Ridge Gourd Chutney/Peerkangai Thuvayal

Ridge gourd poriyal is one of my favorites that my mom used to cook. But VJ was not very much interested in that. And so it has become a rarest make in my kitchen. When I came to know that we can make chutney with this nutritious vegetable, I wanted to give it a shot. Luckily this suited the taste buds of all the members in my family and now it has become a frequent visitor :) Prajju loves this a lot!! Check the "Nutritional Information" section for more info and now to the recipe.

Ingredients

Ridge gourd - 2
Onion - 1, chopped finely
Tomato - 1, chopped
Garlic - 2, chopped
Salt, hing and turmeric powder as per taste

Ingredients

Oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves

Method

1. Wash and scrap the skin of the ridge gourd (you do not have to peel off the skin completely). Chop it into medium sized pieces
2. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and onions and saute until the onion turns translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
3. Then add the chopped ridge gourd, salt, hing and turmeric powder. Keep covered and cook until the ridge gourd is fully cooked. This will not take much time as the vegetable gets cooked quickly. Also you may not have to add water as the vegetable itself will ooze out some water. Switch off the flame and set aside to cool down.
4. Grind in a mixer to a smooth paste. Do the tempering and pour it in the ridge gourd chutney. Enjoy with Idly/dosa.

** You can also make it as a thuvayal, by altering the ingredients. Skip onion, tomatoes and garlic. Just cook the vegetable and grind it along with a small piece of tamarind and 2 tbsp of coconut. Then do the tempering. Ridge gourd thuvayal is ready to be enjoyed with hot rice!!

Nutritional Information

Vegetables of the "gourd" family are extremely advantageous through the health perspective. Of these the Ridge gourd is said to be extremely rich in fibre, quite lower in saturated fats and calories. It is abundant in Vitamin C, zinc, thiamin, iron, magnesium etc and boosts up your immune system. When included in your regular diet this vegetable acts as an excellent blood purifier. Also as this is a watery vegetable this helps in reducing your body weight. The best part is this veggie has a nice sweet taste that everyone will like. So include this in your regular diet as a stir fry or poriyal or chutney and enjoy its benefits.

Channa Rice

Channa rice is a healthy and wholesome meal which is perfect for a lunch box too. This meal comes in handy when you do not have any vegetables handy. Cucumber raita pairs very well with this rice. The soft cooked channas and the crisp cucumbers make an ideal pair.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Chick peas or Kabuli Channa - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped finely
Onion - 1, cut lenghtwise
Tomato - 1, small sized, cut lengthwise
Capsicum - 2 tbsp, chopped lengthwise
Mint leaves - 4 or 5 leaves
Corriander leaves - 1 tbsp
Dried Kasuri methi leaves - 1 tbsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Rice Mix Powder - 1 tsp (or) Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt and turmeric powder as per taste

To Temper

Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa dal and curry leaves as per taste
Green chilli - 1 or 2 slit lengthwise

Method

1. Soak the channa overnight and pressure cook until soft. Cook the rice, allow to cool, fluff it with a fork and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning with ingredients  mentioned under "To Temper". Add the garlic and saute for few seconds.
3. Then add the onions and fry them until they turn transparent. Adding a pinch of salt will speed up the process. Now, add the capsicum, tomatoes, mint leaves and coriander leaves and saute for 2 mins.
4. Add cooked channa, turmeric powder, chilly powder, hing, rice mix powder or garam masala and salt. Now, crush the kasuri methi leaves in between your palms and sprinkle it to the channa mixture. Stir well.
5. Mix the rice, check for salt and add if necessary. Turn off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves. Close the lid and allow to sit for couple of minutes to let all the flavors blend together. Enjoy with any kind of raita or gravy!!

Nutritional Information

Whether you call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, these little legumes are a tasty and healthy treat! This legume is low in Saturated Fat, very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein and Copper, and a very good source of minerals like Folate and Manganese. Chickpeas can be used in salads, soups, curries and stews

Wheat Dosa

Wheat dosa is one of the instant dosas you can prepare when you are in a hurry. I learnt this from my mom. She used to make it crispier like Rava dosas, ofcourse spooning some extra drops of oil. But I always prefer less oil, so I don't mind my dosas to be soft as they would still taste good. Soft or crisp is upto your choice..

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 cup(optional)
Water - 4 cups approximately
Salt and hing as per taste

To Temper

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp (optional)
Curry leaves as per taste
Green chillies -2 finely chopped
Ginger - small piece finely chopped

Method

1. In a bowl mix together wheat flour and rice flour. Add salt and hing.
2. Add water little at a time and mix well so that there are no lumps. Use a whisk or egg beater for a better result.
3. Do the tempering and pour it into the dosa batter.The batter should be watery and thin for crispy dosas or you can prefer to keep it in medium spreading consistency, the dosas will not turn too crispy but still will taste good.
4. Heat a skillet and pour a ladle full of batter and cook on both sides drizzling few drops of oil.

** Reduce the quantity of water to 2 cups if you are planning to omit rice flour.

Nutritional Information

Wheat is a cereal grain. Whole wheat products have increased fiber and nutrients compared to their refined wheat counterparts. Fiber is essential to your health because it has shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, lower blood cholesterol, control blood sugar levels and help relieve constipation. Whole wheat is rich in B vitamins, vitamin E and only has approximately five percent fat. Also whole wheat is a very good source of minerals like Manganese and Selenium.