Showing posts with label Southe Kai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southe Kai. Show all posts

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Mangalore Southekai Majjige Huli/Curd Curry

Mangalore Southekai/Mangalore cucumber/Sambar Southekai is one of the healthy cucumber that we can use it in our curries, dosas, idli and chutney etc. Here I have prepared Majjige Huli/ Curd Curry.

This particular southe Kai is from our pot garden, which has grown so nicely and I am happy to write about the dish from Southekai that I have prepared traditionally. Majjige huli/Moru kolambu/Curd Curry.
Majjige Huli is one of the famous dish from South Canara. Majjige means butter milk and Huli is curry. This dish used to be prepared from my doddamma in ooru Udyavara. Udyavara means a loving place to me. I have so many childhood memories in my Doddamma house.
I stayed with doddamma /Amma's elder sister, when I was 1 1/2 years old. She used to take me where ever she goes. Holding her hands I learnt to walk properly. She was the guide, mentor, mother and a god mother. Southe Kai / Cucumber always makes me to turn back and just think the time I spent there and memories starts to unfold and peeps into the mind. My doddamma and doddappa used to grow lots of vegetables in their land. There were enough Southekai stored for the rainy days. There were no vegetables available during the rainy days. The rains used to pour continuously and no chance of growing any thing except the grass. That too not in two to three months like May, june july even in August it was very very difficult to go out. So the home grown Southekai, Pumpkins, Ash gourd were used in the rainy days. Those were the days, bundle of joy, just beautiful yesterdays.
Now coming back to Majjige huli which is done with Mangalore Southekai is a traditional curd curry.
It is mild, yummy and healthy.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Southekai.
I am very happy to note that this Southekai is from Our home garden.


Let us see the recipe now : 

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Southekai /Mangalore Cucumber : 1 (Medium sized)
To Grind :
Fresh Coconut : 1 Cup /6 to 8 Tbs full
Soaked Moong dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
To Add :
Ground coconut mixture
Green chilly : 2
Curd : 1 Cup
Salt : As required
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 3 to 4
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Majjige Menasu/Sandige Menasu : 2

Method :

1. Wash and peel off the skin of Southekai/Mangalore Cucumber  and cut into pieces. Soak in plain water for 5 minutes. It removes the bitter taste if any.

2. Cook with required water till it is soft.


3. Soak 1/2 tsp of moong dal for 5 minutes.
4. Grate coconut and grind it with soaked moong dal. Use required water to grind.


5. Remove it from the mixi jar to a bowl and keep it aside.


6. Now keep a pan and add cooked southekai, required salt and little water. Let it boil.
7. Add ground mixture and mix it well. Let it boil nicely. Add 2 slit green chilly to it.


8. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and shift the curry to another bowl.


9. Let it cool a bit. Add curd and mix it.


10. Season 3 to 4 methi seeds, 2 Sandige Menasu and jeera. Let Sandige menasu fry nicely in oil.
11. Add curry leaves and put this seasoning to curd curry.

12. Serve as one of the side dish for lunch or dinner. It is nice to eat with chapatis, poori, dosa and idli.

Note :

Southekai pieces should be cooked well to relish them. Do not add curd while the curry is piping  hot. Curd gets curdle. Adding Sandige menasu is optional. You can add red byadagi chilly instead of Sandige Menasu. Sandige menasu adds to the taste. Adding soaked moong dal helps the curry to intact. Adding curd while the curry is boiling makes the curry watery. It separates the gravy and the vegetable.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5 

Sandige Menasu/ Sun dried green chilly. :

Wash and slit green chilly and fill roasted methi powder and little salt.
Prepare butter milk and add little salt. Soak the slit green chilly over night in this butter milk and sun dry . Repeat soaking the dried chilly again in the same butter milk. (Over night). Morning remove the chilly and dry it in Sun. It should be done repeatedly at least 4 to 5 days. Then dry it continuously for 4 to 5 days. Store it in a airtight box or bottle. You can use it as Sandige/papad type for curd rice or while eating curd and rice. You can also season this for any curd curry, Avials even raw pachidis. prepared during the sunny days.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Jack Seeds - Southkai Kootu

Mangalore Southekai /Southekai and Jack Seeds Kootu is good to have with Plain Rice, chapatis, rotis, poori, dosa or idli. It is one of the traditional dish of South Canara and we call it as ಹಸಿ ಹುಳಿ .

Dal / Toor or Moong is not used in this curry and very little spices are used here.

Let us see some benefits of eating Coriander Seeds in our diet. 

Coriander Seeds have pleasant aroma and it is used as condiments in our culinary dishes.
Coriander seeds helps in preventing and treating diabetes. It helps in treating osteoporosis. It helps to cure digestive disorder. Helps in preventing abdominal pains. It is good for ladies who suffer during their menstrual chronic/crams pains. It is a good remedy for skin related problems. Good for anemia, for treating inflammation,controlling and regulating high cholesterol levels. It is good for mouth ulcers, indigestion, eye related problems and lowering the blood sugar level. It has a cooling effect on our body and is used for eye related problems. ( Wash and soak coriander seeds for 30 minutes, strain twice with clean towel or cloth and then use it as drops to eyes. It helps in cooling our eyes, sooth our eyes and your eyes will be refreshed). Be careful and it should be clean coriander water, no dust or any dirt should enter our eyes.
Coriander seeds are filled with vitamins and minerals. It is filled with proteins, carbohydrates, phosphorus, calcium, iron, Vitamin B, C and A.
Let us see the recipe Now :
No Onion or Garlic is used here in this Jack Seeds - Southekai Kootu. 
Mangalore Cucumber is known as Mangalore Southekai/ Bannada Southekai, Haladi Southekai.

Things Needed : 

To Cook :
Southe kai / Mangalore Cucumber : 1 Bowl . ( 1/2 of One big Southekai )
Jack Seeds : 1 Small bowl (About 10 Seeds).
Methi Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
To Grind :
Fresh Grated Coconut : 5 to 6 Tablespoons
Coriander Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Tamarind : 1 Big Marble size
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Red chilly : Byadagi : 4 to 5
 To Add :
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard Seasoning : 1 Tablespoon : 1/2 Teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 red chilly, pinch of ingh and curry leaves with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.


Method :

1. Remove the outer shell of jack seeds and cut them into small pieces. Soak in plain water for 10 minutes.
2. Wash and remove the outer layer, pulp and seeds inside the southekai.
3. Cut Southekai into small pieces and soak in plain water for  5 minutes. It helps in take away the bitterness in Southekai.
4. Put cut Southekai pieces and jack seeds pieces in a pressure cooker. Add methi seeds and required water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.


5.Grate coconut and add coriander seeds, jeera, red chilly, pepper pods and grind it with required water.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked Southekai and jack seeds to it. Add turmeric powder and required salt. Mix it well and boil for  2 to 3 minutes.


7. Add ground coconut, coriander mixture to boiling mixture and mix it well. Let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

8. Put little coriander leaves to the cooked curry and shift it to the serving dish, Add mustard, red chilly, ingh, curry leaves seasoning on the top.


  9. Serve with the main dish you have prepared. You can add a spoon of fresh ghee just before serving.

Note :

Do not over cook the vegetables. Soaking jack seeds helps to cook seeds nicely and soft. Adding less/more coconut is optional. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of soaked raw rice while grinding. ( Soak raw rice for 5 minutes and then add/ optional). It helps the kootu to be thick. Do not add more tamarind. The curry gets savoury. Use of coconut oil is optional. Do not roast coriander seeds and jeera. Adding methi seeds while cooking vegetable helps to reduce the cholesterol in curry.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Monday, June 12, 2017

Pan Fried Mangalore Cucumber Curry ( Sutta Southekai Huli)

Pan fried does mean, roasted/fried mangalore cucumber pieces on the dosa /cahapati tava. It is an old traditional, classic dish and it has its own signature. The curry is delicious and yummy.

Recently I was on Face book live and cooked Pan fried Mangalore Cucumber curry. I have shown how to prepare fresh masala powder for the curry. You can watch the video  here too.

Here in this recipe I have used black eyed beans (your choice of legume can be used).
Mangalore Cucumber/Bannada Southekai/Mangalore Southekai grows well in Dakshina Kannada and other parts of coastal line and Malenadu area. During the rainy season the rain does not stop and no vegetables grow during those rainy months, and you need to be prepare for these rainy season. So people used to grow these cucumbers, pumpkins and store. It used to be hanged in the rooms and even cow sheds. Hanging these vegetables stay for long duration. I have seen my doddappa and doddamma (mother's sister and her husband) used to grow these vegetables and even my father in law used to grow these vegetables during April and May. (Mostly in the paddy field).
My doddamma (amma's sister) is a good cook and she was the expert I can say. Even now I feel the taste of those dishes she used to prepare. Her name is Lakshmidevi who got married at the age of 14 and learnt cooking by seeing her mother in law.
Since I was grown up in doddamma's house I have seen her cooking style and remember all those days spent with her. This particular recipe I learnt it from her and prepared many times. Each time it tasted yummy and I am happy for that I can pen this and who wants to try and keep up the traditional dish to be alive.
This Cucumber which I have used is from our garden. I am very happy and thrilled. 

Udupi Special : Authentic : Traditional    : Pan Fried Mangalore Cucumber Curry .



Let us see the recipe : No Onion OR No Garlic is used in this Curry. The spices are freshly roasted/fried and ground with fresh coconut grating to smooth paste.
Read, Try, Enjoy, Comment and Share please.

Things Needed :

To Cook :
Mangalore Cucumber : Mangalore Southekai : 1 (Medium size)
Moong/Toor Dal /Black Eyed beans or any other legumes.: 1/2 Cup
Methi /Fenugrik seeds : 5 to 6

To Grind :
Fresh Coconut : 1 Cup
Fresh roasted sambar powder : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Tamarind pulp : 1 Tablespoon

To Add :
Salt : As required
Seasoning : With mustard seeds, urid dal, curry leaves, ingh/Asafoetida and a red chilly with coconut oil.
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
 Method :
1. Wash and cut Mangalore southekai into small pieces. Soak in water. (It helps to wash away the bitterness in Cucumber).
2. Soak tamarind in hot water. ( A small marble size). Remove the pulp after 5 minutes.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Dry roast or fry methi seeds 1/4 teaspoon, urid dal: 1/2 teaspoon, byadagi chilly 5 to 6, coriander seeds : 2 tablespoons and jeera in 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil. Add a pinch of ingh and curry leaves.
5. Mix it well and dry grind and keep it aside.
6.Now keep a dosa pan on the fire and heat. Add 1 to 2 teaspoon of coconut oil and arrange cucumber pieces on the tava.
7. Let it cook on low flame. See that it does not burn too much.
8. Turn the other side and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Put these pieces in a pressure cooker and cook for 2 to 3 whistles.
10. Cook the legume of your choice and keep it aside (You can cook along with cucumber).

11. Grind coconut, roasted/fried spice powder /spices and tamarind pulp with required water. Remove it from the mixi jar. Keep the mixture aside.

12. Put cooked dal /black eyed beans, cooked cucumber in a big bowl and add turmeric powder, salt and required water. Add a few seeds of methi. Mix it well and let it boil for 2 minutes.

13. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Shift the curry to a serving dish. ( Add water if required).


14. Add mustard seeds seasoning and cut coriander leaves.

15, Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note : 

Fry Southe Kai pieces on low and medium flame. Use of coconut oil is optional. Using less or more oil is optional. Use of more or less chilly is optional. Use of any legume like channa, whole moong, cowpea, toor dal, moong dal is optional. Use any one of them. Adding urid dal while frying spices adds to the taste and thickness. You can use channa dal or raw rice is optional. Do not over cook southekai pieces. Adding onions and garlic is optional.
Time : 35 to 40 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.




This Mangalore Cucumber grown on our terrace garden. Here are some pics of Southekai  which are seen in the plant.









Jack fruits Seeds Tikki

Jack fruits are healthy Seasonal fruits. The seeds also contain lots of good vitamins and minerals.  After eating the fruit we throw away th...

About

author
My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, travelling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.
Learn More →