Sorakkai Sweet Kootu & Paal Kootu Recipe - Bottle Gourd Recipes

 I learnt this Sorakkai Kootu recipe ( Suraikai in Tamil, Sorakaya in Telugu, Bottle gourd in English, Lauki in Hindi) from my MIL.Whenever I buy bottle gourd, I prepare this sweet kootu or paal kootu for rice. With vathakuzhambu, it tastes divine. We make this kootu in two ways. One version tastes sweet and the other one is a spicy version. But my vote goes to the sweet version. I love it a lot.!! Try whichever you like. Lets see how to make Sorakkai kootu for rice in 2 different ways.

Sorakkai Kootu - 2 versions

How to make Sorakkai kootu/Bottle gourd kootu recipe

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Sweet Version Bottle gourd – 1 no (small size) or use half if it is big Green chilli – 1 no ( finely chopped) Salt & water – As needed Powdered Jaggery – 1/4 cup (adjust ) To grind Coconut – 1/4 cup Rice flour – 1 tsp Water – as needed To temper Coconut oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Red chilli – 1 no ( no need to pinch,whole chilli) Curry leaves – a few Milk (optional) to add at the end. Spicy Version Bottle gourd – 1 no (small size) or half if it is big Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Salt & water – As needed To grind Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup Green chilli – 1 no ( Use 2 nos for spicy kootu) Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp , Rice flour – 1 tsp Water – as needed To temper Coconut oil - 1 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Red chilly – 1 no ( full , no need to pinch) Curry leaves – a few MILK – 2 tbsp, ADD AT THE END

METHOD

SWEET KOOTU Wash and peel off the outer skin of bottle gourd . Cut into two halves.Now remove the spongy center portion which has seeds. Finely chop the hard portion and add the salt and water. Pressure cook up to one whistle.Meanwhile , grind the grated coconut,green chillies with rice flour adding little water or milk. Now open the cooker and add the powdered jaggery . Mix well. Let it boil for few minutes.Finally add the ground coconut mixture and allow it to thicken .. Add milk at the end if necessary .Temper all the ingredients given above in the same order. Add to kootu .Mix well and serve with Vathakuzhambu. Enjoy ! SPICY KOOTU Wash and peel off the outer skin of bottle gourd . Cut into two halves. Now remove the center portion which has seeds. Finely chop it and add the salt and water. Pressure cook up to one whistle in low flame. Meanwhile , grind the grated coconut with green chilli, cumin seeds, small onion (optional),  rice flour adding little water or milk. Now open the cooker and add the ground coconut mixture and allow it to boil . Add milk at the end if you like it. Temper all the items given above and add to kootu. Enjoy with rice and papad ! For variations, add sambar powder instead of green chillies.

Cooking Tips Select small, tender, and firm bottlegourds (light green and fresh-looking); prick the skin, and if it's thin, it's tender. You can use tender bottlegourd with the peel and tender seeds. To use mature bottlegourd, remove the peel and seeds. Taste the bottlegourds before cooking, as they can sometimes be bitter. Wrap in plastic cover and refrigerate to keep the bottlegourds fresh. Use them for curries, soups, salads, chutneys, jams or desserts. Their neutral taste lends itself to a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet.

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Flax Seeds Idli Podi / Flax seeds, horsegram Gun Powder

When I saw this flax seeds idli podi recipe in Viki’s kitchen , I immediately tried it on the same day. It was very flavourful and tasted excellent for idly / dosa. It tastes like the idly podi we make with sesame seeds. I made some little changes according to my husband’s liking. I should say its really a healthy idly podi as it contains horsegram and flax seeds. What more to say , lets go on to the recipe 

INGREDIENTS 

1 cup - 250ml

White round Urad dal – 1/4 Cup Channa dal – 1/4 cup Flax seeds – 1/4 cup Horsegram – 1/4 cup Red chillies - 10-15 nos Hing / Asafetida – 2 pinches Garlic cloves – 5 – 7 cloves (Optional , only for garlic lovers ) Salt – As needed. Curry leaves – a few

HOW TO MAKE FLAX SEEDS IDLI PODI - METHOD

• In a kadai , roast all the ingredients except salt & garlic given above adding a tsp of oil.
• She told to roast one by one for uniform roasting but I did everything at the same time.
• Roast till the flaxseeds start to pop. Also you’ll get a nice aroma and color change of all the dals.
• Add the curry leaves at the end and toss for few minutes. Then switch off the flame. Please make sure no ingredient gets burnt. That totally changes the taste.
• Once it cools down run it in mixie twice .Now add the chopped garlic pieces and the required salt.
• Grind to make a fine powder or little coarse based on your taste.

Yummy , healthy idly podi is ready to enjoy with idlis & dosas. Mix with sesame oil or ghee !!

NOTES

• Always make in small batches so that it tastes and smells fresh .
• It can be carried for travel too. It stays good.
• If you want to make the same for rice, add more chillies and little pepper corns too. Mix with ghee and plain rice..
• I’ve added equal quantity of urad and channa dal as I always want the flavor of urad dal in my idly podi. But the actual recipe dint call for urad dal . She had used only channa dal.
• My husband loves the garlic flavor in idly podi. So I added garlic cloves at the end , But its optional. U can add 2-3 pinches of hing while roasting instead of garlic..

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Instant Stuffed Idli Recipe - Idli Stuffed With Vegetables

I am making this stuffed idli recipe for the third time. Whenever I get bored of usual idli sambar , I make this dish. This is one of the best ways to incorporate vegetables into idli. My daughter never eats the vegetables I add in idli sambar. But she likes this stuufed idli a lot. U can just play around with different combinations of stuffing in it. I’ve given my method of making the filling. Do try this and leave your feedback.

INGREDIENTS 
1 cup :250ml

Idli batter – 2 cups Water – little to dilute For stuffing Carrot – 2 nos Beans – 6 nos Potato – 1 no Green peas – 1/4 cup Big onion – 1 no Cooking oil – 1 tbsp Turmeric powder – a pinch Salt – As needed Red chilly powder – 3/4 tsp Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp To grind Cinnamon – 1 inch piecee Cloves – 1 no Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp Grated coconut – 1 tbsp Dalia / Fried gram dal – 1 tsp Ginger – small piece & garlic – 6 cloves or GG paste – 1/2 tsp To garnish Coriander leaves – a few Lime juice -  As needed.

METHOD

• Heat a kadai with a tbsp of oil and add the onion pieces.
• Saute till it turns transparent. Now add the ground masala paste.
• Saute till the raw smell disappears.Then add the cooked vegetables and the powders.Mix well for few mins.
• Add the required water and boil well till the  stuffing thickens.
• Finally  add the lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
• In an idly pot, pour a tbsp of batter and keep a tsp of filling in the center.
• Then pour another tbsp of batter to cover the filling.Steam for 15 mins.
• Insert a fork, if it comes out clean, the idly is done.

Serve hot with sambhar ,coconut chutney  or tomato chutney !!

Here is a picture of stuffed idiyappam which I made the next day with the left over stuffing.


Note:

• U can make the above version in chinese style by adding cabbage , little soya sauce , ajinomotto and white pepper powder. But avoid using garam masala pwd, red chilly powder and ground masala paste. Hope you all know this. Sometimes I make like this too.
• If you dont want to stuff the idly, just mix the above stuffing in the batter directly and make idlies.It tastes good in that way too..
• While making for kids , add a tsp of ghee over the stuffing in each idly. That gives an additional flavor..

Technorati Tags: Stuffed idly,vegetable idly,stuffed idiyappam,vegetable idiyapam,idly varieties.

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Sprouts Pulao And Mixed Vegetable Raita

 

I made this for my hubby’s lunch box today . I got these recipes from Tarla dalal’s website.Both the recipes were given under Protein rich , low calorie , healthy food category. So I chose these recipes for our lunch.I made some slight changes in the actual recipe according to our tastebuds.It was nice & filling too.. Thanks to tarla dalal…About the raita , I should have named this as beetroot raita because the color of beetroot is predominant here. I’ve added carrots and cucumber to the raita. But its not visible .So adding beetroot is purely optional. If u want a nice color , please omit it or add less beetroot pieces.Please find the raita recipe below.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Sprouted green gram / Sprouted moong – 1/2 cup Carrot – 1 no Rice – 1/2 cup Water – 1.5 cups (adjust if u use basmati ) Salt – As needed. To temper Cooking oil – 1 tbsp Cinnamon – 1 small stick Cloves – 2 nos Bayleaf – 1 no Ginger- Garlic paste – 1/2 tsp Green chilly – 1 no (chopped finely) Big onion – 1 no (-do-) Coriander powder – 3/4 tsp Chilli powder – 1/2tsp Turmeric powder – a pinch Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp Lime juice – few drops Coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

Heat the pressure cooker base with a tbsp of oil and add all the items given under “to temper” one by one in the same order. When the onion becomes translucent , add the carrot pieces and sprouts. Saute well for a minute. Then add all the powders. Mix well for a few minutes and add the rice. Toss it well. Finally add the water & reqd salt. Pressure cook upto 1 or 2 whistle. Add a zing of lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves. ENJOY EATING HOT WITH RAITA !!

MIXED VEGETABLE RAITA

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

• Cooked carrot and beetroot cubes – 1/2 cup
• Cucumber pieces - few
• Fresh curd – 1/2 cup
• Green chilly – 1/2 no (Chopped finely)
• Roasted jeera powder – to sprinkle
• Water – as needed to dilute the curd
• Salt – as reqd

METHOD

• Cube cut carrot and beetroot into small pieces.Cook them for 1 whistle adding little water.
• Mix the fresh cucumber pieces with the cooked vegetables.
• Add the thick curd , reqd water and salt.( sometimes water may not be needed as the water in the cooked vegetables may be enough)
• Finally sprinkle the roasted jeera powder..

Serve with parathas and pulao !!

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Masala Chapathi | Khara Chapathi Recipe

Apart from chapati , I usually make Wheat flour adai for dinner.But my husband is not a big fan of it. So i was looking for some other alternative . I got this recipe from Mrs.Mallika badrinath’s cookbook. Its a simple , easy to make chapathi which is ideal for lunch box and dinner. Onion raita or pickle would be the best combination...Bachelors can give this a try..

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Atta / Wheat flour – 1 cup Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder or sambar powder –3/4 - 1 tsp Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp Dry mango powder/Amchoor powder – 1/2 tsp (optional, i dint add) Salt – As needed. Curd & Milk – Equal quantity as needed Oil – As needed.

METHOD

Take a wide bowl and mix all the ingredients given above to make a soft , pliable dough.Dont add water. Just use milk & curd in equal ratio.. Cover & leave it for 30 mins Make flat , thin , round chapathis .Brush with ghee or oil.. Enjoy with onion raita or pickle !!

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Easy Brinjal Curry/ Kathirikai Poriyal Recipe

I learnt this recipe from my neighbor. I am a big fan of brinjal but my hubby is just opposite to me. So i rarely buy this veggie and cook only for me specially. I love my mom’s brinjal stuffed poriyal very much. Next to that , this is the second best. It can be made in jiffy. It tastes the best with dal , sambar and morkuzhambu rice. I relished with keerai kuzhambu ..!!

INGREDIENTS

Brinjal – 5 nos (medium size) Sambar powder – 1 – 1.5 tsp Tamarind – small gooseberry size Jaggery – Small piece (Add more if want sweetish) Salt & water – As needed To temper & saute Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Jeera – 1/2 tsp Channa dal – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few Big onion – 1 no (slice cut) Oil – As needed.

METHOD

• Slit cut each brinjal into 8 pieces .Make thin slices so that it cooks quickly.Immerse in water till use. Soak tamarind in little water.
• Heat oil in a kadai and temper all the items given above in the same order.
• Saute onions till it turns transparent.Add the brinjal slices and saute for a minute.
• Add the sambhar powder ,saute for sometime.Then add the tamarind extract , jaggery ,required water & salt.
• Cover and cook for sometime.Switch off the flame once the brinjal is cooked.

****If u want in semi gravy consistency , switch off the flame when little water remains.It can be mixed in plain rice topped with ghee !!
Yummy brinjal curry is ready is to serve with dal rice , sambhar & morkuzhambu rice!!

NOTE

1. Use long green brinjal variety. But i used the normal purple ones.
2. When i made this curry , i had cut the brinjal into 4 pieces so it was big to eat. Then my neighbour told me cut into very small , thin slices the next time. I found the taste was blended well when brinjal is small.

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Idli Sambar Recipe - Tamilnadu Hotel Style

I learnt this Sāmbar from my neighbor. Its very simple. Usually for hotel style sambar recipe,we used to add freshly roasted & ground spices.For this sambar, just besan flour is enough.I had tasted this kind of sambar in some hotels especially in Tirunelveli and Madurai.Do try this and let me know how it turned out.Lets see how to make this easy, South Indian Idli Sambar recipe.

Tamilnadu Hotel style Idli sambar recipe

Idli sambar recipe - Tamil nadu hotel style

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Sambar recipes

Serves: Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Toor dal – 1/3 cup Carrot –1 no Potato – 1 no Tamarind –Small berry size(Sundakkai alavu) Tomato – 2 nos Small onions / shallot – 10 nos Curry leaves – few Sambar powder – 1.5 tsp Turmeric powder – a pinch Asafetida – 1/4 tsp Besan flour – 1 tbsp To temper Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Red chilli – 1 no Green chilli - 1 no (slit) Coriander leaves – few ( to garnish)

METHOD

In a pressure cooker, take the toor dal, chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, hing and a drop of oil. Add the required water and cook for one whistle in low flame. Mash the dal and keep it apart.Dilute besan flour in 1/4 cup of water without lumps and set aside. Heat a kadai with oil and temper the ingredients given under “To temper”. Sauté the onions, slitted chillies,curry leaves, hing & tomatoes. Saute till tomato turns mushy. Now add the tamarind extract and sambar powder. Add more water if necessary.Add the cooked vegetables , little asafetida and fresh curry leaves. Allow it to boil for few minutes. Then add the cooked and mashed toor dal. Add besan water to the sambar. Boil well for few minutes without lumps .The sambar starts to thicken. Add more water if necessary. Finally switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves. **For relatives, add a tsp of ghee at the end and close the bowl. Yummy , aromatic sambar is ready to enjoy with piping hot idlis , vada or pongal !!

Note

For idli sambar, dal should be dominant and hence less tamarind is added.  If u want the sambar to be more tangy add lime juice at the end after switching off the flame. For more spiciness, add more green chillies while sautéing onions and tomatoes. If u feel the sambar is too thick, add more water, little tamarind extract, salt and sambar powder. Boil for sometime. Similarly if u think the sambar is more spicy or tangy, add little besan flour and water, allow it to boil. Adjust salt. I find the above step as very useful to get the correct taste. That too for beginners these points would be very useful , thanks to my neighbor for sharing these tips with me/>

I enjoyed this yummy sambar with my oats barley idli and onion thokku !

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