Kofta bottle gourd

http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2011/01/lauki-kofta-bottle-gourd-kofta-lauke-ke.html

Lauki Kofta-Bottle gourd Kofta-Lauke ke Kofte

Lauki Kofta Curry or bottle gourd (sorakkai in tamil) kofta is a very famous Indian dish which goes well with rice, chapati and parathas. I prepared this delicious kofta gravy at 5 'o clock in the evening (to take pictures) but reheated and served it only at 8' o clock for dinner. The balls were in the gravy for 3 hours and did not break. In fact it was very tasty as the koftas had absorbed the flavors of the gravy .We had it with peas pulav and we loved the combo very much. Try this delicious Bottle gourd kofta curry and I am sure, you will not regret it .

Lauki Kofta-Lauke ke kofte-Bottle gourd Kofta

How to prepare Koftas

Ingredients needed for Koftas

Bottle gourd - 1 1/2 cup grated
Besan/Bengal gram flour/Kadalai mavu - 6 tbsp or more
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Cooking soda - a pinch
Onion - 1 medium size finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method

Peel the skin of bottle gourd, remove the seeds and grade using the finer holes of the grater. Take 1 1/2 cups of grated lauki. Squeeze out all the water from the grated bottle gourd.

In a bowl, add grated bottle gourd, besan, rice flour, cooking soda, finely chopped onions, chillies, chilli powder, needed salt and make a firm dough.You can add more besan/ gram flour if there is moisture.

Now make small balls out of it and deep fry the balls in low flame till golden brown. Now your koftas ( see pic below) are ready. Keep it aside.

You will get 14 koftas for this measurement. I added only 12 balls in the gravy.

Gravy for the Kofta

Ingredients needed for the gravy/sauce

Onion - 1 cup chopped
Tomato - 1 cup chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 3-4
Cashew nuts - 6

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Thick curd /Yogurt (plain) - 2 tbsp
Fresh cream - 2 tbsp (optional )
Oil -2 tbsp or ( 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp butter )
Salt to taste

Preparation

Chop onions and tomatoes roughly.

Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan /kadai, add chopped onions and saute till it turns transparent, add ginger, garlic, tomatoes and saute for some more time. After it cools, grind it to a paste without adding water along with cashew nuts. Keep this onion-tomato paste aside.

Method

Heat oil + butter in a kadai/pan, add jeera /cumin seeds, when they splutter, add the grounded onion-tomato paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, curd and cook till it leaves oil.

Add 3/4 cup of water and cook for a few more minutes till everything gets blended well.

Drop the kofta balls gently into the gravy and bring it to boil .

Garnish with coriander leaves, fresh cream (optional ) and serve hot.

Bitter gourd sambhar

http://reniscooking.blogspot.in/2013/03/pavakkai-sambar-bitter-gourd-sambhar.html

Pavakkai Sambar - Bitter Gourd Sambar

Serves 3
Bitter gourd is one vegetable I try to avoid.Despite of the fact that it's extremely healthy,I can never get myself to cook it owing to the bitterness.I found this recipe in a magazine and was very reluctant to try it out.But just as the recipe promised it wasn't bitter and was surprisingly real tasty !

Ingredients :
Bitter gourd - 1 big

Tomato - 1 big(chopped)
Small onions - shallots - 10(chopped)
Toor Dhal - 3 tbsp
Moon Dhal - 3 tbsp
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 sprigs (chopped finely)
Asafoetida - 3/4 tsp
Tamarind - small marble sized
Jaggery - 2 tsp
To Temper:
oil - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - leaves from 1 sprig

Method:
-Chop the Bitter gourd into medium thick rings and remove the seeds.
-In a pressure cooker add the onion,tomato,bitter gourd,the dhals,sambar powder,salt and 1.5 cups of water and cook for 3 whistles.
-In a pan heat the oil and add the tempering ingredients and let them splutter.
-Soak the tamarind in 1/2 a cup of water for 30 minutes.Squeeze the tamarind and extract the juice
-Open the pressure cooker add the tempering and the tamarind juice .Check for salt and add the coriander leaves and jaggery. Let it cook on medium heat for 5 -7 mins.

Bottle gourd sabji

http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2013/01/lauki-sabzi-bottle-gourd-curry-sorakkai.html


Lauki Sabji Recipe 

Prep time - under 10 mins
Cook time - under 20 mins
Serves - 2

Ingredients needed

Bottle gourd (chopped) - 2 cups
Onion - 3/4 cup thinly sliced
Green chillies -3-4 slit

Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Chilli powder or  sambar powder -1 tsp
Coriander powder -2 tsp

Coconut grated - 1/4 cup
Roasted sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Salt needed

For the seasoning 

Oil - 1 tbsp
Jeera/cumin seeds -3/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Preparation

Peel the skin, discard the seeds and then chop the bottle gourd into cubes.

Thinly slice onions lengthwise and slit green chillies.

Pound grated coconut and sesame seeds using mortar or just grind for a second in a blender.

Method

Heat oil, add jeera seeds, when it splutters, add onions, green chillies and curry leaves.

Saute until onions turn transparent. Then add chopped bottle gourd, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt needed and saute for about 2-3 minutes.

Now add around 1/4 cup of water, close the lid and let it cook in medium flame. Do not forget to stir in between  to ensure even cooking.( if needed you can sprinkle more water)

See picture below - the bottle gourd is cooked and all the water has evaporated.

At this stage, add grated coconut + sesame seeds mix and saute for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame.

Sorakkai curry or poriyal  is ready. It is a fantastic side dish for chapati and rice.

Variations  -  Instead of sesame seeds, you can use coarsely ground roasted peanuts also. It gives a different flavor to the curry.

You can use white or black sesame seeds. (I have used white)

Yoghurt gravy

Kashmiri Aloo Dum ( Baby Potatoes in spiced yoghurt gravy)

August 10, 2011 by Shoba

The humble potatoes are what makes the most exotic and richest of dishes and this is very very true. A potato can literally take so many forms – fries, chips, rings, add it to a couple herbs and cheese and you make a casserole, indianise it with spices and make alu dry fry,Alu rassewale which is a gravy form, cook it and add couple veggies and spices roll it in bread crumbs and you get amazingCutlets, add it to your kadhi, stuff it with cheese and you get stuffed potatoes, or simply bake it in its skin and enjoy it with salt and butter like the english do! Its amazing that this root tuber can do so much and is so versatile. Aloo Dumitself has a variety of versions and this Kashmiri Aloo dum is inspired by the Great Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and of course, there is my blogger friend Aipi of  USMasala. Try it and then there is no looking back!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pound Baby Potatoes.

3 Bay leaves.

1 Stick Cinnamon.

3-4 Cloves.

2-3 Elaichi Pods Powdered.

1 Tsp Jeera.

1 1/2 Tbs Fennel Powder/ Powdered Somph.

1 Tbsp Dhania Powder.

1/4 Tbsp Ginger Powder.

1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder.

1/4 Cup Water.

1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic.

2/3 Cup Yoghurt Well beaten.

2 Tbsp Cashew Powder.

1 Tsp Sugar.

1 Tsp Kasuri Methi.

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder.

Salt.

Turmeric.

PREPARATION:

• I love my little electric rice cooker and use it to steam cook veggies. I experiment cooking aloo with it and I love that I can control the amount of cooking on any vegetable. I dont have to wait for a whistle and ten minutes!!! So I prick my baby potatoes with a fork, and toss them in water with a little salt and cook them well, but retain their firmness. Set aside.
• In a flat bottomed kadai, add 2 tbsp of oil/ ghee and pop in the whole masalas – jeera, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and allow it to fry in the oil for a couple minutes.
• Dissolve the fennel powder, dhania powder, ginger powder and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder in the 1/4 cup of water and mix it well.
• Add it to the sizzling oil in the kadai and stir in vigorously and wait until the oil seperates which should take a couple minutes.
• Now add the beaten yoghurt to the kadai and stir it well bringing down the heat a bit and to be careful not to break the components of the yoghurt.
• Now add 1 cup of  water and allow for the mixture to simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
• Add the boiled potatoes, the remaining 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, salt, garam masala, kasuri methi, sugar and cashew powder.
• Mix in all the ingredients well and allow to cook on slow flame for about 15-20 minutes.
• When the oil seperates from the gravy and  you see a homogenous consistency switch off the flame  and garnish with chopped cilantro.

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Posted in Gravies/ Sides/ Curries/ Dry Subzis. | Tagged Aloo Dum, Dum Aloo, Dum Alu,Kashmiri Aloo Dum, Vegetarian Alu Recipes | 19 Comments

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