Pagarkkai-Athikai-Masala-Curry

#PagarkkaiAthikaiMasalaCurry : #Athikkai or #Athikai is called #Fig in English. It oozes out milk when it is plucked from its stem and cut into pieces. It immediately changes color when it is cut into pieces. So it has to be immersed in water as soon as it is chopped. It is very flavorful after cooking and also hard to chew. So I always cook them with other vegetables to prepare curry.
Here prepared a tasty masala curry with #BottleGourd [ #Pagarkkai ].

Preparation Time      10 - 15 mins
Cooking time             10 - 15 mins

Ingredients :
3/4 Cup	Pagarkkai chopped
1/4 Cup	Athikai chopped
1 - 2 Tbsp	Green peas
1 pinch	Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp	Salt [ Adjust ]
To Grind :
3 Tsp	Coconut scrapings
2 -3	Green chilly [ Adjust ] or
1 -2	Red chilly [ Adjust ]
1 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp	Fennel [ Somp ]
1 Tsp	Coriander powder
10 - 12	Curry leaves
8 - 10	Coriander sprigs
1/4 Tsp	Salt
1 medium size	Onion, chop
Tempering :
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seed
1 Tsp	Black gram split
1 - 2 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ Til / Sesame oil ]

Or any other cooking oil.
small quantity of fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method :

Take all the ingredients to grind except chopped onion in a blender and grind coarsely adding little water.

Finally add chopped onion and run for 2 seconds.

Transfer the masala paste into a bowl or plate and set aside.

Quadruple each athikai and put in water to avoid discoloration.

Heat a kadai with oil on a stove over medium flame.

Crackle mustard seeds once oil becomes hot and then add black gram split.

Add chopped bottle gourd & athikai after black gram turns golden color.
Also add salt and green peas.

Saute for a minute and close kadai with a lid.
Cook till the vegetables become soft.

Now add ground masala paste.

Mix gently and adjust salt.
Keep turning with ladle at regular interval to avoid sticking to the bottom.

Allow to cook on slow fire until raw smell of masala paste goes off and the curry turns dry.

Finally add chopped fresh coriander leaves and transfer into a serving bowl.

A tasty masala curry is ready to relish with hot white rice mixed 

with sambar or rasam and also tastes good with curd rice.

You might also like to try

Cauliflower manchurian

Colacasia masala curry

Ennai katharikkai brinjal curry

Cauliflower poriyal

Sundaikkai masala curry

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Broccoli-Masala-Curry

#BroccoliMasalaCurry : #Broccoli belongs to a family called cruciferous vegetables and the family is scientifically called  Brassicaceae family [ also called Cruciferae ]. Some of the cruciferous vegetables are cabbage, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts and similar green leaf vegetables.
#Broccoli is rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber and low in calories. 
#Broccoli is tasteless and flavorless. It takes very little time to cook. We have already seen broccoli stir fry [ Poriyal ] along with other vegetables. Now we will see a masala curry preparation of broccoli with potato, green peas and other vegetables.

Ingredients :
1 Cup	Broccoli florets
1/4 Cup	Green Peas
1 medium size	Potato
1/2	Capsicum, chop
1	Carrot, chop
3/4 Tsp	Salt [ Adjust ]
2 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ Til/Sesame oil ]
To Grind :
3 Tsp	Coconut scrapings
2 -3	Green chilly [ Adjust ]
1 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp	Fennel [ Somp ]
1 Tsp	Coriander powder
10 - 12	Curry leaves
8 - 10	Coriander sprigs
1/4 Tsp	Salt
1 medium size	Onion, chop
Tempering :
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seed
1 Tsp	Black gram split

small quantity of fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method :

Wash potato well and cut into halves.

Boil potato pieces in a pressure cooker adding half a cup of water and 1/2 Tsp salt for 5 whistles.

Open after pressure cooker ran out of steam.

Take out boiled potato and peel.

Break into small pieces with hand and set aside.

Take a big vessel with 3 cups of water and dissolve a Tsp of salt.

Put broccoli florets in salt water for half an hour.

Take all the ingredients to grind except chopped onion in a blender and grind coarsely adding little water.

Finally add chopped onion and run for 2 seconds.

Transfer the masala paste into a bowl or plate and set aside.

Heat a kadai with oil on a stove over medium flame.

Crackle mustard seeds once oil becomes hot and then add black gram split.

Add chopped carrot and capsicum after black gram turns golden color.

Saute for three minutes.

Then add broccoli florets and green peas.

Add salt and mix well.

Close the kadai with a lid and cook on slow flame till vegetables becomes soft.

Open the lid and add boiled potato and ground masala paste.

Mix gently and adjust salt.

Allow to simmer until raw smell of masala paste goes off and the curry turns dry.

Finally add chopped fresh coriander leaves and transfer into a serving bowl.

A tasty masala curry is ready to relish with hot white rice mixed 

with sambar or rasam and also tastes good with curd rice.


It also goes well with chappathy or puri.









You might also like to try

Cauliflower manchurian

Colacasia masala curry

Ennai katharikkai brinjal curry

Cauliflower poriyal

Vazhaipoo carrot poriyal

Curry Index

Ideas for Breakfast/Dinner

Varieties of Dishes for Lunch

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Teasle-Gourd-Paruppumasala-Curry

#TeasleGourdParuppuMasalaCurry : The botanic name of #TeasleGourd is Momordica dioica and it is also called #SpinyGourd or #Spinegourd in English It is called #MezhuguPagal [ #மெழுகுபாகல் ] or #PazhuPaagal [ #பழுபாகல் ]. #TeasleGourd is called #Kandubanna or mada haagala kaayi in Kannada. It tastes just like bitter gourd but less bitterness. This can be used in the preparation of sambar and masala curry 
Here we will learn to make paruppu masala curry using Teasle gourd.

Ingredients :
6 -7	Teasle gourd, chop nicely
2	Baby corn, chop nicely [ optional ]
1/4 cup	Capsicum chopped [ optional ]
1 pinch	Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
For Masala :
3 Tsp	Coconut scrapings
2 Tbsp	Gram dhal soaked
1 or 2	Red chilly [ adjust ]
1 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1 Tsp	Fennel
1/2 Tsp	Coriander seeds
1/4 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
1	Onion, chop
10 to 12	Curry leaves
2 Tsp	Coriander leaves
10 to 12	Mint leaves [ optional ]
To Temper :
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seeds
1 Tsp	Black gram split
2 Tsp	Oil

Chopped coriander leaves to garnish.
Method :
Soak gram dhal [ channa dhal - kadalai paruppu ] 1 hour before starting to prepare the curry.

Take all the ingredients except onion and soaked gram dhal in a mixer grinder jar.
First grind without water.
Then add little water and grind well.
Now add onion and gram dhal and run for few seconds only.
Keep aside the prepared paruppu masala.

Heat a kadai with 1 Tsp of oil on a stove over medium heat.
Crackle mustard seeds and then add black gram split.
Add all the chopped vegetables once black gram turns golden.
Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
Keep the kadai closed with a lid till the vegetables turn soft.

Open the lid once the vegetables are done and add prepared masala paste.
Then add 1 more Tsp of oil and mix well.
Allow to simmer over slow flame till the raw smell of masala goes off.
Keep turning the curry at regular interval to avoid burning at the bottom.
Transfer into a serving bowl once the curry becomes dry and  turns slightly golden color.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Goes well with white rice mixed with Sambar or Rasam.
It also tastes good with Curd rice.







You might also like to try

Sundaikkai [ Turkish berry ] masala curry

katharikkai [ brinjal ] phata phat curry

kothavarangai [ cluster beans ] paruppu usili

pagarkkai [ bitter gourd ] paruppu masala curry

tender raw jackfruit curry

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Tiny-Bitter-Gourd-curry

#TinyBitterGourdCurry : We made a trip to Hubli in the first week of July. Then, we went to the Hubli market, where we saw many street vendors selling heaps of some vegetables which we had never seen so far. Initially we thought that these vegetables belong to some varieties of chilly. Then I took it on my hand and on a closer look, it was exactly like a bitter gourd but very small in size. I checked with two or three vendors but I couldn't recall what they told. So I named it #TinyBitterGourd. Considering its size it can also be called #LillipiutBitterGourd. Later I have found out through google search that it is known as #Athalaikai [ #அதலைக்காய் ] in Thamizh. It is widely consumed in Southern parts of Tamil Nadu, Northern parts of Karnataka, some parts of Andhra and Maharashtra. It is effective in controlling diabetes and intestinal worms.

To know more about its scientific name and other details kindly go to the link given below.

Athalaikai [ அதலைக்காய் ]

I prepared a masala curry just like bitter gourd masala curry, the taste was superb.
Here comes the method of preparation.

Ingredients :
150 gm	Tiny Bitter gourd
1 Tsp	Ground nut oil
1 pinch	Turmeric powder
1/4 Tsp	Mustard
1/2 Tsp	Black gram split
1/2 Tsp	Salt
To Grind :
1 1/2 Tbsp	Coconut scrapping
2 - 3	Red chilly [ adjust ]
1/2 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp	Fennel
1/4 Tsp	Coriander seeds
10 - 15	Curry leaves
small amount	Coriander leaves
2 cloves	Garlic
1 medium size	Onion, chop
1/8 Tsp	Salt

Method :

Wash tiny bittergourd in water.

Snap top and bottom and cut into halves or quadruples.

Remove seeds if it is very hard.

Take all the things to grind except onion in a blender.

Grind with less water.

Finally add onion and run for a few seconds.

Transfer into a bowl and keep aside.

Heat a kadai on a stove over medium flame.
Add oil and crackle mustard seeds once oil becomes hot.
Then add split black gram and keep stirring till it becomes golden color.
Now add chopped tiny bitter gourd, turmeric powder and salt.
Mix well
Sprinkle little water and close with a lid.
Cook on slow flame till the vegetable becomes soft.
Add prepared masala and mix well.
Cook on slow fire till the raw smell goes off and the curry becomes dry.
Adjust salt and transfer into a serving bowl.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Goes well with hot white rice mixed with sambar or rasam.







You might like to try

Sundaikkai [ Turkish berry ] masala curry

katharikkai [ brinjal ] phata phat curry

kothavarangai [ cluster beans ] paruppu usili

pagarkkai [ bitter gourd ] paruppu masala curry

tender raw jackfruit curry

Curry Index

Ideas for Breakfast/Dinner

Varieties of Dishes for Lunch

Recipe Index