Sorekayi (Lauki) kootu - Bottle gourd stew

As children growing up in Bangalore, Bottle gourd was seldom used in our household. Only after knowing its benefits, my mother started using it. Following are the benefits of it:

1. Has a cooling effect so helps in aiding digestion.
2. It is good for diabetes patients to reduce thirst and bring down blood sugar levels.
3. Juice of bottle gourd helps in weight loss.
4. Helps to prevent premature greying of hair.
5. It acts as an electrolyte and helps balance the body, remedies constipation and diarrhea.
6. It is excellent in reducing high blood pressure.
7. Remedies Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) like cranberries.
8. Reduces liver inflammation.
9. Regulates body hormone levels and blood cholesterol levels.
10. Is excellent antioxidant.

Though this vegetable is very effective health wise whilst taken in a juice form, as a vegetable it retains most of its properties, if not all. 

Most common recipes of bottle gourd are halwa, kofta and stir fry (subzi). It has a high water content so does not take too much time to cook. This is a different sort of stew, since the normal one, which my mom makes, has too much spice in it. Make sure to remove the outer skin while cooking bottle gourd and wash the slimy fresh skin with water. Inside of it resembles Chinese Okra (Heerekayi). If the seeds are too evident remove the seeds. Did you know it is actually a type of pumpkin? I mean who knew right :)

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 small bottle gourd diced to 1" cubes
• 1/2 cup moong dal (green gram)
• 1 tsp ghee or oil
• 5-6 curry leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing (asafetida)
• Salt as needed

Ingredients to grind:

• 1/3 cup coconut shredded
• 1/3 tsp black pepper corns
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4-5 green chillies depending on level of heat needed
• 1 tsp rice flour or 1 tsp rice soaked in water for 30 mins
• A pinch of hing (asafetida)

Method:

• Grind the ingredients in the to grind section with little water into a paste.
• Cook the moong dal in pressure cooker or in a pan (instructions below).
• In a pan, add ghee and once hot, add mustard seeds.
• Once the mustard seeds crackle, add hing and curry leaves.
• Add in the bottle gourd pieces and sprinkle some salt and little water.
• Cover and cook for 10 mins till soft.
• Now add the ground masala and cook for 5 mins till the rawness is gone.
• Add the cooked moong daal and stir it for 5 mins allowing the veggies, masala and moong dal to combine and then switch off the stove.

To cook in pressure cooker add almost 2 cups of water (we want it to be little watery), a pinch of turmeric and salt. Let it cook for 3 whistles. 

To cook in a pan, first fry the moong dal till it becomes warm and you can smell the moong dal roasting. To this add 2 cups water and pinch of turmeric and salt and let it boil. Once it boils cover and cook it on sim, it takes 30-45 mins.

MenthyaSoppinaAnna - FenugreekLeavesRice

Fridays are rice days for my husband whenever there are no project parties. Rice on Fridays are specially good when you want to have all your energy for outings on weekend. Our weekend starts Friday night. From Monday to Thursday we eat only chapatis.

While buying fenugreek leaves check for flowers, if they exist, then leaves will be bitter.

Fenugreek leaves are know for following nutritional values:

1. Dry Fenugreek leaves are used as Kasuri Methi, a herb used in cooking. It has a great flavor and since it is used as a herb add it only while steaming or near end of cooking.
2. They are used to treat inflammation and eczema. 
3. They are used to treat kidney problems, boils, ulcers and all other skin diseases.
4. It also has a cooling effect on body.
5. It is used to help the easy flow of milk in feeding mothers.
6. Like Spinach, Fenugreek leaves contain Iron and helps in curing anemia.
7. It also helps in lowering blood sugar levels when blended with water and taken first thing in the morning.
8. It has significant amounts of Vitamin K (Ketamine) which is a fat soluble vitamin used to clot blood, to improve your heart health and build strong bones
9. It is a good source of roughage and helps in motion normalcy.
10. It is also known to cure arthritis.
11. It is a great source of protein for vegetarians.
12. It improves hair growth.

Fenugreek leaves can be eaten raw when the leaves are still fresh. They are available all round the year in any Indian market. You can also make chutney, palya (Stir Fry) or majjigehuli (Stew) with it.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 big bunch Fenugreek Leaves (if not fresh, remove the leaves and do not use stalk)
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 3-4 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing (Asafoetida)
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp black gram (urad dal)
• 2 tbsp palya pudi (You can use chili powder instead)
• salt as needed
• 2 cups cooked rice

Method:

• Wash the Fenugreek leaves thoroughly after separating from stems.
• In a pan add oil, once it is hot add mustard seeds and hing, let the mustard crackle. 
• Add urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• Add in the Fenugreek leaves and fry until it shrinks - takes 5 mins.
• Mix in the peas and give it a stir.
• Add in the tamarind paste and fry it again for 5 mins.
• Now add palya pudi and cook it until the rawness of powder disappears.
• Mix this with rice and add salt at the end check for taste.

Chappradavarekayi Palya (Subji) - flat bean stir fry

So couple of days back, one of our close relatives from Houston visited us. I had 3-4 kinds of veggies at hand and wanted to prepare something that goes well with chapati ( one of indian flat breads). Just then I remembered that I had got flat beans from the market a few days back and had forgotten to refrigerate it. To my luck it was still in great shape. So decided to use it.

I always believe in using fresh ingredients. There is a kind of joy in seeing those brilliant colors nature has provided us. Same goes with whole grains. I sometimes wish I had a space big enough as my Indian house. I would love to grow my own greens and veggies. Unfortunately, all I am left with is a small balcony, which I am ready to use shortly to grow some herbs.

Flat beans, in my opinion, are a bit under appreciated compared to the val beans in my place. These beans have more green content as skin can be used when its young and in older ones, more seeds. While making this recipe I had few older ones, of which I used mostly the seeds and not the skin.

I am one of those people who don't like to overcook my veggies. Overcooking tends to not only minimize the nutrients, but will make it appear dull due to lack of good coloring. Not all veggies need tons of oil or spices or coconut to add flavor, in fact the flavor actually gets lost if you try adding more of these. Purpose of adding spice and seasoning is only to enhance the flavor.

This recipe is best eaten with chapati. You can also use it as sides with rice.

Serves: 3

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 lb or 1/2Kg flat beans broken into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 of finely onion chopped 
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal (black gram)
• 1/2 inch ginger grated

Method:

• Microwave the flat beans with half cup water and some salt on high for 8 mins.
• Drain the water and let the cooked beans dry for some time.
• In a pan,  with medium flame add oil and mustard seeds and let it crackle then add urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• Add onion and grated ginger to this and fry until translucent.
• Now reduce the flame to medium low and add in turmeric, chili powder, coriander and cumin powder.
• Give it a mix until there is no raw smell of spices but make sure they don't burn.
• Throw in the flat beans to this and finally add lemon juice and stir it for a few mins until everything blends well.
• Check for salt, add more if needed and serve hot.

All it takes is time

Stress Stress Stress!!! Its all you hear everywhere. People appear to be busy all the time and yet, don't seem to have time for anything. Though the whole world has shrunk into a smaller place, we all are still in a rat race competing with each other. To-do lists, schedules, appointments and so on - are they really helping us achieve to be the perfectionists that we are, or are they being overly abused.

We talk about science and technology improving to a point where nothing seems impossible, although, none of this can improve basic human behaviors like humanity, patience, perseverance, tolerance, kindness, sensitivity and more than anything peace of mind. Ironically enough, earnings are not to fill your stomach anymore. I read this joke somewhere, where in a rich guy and poor guy have a conversation as to why the poor guy spends all his money to enjoy and not save anything for the future to which the poor old guy answers, saving money is to enjoy in future, why enjoy some other time when you can do it now. Seems sensible, doesn't it?

Not only are we as adults stress out, but the kids at a tender age, have to start early to get good grades and have a bright future and become nothing but professionals. Depression is something unknown to my grandmother who is 92 years. The ad on TV, which I saw recently, had this young women with a husband, two kids, a dog and a job "Fighting" depression with some prescription medicine, made me wonder if you have all these what is there to be depressed about.

The best way to deal with stress and tension is to set your priorities straight. You can't have the same priority for two different things, doesn't work that way. We see these all rounders and think how can they be so good at their job, have time for family and do other additional stuffs. The key is to know what is more important. It doesn't make sense to have a marriage with husband and wife working in different parts of the world and being with each other only during weekends or month ends.
Also if you have kids, they have to be your number one priority. Not only does your calm and patience provide an example to them, it also helps you in having a special bond with your children.

Money is needed for somethings, but money can't buy everything. Enjoy life as it comes. Not all are meant to be "Super Heroes". Talk your heart out. Things change and change is the only the constant in nature. Life is too short to hate. Try to meditate for a few minutes and concentrate only on breathing. Yes, your minds tries to run in ten thousand ways, bring it back to that inhale and exhale. Do not worry for every small thing, let things go. Always have an attitude that everything is for the greater good, which might not be visible to you right now, but going forward, you will realize it. Open your senses. Try to listen, smell and see things often without overthinking. Try to be kind, if not, at least be a human. It doesn't take too much effort to hurt others, but surely takes much more to make others happy. Smoke, drugs and alcohol tend to give you temporary solutions, but blinds you from permanent ones. Be silly, laugh frequently but not at others. Treat people how you want to be treated. Same goes for respect and trust. Be thankful to who you are and understand that you are an individual and beautiful.  Don't try to be like someone else. We would all have been clones if we were  made the same and trust me the world would be a boring place. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Praise others openly instead of being jealous internally. Practice modesty. Try and try more every time you fail.

Finally give things time and celebrate life. Everything will be A OK :). Cheers to new beginnings.

Ambode - Lentil Fritters

India is known for fried stuffs. Be it Bhajiya, Vada or Pakoda. They are the best appetizers and the most easiest. One of these are Ambode or Lentil Fritters. It is from Karnataka and you can find most kannada people making it during festivals.

This is not to be confused with Masala Vada, unlike Masala Vada,  Ambode is made during festivals so onion is never added. They are nutritious and tasty. Needless to say if you simply can cook it, you can fry it as well. We make this using chana dal or split bengal gram. Chana dal needs to be soaked in water for at least an hour for this recipe, but the more it soaks in water, the better. I left it in water for almost 6 hours.

They can be enjoyed without any condiments as well. Kids like it with ketchup or tamarind sauce. Ambodes usually become soft after sometime like most of the fried items. Once it is soft or eaten the next day, you can dip it in rasam or curd to enhance the taste or in case its difficult to chew. My father-in-law enjoys eating it with payasa (pudding), another essential dessert during festivals.

While frying, it is best to either use vegetable, sunflower or any other oil which does not have any dominant flavor or pungent odor. Only fry 5-6 fritters in one batch as the temperature of oil might come down if the wok is overcrowded.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Ingrediants:

• 1 cup chana dal pre soaked for at least for 1 hour
• 2 dried red chillies 
• 2 green chillies - finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• A pinch of hing
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves or mint leaves
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 5-6 curry leaves chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• Oil for frying

Method:

• Use food processor to pulse channa dal and dried red chillies. Make sure not to add any water and not to make it a fine paste 
• Add this mixture to a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients to it except oil.
• Heat the oil in a wok and check the temperature. Best test is to add a pinch of this mixture to hot oil, if it comes to the surface then the oil is ready
• Make small lime sized balls of this mixture in hand and flatten it gently on palm and add it carefully to the oil. Do not prepare too many flat balls at once as it can dry if it stands for too long. Add about 5-6 in one batch.
• Fry them until golden brown and even coloring is seen.
• Drain of excess oil using a spider or a spotted spoon and place it on a plate covered with tissue paper.
• Check the fried batch for salt after it cools down a bit. Make the necessary adjustments in case required to the raw mixture and continue frying in batches.

HaalObattu - Sweet Milk Pancakes

This recipe is my mom-in-law's and is made mainly in South India, mostly in Tamil Nadu. It is very easy to make and takes very less effort. It is very different from traditional obattu in the sense of size and method. If you know to make chapati or poori, this is your "cup of cake" :).


We make it only on days where you can take a pass on your diet. Yes it is junk, and like all junk foods its good to taste but might not be necessarily healthy. I have made some small tweaks, wherever I could, to make it a tad bit healthy.


Main ingredients are All Purpose flour (Maida), Fine Semolina (Rava), milk and sugar.  Its really fun to make it and I think it goes well in those pot luck ideas, it carries well and can be refrigerated. While eating this, all I could think of is the peeni and chiroti prepared during functions and aww.. I miss those :(

Serves 4

Preparation time 45 mins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fine Semolina (Rava) 
• 1/2 cup unbleached All Purpose flour (Maida)
• 1 tsp ghee or melted butter
• 1-2 cloves crushed
• Water as needed
• A pinch of Salt
• 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 4-5 Saffron (kesari) strands
• Approx 4 tsp sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
• Almonds, cashews as needed (optional)*
• 1/8 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
• Oil for frying

Method:

• In a bowl mix Rava, Maida, ghee and cloves.
• Add water as needed and knead to make a firm, soft ball in your hand and let it rest for 30 mins
• Heat the oil. And after 30 mins, pinch lemon sized ball of the dough and roll it using a rolling pin to a round shape (like poori) and make as many pooris as possible.
• Fry the pooris in oil and make sure it does not bloat. I used a fork to poke it.
• Keep the fried pooris on a tissue cloth and let most of the oil drain out.
• Now add saffron to the milk and let it boil.
• Add sugar and cardamom seeds once it has boiled and switch off the stove.
• Sir the milk to make sure the sugar has melted completely
• Dunk or dip the pooris in this milk mixture just 5 mins before eating (soak it for more time in case it has to be more soft).
• Decorate it with almonds and cashews and either serve hot or refrigerate it and serve cold.

*Note : You can also use almond and cashew powders as well

Review: Charming Charlie - Accessory Store

If you haven't heard of this store, you ought to visit it. You can either go in-store or online. Not only is the store known for its exuberant accessories but also for scarfs, bags and shoes - a girl's best friend, after diamonds! 

I visited this store for the first time on a trip to Huston at the Galleria, and boy, was I bowled over by the collections. For the first time I saw a store "Color coded"!!! Yes, its true. It was like heaven for a person with OCD like me :) . Recently, I visited the one in Edgewater, NJ and this store was no different. It was definitely smaller in size, but, made up in the charming section. 

The designs are funky and classy. But the best part is the price. You can get a jewelry set for less than $20 (its really cheep compared to other accessory stores) and if your lucky, you can hunt for a cool piece at the clearance section for under $5 bucks. The bracelets and scarfs are to die for and the shoes, though the range is very limited, are chic and trendy. The bags are stylish and are very cheap relative to its looks. Needless to say you can get a bag in every possible color. You can also find small hair accessories and tiaras, clothes (mostly dresses and shirts), belts, though I found these are a bit pricy. The scarfs, specially the pastel shaded ones are the must haves for this spring.

The only downside for this is that you need to visit a store to view most of their collection. The website is not much evolved and look wise, is just ok.  They usually have coupons running in Retailmenot site so you can further reduce your bill. The staffs are very friendly and they help you not only within the store but also if you want to experiment with your looks. They are kind and there for you which will make you feel special (almost like a VIP).

Be sure to take some girl friend along with you as this is not a place for impatient husbands or boyfriends! It will definitely take long as you will have to try before selecting any piece. Lucky for me that my husband was ok with me taking as much time as he had a bench outside to relax. So ladies please visit this place, even if you want to window shop as I assure you, you can't leave empty handed. And guys if you want to give something memorable for your girlfriend or wife, do shop here.

As the name says, this Charlie is too charming!!