Beerakaya Pala Koora/ Ridge Gourd with Milk Curry

Ridge Gourd is a common vegetable in most parts of the India. Its a very stomach soothing n comforting vegetable. There is another type of ridge gourd called as " Nethi Beerakaya" or " Silk Squash"popular for its buttery flavor. Most common dishes of ridge gourd from Andhra region are Ridge Gourd channa dal curry, Ridge Gourd chutney, Ridge Gourd milk curry, Ridge Gourd fry. Even skin of ridge gourd can be used for making chutney. So don't throw the skin of gourd next time... Store it in a ziploc bag n freeze it, until u got required amount..

Ingredients:
Ridge Gourd: 1 big, Peeled n finely chopped
Onion: 1big, Finley chopped
Drum Sticks: 5-6 pieces ( Optional)
Oil: 1tbsp
Channa dal: 1tsp
Red chili: 1tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1tsp
Mustard Seeds: 1tsp
Red chili Powder: 1tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1tsp
Milk: 1cup
Whipping Cream: 1tbsp( optional)

Preparation:
1) Peel the ridge gourd n chop it into small pieces. Sprinkle little salt. Mix n keep aside.
2) In a pressure Cooker, heat oil n add red chili. Fry for 30secs.
3) Add channa dal, cumin seeds n mustard seeds. Fry for 30 secs.
4) Add onion  n cook for 5-6 mins or until onions are translucent. 
5) Add Ridge Gourd n Drum Sticks. Sprinkle turmeric, red chili powder n salt.
6) Add 1 cup of water n cook for 3 whistles. Let it cool.
7) Now remove the lid n cook for 5mins on medium to low heat. Adjust salt n chili powder to your taste..
8) Add milk slowly by stirring constantly. Cook on medium to low heat for 5 mins.
9) Add cream n cook for 1 min
10 ) Switch off the stove.

Enjoy this soothing delicious Ridge Gourd Milk Curry with rice..

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Sorakaya Bejjalu Pulusu/Anapakaya/Lauki/Bottle Gourd Curry

Sorakaya-Lauki-Anapakaya-Bottle gourd with so many names this  vegetable can be cooked in many ways. With bottle gourd one can make so many varieties ranging from soups, deserts to main dish... Lauki ka halwa is one of the popular deserts regardless of region..  Bottle gourd milk curry is one of those stomach  soothing dishes.. 
Now coming to this sorakaya bejjalu pulusu, this is my mom's signature dish. She calls this as a Non-Veg curry for vegetarians. This curry should be made spicy. We used to have this bottle gourd plant in our backyard back in India. She cooks this curry at least thrice a month. 
As fresh bottle gourds are high in water content, she used to put holes all over the bottle gourd at night. In the morning, all the water comes out of the gourd and it is ready for cooking. Removing water is most important thing in this curry. And the other important thing is you need to shallow fry bottle gourd pieces. Soaking in tamarind juice gives gourd pieces a unique tangy  flavor.
 As, i dont get that fresh bottle gourd here, so i jus pricked it one hour before cooking. 
Pressure cooker works jus fine for this dish...

Here is the recipe for my mom's signature dish...


Ingredients:
Bottle gourd: 1
Onion: 1 big, finely chopped
Tomato: 2 big, chopped into medium sized chunks
Green chili: 4 medium, chopped
Tamarind paste: 1tbsp--adjust tamarind to your taste n it entirely depends on the sourness of tamarind.
Oil: 1tbsp+ 3 tsp
Red chili: 2
Channa dal: 1tsp
Cumin seeds: 1tsp
Ginger garlic paste: 2tsp
Turmeric: 1tsp
Red chili powder: 1tsp
Salt: to taste
Corinader Podwre: 1tsp
Garam masala: 1tsp
Jaggery: 1tsp
Butter: 2tsp
Cream: 1tbsp(optional)


Preparation:
1) Prick bottle gourd with spoon or knife before 1hr u start cooking. If it is really fresh, prick it night before.

2) Peel n chop into 2 inch cubes.( Small pieces  will melt away in pressure cooker and curry doesn't comes good).

3) Mean while in pressure cooker, soak tomatoes, green chili, Red chili powder, salt, coriander powder with tamarind paste and  of 1 cup of water.
4) Now in  a pan, add 1 tbsp of oil n heat.  Add bottle gourd pieces in batch (little by little) n shallow fry for 3 mins.  Strain them  onto paper towels. Repeat the same process with remaining gourd pieces. Now, add shallow fried bottle gourd pieces to tamarind-tomato mixture m mix. Keep it aside.

5) Now, add  remaining oil. Add red chili, channa dal n fry for 30 secs.
6) Add cumin seeds n fry for 30 secs.
7) Add onion n fry for 6 mins or until onions are tender. 
8) Stir n turmeric, ginger garlic paste, Fry for 2 mins n switch off.
9) Add onion mixture to bottle gourd pieces and mix carefully.
10) Add 1 cup water and butter. Adding water depends on cooker. don't add to much water.
11) Cook for 3 whistles n switch off. let it cool.
12) Remove lid n taste it. Adjust salt n chili powder to your taste.
13) Add garam masala n jaggery. Cook for 2 mins on medium heat.
14 Switch of n garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy this delicious veg-non-veg curry with chapathi or rice...


Variation: 
1) If u don't have a pressure cooker u can cook in a pan. Cook for 20 mins on  medium to low heat instead of cooking in pressure cooker. Bottle gourd pieces must be fork tender.
2) If u have a wide bottom pressure cooking pan u can fry onions in it. Soak tamarind-tomato-bottle gourd pieces in a bowl.
3) Those who dont want to shallow fry piece, u can omit this step. But i  prefer to shallow fry. Don't add to much oil.

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Lima Beans Curry

Sometimes called "butter beans" because of their starchy yet buttery texture, lima beans have a delicate flavor that complements a wide variety of dishes. When combined with whole grains such as rice, lima beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. You may already be familiar with beans' fiber and protein, but this is far from all lima beans have to offer. one cup of lima beans will give you 65.8% of the daily value for fiber. Check Here

Normally, i use Lima beans as an extra added ingredient to my fries, mostly in French cut beans fry.  I prepare two kinds of dishes with Lima beans, one is Lima bean curry and the other is Lima fry. Lima beans is one of those groceries i stock up for sure.
I use pressure cooker to cook Green Lima beans curry, as it saves time. If you want u can cook in a pan too, as Green Lima beans doesn't take much time. 

Source: own
Preparation time: 5mins
Cooking time: 15-20 mins
Ingredients:
Green Lima beans: 21/2 cups or 14oz packet, frozen
Onion: 1 medium, chopped
Tomato: 2 medium, diced
Green chili: 2, chopped
Ginger garlic paste: 1tsp
Turmeric: 1tsp
Red chili Powder: 1tsp
Salt: to taste
Coriander Powder: 1tsp
Oil: 1tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1tsp
Gram flour/ Besan: 1tsp
Cilantro: to garnish
Preparation:
1) In a pressure cooker, heat oil n add gram flour. roast it for 1 min. Add cumin seeds and  Let them splutter.
2) Add onions n cook for 5 mins or until onions are tender.
3) Add turmeric n ginger garlic paste. fry for 1 min.
4) Now add diced tomato, Lima beans, red chili powder, salt, coriander powder and 4 cups water.
5) Cook up to 3 whistles and then switch off.
6) Let it cool n garnish with cilantro. If u want u can add cream. It gives a very good taste.
Note:Those who want to cook in pan-- go with the same procedure until step 3. Now add tomato n cook for 4-5 mins r until tomato is mashed up. Add Lima beans and all the powders along with 2cups of water and cook for 10mins or until Lima beans are tender, on medium heat, covered. Now cook for another 4mins or until desired consistency, uncovered. U can adjust amount of water according to your requirement. If u want u can add milk too.

Enjoy Lima beans curry with chapathi or rice.


Also, goes directly to my own event Vegetable Marathon-Beans

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Spinach with dal/ palakorra pappu

Spinach n dal-- has that unique taste. Dal can be cooked  in many ways n in the same way spinach too. Combination of spinach n dal with a touch of tomato, garlic n onion puts us in a divine pleasure. Spinach is a good source of nutrients like vitamin K,C.

So here is the recipe:
Source: own
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins


Ingredients: 
Toor Dal/ Red Gram Lentil: 1cup ( i use rice cooker cup)
Spinach: 2 cups (I used fresh bagged spinach, if it is frozen use 11/2 cups)
Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
Tomato: 1 large, diced
Green Chillies: 3, sliced
Turmeric powder/ Haldi : 1 tsp
Red chili powder: 1-2 tsp ( or to taste)
Salt: 1 tsp
 Amchur : 1tsp or 2,3 pieces  ( i use amchur in my dal ,as it gives mango flavor. if u want to use tamarind u can use upto 2 tsp tamarind pulp)
Water: 4 cups
for Tempering/ Poppu:
Oil: 1tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Dried whole red chillies: 2-3
Garlic cloves: 3-4, crushed
Curry leaves: 2 stems
A pinch of hing/asafeotida
Salt: to taste
Ghee: 1 tbsp ( butter or ghee. i, normally use smart balance as it contains omega 3 n doesn't have hydrogenated oils)

Cooking:
1) In a pressure cooker, put all the ingredients . Cook up to 3-4 whistles( depends on cooker, mine takes 3) and let it cool down for 10 mins or so.
2) In a small pan, heat oil and then add red chili pieces. Now add mustard seeds n let it splutter. After that add cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves, crushed garlic and butter.
3) Turn heat off n add  tempering to cooked dal. Mix it n cover, so that smell of butter doesn't escape
4) Serve with Chapati or rice.

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Sorakaya/Anapakaya/Lauki palu posina koora / Bottle gourd with milk curry

Bottle gourd is on of those vegetables which can be cooked in many ways. When i was kid, if bottle gourd is the curry,i used to rush into neighbors kitchen (its a priest's house) where my mom or grandma cant get in. I used to hate all those gourd family veggies. Whenever i got fever, they used to force me to eat these milk curries, so that body temperature regulates.
My mom cook's these milk curries with fresh drumstick's n i jus love it. Here, once i tried with frozen one's n but i dint liked it.

So, here is my recipe for delicious yummyyyyyy sorakaya paluposina koora:


Ingredients: 

Sorakaya: 1 medium sized , peeled n chopped  
Onion: 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Green chili: 2 chopped
Dried Red chili: 2
Mustard seeds:1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1tsp
Channa dal: 1 tsp
Milk: 1 cup
Water:1 cup
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Oil: 1tbsp
Garlic: 2 cloves, finely chopped
Drumsticks( if u want 4-5)


Cooking
1) In a pressure cooker, heat oil n add red chili, channa dal. once dal turns color add mustard seeds n let them splutter. Add cumin seeds n  garlic and fry for 30 secs. Add onions n pinch of salt n fry for 5 mins or until onions turn pink color.
2) Now add turmeric,bottle gourd pieces and stir it. Add red chili powder, salt and water. Cook for 2 whistles and let it cool down or util pressure escapes ( U can cook in pan too but it takes very long time)
3) Still, if there is water, jus boil it for couple mins. ( Dont worry if u have little water).
4) Add milk  n stir it for 5 mins or until milk starts boiling.
5) Switch off n let it cool for 10 mins or until gravy thickens. U can add whipping cream , this gives rich taste to gravy.

 Enjoy this delicious curry with rice or chapathi.

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Dal with Collard Greens

This is my first post.

Normally, i cook dal with spinach  methi and red sorrel. I was running out of all leafy veggies n started searching in my fridge. I came across these collard greens which i use in salads.So, i thought of cooking greens with dal, as it adopts the flavor of anything.

Though collard greens are cousins of mustard leaves, they do have their own distinct flavor. These greens stand out as a nutritional superstar. Really, it contains lots of nutrients that we require in our daily life such as vitamin A, K, C n omega-3 fatty acids and many more...

Lets come to preparation part:

Source : My own
Prep time: 7 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:
Toor Dal/ Red Gram Lentil: 11/2 cup ( i use rice cooker cup)
Collard Greens: 2 cups ( here i used frozen one,if it is fresh, finely chopped)
Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
Tomato: 1 large, diced
Green Chillies: 3, sliced
Turmeric powder/ Haldi : 1 tsp
Red chili powder: 1-2 tsp ( or to taste)
Salt: 1 tsp
Ginger: 1 tsp finely chopped
Amchur : 1tsp or 2,3 pieces  ( i use amchur in may dal ,as it gives mango flavor. if u want to use tamarind u can use upto 2 tsp tamarind pulp)
Water: 4 cups
for Tempering/ Poppu:
Oil: 1tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Dried whole red chillies: 2-3
Garlic cloves: 3-4, crushed
Curry leaves: 2 stems
A pinch of hing/asafeotida
Salt: to taste
Ghee: 1 tbsp ( butter or ghee. i, normally use smart balance as it contains omega 3 n doesn't have hydrogenated oils)

Cooking:
1) In a pressure cooker, put all the ingredients . Cook up to 3-4 whistles( depends on cooker, mine takes 3) and let it cool down for 10 mins or so.
2) In a small pan, heat oil and then add red chili pieces. Now add mustard seeds n let it splutter. After that add cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves, crushed garlic and butter.
3) Turn heat off n add  tempering to cooked dal. Mix it n cover, so that smell of butter doesn't escape
4) Serve with Chapati or rice.

                                   Chapathi with collard greens dal and black eyed peas curry

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