
3. Now cook watermelon rind and cow peas with handful of basale stem. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Grate coconut and grind it with half tsp of jeera, 1 tbs of sambar powder. Use required water to grind.

5. Keep a big pan on the fire and add cooked ingredients. Add cut mango pieces.

6. Add required water, salt, fenugrik seeds and pinch of turmeric powder. Mix it well and boil for a minute.

7. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it nicely and slowly. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. stir in between and cook.

8.Shift the ready curry to a serving dish and add coconut oil seasoned mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves.

9. Serve with any main dish of your choice.

Note :

Watermelon should be cooked till soft.  Using pressure cooker is a good idea to cook watermelon rind. Pressure cook watermelon rind for 5 to 6 minutes.
It is always better to use pressure cooker to cook peas and other pulses, except moong dal. Use of tamarind instead of raw mango pieces is optional.
I used basale /Malabar leaves stems since I had it. It is purely optional to use any edible leaves.
Use of any brand sambar powder is optional. I used home prepared Sambar Powder.
Use of garlic and onion is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Home made Sambar Powder :

Dry roast/fry with a tsp of oil, 1/4 tsp of methi seeds, 2 tbs of coriander seeds, 5 to 6 byadagi chilly, 1/2 tsp of urid dal and 1/2 tsp of jeera/cumin seeds on low flame. Add a pinch of ingh/asafoetida and curry leaves. Dry grind when it is cooled or grind it with 2 to 3 tbs of fresh coconut gratings.
We normally fry the spices when we prepare the curry. It is fresh, aromatic and healthy.
The above said sambar powder is enough for 1 time only.

Ragi - Urid Dosa

Dose or dosa is normally a breakfast food and most of us do eat them as snack in the evening
also.
Varieties of dosas are prepared these days. I still sick in to my style of preparing healthy dosas.
This time it is Ragi - Urid dal dosa which can be prepared easily and stay healthy.

I have used ragi flour, medium size rava and urid dal.
You should eat this dose when it is hot. It taste good even when it turns cool. But it is always good to eat food when it is hot. You can prepare this Ragi - Urid dose in the evening when kids come back from home. It is good for diabetic people and diet friendly too.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Urid dal : 1/2 Cup
Ragi Flour : 2 Cups
Toor dal : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : To taste.
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and soak urid dal and toor dal for 2 hours. Grind it with required water till it turn paste consistency.
2. Remove the batter to a big bowl.
3. Take a big bowl and add 2 cups of ragi flour in it. Mix the flour with a glass of water nicely. Add salt.

4. Add ground urid dal mixture to the big bowl. Add a fistful of rava. (2 to 3 tablespoons).

5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and allow it to ferment for the night or 5 to 6 hours.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil on the top of the pan and clean it out with a kitchen tissue.
7. Take a ladle full of ragi dosa batter and pour it on the tava. ( Reduce the heat to low while spreading the batter on tava). Spread it nicely around the pan.
8. Sprinkle oil on the top and let it cook on medium flame and low flame.
9. Turn the other side and cook for a minute. Ragi - Urid Dose is ready to eat. Prepare remaining dosas the same way.

10. Serve Ragi - Urid Dosa with your favourite side dish. Put a tsp of ghee just before serving.

Note :

The batter should be fermented well. Add little rava so that dosa gets crispiness. Do not add any other ingredients. Do not add Cooking Soda and any other mixture to it.\
Adding little ghee on the top of Dosa increased the taste. Do not add more oil while cooking dosa.
Time : Soaking urid and toor dal .= Over Night or 5 to 6 hours.
Preparing dosa : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 People.