Dondakaya rasedar subzi with fresh coconut (Kundru/tindora/gherkin gravy subzi with fresh coconut)

Dondakaya is a very common and widely consumed vegetable. It is available in India throughout the year. It is known as Kundru/Tindora/Gherkin/Ivy gourd or Coccinia in different places.

Kundru is native to many countries extending from Africa to Asia including India, the Philippines, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam etc. Dondakaya is a small oblong shaped smooth skinned light green to dark green vegetable. It has a mild flavor with a crunchy juicy texture.

In traditional medicine, fruits have been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis and jaundice. In Bangladesh, the roots are used to treat osteoarthritis and joint pain.

Dondakaya can be made in to subzis using different masalas and chutneys etc. Here is a gravy subzi. I used fresh grated coconut in the gravy which gives a unique flavor to the dish. If fresh coconut is not available, it can be replaced with dry coconut.

Ingredients:

•      15 or 20 dondakaya
•      2 onions diced
•      3 tomatoes (medium sized)
•      1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
•      1 or 2 green chile
•      1/2 inch ginger
•      1 or 2 red chile
•      1 Tbsp. dhania seeds
•      1 Tsp. saunf (fennel seeds)
•      1 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      1 Tsp. red chile powder
•      1/2 Tsp. turmeric powder
•      Pinch of asafetida
•      3 Tbsp. oil
•      Salt to taste
•      1 Tbsp. tamarind paste
•      1 Tsp. jaggery (optional)
•      1 Tsp. kasuri methi
•      Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1.      Wash and clean dondakaya.
2.      Remove the ends on both the ends.
3.      Slit the kundru in such a way that they are uncut at one end and slit on the other end.
4.      Wash and dice onion.
5.      Wash and dice tomatoes.
6.      Heat a pan add dhania, saunf and jeera seeds.
7.      Add the red chile.
8.      Roast for 3 to 4 minutes.
9.      When the seeds are turning brown, turn off the heat.
10.      Let cool.
11.      Heat a spoon of oil in the pan.
12.      Add diced onion.
13.      When onion turns translucent, add some diced tomato, saving some for the gravy.
14.      Mix well.
15.      Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
16.      Add grated coconut, ginger and green chile.
17.      Mix well and stop cooking.
18.      When the dry masalas and onion mixture are cool, grind the dry ingredients in a mixer.
19.      When the mixture is ground to a powder, add the onion mixture.
20.      Add turmeric, chile powders and salt.
21.      Grind to a coarse paste.
22.      Fill each of the kundru with a little bit of ground paste.
23.      Save the rest of the mixture for the gravy.
24.      Place the filled kundru in a microwave safe bowl.
25.      Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.
26.      Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds and asafetida.
27.      When the mustard seeds crackle, add the stuffed kundru.
28.      Add the rest of the masala mixture.
29.      Add some water.
30.      Close the lid and let it cook for one or two whistles.
31.      If the kundru are tender they cook fast. Even cooking in the microwave is sufficient.
32.      If they are not very tender, you have to pressure cook them till they are soft.
33.      Add the rest of the diced tomatoes.
34.      Add tamarind paste and jaggery.
35.      Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
36.      Rub the kasuri methi in your palm and add it to the gravy.
37.      Cook for a minute or two.
38.      Remove from the heat.
39.      Transfer to the serving bowl and garnish with cilantro.
40.      A very tasty dish which can be served with rice or roti.

Note: If you want or if you do not have fresh grated coconut, you may use the dry one. 

Kadhi pakoda (majjiga pulusu with pakodi)/ chickpea flour fritters in buttermilk gravy

Sometime back, I have posted a recipe for majjiga pulusu (buttermilk pulusu). Majjiga pulusu where many vegetables are cooked in buttermilk, is a popular side dish in South India. The North Indian version of the same is Kadhi pakoda. In this dish, instead of vegetables, small pakodas (deep fried chickpea flour fritters) are cooked in buttermilk gravy.

There are different recipes for making kadhi pakoda from different regions of India like Punjabi kadhi, Gujarati kadhi, UP kadhi etc.

You need to have sour buttermilk or yogurt to make this dish. If using yogurt, add some water and whip it so that you get buttermilk. Thickness of the gravy, is according to your taste. If you more flowing gravy, you may add more water while cooking.

Kadhi pakoda served along with hot steamed rice makes such a nostalgic dish. Serve it along with some crunchy papads and it is going to be a hit!

As I am trying to reduce deep fried cooking, I used the gunta pongaralu/paniyaram chetti or Aebleskiver pan to make the pakodas. This version of kadhi pakoda was tasted by many of my guests and found as good as the deep fried version (if not better!)!

Go ahead and try it out!

 

Ingredients:

For pakodas:

•      1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
•      2 Tbsp. rice flour
•      1 or 2 green chilis  (finely chopped)
•      1/2 inch ginger (finely chopped)
•      2 Tbsp. onion (finely  chopped)
•      1/2 Tsp. baking soda
•      Salt to taste
•      4 Tbsp. oil

For kadhi:

•      2 cups or more buttermilk
•      2 Tbsp. besan
•      1 Tsp. chili powder
•      1 Tsp. dhania powder (coriander powder)
•      1/2 Tsp. jeera powder
•      1/2 Tsp. garam masala

For seasoning:

•      1 or 2 red chilis
•      1 Tsp. methi seeds
•      1 Tsp. ajwain
•      1Tsp. mustard seeds
•      Pinch of hing (asafetida)
•      Curry leaves
•      Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Making pakodas:

1.      Mix besan, rice flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
2.      Add green chili, ginger and onion pieces.
3.      Add a little water and mix thoroughly to make the batter. Not too watery and just enough to drop as pakodas.
4.      Clean and heat the gunta pongaralu/paniyaram chetti or Aebleskiver pan.
5.      Add a drop of oil and brush around.
6.      When the pan is hot, drop a spoon of batter, add a drop of oil and cover.
7.      Cook for a few minutes, when the pakodas are semi cooked, flip them and cook.
8.      Check after a few minutes with a fork and if fully cooked, remove from pan and set them aside.
9.      Repeat till most of the batter is used.

Making kadhi:

1.      Using the same bowl, add buttermilk, and besan, chili powder, dhania powder, jeera powder and garam masala.
2.      Mix thoroughly with a whip taking care that there are no lumps.
3.      Heat a deep pan and add oil for seasoning.
4.      When oil is hot, add red chili, methi seeds, mustard seeds, jeera and ajwain.
5.      When mustard seeds flutter, add hing and curry leaves.
6.      Pour the buttermilk mixture and keep stirring.
7.      Let it boil for a few minutes.
8.      Take hot water in a bowl.
9.      Place the pakodas for a few minutes.
10.      Squeeze the liquid out and place them in the boiling buttermilk mixture.
11.      Add all the pakodas. Let them cook for one or two minutes. If cooked too long, pakodas break. So see that they are not overcooked.
12.      Remove from heat, add salt and mix it well.
13.      Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with cilantro.
14.      It is a popular side dish for rice or kichadi. 

 

 

 

 

 

Vangibhat with daliya (cracked wheat/bulgar with eggplant)

Vangibhat or eggplant rice is a very popular dish from South Indian state of Karnataka. Now, it is prepared in Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu also. Usually it is rice cooked along with eggplant and special masala. Vangibhat masala is available in stores. But freshly made masala flavor is different. There are many recipes to make the masala. In this recipe, I used minimum ingredients, so that, eggplant flavor dominates!

As diabetics try to eat less rice and try other alternatives to rice, I thought of making vangibhat with daliya. The same can be tried with quinoa also.

Daliya is cracked wheat, available in many Indian stores. Bulgar, which is easily available in USA, is also an equivalent. Daliya/bulgar can be cooked in a pressure cooker or on open heat.

Very tender eggplant tastes good for vangibhat.

Ingredients:

•      1 cup daliya (wheat ravva)
•      6 to 8 vankayalu (baigan/eggplant)
•      1 red chile
•      1/2 tsp. turmeric
•      2 Tbsp. chana dal
•      3 Tbsp. urad dal
•      2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
•      Pinch of hing
•      3 Tbsp. dry grated coconut
•      Salt to taste
•      4 tsp. oil
•      Few curry leaves

Directions:

1.      Roast red chile and chana dal without oil, in a pan.
2.      Add urad dal and coriander seeds
3.      Roast for a few minutes.
4.      When dals are getting brown in color, stop the heat.
5.      Add hing and grated coconut.
6.      Mix well and let the mixture cool.
7.      Clean eggplant and cut them into thin slices.
8.      Cook daliya in a pressure cooker or on open heat.
9.      Fluff it and let it cool.
10.      Grind the dal mixture in a grinder to make a coarse powder.
11.      Place eggplant pieces in a microwave safe bowl, add a spoon of oil and turmeric.
12.      Mix well and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on high.
13.     Heat oil in a deep pan and add curry leaves and eggplant.
14.     Add dal mixture and mix well.
15.     Add salt and mix well.
16.     Add cooked daliya and stir well.
17.     Reduce heat and let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes, so that daliya gets all the flavors of masala and eggplant.
18.     Add ghee and close the lid.
19.     Turn off heat.
20.     Can be served with carrot raita.