Stuffed Karela /Kakarakaya /Bitter gourd

Karela/Bitter gourd/ Kakarakaya is one of the favourites of my hubby R .Every time he brings the Karela I used to cook something in the manner which I know and he never used to like it and used to say it is one of my favourite vegetable and you spoil it every time .So this time I really felt very bad on it and started searching for good recipe on that vegetable , one day I came to know that he likes stuffed Karela which is prepared by my mother in law , so without any delay I immediately called her up to find out the recipe and made a note of how she prepares and one day as a surprise, I  prepared  this stuffed Karela for R as per my Mother –in law recipe and presented before him . He ate it and he liked it very much and there is a big smile on his face this time. I am so happy by seeing that what else we want when we prepare something for our dear ones and they liked it and ate it. Thanks to my mother in law for her recipe. Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Karela /Kakarakaya – 6 small sizes (preferable)
• Dhaniya powder - 1/2  tbsp
• Jeera Powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Mirchi powder/Red Chilli powder - 3 tsp
• Besan - 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala powder - 2 tsp
• Peanut powder – ½ tbsp (roasted peanut grinded into coarse/fine powder)
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt as per taste

Seasoning /Tadka / Popu:

• Mustard seeds/Avalu – ½ tsp
• Jeera seeds – ½ tsp
• Hing/Inguva – 1 tsp

Method:

• Wash the Karela cleanly with water and cut them length wise keeping the ends intact.
• Remove seeds from the Karela and add little salt to it and keep it aside for 10 – 15 min. Meanwhile, take a bowl and mix Besan, dhaniya powder, Jeera powder, turmeric powder, mirchi powder, and garam masala, peanut powder, salt  with a little amount of oil and form as a semi powder –paste as shown in the picture below.
• Take a vessel and boil quarter vessel water and add the Karela to it and just boil for 10 min in medium flame or till Karela/bitter gourd skin is soft (don’t cook till too soft, be very cautious).
• Remove the water from Karela and place them onto a paper towel to absorb the excess water and let them cool off.
• Now, place the stuffing inside the Karela and tie a thread to the Karela so that the stuffing doesn’t come out. (Tying of the thread is optional).
• Heat one tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and add the mustard seeds, Jeera seeds and Hing and let them crackle up then slowly add the stuffed Karela and cover it with a lid. Turn them often with a spatula to ensure that all the stuffing along with Karela is properly cooked.
• Turn off the heat and let them cool off and then remove the thread from the Karela and serve hot with Rice.

Okra Curry/Bendakaya Kura

Bhendi/Bendakaya/okra/Lady’s Finger  is one of my favourite vegetables. I am very fond of Bendakaya fry , In my childhood days , my father used to say  that if you eat bendakaya/Okra/Lady’s Finger your memory power will be increased.I really don’t know to what extent that is true . but that is how i started eating the okra still out of so many vegetables given a choice i will pick up Okra  first. i recently learnt from my house owner aunty a variation of this curry.So here goes the recipe:

Ingredients :

• Okra - 10 (fresh /frozen)
• Dhaniya powder - 1/2  tbsp
• Jeera Powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Mirchi powder/Red Chilli powder  - 3 tsp
• Besan - 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala powder - 2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Method :

• Wash the Okra cleanly with water and cut it length wise  to 1-inch size as shown in picture below.
• Take a  bowl and mix all the ingredients except Okra with a little amount of oil and form as a semi powder -paste .
• Take a heavy bottomed vessel and heat the oil and once the oil is hot enough add okra to it and put under medium flame and let okra gets cooked till tender soft by covering it with a  lid for around 10 min.. Stir in the middle with a spatula to prevent Okra from sticking to the vessel bottom .
• Now , Sprinkle the powder that is prepared and mix well and keep it covered and let it cook for 3-5 min.
• Remove from heat and take into a bowl.
• Serve Hot with Rice/Roti.

Vankaya Velluli Karam Koora / Brinjal Curry

Hi Friends, Missing from the blogging scene from so many days, Busy in packing and unpacking of the things, finally moved to Atlanta safely and presently staying in Duluth in a hotel room, this week-end planning to search for a rental apartment and will try to move over there. Atlanta is good , but it is too hot for a person coming from California , definitely they will have a sunstroke, night till 9:00 no sunset and till 10:30 the heat wave will be there , Oh my god… seriously me and raj were like going crazy with this weather and humidity over here . Without AC in the room and in the car we cannot stay for even 2 min. so just imagine the heat around here,  Getting slowly adjusted with time difference between LA and Atlanta , Finally , today I found some time and thought of starting the blog once again , but as I  am staying in a hotel , there is no dedicated line for internet and the line is too slow , so couldn’t write anything new. This one is one of my older drafts , so thought of just posting it. Here goes the recipe:

 

Ingredients :

•  Brinjal/Egg plant – 2( medium sized )
• Onion -1 (medium size) (finely chopped)
• Curry leaves- few
• Garlic- 2 pods (DO NOT REMOVE LAYERS)
• Red chilly powder-  2 tsp
• Jeera- 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Oil-1 tbsp
• Haldi/Turmeric--a pinch
• Kothimeer-a few handfuls
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Finely chop the brinjal pieces into small cubes and place them into water , otherwise the pieces will loose their colour.
• Heat oil in a pan , add Cumin seeds/Jeera  , Mustard seeds, curry leaves ,haldi and let them splutter up.
• Add Chopped Onions and stir fry them till soft, now slowly add  the brinjal pieces taken out from the water.
• Mix well the onions and brinjal with a spatula and cover it with a lid and let  it cook under low flame for 5 min by stirring in the middle.
• Once the brinjal gets cooked, add salt to it and mix well and let it cook for another 2 mins, Mean while , prepare the masala.
• Take a small jar of the grinder/mixer , add Jeeera seeds, Garlic Pods, red chilly powder,  little pinch  of salt and grind  it to a coarse powder .
• Add this powder to the cooked brinjal-onion mixture and mix well with a spatula , cover it with a lid and cook for 2- 3 mins.
• Brinjal Curry is ready to be served hot with Rice/Roti.

 Note: while cooking brinjal if it becomes sticky underneath to the pan, add some water on the top of the lid and cook under low flame. 

Kakarakaya/Bitter Gourd /Karela Sweet Masala Curry

Ingredients:

• Karela/Bittergourd/Kakarakaya – 3 medium sized
• Onion- 1 big
• Haldi-pinch
• Jaggery or sugar to taste
• Dalchina / Cinnamon – 1 small stick
• Lavang/cloves - 1
• Elachi- 1
• Salt to taste
• Garam Masala - pinch
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
• Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Cilantro – few leaves
• Water – to sprinkle

 Method:

• Clean the karela and peel it and cut into small circles / any shape u like and add some salt, haldi to the karela pieces and keep it aside for 15 min.
• Cut the onions in to small pieces.
• Grind the onion, salt, Chillipowder, cloves, cinnamon, Jaggery, Elachi/Cardamom, and Garam Masala and make it to a coarse/ fine paste.
• Now take the Pieces of Karela and press the pieces gently to remove water from it.
• Heat a pan and add oil to it and add the karela, fry it till it becomes soft / completely cooked. (If required, sprinkle some water and cover with a lid).
• Add the masala paste to the cooked karela and mix it well with a spatula.
• Stir well till the water in the curry gets evaporated and comes close.
• Cover it with lid and cook for 5 min and remove it from heat.
• Curry is ready to be served with hot rice /roti.                           

Note: To Remove the bitterness of the bitter gourd peel  the skin and add the salt to the bitter gourd pieces over night.

Carrot Capsicum Curry

Ingredients:

• Capsicum -1 big
• Carrot-3 
• Onion- ½ (finely    chopped)
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Curry Leaves-4
• Cilantro - few handfuls to garnish
• Salt for taste.
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Haldi-Pinch
• Garlic – 1 pod (layer removed and finely chopped) 

Method:

• Cut the Carrot, capsicum into small cubes /pieces.
• Heat a pan with some oil and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder and let them splutter.
• Add onions and let them fry till they are transparent / little pink in colour then add carrot & Capsicum pieces to it.
• Add required amount of salt and cover with plate or lid, let it cook in low heat for around 5 min.
• Grind red chillies, jeera, garlic pod, salt to a fine powder (no need to fry /roast these things, it should be like “Velluli Karam”).
• Now add this powder to the Cooked Vegetables in the pan and mix well with a spatula and let it cook for 5 min.
• Sprinkle little water if required to get the vegetables cooked. Place the lid and cook for 5 min and turn off.
• Garnish it with fresh cilantro leaves.
• Curry is ready to be served with hot rice / roti.

Capsicum Tomato Curry

Ingredients:

• Capsicum/Green bell pepper – 2 (finely chopped)
• Tomato- 1 (finely chopped)
• Cilantro – few handfuls
• Salt to taste
• Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
• Carrot - 1 (grated)
• Haldi/Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Vegetable oil -2 tbsp

Tadka/Seasoning:

• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp 
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp 
• Curry leaves – few 

Method:

• Take a pan and heat the oil and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, haldi to it and let them splutter and pop up.
• Add onions to it and stir fry them till onions become transparent, now that add the tomatoes and capsicum pieces in to the pan and cook it for 2 min.
• Mix them with a spatula in the middle and cook till both the tomato and capsicum are tender soft.
• Add little salt and once again mix well. Finally add the grated carrot mix it well with a spatula.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve them hot with rice/ Roti.

Brinjal-Potato Curry

Ingredients:

• Egg plants/Brinjal/Vankaya - 4 medium size / 2 long
• Potatoes – 2 (small) 
• Onion – 1 small size (finely chopped)
• Frozen Green peas – a handful
• Green chillies – 2 or 3 (according to your spice level)
• Ginger - 1 – inch small piece
• Grated Coconut - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil-1 tbsp
• Kothimeer /fresh coriander /fresh coriander - handful

 Seasoning /Tadka:

• Cumin seeds/Jeera- 1tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – handful
• Haldi/Turmeric powder – a pinch

 Method:

• Wash the brinjal and potatoes before cooking and
• Cut the brinjal and potatoes into small pieces and put it in water in a bowl.
• Grind coarsely green chillies, ginger, grated coconut with salt in a pestle mortar / or in a mixer.
• Take a pan and add oil to it and bring to heat, once the oil is hot add cumin seeds, mustard seeds curry leaves and haldi and let them pop up.
• Add chopped onion to it and let them fry till slight pink colour or till they become transparent. 
• Now add the Potatoes, Brinjal pieces and frozen green peas to it and mix it up well with a spatula, cover them with a lid and cook well. 
• Once the vegetable becomes soft and well cooked add the green chilly, ginger paste to it, mix it well.
• Sprinkle few drops of water, so that it may not get stickup to the vessel/pan.
• Bring the heat to simmer and let it cook covered with a lid for 5 to 7 min. (or) until all the water is evaroparated and the curry becomes thicker.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and little grated coconut.
• Serve it hot with Roti or Plain Rice. 

Stuffed Sweet Peppers Curry

Hi Friends, I am back with another nice stuffed bell peppers curry. Last time when I went to Cost-co, I got these bell peppers. I searched many recipes online for this curry, finally got few and this recipe is a mix and match of all. Finally it turned out well and since then I started preparing this curry almost every 15 days, so without delaying further more. Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

· Bell peppers of different colours -10

· Carrots-2 (finely chopped)

· Onions-2 (finely chopped)

· Alu/potatoes- 2

· Ginger – 1 inch finely chopped

· Green chilies/jalapeño – 2 (finely chopped)

· Tomato sauce- 1tsp

· Chili Sauce – 1 tsp

· Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

· Dhania –Jeera Powder – 1 tsp

· Cumin seeds – 1tsp

· Ground nuts(peanuts) – coarsely grounded – 1 tbsp

· Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

· Wash the sweet bell peppers and keep them aside.

· Take a pan and add some oil to it and add some cumin seeds and let them splutter, now add onions and fry them till golden brown.

· Add potatoes ,carrots ,green chilies, ginger   and salt to it, sauté them in the middle and let the vegetables cook till  tender soft and add tomato sauce,chilli sauce, garam masala,dhania-jeera pwd,coarsely grinded peanut powder  and mix well and cook for 5-7 min and remove from heat and let it cool off.

· Grind the cooked vegetables mixture.

·  Cut the peppers length wise and apply some oil on the peppers and stuff the mixture.

· You can either bake the peppers in the oven or put them in the pan and fry them.

  (I baked the peppers in the oven at 350⁰ F and baked them for 20 -25 min).

· Serve them Hot.

Cabbage Kobbari kura

Ingredients:

· Cabbage - 1 medium size (finely chopped)

· Grated Coconut - 1 cup

· Green chillies – 3

· Water – 2 cups

· Ginger – ½ inch

· Salt - as per taste.

· Frozen peas – ½ cup 

For Tempering/seasoning: 

· Urad dal /mina pappu – 1 tsp

· Chana dal – 1tsp

· Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

· Dry Red Chillies – 1

· Hing / asafoetida – a pinch

· Curry leaves – few

· Oil – as required

Method:

· Boil the cabbage with required amount of water and salt by covering it with a lid.

· Once boiled the drain the water from the cabbage and let it cool.

· Take a pan and pour some oil and let it heat on a medium pace. Once heat now add urad dal, chana dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter add the red chillies, hing, curry leaves and grated coconut to it.

· When the coconut changes its colour to light brown colour adds the boiled cabbage and frozen peas  .cook for 3 -4 minutes in a low flame till all the water gets evaporated.

· Grind the green chillies and ginger into a paste and this to this cabbage mixture and mix well.

· Cook on low flame for another 3- 4 minutes and switch off the heat.

· Serve with hot rice or with roti.

Bean-Moong Dal Curry

Ingredients:

• Yellow moong dal  - 2 tsp
• French beans –  25
• Onion – 1 medium size
• Green Chillies -3
• Grated Coconut- 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Cumin Seeds/Jeera -1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1tsp
• Hing – a pinch
• Dry Red Chillies -1
• Oil for cooking

Method

• Soak the moong dal for 1/2 hour
• Chop french beans.
• Grind the Green chillies and Coconut into a coarse texture.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing and dry red chillies and let them pop.
• When the seeds crackle, add chopped onion and sauté
• When onions turn brown, add the salt, green chilli paste to it.
• Mix well and add the moong dal and beans
• Add sufficient enough water to cook the beans.
• Cover the lid  and cook well.
• When the beans are cooked remove in a plate and decorate with coriander leaves
• Serve hot with Rice /Roti .

IvyGourd/Tondli/Dondakaya Snegapindi curry

Tondli/Tindora/Ivy Gourd /Dondakaya are one of the most popular vegetable available in India. Even though I like them I cannot find them much in California and in our area. There is one Indian Grocery Store somewhat near to my home every time I go there I check for these green vegetables but very rarely I can find them. But suddenly since this year beginning onwards that store started maintaining the frozen stock of Tindora/Dondakaya. I am so happy to see them and every time I visit the store I will bring at least 3 frozen packets.  There are so many variations that we can cook with this vegetable, one of them are Dondakaya Snegapindi Curry. There are some precautions which  we need to take care while selecting and cooking the Tondli/Tindora/Dondakaya. Some of them are: We always need to select tender green colour ivy gourds where the seeds are tender and not very mature the very mature ivy gourds, though appear green on the outside, have a bright red colour on the inside and are very sour and are best discarded. Wash your hands immediately on chopping them as it stains and tends to be sticky. Remove off the top and tail part of the ivy gourd before chopping them.

Ingredients:

• Ivy Gourd/ Tindora/Tondli/Dondakaya – 20
• Mustard Seeds – 1tsp
• Jeera /Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Besan/Snegapindi – 2 tbsp
• Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp

Method:

• Cut each tindora into half lengthwise, and then make another lengthwise cut in each half - you will end up with 4 long thin pieces.
• Take a pan and heat oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them pop.
• Add the cut tindoras, sprinkle turmeric, salt to your taste, Mix them once, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, then sauté openly for another 5 minutes or until the veggie reaches the crunchy consistency you want.
• Finally when you see the tindoras are cooked and are crunchy add red chilly powder and sprinkle the besan/Snegapindi powder on the top of the curry and combine well and cook for 3 min.
• Serve hot with rice and Dal.

Avial

This Dish is very famous in Kerala. I love this dish and it is very nutritious food as many vegetables are mixed in it. It goes well with Hot Rice (or) with Roti /Chapathi. Don't Forget to Try this Recipe.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes :  2
• Fresh coconut (grated)  : ¼ cup
• Raw bananas : 2 (Plantain)[Aratikaya]
• Curd :  ½ cup
• Lady fingers :  5
• Green chillies  : 2
• Onions : 2
• Cumin seeds  : 1 tsp
• French  beans : 6
• Oil  : 2 tbsp
• Drumstick :  1
• Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
• Carrot :  1
• Red chilli powder : ½ tsp

For Tempering [Popu]

• Mustard Seeds -1tsp
• Jeera-1tsp
• Hing /Inguva - 1tsp
• Red chillies -2
• Curry leaves -few leaves
• Coriander leaves (kothmir)- 1 fistful

Method:

• Roast cumin seeds and grind along with coconut and green chillies to a fine paste.
• Cut vegetables into cubes and boil with salt till tender.
• Add beaten curd, coconut mixture, and salt and chilli powder in that mixture of cooked vegetables.
• Cook covered for 4-5 minutes.
• Heat oil; add mustard seeds, jeera, hing, redchillis and few curry leaves.
• Let them pop for few minutes.
• Add them to the curry.
• Sprinkle the Coriander leaves at the end.
• Serve them Hot.

Note: This Dish need to be served hot to enjoy the taste.