Bolu Darale(Bolu Peere / Luffa Gourd / Sponge Gourd) Raitha

Ingredients:
1 small tender Bolu Daarale / Bolu Peere / Luffa Gourd / Sponge Gourd
1 small Onion
1 Green chilly
2 - 3 strands of Coriander leaves
3 - 4 tsp grated coconut
1 - 1.5 cups Yogurt/Curd
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
8 - 10 Cumin seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida
1 strand Curry leaves
1 - 2 broken red Chillies

Recipe:

Peel sponge gourd and cut the sponge gourd, coriander leaves and onion into small pieces.

Add grated coconut into mixer for about 1 min by adding little amount of water and keep it aside.

Put all these chopped ingredients in a vessel. Add salt, ground coconut, curd/yogurt and mix well.(If curd is too sour, add the required amount of milk and mix.)

Put mustard seeds, cumin seeds, broken red chillies, oil in a pan and heat. Once it starts spluttering, add asafoetida powder and keep it for few seconds. Add curry leaves and then add it to Raitha. Mix well before serving. It goes well with Rice / Pulav/Biriyani.

Nerugala Soppu Chutney Powder

 Ingredients:

1 - 1.5 cups Nerugala Soppu (More Info: Click Here)
1 cup grated Dry Coconut / Kobbari
20 - 25 Red Chillies
1.5 - 2 tsp of Monkey Jack(Unde Huli) powder or Tamarind powder or Dry Mango(Amchoor) powder
Salt to taste

Recipe:

Remove the leaves from the stem as shown in the picture below.

Dry roast the red chillies, grated dry coconut and nerugala soppu, separately in a pan / microwave without adding any oil in medium flame until it gives nice aroma. Let it cool for about 20 mins.

Put this fried ingredients, tamarind powder, salt in a mixer and make smooth powder.

Store it in an airtight container. For longer shelf life store this in a refrigerator.

Mixed Vegetable Halwa

Ingredients:
7 cups grated Carrot
7 cups grated Beetroot
4 cups Ripen Raw Papaya
9 cups Milk
10 - 11 cups Sugar
10 - 12 Cardamom / Elachi / Elakki
1/2 cup Cashew nuts / Gerubeeja
1/4 cup Raisins / Ona Drakshi
11/4 - 1.5 cups Ghee / Thuppa
Few strands of Saffron / Kesari

Recipe:
Peel the skin of vegetables and grate them as shown in the picture below.

Put the grated vegetables in a pressure cooker container and cook them without adding water.(3-4 whistles). Once the pressure goes off, pour the cooked vegetables in a thick bottomed vessel. Add milk and bring them to boil.

Put broken of cashew nuts, 1-2 tsp ghee, fry them for few mins until they turn light golden in colour. Add raisins and fry them together for about 1-2 mins in low flame. Put Saffron in 3 - 4 tsp hot milk and keep it aside.

Add sugar, keep the halwa in medium flame and stir this mixture once in 2-3 mins until all the milk gets dried up.

Add half of the ghee and stir the halwa continuously in medium flame for about 10 mins.

Add saffron milk and stir the halwa in medium flame for about 10 mins. Add remaining ghee, fried cashew nuts, raisins and stir the halwa continuously in medium flame until ghee starts separating.

Add mashed cardamom and mix well.

Apply little amount of ghee to the plate, pour this halwa and spread it using one flat spoon as shown in the picture below.

Serve hot or cold.

Dal Kichdi

 Ingredients:
1.5 cups Basmati Rice
11/4 cup Yellow Lentils / Togari Bele / Toor Dal
2 tsp Bengal Gram seeds / Kadle bele
3 large Tomatoes
3 medium sized Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
1/2 inch sized Ginger
1.5 tsp Turmeric powder
1.5 tsp Kasuri Methi / Dried Fenugreek leaves
3 - 4 Green Chillies
1 - 2 broken Red Chillies
1 tsp Mustard seeds
3/4 tsp Cumin seeds
Big pinch of Asafoetida powder
3 - 4 strand of Curry leaves
6 - 8 strands of  Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1 tsp fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp Butter (Optional)
3 - 4 tsp Ghee

Recipe:

Soak yellow lentils, bengal gram seeds rice in wanter for about 15- 20 mins. Wash them properly in water for about 3-4 times and put them in a pressure cooker. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, salt, around 10 cups of water and cook them well(3-4 whistles).

Chop onion, tomato, green chillies, coriander leaves into small pieces as shown in the picture below. Grate the ginger and garlic as shown in the picture below.

Put mustard seeds, cumin seeds, broken red chillies and ghee in a thick bottomed vessel/pan. Once it starts spluttering, add ginger garlic paste and fry them for about 1-2 mins. Add curry leaves, chopped green chillies, asafoetida powder, chopped onion, kasuri methi and 1 tsp of turmeric powder. Fry them for about 3-4 mins in medium flame, until onion becomes light golden in colour.

Add chopped tomato, salt and cook them well by covering the lid.

Add cooked rice and lentils, add required amount of water, salt and bring them to boil.

Add chopped coriander leaves, 1 tsp fresh lime juice, butter(optional) and mix them well.

Keep this in low flame for about 2 mins and serve hot.