Mixed Dals and Bottle Gourd Curry

Mixed dals and Bottle Gourd Curry is a side dish and is easy to prepare and yummy to have.
I have just tried this curry and You can also try and enjoy your main dish with this yummy curry.

I have used Channa Dal, Moong dal and toor dal, bottle gourd and some spices. I has some mango fruits brought from Udyavara. Instead of tamarind pulp a slice of mango fruit is used. It gave a good taste of sweet and aroma to the curry.
Curry powder/ Sambar powder is having a little bit of cinnamon in it. The aroma adds to the taste and helps the food to digest easily.
Dals are rich protein content and it provides good energy to our body. Bottle gourd is rich in fiber and good content of minerals and vitamins. It helps to control the blood sugar in our body.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this curry.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Chana dal : 1/4 Cup
Moong dal : 1/4 Cup
Toor Dal : 1/4 Cup
Bottle Gourd : 1 Bowl (Half of 1 medium size Bottle Gourd).
Mango Fruit : 1 Big slice
Green chilly : 2
Ginger grated : 1 Teaspoon
To Add :
Salt : As required
Curry Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves
Coconut : 1 Tablespoon (Optional)
Seasoning : 
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and cook dals separately and keep it aside.

2. Wash and peel off the thin outer layer and cut into small pieces.
3. Wash and slit green chilly, peel off outer layer of ginger and grate it.

4. Put bottle gourd pieces, slit green chilly, grated ginger and a piece of mango in a pressure cooker and cook. Let it cool down.

5.Keep a big pan on the fire and heat. Add cooked bottle gourd pieces mixture, cooked dals and salt. Mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add curry powder and a pinch of turmeric powder and mix it well. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and shift the curry to a serving dish.

7. Add mustard, jeera, ingh, curry leaves seasoning done in coconut oil and add it to the curry.

8. Add 1 tablespoon of grated fresh coconut and serve. We had this curry for lunch.

Note :

Use of any curry powder is optional.
Adding fruit mango pieces is optional. You can add tamarind pulp and little jaggery.
Use of any cooking oil is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Home made curry powder :

2 tbs of coriander seeds, 1/4 ts of methi seeds, 1/4 tsp of urid dal, 1/2 tsp of cumin /jeera seeds, a very small piece of cinnamon and  3 t 4 byadagi chilly. Dry roast on low flame and dry grind it. Adding ingh and curry leaves while roasting /frying is optional.

Just enough for 1 time. 

Nendra baale Sheera/Kesari Baath

Nendra Baale /Nendra Bananan is a type of Banana, and is fiber rich, filled with Vitamins, Minerals and other healthy sources. I have tried Sheera /Kesari Baath using this Nendra Banana.

We from Dakshina Kannada make use of this banana. We do eat this banana, when it is fully ripen, steamed Nendra Bale is good for health. Preparing varieties of dishes like payasa/kheer, dosa and jamoon, just shallow fry in ghee. The ghee fried Nendra banana is good for kids and the people who suffer from anemia. It is full of energy and provides vitamins and minerals.
I have already tried shallow fried bananas, mild spicy dosa, jamoon and now this time it is used in Sheera/Kesari baath. Kesari baath is well known dish for every one in India. Some call it as Sheera.

Let us see some benefits of eating Nendra Banana in our diet.

Nendra banana is provides energy and people do steam and have it for their breakfast. It is also given to small children with honey or sugar.
Nendra Banana is full of vitamins and minerals as I said earlier. It is a rich source of Vitamin C, potassium and other vitamins and minerals. They do help to maintain good health. The fruit's sweetness is balanced with fiber and helps to maintain healthy blood glucose level.
I have used medium sized Rava/Rave/ Semolina / Sooji, sugar, ghee, 1 Nendra Banana, cardamom and dry fruits like cashews, raisins and Saffron.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Rava /Sooji /Semolina :  1 1/2 Cups
Sugar : 1 1/2  Cups
Ghee : 3/4 Cup
Nendra Banana : 1 Big size
Cashews : 2 Tbs
Raisins : 2 to 3 Tbs
Cardamom : 5 to 6 pods
Saffron : 5 to 6 Rakes
Boiling Water : 3 Cups

Method :

1. Powder Cardamom and keep it aside. Peel off Nendra banana skin and cut into circle shape.
2. Keep a pan on the fire and put 2 to 3 tbs of ghee to it. Let it melt.
3. Add cashews and raisins and fry till the raisins get fluffy.

4   Fry Nendra banana pieces in ghee separately and keep it aside.
5. Add rava and fry till the raw smell disappear.

6.. Now add fried bananas and mix rava nicely.

7. Add boiling water and mix it slowly. Keep the flame very low while you pour boiling water.
8. Stir continuously till it turns thick.

9.  Once Rava gets thick, add sugar and mix it slowly. It turns as liquid.
10. Stir slowly and increase the flame to medium.

11. Sheera gets thick. Stir and add powdered cardamom, saffron flakes and remained ghee.

12. Stir slowly and leave it for a minute. Shift the ready Sheera/Kesari baath to a serving dish. We had this sheera with Coconut Uppittu.

Note :
Fry on low flame to get good texture. Fry rava till the raw smell disappear. Adding more ghee to kesari is optional. Adding kesari colour instead of saffron is optional. Fry Nendra bale nicely in a tsp of ghee before you add it to rava.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5 .