Pulgura (Huli Soppu) Greens Chutney

A typical Andhra tangy curry – when cooked with “love-lies-bleeding” can leave one with a trickly, tickling feeling. Called as curry and ground like chutney, this spicy spotlight sure drives away one’s apathy when teamed with steamed rice, roti or chapathi.

“Love-lies-bleeding” is a red variety leafy veggie and known as fox tail amaranth. Can’t find them…oh, don’t turn red. Pluck those green leaves (Dantina Soppu in kannada), a bunch will do. Done? Now off to the kitchen….for great health to drop on to your plate!   

Dish Type:  South Indian Vegetable Curry

Time: 20 min

Serves:  5 persons

Ingredients

For boiling

Amaranth leaves         1 big bunch (Dantina soppu)

Tamarind paste           1 tsp (or tamarind 1 small lime size)

Green chillies              3 nos.

Salt to taste                 2 tsps approx. (put at the end stage)

For dry frying:

Methi seeds                1 sp

Cumin seeds                2 tsps  

Asafoetida                   A pinch

For seasoning:

Oil                               1 tsp

Mustard seeds              ½ tsp 

Curry leaves                Few (optional)

Asafoetida                   A pinch (if you forget to put while frying)

Directions

Wash dantina soppu with water, drain and keep aside.

Saute the chopped amaranth leaves in a vessel along with salt and tamarind for about 10 min. till the soppu turns just soft. (Do not overboil)

While vegetable is boiling….

Heat a medium sized kadai. Dry fry ingredients listed above one after another separately and keep transferring each of them to a plate. Let them cool. Grind this to a fine powder. Transfer the powder to a small container leaving behind a tsp of powder in the mixie. To this add the cooked vegetable and grind to chutney consistency.

Now is the time for seasoning…

For this, heat ghee in a small skillet. Put mustard seeds. When they crackle put broken red chillies and curry leaves (both are optional) and switch off the flame. Add asafoetida. Immediately pour it on to huli soppu.

Pulgura is now ready.

Tete a Tete: 

Pulgura can also be prepared using Ridge Gourd (Heerekayi), Egg Plant (Badanekaayi)
If you are short of time for grinding, here's a short cut: Add cumin powder, methi powder and asafoetida powder while seasoning.

Juice of Amaranth leaves helps treat diarrhea, haemorrhage, hair loss and premature greying, makes a great wash for skin that suffers from eczema and acne.

Recipe Contributor: Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy, a nonagenarian lady and an expert cook, mother of Sri. Sheshadri Mokshagundam
Few other recipes contributed by Smt. Lalithamma:
Vangibath Powder
Rasam Powder
Sambar Powder
Greens Chutney (Pulgura)
Citron Lime Sauce (Heralekayi Gojju)
Hasi Majjige Huli (Sambar variety using yogurt)

Tamarind Rice (Puliyogare / Hulianna)

Hey, come come, let’s review “Lunch Box”. Ondu nimisha (just a minute) )….you mean I meant that 2013 Bollywallah box? Oho….so sorry. We Archies (as we Architecture classmates fondly call ourselves) are boasting about the Bygone Box of our Ancient Architectural Class(ic) Era of 1981 !!

It’s not for nothing that we Archies often recall those historic lunch times during our college days. At the first tong of lunch bell, we hungry Archietots would run and quickly sit encircled on the lush green lawns of our campus courtyard. Amidst the many lunch boxes that quickly hovered in the centre for everyone to taste a spoonful of the others, there was “That One Box” which all of us would cast eyes on, pretty much like the most wanted winning card, one waits to grab in a game of cards. And the moment it landed, lo! the circle would suddenly morph itself into one long serpentine, yes a queue literally! to taste that much awaited dish in the dabba, so much so that often it’s “owner” Arati had to return home hungry. Realising her weeping daughter’s pitiable plight, Aunty started sending 2 dabbas, one for her dear daughter and another for us. 

After all, weren’t we too equal dearies of Aunty? We would promptly empty the dabba she used to send for us and as a kind gesture to thank Aunty, (not Arati :)) we would leave a few morsels for Arati (our return gift! J) hoping they can serve as tissues to wipe her tears!

This spicy, tangy , tasty dish commonly called as Hulianna derives its taste chiefly from “Tamarind” a major ingredient, yet not without its interplay with a whole lot of other spices. Sum of these spices equals a rich and complex flavour.

Famous as “prasadam” in temples and at home during festive occasions, Hulianna is the first dish that comes to our mind as a comfy takeaway during travel times or a quick recipe to fill early morning lunch boxes.  Gojju that is used to mix with rice for making this super dish can be prepared and stored in fridge for months!

Right below is a Perrfffect  Recipe of that much awaited dish - HULIANNA 

Dish Type:  South Indian Vegetarian Rice Variety

Time required:  45 min (approx.)

Serves:  6 to 8 persons

Ingredients

To prepare Tamarind paste (wet):

Tamarind - 1/2 kg

Jaggery - 300 gm approx.  (powdered)

Oil - 1 cup (say 150 ml)

Salt to taste

Soak tamarind in just enough water (to cover tamarind) for an hour or so. Squeeze (and sieve if required) to extract thick paste.  Add jaggery, oil and salt. Boil for 20-30 min until thick and water evaporates.

To prepare Dry powder -1:

Red chillies                       1/2 kg (byadagi variety)

Corriander seeds             1/2 kg

Methi seeds                     100 gm

Jeera                               150 gm 

Mustard seeds                 100 gm

Black pepper                     50 gm

Roast chillies and pepper separately in a little oil (1 tbsp approx. )  Dry roast all other ingredients separately. Grind all to a smooth powder.  Add this powder to tamarind-jaggery paste.  

To prepare Dry powders-2:

Sesame                              150gm

Khuskhus                           100 gm

Black pepper                       50 gm

Dry roast sesame and khuskhus separately and grind to powder.  Roast pepper in a little oil and grind to powder. 

Other ingredients:

Dry copra                           1 no. (grated and powdered)

Asafoetida                          1 tsp

Turmeric                             1 tsp

Curry leaves                       1 bunch

Add dry powders-2 and all other ingredients to tamarind-jaggery paste and mix well.  Store this paste / gojju in an air tight ceramic or glass container.  

To prepare Hulianna:

Cook 1 cup (250 gms approx.) raw rice using 2 cups of water. When the pressure is reduced completely, remove cooked rice from the cooker and spread it on a plate. Let it cool. Now add salt as per your taste (2 tsps approx.) and 1 to 2 tbspns (approx.) tamarind paste to the cooked rice (quantity of paste to be used depends on your taste).  Mix well.

Its time now to prepare seasoning….Heat 3 tbsp oil and add 1 tsp of black mustard seeds.  When they splutter add 1 tbsp of peanuts and fry for a couple of minutes.  Add a pinch of asafoetida, 4 or 5 dry red chillies and a sprig of curry leaves.  Add this seasoning to rice mixture.  Mix well.

Hulianna is ready! Dear readers, It’s your turn now to enjoy!!

Tete – a – Tete

Tamarind is a powerful laxative for chronic constipation. How ironic that it is considered equally effective in treating chronic diarrhea too! Thiamine, a vital part of the vitamin family that helps improve nerve function is largely present in tamarind. 

A pod of tamarind when chewed can help overcome nausea and morning sickness.

Tamarind pulp can be used to lighten skin tone and brighten brassware.

Tamarind is known as “Imli” in Hindi, “Amli” in Gujarati, “Hunase” in Kannada, “Chintapandu” in Telugu, the list goes on…..!

Hulianna is also known by other terms like “Puliyogare”, “Gojjina Chitranna”, Huli Chitranna, Hunase Huli Chitranna and Tamarind Rice

Recipe contributed by by Smt. Pramila, Aunty of us - Archies and mother of my dear friend Arati
Rangaswamy. 

To read my poem penned for Arati, click link In search of an Archie

VEG FRIED RICE

Come to think of a dish that’s healthy for our tummy, do “fried” n “light” go hand in hand? Here’s one at Mangala’s Potluck that answers our question in an affable affirmative.

Basic Ingredients: Rice, Vegetables, Oil.

Short statement that looks so simple when read fast. Stretch the outline. It feels so vague and vast. We are lost! “Which oil should we use, which rice is better, which vegetables to choose, which flavour is most favoured, which garnish for finish and then the questionnaire pans out to which pan Sauté Pan or Frying Pan, should we blanch, saute’ or stir fry….” Oh these doubts, “Will they ever clearly finish?” Do you fear?  Sure they all will dear, at Mangala’s Potluck, only if you carefully read the recipe from start to finish!

Ingredients for Veg Fried Rice

For cooking rice

Basmati Rice               1 cup

Water                          2 cups

Oil                               1 tsp

Salt                              a pinch

For stir frying:

Oil                               2 tbsps

Cumin seeds                ½  tsp

Onion                          2 nos. (medium size, cut to thin, long slices)

French beans               ¼  cup (cut into diagonal pieces)

Carrot                          ¼  cup (cut to matchstick size)

Capsicum                    ¼  cup (shredded)

Cabbage                      ¼  cup (shredded)

Sweet corn                  ¼ cup

Turmeric                     Just a small pinch (it’s antiseptic…why miss it?)

Salt to taste                 2 tsps approx. (put it in pinches at different stages of cooking)

Pepper powder           3 tsps

For garnishing:

Spring Onion               ¼  cup (fine chopped)

Coriander leaves         2 tbsps (fine chopped)

Directions:

Wash rice thoroughly in water. Drain out the water and keep rice aside for half an hour.

Wash vegetables thoroughly in water. Drain out the water. Chop or shred vegetables (as the case may be) as mentioned above under “Ingredients – for sautéing” and keep aside.

Cook rice in a pressure cooker along with the other ingredients listed under “Ingredients – for cooking” for upto 2 whistles. A tip or two before you begin cooking….

Rice has to be just cooked al dente. Cooking rice in vegetable broth adds to the flavour. Adding lime juice while cooking rice also adds to the flavour.

Heard 2 whistles…now switch off the flame. Let it cool.

While it is cooling….

Heat oil in a frying pan (or sauté pan) over medium heat. Swirl oil all round the pan to form a coat. The secret here lies in selecting a sturdy pan so that the veggies can be cooked evenly.

Put cumin seeds. When it splutters, add onions, a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Sauté till it turns golden brown. (If you wish, you can keep this aside for garnish at the end). Now add all other vegetables and sauté. Also add pepper powder and continue tossing the veggies till they are cooked enough to be tender inside, crispy and crunchy outside.

By now, pressure in the cooker would have subsided. But has the rice turned cold….no, for sure.

Now that the rice has cooled down, add a pinch of salt and mix well. Its time to heat it up! Add this to the cooked veggies in the pan or vice versa (i.e., transfer the cooked veggies on to the cooled rice). Mix them well. Garnish with fine chopped coriander leaves, fine chopped spring onions…many more choices listed a wee bit below.

Veg Fried Rice is ready to serve.

Tete – a – Tete ….about

Choice of oil, rice, vegetables, garnish and flavour; Basmati Rice; Technique to turn hot rice cold; Sauteing; Stir Frying; Saute Pan; Frying Pan.

Choice of oil: Olive, canola, dark sesame, peanut, soy

Choice of Rice: Basmati Rice, Brown rice or any long grain rice since they remain fluffy and don’t get clumpy.

Choice of Vegetables: (In addition to the ones listed under ingredients) Onions, Peas, Bell Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Green soybeans, Baby beans, Baby corn, frozen Broccoli, Button mushrooms etc. Adding sugar retains colour of veggies. Whichever vegetables you choose, the time spent in the pan is short n sweet, so choose those that are tender by nature.

When using tougher, thicker vegetables head them straight not into the pan for sautéing but for blanching them briefly (by cooking in boiling water). They are now ready to be mixed with the other softer veggies.

Choice of Garnish: Toasted slivered almonds, fresh coriander leaves, fresh lime juice, fried brown crisp onion slices.

Choice of flavour: White pepper powder preferred. Crushed red pepper gives a hint of heat (optional), Toasted sesame seeds (optional), Soy sauce

Basmati Rice:  A variety of rice that is long bodied with a unique aroma. Cooked basmati rice results in grains that are long, dry, light, fragrant, slender, separate and non sticky.

Technique to turn hot rice cold: The golden rule of thumb to follow while sautéing rice for “Fried Rice” and certain other rice varieties is to make sure that the hot cooked rice is cold. To cool down the hot cooked rice grains and keep it separate, spread it on a wide flat tray and let it become warm. Rub it with a spoon of oil and keep aside till you use it.

Sautéing is a cooking term that means “to cook food fast using minimum amount of fat on a fairly high heat” as against Stir Frying which means “to cook food fast using relatively higher amount of fat on a fairly high heat”. Food is tossed once in a way during sautéing whereas stir frying needs accelerated and constant stirring action. The word sauté originates from a French verb “sauter” which means “to jump”. Sautéing preserves the texture and flavour of food intact.

Sauté pan has a long handle with slightly taller sides compared to a frying pan. This permits stirring food easily without spilling or jumping out of the pan. Frying pan is deeper to accommodate larger quantities of fat for frying.

Recipes viewed here are a part of  "Mangala's Potluck" section in this blog  

You may also view in this blog:
Few other Rice Varieties
Dessert Recipes

Sambar Varieties
Side Dish Recipes
Breakfast Recipes

Gojju Varieties

Spice Powders

Snack Recipes

Cucumber Dosa (using Mangaluru Southekaayi)

Feeling thirsty or hungry….oh both is it?…so sorry, don’t get angry! Why not have this….yeah it’s not a broth….but something that you can almost swallow down that shallow pipe called oh…eeh…yess got it…oesophagus!” Ha…now I see you smiling. For, with this dish, you can “grind” your water and eat it too! While the water is grinding, let me share my poem in praise of “Mangalore Southekaayi” – click  Hu hoo, Cu Coo, Cucumber

Read down for Recipe - Cucumber Dosa

Dish type: South Indian Breakfast Dish

Soaking time:  5 to 6 hours

Grinding time: 10 to 15 min

Yield: 10 nos. approx.

Ingredients   (for preparing batter)               

Rice                             250 gms

Methi seeds                1 tsp

Raw grated coconut    ¼  fresh coconut

Cucumber                   250 gms (measure after chopping it fine)

Salt                              1 tsp approx.

Directions

Soak rice and methi seeds together for about 5 to 6 hours with just enough water required to soak. Drain the water after soaking time is over. Save this water in case more water is needed for batter later.

Wash Cucumber (Mangaluru variety), peel the skin and chop cucumber fine. Grate raw coconut.

Grind the soaked n drained rice and methi seeds along with fine chopped cucumber, raw grated coconut and salt in grinder or mixie. Stir the batter at intervals.

The batter keeps sticking to the sides of the grinder/mixie. Keep clearing the sides off the batter by pushing the batter towards the centre.

Let the grinding continue till the texture of batter becomes smooth with a flowing, buttermilk like consistency. To test the consistency, dip a spoon in the batter. If the spoon has a thick coating of the batter, then more water has to be added. If required, use the drained water that you saved earlier. Transfer it to a vessel.

Cucumber Dosa Batter is now ready. This batter doesn’t need fermenting and can be used immediately.

To prepare dosa….

Heat a greased tawa (preferably iron) on high flame. Sprinkle few drops of water on the hot tawa. It should sizzle. Now reduce the flame to low.

Mix the batter thoroughly with a ladle. Do this for every dosa. Pour a ladleful of batter on the tawa in circular fashion starting from the outer sides of tawa towards the centre.  Actually, the batter flows by itself towards the centre. Fill big holes if any with the batter. Let tiny holes remain. No need to add oil, unlike many other types of dosas.

Cover it with a lid. Turn the flame to medium and cook the dosa for a few seconds. Cucumber Dosa cooks quite fast and doesn’t turn brown. So, make sure dosa is not overcooked expecting it to turn brown. When the top layer appears no longer raw and looks cooked, lift the sides by sliding a flat spatula from beneath. No need to flip the dosa to cook the other side. Fold the dosa into half and again into half to form a triangle. Place it on a platter of size bigger than the size of the dosa you prepared. Wipe the tawa clean, before making the next dosa.

When you continue to prepare more Cucumber Dosas, place them away from each other, since they tend to stick to each other when hot. Once cool, they can be placed one above the other in a covered bowl and served warm later. A fully cooked Cucumber Dosa will have a rich white colour.  

Serve it steaming hot or cool, with coconut chutney, peanut chutney, ginger chutney, sambar, pickle, onion tomato curry or jaggery-coconut mix.

Tete-a-Tete

Cucumber dosa batter can be refrigerated. Before using, thaw it to room temperature. Also you will see a layer of water on top and the batter settled below. Discard this layer of water and add fresh water (it should be at room temperature). Mix thoroughly and if required, do add a pinch of salt.

Ideally, Cucumber Dosa boasts of a rich white complexion.

Cucumber is known as “Southekaayi” in Kannada, “Dosakaayi” in Telugu, “Vellari” in Tamil, “Kheera” in Hindi

Recipe Courtesy: Smt. Mankali, a septuagenarian lady from Idagunji Taluk and an expert cook.

Other Recipes contributed by Smt. Mankali:
Beetroot Gojju (Sauce)
Brahmi leaves Yogurt Sauce (Ondelaga Thambuli)
Banana Fritters / Yeridevu
Spicy Yogurt with Coleus (Doddapatre Thambuli)


Also view:
Akki Thari Upma (Broken Rice Upma)
Black Grapes Gojju
Heralekaayi Gojju (Citron Lime Sauce)
Recipes viewed here are a part of  "Mangala's Potluck" section in this blog 

Black Grapes Gojju (Sauce)

DEE paavali…days are round the corner. Time to brush up some easy, breezy recipes to help our loved ones cook up a smile in admiration of our creation! While a sweety, soury saucy side dish is cooking up in my mind, let me share a short story.

How about recalling “Grapes Tales”? Oh no….not the bedtime moral kind. That sounds sleepy n soury. Prefer something sweet n nice that makes the story spicy. How about a fairy story that starts like this….Grapevine has it that….Oh so juicy! Let me resume…

Imagine you n I are dreaming of returning home with a Queen! Right in the middle of a warm, sheltered sunny site, we find a bunch of berries, deep bluish black in colour, called “Queen of Fruits”. Try tasting one of them. It is unique in its taste n flavour. Let’s savour. A board up there reads “Pluck them please, your appetite, they shall appease”. Wow, hurry…let’s waste no time. Each one pluck one, fist size bunch will do….All of Queens, mind you! Oh my…can’t believe, our dream has turned so sweet n true! Off now tothe recipe below for a spicy Black Grapes Gojju recipe. Thanks a bunch to my dear octagenarian sodaratthe Smt. Ahalya Bai for sharing this splendid saucy delicacy.

Dish type: South Indian Side Dish

Time required: 10 min

Ingredients

For boiling:

Black grapes             100 gms (seedless variety and sweet to taste)

Tamarind                  1 piece (small gooseberry size ball)

Chilli powder            2 tsps

Salt to taste              1 tsp approx.

Jaggery                     3 tbsps approx. (powdered)

For seasoning:

Oil                            2 tsps

Mustard seeds          1 tsp

Cumin seeds             1 tsp

Asafoetida                A pinch

Turmeric                   A pinch

Curry leaves             Few (optional)

Directions

Soak tamarind in a small cup of water for 10 to 15 min. Squeeze thoroughly and sieve the juice.

Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil. Put the ingredients mentioned under “for seasoning” in the same order as listed. Stir them. Put thoroughly washed black seedless sweet grapes. Keep stirring for a few seconds. Now add dilute tamarind juice, salt, chilli powder and jaggery. Stir and let it boil for a few min. till they all merge together. Switch off the flame. When it cools, you can see this Gojju looking jam-like.

Black Grapes Gojju is now ready.

Tete a Tete

Important: Precise quantity of tamarind and jaggery to be used depends on the taste of grapes and also one’s individual preference.

Tamarind paste may also be used instead of soaking tamarind pods in water. Add water to the paste and mix thoroughly to get diluted tamarind juice.

Black grapes are supposed to be the best bet for eyesight. They also lengthen, strengthen and straighten our hair, good for indigestion, help maintain a healthy glowing skin, help battle tussles with our tresses by keeping them long and healthy.

Recipe contributor: My dear octogenarian aunt and expert cook, Smt. Ahalya Bai.

Other Gojju (Sauce) recipes:
Beetroot Gojju
Heralekaayi Gojju (Citron Lime Sauce)
Recipes viewed here are a part of  "Mangala's Potluck" section in this blog 

Mangala's Potluck

Namasthe

Welcome to Mangala’s Potluck – a space in my blog where you can reach out to a range of Easy Recipes. For lazy ones like me and busy ones like you, to refer to, during our prime time, Mangala’s Potluck suits us all fine. It is also a place where the reader (as the meaning of potluck implies) “takes a chance that whichever recipe that is posted here will prove to be good, better or the best.” Reason: They are THE Recipes... Tasty Healthy Easy

Recipes posted here are those contributed by my kith n kin n yeh…me too! (for, by hook or crook, I too have earned the title of a cook!) They are centered chiefly around traditional vegetarian Indian cuisines, practised by generations from yester years. 

Recipe contributors take up the tall task of  "telling me the recipes", while I don a few small roles… recipe writer, cook…er, click…er , editor n ye, post….er! J

Step in, savour these recipes and devour those dishes.

First recipe posted in this section: Gulpaavate (Quick version) on Sept. 4th, 2016

Contributors so far:
Smt. Shyla H Rao
Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy
Smt. Mankali
Smt. Sreeja M
Smt. Ahalya Bai
Smt. Pramila
Smt. Anjana Krishnamurthy on behalf of her mother Late Smt. Seetha Krishnamurthy
Smt. Nanda Ramesh
Smt. Meena Lakshminarayana
Smt. Uma Nagaraj
Sri K V Ramesh
Smt. Malavika Sidhanti and Sri Nagesh Sidhanti
Smt. Nagarathnamma
Smt. Mohana Mangala

Ps: Consider Recipe Contributor as the Author of this blog unless otherwise specified in the recipes

Rasam Powder

A splendid blend of spices that is so simple to prepare, once you discover the power of this powder, you will never wish to pick a packet from those super stores!

This delightfully aromatic spice powder - “Rasam Powder” -  is the basic ingredient used in making “Rasam” a delicious South Indian vegetarian stew made with or without dal and eaten with hot, steamed rice or simply sipped like any other soup. However, sans this powder, can there be no rasam? Wait n watch for my future posts to find out the magical answers. Right now I’m busy cooking some “Rare Rasam Recipes” just so I can serve them to you soon!

Dish type: Spice Powder

Time required: 45 min

Yield: 3000 gms 

Ingredients

Red chillies                  125 gms (Byadagi variety) 

Red chillies                   125 gms (Guntur variety)

Coriander seeds          1000 gms

Jeera                            500 gms

Methi seeds                 500 gms

Mustard seeds             250 gms

Pepper corns               250 gms

Curry leaves               1 big bunch

Turmeric pwd             2 tsps

Asafoetida                  Crystal (1 small gooseberry size)

Directions

Dry fry each of the ingredients separately in a kadai on low flame till they change colour.  Ensure they are not over roasted since they should not turn black in colour.  

Transfer each of them to a plate after dry frying. Allow them to cool well.

Grind them to a fine powder. For better shelf life store it in a completely dry air tight container.

Tete - a – Tete

Red chillies alone can be fried using just a drop of oil.

To make 1 litre of rasam, approx. 2 tbsps of rasam powder is required.

1 fistful of red chillies = approx. 20 nos. = approx. 50 gms

Recipe Contributor: Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy, nonagenarian lady and an expert cook.

Other recipes contributed by Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy include:
Menthyada Hittu (Fenugreek Powder)

Sambar Powder
Vangibath Powder
Greens Chutney (Pulgura)
Citron Lime Sauce (Heralekayi Gojju)
Hasi Majjige Huli (Sambar variety using yogurt)

Also view:
Pepper Rasam Powder
Miligayi Powder (Spice Powder for Idli/Dosa)

Recipes viewed here are a part of  "Mangala's Potluck" section in this blog  

HERALEKAYI GOJJU (CITRON LIME SAUCE)

What a sweet way to start the day with a fresh n fragrant breath! 

Thanks to the juice of this citrus fruit….gargle this every day and keep bad breath at bay!

An ideal cross between sweet lime and lemon, larger than lemon with a leathery, furrowy finish, colour is green with a bit of sheen, Size: “O” (O for orange), looks roundish though it tapers towards the stylar end, tastes sourer than a small lime. That’s Citron Lime (Heralekayi in kannada) for us, a citrus fruit rich in Vitamin C. The tang of Heralekayi sends a tong strong enough to tickle our taste buds. Wanna beat the heat or heal the sickly tummy? Either way, heralekaayi shows the way… 
Read down for recipe using Heralekaayi 

Dish Type: South Indian Side Dish (gravy)

Time required: 15 min

Serves: 5 persons

Ingredients

Heralekaayi                 1 no. (cut into half and use one half only)

Jaggery                        1 tsp (optional)

Turmeric pwd             A pinch

Water                          250 ml

Salt to taste                 1 tsp approx.

Rasam powder            2 tsps

Fresh raw coconut      2 tbsps (grated)

For dry frying:

Channa dal                  1 tsp

Methi seeds                1 tsp

Jeera                           2 tsps

Til                                2 tsp

Red chillies                  5 to 6 nos. (byadagi variety)

Dry grated coconut     1 tbsp (optional)

For seasoning:

Oil                               1 tsp

Mustard seeds             1 tsp

Asafoetida                   A pinch

Curry leaves                few (optional)

Red chillies                  2 nos. (optional)

Directions

Cut heralakaayi into half and squeeze out its juice.

Dry fry all ingredients listed above “for dry frying” separately and slowly on low flame in a small skillet. Transfer each of them to a plate. Let it cool completely. Grind them to a fine powder. Transfer this gojju powder to an absolutely dry air tight container. Take out 2 tbsps of this powder and grind it along with rasam powder, raw and fresh grated coconut using just enough water to get chutney like consistency.

Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai. Transfer ground chutney from mixie to kadai. Run the empty mixie with half a glass of water. Transfer this water too into the kadai. By doing this, your mixie is cleaned and chutney isn’t wasted. Add heralekaayi juice, salt and jaggery. Keep stirring the contents frequently.  Let it boil. Continue boiling till it becomes thick. Switch off the flame and get ready for seasoning.

Heat oil in the same small skillet you used for dry frying. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle switch off the flame. Immediately put asafoetida and pour it on to the boiled gojju. No need to garnish. 

Heralekaayi Gojju is now ready.

Tete a Tete

For richer spicier taste, additional Gojju powder can also be added at the endstage of boiling. To do this, mix the powder with a few spoons of water and bring to a smooth paste consistency before adding it to boiling gojju.

Heralekaayi is known as Narthanga in Hindi, Narthangai in Tamil, Kanchi Kai in Malnad areas

Heralekaayi juice is also used to make “Chitranna”- a South Indian rice dish, pickles and jam.

This juice, taken first thing in the morning, with warm water lowers high blood pressure, acts as a blood purifier, cleansing and purifying the liver, excellent for people recovering from jaundice and other liver ailments. It cools the body, helps in digestion, relieves feelings of nausea and lessens Pitta or heat as it is called in Ayurveda.

Recipe Contributor:  Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy, a nonagenarian lady and an expert cook, mother of Sri. Sheshadri Mokshagundam 

Other recipes contributed by Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy
Vangibath Powder 
Menthyada Hittu (Fenugreek Spice Powder)
Sambar Powder
Rasam Powder
Pulgura (Greens Chutney)
Hasi Majjige Huli (Sambar with Curd n Vegetable)

Other Gojju (Sauce) recipes in this blog:
Black Grapes Gojju
Beetroot Gojju