Karibevina Anna/ Kadipatta/Curry Leaves Rice

Karibevu/Kadi patta/Curry leaves is a staple ingredient in Indian cooking.Curry leaf is usually used in tempering which adds a special flavour to the dish.But there is more to humble curry leaf than simple flavour.It is packed with loads of vitamins and minerals.It is rich in Iron which helps in treating Anaemia.It is also good in controlling diabetes,cholesterol level in blood and improves digestion.Curry leaf is great for haircare in treating grey hair,dandruff,thinning of hair and maintains a healthy scalp.My mother used to make hair oil by cooking curry leaves in coconut oil along with few methi seeds.So now you know the benefits of curry leaves there is no excuse for you not eat this flavourful herb,so what better than preparing a curry leaves rice...This is a flavourful

rice which is very easy to prepare when you have the powder prepared in advance.This rice is nice way to add curry leaves to your kids diet and ideal for kids lunch box.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice-2cups
Cashewnuts-Few(optional)

For Grinding powder:
Curry leaves/Karibevu-2cups(tightly packed)
Dry red chillies-12 (or to taste)
Dry coconut/Desiccated coconut/Kobri turi-1/4cup
Urad dal-2Tbsp
Channadal-2Tbsp
Toordal-1Tbsp
Cumin seeds/Jeera-1tsp
Peppercorns-1tsp
Garlic-1 or 2 cloves(optional)
Tamarind -thumb size
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
Oil-1Tbsp
Mustard-1/2tsp
Urad dal-1tsp
Curryleaves-few
Hing/Asafoetida-pinch
Dry red chilli-1(Broken into pieces)

Method:
1.Take a fresh curry leaves,wash,drain and pat dry with clean towel and dry thoroughly and spread it on a cotton or a muslin cloth and allow it to dry overnight or if you are lucky enough to get sun then dry it under the sun until they become completely dry.
2.Fry the cashew nuts in a little oil until golden brown take out and keep it aside.
3.In a kadai dry roast all the ingredients except dry coconut and curry leaves,roast them until all the dals become golden brown in colour or until nice aroma comes on a low medium flame.Take out the roasted mixture on a plate,leave the mixture to cool.
4.Now in a same kadai fry coconut and curry leaves separately until coconut become light brown and curry leaves become crisp.Make sure that you fry dry coconut on a low flame because it can be easily burnt within seconds.
5.After all the mixture is cooled thoroughly,mix all the dal mixture,curry leaves and dry coconut  along with salt and dry grind it into a coarse mixture.Store it in a airtight container.It will stay for 2 months in the fridge.
6.Heat a oil in a kadai,add mustard and let them pop then add uraddal,when dal is about to turn the colour add the hing,curry leaves and dry red chilli and takeout of the flame.
7.Add the cooked rice to tempering then on the top of rice add 2-3 Tbsp of curry leaf powder or according to your taste.Now mix rice,powder and tempering thoroughly.
8.Adjust the salt as per your taste,garnish with fried cashews before serving.
9.Serve along with curd rice or on its own.This rice is ideal for travelling and picnics.

Note:
1.Here I have used Byadagi chillies (mild variety),if you like more spice you can add more spicy variety like Guntur chillies.
2.Those who can't find byadagi chillies can use kashmiri chillies.
3.Indtead of fried cashews you can also add fried peanuts.
4.When mixing rice if you find it dry add 1 or 2tsp of oil to mix.
5.Adding garlic to the powder is totally optional.If you make it without garlic,the shelf life will be more.

Water Melon Rind Dosa/Kalangadi Hannina Sippe Dose

As all of us know that most of the fruits nutrition contains in their outer skin,peelings and rind but still most of us discard them and consume only the fruit.Today I am posting this  dosa recipe which is made up of  rind of a watermelon.This recipe is perfect for summer which is lighter and cooling on stomach and easily digestible. The watermelon rind is having lot of health benefits and helps in improving immune system,nervous system and eye health to name a few.

Ingredients:
Rice-2.5cups
Water melon rind-2cups
Fresh coconut-1/4cup
Green chillies-2-3
Cumin/jeera-1tsp
Ginger-small piece
Oil for preparing dosa as required
Salt to taste  

Method:
1.Wash and soak rice for 4-5hours,Grind rice along with coconut,watermelon rind,green chillies,ginger and jeera into fine paste adding little water.
2.Add water to make it thin as buttermilk consistency.
3.Add salt to taste.mix well, no need to ferment.Prepare dosa's like neer dosa.
4.Heat tawa,take a ladle full of batter and spinkle first outwards in a circle then fill the gaps
 evenly,sprinkle little oil over dosa.
5.No need to cook both sides of dosa.Fold twice and serve with coconut chutney or any vegetable side dish.

Note:
1.Don't throw the watermelon peels when you finish the fruit,wash them and carefully 
cut the rind part, the part between the green outer skin and the red part of the fruit.
which is white or pinkish in colour.
2.Chop them into pieces and use.
3.If you want more spice you can use more chilies.
4.No need to ferment the batter,and it will stay in refrigirator for 2-3 days.

Also look for other dosa recipes

Tomato dosa

Mixed Dal dosa

Pesarratu

Masala Dosa

Churmuri Dosa

Onion Uttapam

Neer dosa

Horsegram Dosa

Ragi Dosa

Apricot Salsa

Ingredients:
Apricot,firm ripened ones-6
Red bell pepper-1/2 or small one
Fresh or pickled Jalapeno chillies to taste
Fresh coriander-3-4 sprigs
Lemon or Lime juice-1Tbsp or to taste
Sugar-1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper powder-1/2tsp

Method:
1.Remove the seeds from the apricots and finely chop them.
2.Finely chop the bell pepper,jalapeno and coriander.
3.In a bowl mix chopped apricot, bell pepper,jalapeno, coriander,lime juice, sugar,salt and pepper
mix well.
4.Serve with Tortilla chips or any chips of your choice.

Note:
1.Choose the apricots which are firm and ripen.
2.You can also try this recipe with peaches and nectarines.
3.If the apricots are sour add sugar and lime juice adjust more or 
less accordingly.

Healthy Quinoa Pongal/Huggi/Khichdi

By now you’ve probably know Quinoa, pronounce it as (“keen-wah”).Quinoa is a quick-cooking, gluten-free whole grain (actually a pseudo whole-grain, because it’s cooked like a whole grain but is the seed of a beet relative). Quinoa grows in a rainbow of colors, but the most commonly available are red quinoa, black quinoa and white quinoa. Taste and nutrition are similar among the colors. White quinoa tends to cook up fluffier, while red quinoa and black quinoa have a crunchier texture and the grains don’t stick together as much.It has a lovely nutty taste and delicate popping texture. If you can cook rice, you can cook quinoa. Here’s the simplest way to cook quinoa: Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water  in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.Fluff with a fork before serving.Quinoa is nutritionally renowned for its protein content and while it does have a decent amount, it’s not actually the amount of protein that’s so impressive. Instead it’s the type of protein. Quinoa has the perfect balance of all nine amino acids essential for human nutrition. This type of complete protein is rarely found in plant foods, though common in meats. Quinoa also offers a good dose of fiber and iron. You can try many indian dishes as substitute for wheat and rice.Source info:online and wiki.

Ingredients:
Quinoa-1/2cup
Moongdal/hesarubele/Split greengram
Ghee-1Tbsp
Mustard-1tsp
Jeera/Cumin-1/2tsp
Methi -10seeds
Asafoetida-pinch
Pepper power-1/2tsp
Jeera powder-1/2tsp
Curry leaves-1sprig
Ginger-1"piece(crushed)
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Green chillies-3-4
Salt to taste
Coriander-2Tbsp,little for garnishing

Method:
1.Wash quinoa and dal thoroughly.Soak it in water and keep it aside.
2.In a pressure cooker,Heat a ghee and add mustard and jeera let them pop.
3.Now add asafoetida,ginger,curryleaves,green chillies and turmeric fry for a second.
4.Add 2 cups of water,let it boil now add jeera powder and pepper powder and salt.
5.When it begins to boil add washed quinoa and dal ,add chopped coriander.
6.Cook upto 1 to 2 whistles, now the pongal is ready to serve,garnish with chopped coriander.
7.Serve hot with ghee.
Note:You can also add any veggies of your choice.

Cereal Chivda

Ingredients:

Rice crispy cereal-3 cups
Corn flakes-1 cup
Raisins-1 Tbsp
Cashew nuts-1 Tbsp
Roasted peanuts-1/2 cup
Roasted chana dal-1/2 cup
Oil-3-4 Tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Asafeotida/Hing-Pinch
Dry red chillies-2,splitted
Fistful of curry leaves
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Red chilli powder-1/2tsp or to taste
Sambhar powder-1/2tsp or to taste
Salt to taste
Sugar-1/2tsp

Method

1.Heat a oil in a wide pan over medium high heat. After oil is hot add mustard and cumin.
2.As mustard and cumin seeds crackle add asafeotida, slitted red chillies, and curry leaves.

3.Then on a low medium heat fry for 30 seconds, add cashews, raisins, peanuts roasted chana dal,dry coconut
 stir-fry for one minute on a low heat.Make sure you don't burn them.
4.Now add chilli powder,sambhar powder, turmeric,sugar and salt mix it well.
5.Add rice crispy cereal and corn flakes (crush the corn flakes before adding to the mix) stir the mixture gently mix it well quickly and turn off the heat.Mix it well until all the cereal is well coated with spices now chivda is ready.

6.Let the  chivda cool off to the room temperature before serving.
7.Cereal chivda can be kept for several days in airtight container.
8.Serve as a snack any time with tea or coffee.

Bittergourd/Karela/Hagalakayi Gojju

Hi friends I am back after a long break...hope to stay and never take a break  again.. I am starting with bittergourd dish.. Hagalakayi  as you all know bitter in taste hence the name bitter gourd.It is not a favourite vegetable to all especially kids.As a kid even I used to hate it too but as I get older I used to like the taste of it. All the credit goes to my Grand mother and my mother because they used to make it so tasty.As the elders used to say all good things doesn't taste good but it is good for you likewise it is good for health.It regulates blood sugar level,purifies blood,antiviral  when it is included in regular diet.It is good for diabetic people so friends i want to share my family recipe of Hagalakayi gojju with you.Enjoy...

  

Ingredients:
Hagalakayi/Karela-1/2kg
Onion-1 big
Tomato-2
Fresh coconut-1/4cup
Sambhar powder-2tsp
Tamarind juice-1tbsp
Jaggery-2tsp or to taste
Salt to taste
Curry leaves-few
Turmeric-1/4tsp
Mustard-1/2tsp
Oil-1tbsp

Method:
1.Wash and Hagalakayi into roundels,remove pith and seeds from the middle.
2.Fry them with little oil and turmeric until golden brown and raw smell of the hagalakayi is gone.
3.Chop the onions and tomatoes roughly and reserve 1tbsp of onions for tempering.
4.Grind coconut,onion,one tomato and sambhar powder into fine paste adding little water.
5.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds,when they began to pop add reserved onions and fry until golden brown,add curry leaves and chopped tomatoes,fry until tomatoes becomes soft.
6.Now add fried hagalakayi and masala paste with a cup of water and salt to taste close the lid and leave it to cook on low medium heat.
7.When hagalakayi becomes soft and gravy thickens, add tamarind juice and jaggery mix well allow to cook for 5 minutes.Add water if need.
Serve hot with Chappatis or rice,it goes very well with akki rotti.

Note:

To extract tamarind juice,take lemon sized portion of tamarind.
wash once in clean water and in a microwave safe bowl add 1/4
cup of water add tamarind in a bowl and microwave it for 1 minute
and leave it to cool and squeeze the pulp of  tamarind nicely with hand
and separate the pulp and discard,reserve the juice.

Mullangi/Radish Palya and Raitha

Ingredients:
Mullangi/Mooli/Radish- 2 medium,finely chopped
Green / red chillies - 4 to 6
Coriander (chopped) - 1 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few or one sprig
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1.Heat oil in a frying pan, add mustard when it splutters add dals and fry
2.Add onion, chillies and curry leaves fry until onions become soft
3.Now add chopped radish fry for a minute
4.Add salt to taste and sprinkle little water, close the lid and cook on a low flame for 15 mins.
5.Garnish with fresh grated coconut and coriander
Serve with chappatis or as side dish with rice.

Mullangi Raitha

 Ingredients:
Mullangi/Mooli/Radish-1 medium,finely grated
Carrot-1 small,finely grated(optional just to add color)
Onion-1 small,finely chopped
Green chillies-1,finely chopped
Salt to taste
Coriander-1tbsp
Yoghurt-1cup

For Tempering
Oil-1tsp
Mustard-1/2tsp
Cumin seeds-1/4tsp

Method:
1.In a bowl add yoghurt,grated radish,carrot,onion,chilli,salt and coriander, mix well.
2.In a small pan heat oil and add mustard  and cumin allow to pop and take out
of the flame allow to cool.
3.Add the cooled tempering to the yoghurt mixture and mix well.
Serve with Chappatis or with any dish.

Sending to Sowmya's and Sangeetha's

and to Priya's