Hagalakayi Arashina Menasu / Bitter Gourd Coconut Gravy

Ingredients:

3 medium sized Bitter Gourd / Hagalakayi

Large grape sized Tamarind

6-7 Red Chillies

1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder

1 tsp Chilly powder

Large lemon sized Jaggary

1 - 1 1/4 cup grated Coconut

Salt to taste

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

4-5 Curry leaves

1 tsp Oil

Recipe:

Cut bitter gourd into two pieces and remove the seeds. Chop bitter gourd into long thin pieces(1 inch sized) as shown in the picture below.

Put tamarind in a bowl and add little amount of water. Squeeze it and keep it aside.

Put only bitter gourd pieces in a vessel containing salted water for about 1 hr. Squeeze all the bitter gourd pieces and put them in a vessel. Add  1/4 tsp turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, tamarind water, jaggary, little amount of water and bring them to boil. Cook them in medium/low flame for about 30 mins until almost all the water content gets evaporated.

Grind grated coconut, red chillies, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder into smooth paste by adding sufficient amount of water. (If it is frozen coconut use hot water while grinding.) Add this ground coconut to the vessel containing cooked bitter gourd, mix them well and bring them to boil. Keep this in low flame for about 2-3 mins.

Add mustard seeds and oil in a pan. Once it starts spluttering, add curry leaves and then add it to the curry. It goes well with Rice /Rottis/Chapathis.

Kichdi

Ingredients:

1.5 cup White Rice(Basmathi rice preferred)

5 tsp Yellow Lentils / Toor dal /Togari bele

4 tsp split Green Gram seeds / Moong dal / Hesaru bele

3 tsp Bengal Gram seeds / Kadle bele

3 tsp soaked or fresh Ground nuts / Pea nuts

3 tsp soaked or fresh Chana / Kabul Kadle

4 tsp soaked or fresh or frozen Green Peas / Batani

1/2 medium sized Onion

2 Garlic flakes

3-4 Green Chillies

5-6 Curry leaves

1/3 bunch of Fenugreek leaves / Methi leaves / Menthe Soppu

7-8 Mint leaves / Pudina soppu

8-10 Coriander leaves

1/4 bunch of Spinach leaves / Palak soppu

1/4 bunch of Amaranth leaves / Harive soppu

3-4 flakes of Cauliflower / Gobi

1 Tomato

12-15 Beans

1/2 Ridge Gourd

1/2 Snake Gourd

4-5 Long beans

1/2 Cucumber

1 medium sized Carot

1-2 tsp Ghee

4 - 5 cups Water (For Pressure Cooker:4 cups & for Rice Cooker: 5 cups)

Salt to taste

Recipe:

Wash rice in water for about 2-3 times, drain the water and keep it aside.

Soak all the lentils in water for about 30-45 mins. Wash them properly and keep them aside.

Chop coriander leaves, amaranth leaves, spinach, mint leaves into small pieces as shown in the picture below.

Chop fenugreek leaves into small pieces. Chop green chillies, onion into medium pieces. Remove the outer cover of garlic and mash.

Chop all other vegetables as shown in the picture below.

Put 1-2 tsp ghee in a pan, add mashed garlic and fry them for about 1-2 mins until they turn light golden in color. Add chopped green chillies, onion, curry leaves and fry them for about 2-3 mins. Add chopped fenugreek leaves and fry them for about 2-3 mins.

In rice cooker or pressure cooker add rice, lentils, chopped vegetables, fried fenugreek & onion, salt, water, mix them well and cook.(In pressure cooker 2-3 whistles)

It goes well with any kind of Raithas/Mosaru gojju. Above mentioned ingredients will serve 4-5 plates of Kichdi.