Aanapakaya pesarapappu koora/ Bottle gourd moong fry

Preparation time - 20mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients :
Bottle gourd - 1 (medium sized)
Moong dal - 3 table spoons
Urad dal - 1 tea spoon
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
4 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
8-10 slit green chillies
1 table spoon ginger garlic paste
1 tea spoon salt
3 pinches hing
2 tablespoons sesame seeds(finely ground powder)
1/4th spoon cup chopped coriander
3 table spoons sunflower oil

Procedure :

• Wash and soak moong dal in warm water for 20mins.
• Meanwhile peel the skin and chop bottle gourd into cubes(medium sized).Keep aside.
• In a deep sauce pan warm oil.Add hing,mustard seeds,urad dal,dry red chilles,slit green chillies,curry leaves,ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2mins till they splutter.
• Now add the bottle gourd pieces to the pan,mix well with the seasoning and close the lid for 3mins.Keep mixing in between,so that it wouldnot get burnt.
• Sprinkle the sesame powder,salt and drained moong dal to the pan.Mix well and close the lid for 2 more minutes.Moond should retain the shape.
• Check the pieces so that they are soft and cooked.When done,garnish with chooped coriander and serve hot with rice or even with roti.

Okra / Bendi in yogurt gravy / Bendakaya majjiga pulusu

Preparation time-20 mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
300 gms Okra/Bendi
500 gms yogurts/curds
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
5 table spoons besan
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
1 tea spoon urad dal
1 tea spoon jeera
2 tea spoons crushed ginger
1/4th tea spoon salt
3 pinches hing
2 pinches turmeric
4 dry red chillies
4 green chillies
8 curry leaves
3 table spoons sunflower oil
Method:

1. Clean and dry bendi with a clean cloth and cut each into 3 pieces.
2. In a sauce pan heat oil and put mustard seeds,urad dal,jeera,turmeric,hing,green chillies,dry red chillies and curry leaves.Saute for a minute till flavors are released.
3. Meanwhile,take curds in a large bowl,add chopped tomato,grated coconut,salt and besan flour to it.
4. Mix it well adding a cup of water and without any lumps of besan left,into a smooth mix.Keep it aside.
   
5. Now add crushed ginger and bendi to seasoning in the sauce pan and fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Put curds in the sauce pan and mix it along with the seasoning and lower the heat.
7. Keep it for 8 to10mins on low heat till cooked and raises up as milk when boiling.
8. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander.
9. Goes well as a side dish for rice and even for roti.
10. Tastes good when curds are a bit tangy.So you can try doing this with the refridgerated left over curds from 2-3days.

Corn kichdi / Corn burji

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
250 gms corn
2 medium onions
3-4 dry red chillies
4 green chillies

1/2 sp salt
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
1 sp jeera
5-7 curry leaves
1 spoon ginger garlic paste
A pinch of turmeric
1/4th spoon red chilly powder
1/4th cup chopped coriander
2 spoons lemon juice(optional)
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Seperate corn from the cob and grind it to a fine pasteadding little water.Keep it aside.
2. Cut onion into big pieces and grind it to a paste along with salt and green chillies.
3. Meanwhile heat oil in a sauce pan.
4. Put urad dal,mustard seeds,jeera.After they pop add turmeric,chilly powder,split red chillies,curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste.Fry for a minute.
   
5. Mix ground onion and corn in a wide bowl.
6. Spread the onion corn mix in sauce pan with seasoning and let it on a low heat for a minute undisturbed.
7. Now mix it slowly in low heat and keep on mixing till it gets completely fried for atleast 7-9mins.It should not stick to the pan.
8. Garnish with fine chopped coriander.Switch off the heat and add lemon juice.
   
9. Tastes great when served hot.Best alternative for routene rava kichdi.
10. You can even have this with roti as a side dish.Try!