Kumbalakkayi majjige huli( Ash gourd butter milk curry)

Majjige huli is a very popular dish in Karnataka, with mild gravy, prepared using ash gourd, coconut, butter milk and minimum spices.  Since ash gourd is a very low calorie vegetable, its good for diabetic patients and helps in weight loss.

ingredients

Ash gourd                           --      250 gm

Grated coconut                 --       ½ cup

Green chilly                        --       4 to 5

Bengal gram/chana  dal   --       1 tbsp

Jeera                                    --       1 tsp

Mustard seeds                   --       ½ tsp

Coriander seeds                --        2 tsp

Turmeric powder              --        a pinch

Butter milk                         --        1  cup

Curry leaves few

Salt to taste

Method

Soak Bengal gram/chana dal in ¼ cup of water for 30 minutes.  Remove skin of ash gourd then cut into cubes.   Then pressure cook it with pinch of turmeric powder and salt for 1-2 whistles.  Grind coconut, soaked channa dal, green chillies, coriander seeds and jeera into fine paste.   Add this to cooked ash gourd, boil till its gravy becomes thick.  Then add butter milk and boil for few seconds.  Heat oil in seasoning pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves.  Pour this on the curry.  Serve Kumbalakkayi majjige huli with steamed rice.

Jeere Saaru/ Jeera Rasam

Ingredients

Grated coconut                --    2tbsp

Jeera                                   --    1tsp

Green chilli                        --    5 to 6

Turmeric powder             --     ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds                  --    1tsp

Curry leaves few

Salt to taste  

Method

Slit green chillies, add salt and  1 cup of water and boil for 5 minutes.  Grind grated coconut, turmeric powder and jeera into fine paste.  Add this to green chilli water and boil  for 5 min. then give tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves.

MATHANGA ERISSERY (Kerala style Pumpkin Erissery)

Ingredients

Van Payar (Red Lobia)    --  ¼ cup

Pumpkin                            --   ½ kg

Grated coconut                --   1 cup

Garlic flakes                      --  2 to 3

Red chillies                        --  5 to 6

Jeera                                   --  ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder             --  ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds                  --  1 tsp

Curry leaves                      --  few

Salt to taste

Method

Soak lobia overnight, then pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles and keep aside.  Cut pumpkin into small pieces, add turmeric powder and salt, pressure cook for one whistle.   

Take ½ cup of grated coconut, garlic, jeera and red chillies into paste.  Add this masala to cooked pumpkin and lobia.  Boil it for few minutes.  Meanwile, dry roast ½ cup of grated coconut, sprinkle roasted coconut over the curry and give thadka of custard and curry leaves.

Yummy mathanga erissery ready.

TAKKA POLO (BUTTERMILK DOSA)

Ingredients

Boiled rice                                  --  1 cup

Raw rice                                      --  1 cup

Grated coconut                         --  ¼ cup

Butter milk                                 --  ½  cup

Green chilly                                --   3-4

Salt to taste

Method

Soak raw rice and boiled rice for 2-3 hours.  Then grind it with butter milk, green chilly, grated coconut and salt into fine paste.

Heat tawa spread dosa batter, add little coconut oil over it, cover the lid, cook for few minutes,  turn it and cook for few minutes.

You can have it as it is or with any side dish or chutney.

TANDOORI JHEENGA

Ingredients

Jheenga (Jumbo Prawns)   --   15 nos

Butter                                   

For 1^st Marination :-

Lemon juice                           --  60 ml

Red chilly powder                --  2-3 tsp

Garlic paste                           --  5 tsp

Ginger paste                         --   3 tsp

Salt to taste

For 2^nd Marination :-

Hung curd                              --  100 gm

Carom seed (ajwain)           --   a pinch

Garam masala                      --    2 tsp

Method

Cut and clean the prawns and keep aside.  For the 1^st marination,  mix all  the ingredients in a bowl and evenly rub the prawns with this marinate and keep aside for 15 mts.

Then for 2^nd marination, put the hung curd in a bowl, add remaining ingredients, mix it gently, then add marinated prawns, mix it well, keep in Refrigerator for minimum 1 hour.

 Heat tawa, grease butter on tawa, then keep all the prawns, then baste with butter and roast again for a few minutes both sides.

Healthy yummy Tandoori Jheenga ready to eat.

Note:- for best result charcoal grill can be used for this. Here I used iron tawa.

ORU VADAKKAN MUTTA PORICHATHU/ EGG FRY

INGREDIENTS

Boiled egg                            --  5 nos

Garlic cloves                        --  5 to 6(finely chopped)

Mustard seeds                    --  ½ tsp

Curry leaves                        --   a few leaves

Turmeric powder               --   ¼ tsp

Coriander powder             --    1 tsp

Chilly powder                     --    2 tsp

Pepper powder                  --   ½ tsp

Garam masala                    --   ¼ tsp

Cooking oil                          --  2 tbsp (preferably coconut oil)

Coriander leaves                -- 1-2 tbsp finely chopped

Salt to taste                                              

Method

Heat oil in a thick bottom pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutter, add garlic and curry leaves. Fry till light brown.

Simmer the gas, add chilly powder, coriander powder, and salt and fry for few seconds(make sure it does not get burnt).

Then sprinkle little water, cut boiled eggs into halves, slowly place them over the masala.   Sprinkle garam masala and pepper powder, mix it slowly, so that masala gets coated evenly.

Finally sprinkle coriander leaves and roast it for few seconds.

This can be had as side dish for chapathi or rice or as a starter also.

EGG MASALA WITH COCONUT MILK

Ingredients

Egg                                         --  4 nos

Onion                                    --  2 medium sized

Green chilly                         --   3 – 4

Curry leaves                        --   2 springs

Garlic paste                         --  2 tsp

Ginger paste                       --  2 tsp

Turmeric powder               -- ¼ tsp

Chilly powder                     --  1 tbsp

Pepper powder                  --  1 tsp

Garam masala                    --  1 tsp

Coriander powder             --  1 tbsp

Tomato                                --  2 medium

Coriander leaves                --  1 tbsp chopped

Thick coconut milk            --  1 cup

Oil for cooking

Salt to taste

Method

Boil eggs and keep aside.  Heat oil in a kadai, add thinly sliced onions, fry little, add chopped green chilly, curry leaves, little salt, fry till onion turns light brown.  Add ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute, then add turmeric powder, chilly powder, pepper powder, coriander powder and  garam masala and fry for 3-4 minutes, then add chopped tomatoes and fry till tomato gets cooked.  Once tomato is cooked, add little water, add salt to taste, bring it to boil then add boiled eggs(give cuts to the eggs so that masala gets coated evenly).

Then add chopped coriander leaves and thick coconut milk. Gently mix it with gravy, once it boils switch off the flame.

Serve with ghee rice or roti or appam.

KAALI THORI ANI BIMBUL GALNU SARSHI

Ingredients

Kaali thori (black pigeon pea)  --  1 glass

Bimbul (tree sorrel)                    --   5 – 6

Chilly powder                               --  1 tbsp

Crushed garlic flakes                  -- 6 – 8

Salt to taste

Oil for seasoning

Method

Soak pigeon pea for 3 -4 hours(or soak in hot water for one hour)

Pressure cook soaked black pigeon pea and bimbul and salt for 5-6 whistles.  Let it cool for sometime.  In a seasoning pan, take little oil, add crushed garlic, fry till light brown, then lower the flame, add chilly powder, fry for a second, pour it over cooked pea mixture and boil for 5 to 10 mts.

Yummy thori sarshi is ready to serve with boiled rice.

Optional :- you can add jack fruit seeds at the time of cooking the pigeon pea.

SANJEERA

Sanjeera is a sweet Puri with the  stuffing of rawa, sugar powder and cardamom powder.  Its very common snack in Manglore, Udupi area.  I learnt this recipe from my maternal Grand mother.

Ingredients

For Puri batter:-

·       Maida                                 -- 1 cup

·       Oil                                        --  2 tbsp

·       Salt to taste

·       Turmeric powder              --  a pinch

For stuffing :-

·       Bombay rawa                      --  1 cup

·       Sugar powder                      -- ¼- ½  cup

·       Cardamom powder            --  ½ tsp

Method

Take one bowl, add maida, heat 2 tbsp of oil, pour this maida, add pinch of turmeric and salt, add little water knead sticky dough.  Keep aside of at least one or 2 hours.

For stuffing:- Mix rawa, sugar powder and cardamom power and keep aside.

Divide the dough into lemon sized balls and prepare small puris,  stuff the puris with rawa mixture in the centre of the puris and seal the edges tightly.  Dust plain flour and roll into puris, heat oil and fry till it turns golden brown.

You can keep this puris for 3-4 days.

BROCCOLI-PANEER PHANNA UPKARI BREAD PIZZA

My twist to pizza with Konkani flavours.

INGREDIENTS

1.   Multi grain bread                   --  1 pack

2.   Mozarella cheese grated      --  1 cup

3.   Butter                                      

For sauce

Onion chopped                               --  2

Tomatoes chopped                        --  2 or 3

Tomato sauce                                  --  1 tbsp

Chilly powder                                  --  2 tsp

Paneer small pieces                       --  1 cup

Broccoli                                             --   ½ cup

Oregano/pizza seasoning              --   2 tsp

Garam masala                                  --    ¼ tsp

Garlic                                                  --    3-4 cloves

Salt to taste                                     

Method

Heat butter in pan, add crushed garlic,  add onion fry till light pink, add tomatoes fry for 2 minutes, add chilly powder, garam masala fry for a minute add broccoli and paneer pieces, mix well, add tomato sauce and little water, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Heat tawa, apply little butter to bread, slightly roast 1 side, then add masala and grated cheese and sprinkle little oregano, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Phanna upkari pizza is ready to serve.