Dates - Coconut Holige

Holige./Pooran Poli or Sweet Chapati as kids call it is a sweet dish. Normally done during the festivals or Wedding feast. It is some thing parata , sweet content is stuffed inside the layer of wheat or Maida. Maida has a quality to bind it well (full of gluten) and it can be spread it easily without much difficult. Maida is used in bread, buns, chapatis and Holige etc. These days people like us are conscious and do not want much maida in the diet. I normally prefer Wheat or Semolina instead of Maida. Anyways it one's choice to use what they want. It is not a big issue here right?

Let me tell you about this Dates- Coconut Holige which is very yummy and perfect feast food that I have prepared it for Soura Yugadi Festival. We all joined together, my son Ravi, his wife Vidya (our daughter in law ) and myself could do it in faster mode. When one is there to help it works out very easy and not tiresome. And when the whole family sit to have food together thats a great moment for the family. That is my feeling.
Lets say it is an easy and yummy dish as I said earlier I made it as a healthy holige. I used jaggery and dates instead of sugar, wheat and chiroti rava (thin semolina) and very little of oil.
Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

For Stuffing :
Coconut : 2
Dates : 1 Cup
Jaggery :2 to 3 Tablespoons (Grated)
Cardamom :  3 to 4 pods.
Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
For the outer layer :
Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Chiroti Rava/Thin variety of Semolina  : 1/2 Cup
Salt : very little (2 pinch)
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :
1. Take a big bowl. Add wheat flour, turmeric powder and chiroti rava. Mix it well.
2. Add required water and prepare the dough. ( The consistency should be like chapati dough).
3. Add a tablespoon of oil on the top and keep it aside for 2 to 3 hours.

4. Remove seeds from dates. Smash or powder dates.
5. Grate or powder jaggery. Powder cardamom.

6. Grate coconut ( better use dried coconut/Copra). Powder it in mixi jar.

7. Now mix dates, powdered coconut, grated jaggery.
8. Keep this mixed jaggery content on the low flame and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add poppy seeds. Add powdered cardamom.
9. Let it mix it well. Remove from the pan and mix it well using your fingers.

10. Divide this mixture into small balls.
11. Now take the chapati dough and mix it well and divide this also into small ball size.

12. Keep little dry wheat flour in  a bowl.
13. Take a small portion of chapati dough and spread it on your pal.
14. Place a portion of sweet dates coconut hoorana. Cover it nicely.

15. Press it slightly and dip in dry wheat flour and roll is slowly into circle shape.

16. Keep a tava on the fire. Heat. Put the rolled holige on the tava and cook on both sides.
17. You can sprinkle oil if you want.  Holige is ready to eat.

18. Serve Holige with a spoon of fresh ghee on the top.

Note : 

You can add more oil while preparing chapati dough. ( We have not used). You can also use sugar instead of jaggery and dated. Let the dates smashed well or you find it difficult to roll holige.
You can also use maida instead of wheat flour. (Optional). Use of wheat flour is a healthy optional. No need to stir coconut and other ingredients for a long time . Just 2 to 3 minutes will do.
Time : Dough Resting time : 2 houes+ The whole process - 30 to 40 minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5

Snake Guard ( Paduvala Kai ) sweet Curry..

Snake Gourd/Padavalakai/padangalkai is normally good in rainy season. We can prepare curries, dry curries and even payasa/Kheer. We do prepare sweet curry using this vegetable. The curry is mildly spicy and is full of cream texture because of coconut/coconut milk.

Padavalakai sweet curry is an easy dish and goes well with almost all the main dishes like plain rice, idli, dosa, chapati, poories. It is one of our favourite dish too. It is one of the traditional dish of South Canara (Udiupi /Karnataka/India. It is mostly served as one of the side dish.
This is one of my older post and I thought I will just add the pics and update the recipe.
Lets see the recipe now: As I said it earlier It is a mild and sweet curry. I have used snake gourd, coconut and some simple spices for seasoning.
Let us see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

Snake guard : 1 ( Medium size )

Coconut : 4 Table spoons. ( Fresh and grated)
Cashew nuts : 4 to 5 pods

Jaggery : 2 Table spoons (grated or powdered)

Salt : to taste

Ghee: 1 Table spoon.

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon

Urd Daal 1/2 tea spoon

Curry Leaves : 4 to 6

Red chillies : 2 to 3

Water : Required..

Method:

1. Wash and cut Snake Guard in to small pieces and cook with required water till is is soft.

2. Grind coconut and cashew nuts nicely with little water and keep it aside.

3. Now keep the pan on the fire. Put a table spoon of ghee and add mustard seeds. red chilly and urid dal.
4. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and stir a bit. Add cooked vegetables and mix it well.

5. Add jaggery, turmeric powder (a pinch), and salt. Let it cook for a minute.
6. Add ground coconut and mix it well. Add water if required. (Consistency should be thick).

7. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and shift the curry to a serving dish.
8. Serve with plain rice or any other main dish.

Note :
Cut snake gourd into small pieces. So that it cooks faster and soft too. Adding more/less jaggery is optional. No need to add any green chilly. Red chilly taste better. Use of ghee is a must to get the good and best taste. You can also prepare this curry using bottle gourd, watermelon rind and ridge gourd.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3