Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry

Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry.
Bottle gourd and red bell pepper and chopped up and cooked in oil along with whole spice mix (panch phoran). Once the ingredients are cooked, it is seasoned with powdered spices. Serve bell pepper bottle gourd chutney with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry.
Ingredients:
Bottle Gourd 1/2 of Small One
Red Bell Pepper 1
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Panch Phoran 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder a big Pinch
Salt to Taste
Oil 1 tsp
Method of preparation:
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Wash, remove stem, discard seeds and chop red bell pepper into small pieces.
Peel, wash, remove ends and chop bottle gourd into small chunks.
Heat oil in a pan, add panch phoran.
Once mustard seeds splutter and the spices are aromatic, add the green chiles and chopped bottle gourd.
Cook covered on low flame along with a splash of water for 5 minutes.
Once bottle gourd is cooked a little, stir in red bell pepper and salt.
Cook covered again for another 5 minutes till bottle gourd and bell pepper are cooked well and turns soft.
Stir in red chili powder ,turmeric powder and remove from heat.
Serve bell pepper bottle gourd chutney with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure bottle gourd is cooked well before removing from heat.
Suggestions: If any of the ingredients are uncooked, put the pan on heat and cook covered till bottle gourd and red bell pepper is cooked well.
Other Names: Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry.

Spicy Idli Powder

Spicy Idli Powder.
Chana dal, urad dal and sesame seeds are roasted and ground into fine powder along with spices and salt. Serve spicy idly powder with steamed idli and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 1 Cup of Spicy Idli Powder.
Ingredients:
Chana Dal 1/2 Cup
Urad Dal 1/4 Cup
White Sesame Seeds 1/8 Cup
Raw Rice 2 Tbsps
Dry Red Chili 2 – 3
Asafoetida 1/8 tsp
Salt to Taste
Method of preparation:
Dry roast chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds separately on a heavy bottomed pan.
Add few drops of oil and roast the dried red chiles till aromatic or until they turn dark.
Cool all the roasted ingredients to room temperature.
Grind all the roasted ingredients along with asafoetida and salt into fine powder.
Serve spicy idly powder with steamed idli and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure not to burn any of the ingredients.
Suggestions: Make sure to roast the ingredients in low flame on a heavy bottomed pan.
Other Names: Spicy Idli Powder.

Moong Fritters Stew

Pesara Pappu Punukulu Pulusu.
Yellow split moong dal is soaked in water and ground into coarse paste. The mixture is then scooped and deep fried in oil till golden brown in color. The fritters are then added to the tamarind jaggery sauce. Serve moong dal fritters stew with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Moong Fritters Stew.
Ingredients:
Moong Dal 1/4 Cup
Onion 1/2 of Small One
Tamarind 2 inch Piece
Turmeric Powder a Pinch
Red Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
Jaggery 2 inch Piece
Rice Flour 1 Tbsp
Dried Red Chiles 1
Salt to Taste
Cilantro few Sprigs
Talimpu:
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps
Method of preparation:
Soak moong dal in water for 2 – 3 hours.
Refresh in water and strain the moong dal.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro leaves.
Soak tamarind in half a cup of warm water for sometime and extract all the juice.
Stir rice flour in few tablespoons of water to make a paste and keep aside.
Grind soaked moong dal and salt into somewhat coarse paste along with red chiles adding small amount of water if required.
Remove the ground moong dal mixture onto a mixing bowl, taste and adjust salt if necessary.
Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
Scoop small spoon sized moong dal mixture and slowly drop in hot oil.
Repeat the same few more times to till the top layer of the oil is filled with fritters.
Once the fritters are golden brown on all the sides, remove onto absorbent paper.
Repeat the same with remaining moong dal mixture.
Break moong dal fritters into halves or quarters depending on the size.
Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped onion and pinch of salt.
Once onion turns translucent, stir in tamarind extract, quarter cup of water, jaggery, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Bring to boil and stir in rice flour paste.
Boil for few seconds, remove from heat and stir in slightly broken moong dal fritters.
Garnish with cilantro and serve moong dal fritters stew with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure moong dal is soaked well.
Suggestions: Make sure not to add too much water in the preparing moong dal mixture. Add a tbsp or so of rice flour if moong dal mixture becomes runny.
Variations: Add corn flour in place of rice flour to make a paste to thicken the tamarind sauce.
Other Names: Moong Dal Fritters Stew, Pesara Pappu Punukulu Pulusu.