Bottle Gourd Dokla

Dhokla is a Gujarati Eatable which is very famous all over the world now a days. Dokala ready mix is available in most of the shop. It is one of the easy and tasty tangy food. Even though it is one of the North Indian dish, it has  become every one's favourite and a famous street food too. Not only kids all the age group will sit and enjoy Dokla.

Many times I have prepared plain doklas and it came out very well and we all enjoyed it very much. Then as usual I thought of giving a twist in Dokla too. So this recipe is a result of the twist in dokla. It is raining here in Bangalore because of the Cyclone and the tongue is craving to eat some thing spicy and the mind says no oily please. Just remembered the dokla and it is really a exact food that we can have for rainy evenings. It is spicy, not much of oil or sweet is added and in a way it is healthy too.
 The recipe goes like this. Add channa flour ( Besan) to a savoury curd and mix it well.  Leave it for 2 to 3 hours. Add then lets see the recipe to know more about it.

 Lets see some benefits of eating Bottle Gourd (Sorekai in Kannada language ( Karntaka ).
Bottle Gourd helps the liver function in a balanced manner. It helps to fight constipation as it is rich in fiber.
Bottle gourd is low fat content vegetable and Ayurveda highly recommends this vegetable for diabetic patients and young children.
It is rich in Vitamin C, Zinc, iron and magnesium and it is helpful in improving overall health.
Bottle gourd juice helps to treat burning sensation in the urinary passage and it should be taken with lime juice.
The Juice of bottle gourd helps to reduce graying of hair and baldness. It reduces fatigue and keeps us fresh especially in summer.
The juice from the leaves help to cure jaundice.
Ayurveda recommends bottle gourd juice helps to reduce the acidity, indigestion and ulcers.
Not only above mentioned helpful tips, Bottle gourd helps to maintain the blood pressure,  good for weight loss, low in cholesterol and very good for Eyes. 
Here is a recipe of "Bottle Gourd Dokla", we can have have them for breakfast, as evening snack or for dinner too. This goes well with Green sweet Chutney and coconut chutney.

Things needed: 

Channa flour : 1 Cup
Rava : 1/2 Cup
Savoury Curd : 1 Cup
Salt : to taste
Green Chilly : 1 or  2
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Coriander Leaves : 1 Handful
Bottle Gourd : 1 Cup
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh (Asafoetida ) a pinch
Jaggery : 1 Table spoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Coconut : 2 Table spoons.
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Eno Salt ( Fruit salt) : 1 Tea spoon

 Method:

1. Take a bog bowl and mix Channa flour, rava, salt and curd. Let it rest for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Wash and grate bottle gourd, cut green chilly and remove the outer skin of ginger.

 
 3. Grind green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves with pepper pods.

4. Now sieve ground spice and add it to the channa rava batter.

5. Add grated bottle gourd to the besan batter and mix it well.

6. Keep pressure cooker or idli cooker on the fire and put some water in the pressure cooker.
7.Keep a bowl or small vessel up side down  inside the cooker.

 
8. Apply oil to the container or plate that you are going to use for dokla.
9. Add a spoon of Eno salt and mix the besan batter nicely.

 10 Put this batter to a container or plate that you already oiled

11. Keep this container (or plate ) on the bowl that you are kept it inside the pressure cooker. This way you can avoid water getting  inside the food.

 

 12. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and steam for 10 t0 12 minutes. Just check with a knife end to make sure that is completely cooker before taking out of the pressure cooker. ( if it is not done you need to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.

 13. Keep a small pan on the fire. Heat and put one spoon of oil.
14. Put mustard seeds and urid dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add ingh and curry leaves.
15. Add a table spoon of water and jaggery..Let the jaggery melt nicely.

16. Put this mixture on the top of done Bottle gourd Dokla.

 

17. Put grated coconut and cut Bottle gourd dokla into small pieces.

 18. Serve with  Sweet and Spicy chutney or coconut chutney.

Note :

You should mix the batter bit thick. Use of savoury curd will add to the taste.
The batter should be like idli batter. You can use cooking soda instead of Eno Salt.
You can use more or less chilly. Do not add more oil.
You can also use dil leaves instead of bottle gourd. ( cut them in to very thin and mix it).
Do not add too much of curd. Dokla may turn very soft. 

Time : 30 minutes + fermenting time.
Serves : 4 to 5.

Plain Rava Idli & Tomato Horse Gram Chutney

Plain Rava idli can be made quickly and easily and healthy too. When you are not able to grind urid dal and you crave to eat hot steaming idli , this preparation gives you 100% satisfaction.  No spice or any oil added its simply plain idli. When you are sick and feel like eating Idli this is the easy way.


These rava (semolina ) idlis are prepared with Rava and curd a little Eno to make them soft. As I said in the beginning it is very easy we can have them for breakfast, in the evening as snack or at night.

Using Rava (Semolina) helps you to reduce the weight. They also good for keeping you filled since it is digested slowly. Rava is good for diabetics. Rava (sooji or semolina) is low in sodium and cholesterol and also high in fiber. it can be considered as a balanced diet.

Here is a recipe of  " 'Planin Rava Idli and Tomato chutney".  which will be good for the whole family to sit together and enjoy breakfast or dinner

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                                                                                   Ready to serve Rava idli :

 Things Needed :For Rava Idli

Rava (Semolina) :  3 Cups  (medium size)
Curd : 1 Bowl
Salt : as required.
Oil or ghee : 1 Tea spoon
Eno Salt : 3/4 Tea spoon

Method : 

1.Keep a pan on the fire and add 2 cups of  Rava and roast for 2 minutes.  Put off the gas.

2.Now add 1 more cup of rava and just mix it and leave it for cooling.

3.Now add salt and curd. Mix it well and leave it for 5 minutes. (Add water if required0.

4.Apply oil to all the idli plates and keep the cooker ready on the fire . Put little water in the cooker.
5.Add Eno salt and mix the dough nicely and put a spoon of rava idli dough on each mould in idli plate.

6.Arrange the plates in a idli cooker or pressure cooker and steam for 10 minutes. Put off the gas.

7.Put idlis in a serving bowl and serve hot idli with any side dish you have prepared.

We had idli with Tomato - Flax chutney

Note :

I have roasted 2 cups of Rava since it gives a good texture. Added one more cup of rava to give a binding. Rava idli will be very soft in this way. Do not add any spicy or oil while roasting. (The taste may differ). These idlis are really soft and fluffy and very good for all the age group. Using savour curd also helps the idli turn soft. Do not make the dough very thick. Let it be the dough be little loose.
Time : 25 minutes.
Serves : 4  People.

Tomato - Flax  Seeds or Horse gram Chutney.

Roast , 1 Table spoon of  horse gram,  or flax seeds , red chilly, 2 to 3 pods of pepper and 1/4 spoon of methi seeds  till they turn brown. Add curry leaves and cut tomatoes (1 medium sized) to the fry and fry them nicely. Now add ingh, grated coconut, salt and little tamarind. Grind it nicely using required (little by little) for 2 to 3 munutes and remove from mixi jar to a serving bowl. Tomato Horse gram chutney is ready to serve.

Time : 10  minutes
Serves : 4

Ready to grind roasted mixture.

Ready to serve Horse gram and Tomato Chutney.

Rava -Bananana Sweet Idli

Banana Sweet idli is a main dish and as the name says it is sweet. We can have them for breakfast, or for snack or even for dinner..For the sweet tooth people and kids it is a feast.

Lets see some benefits of having jaggery, banana, coconut,  rava (semolina).
Jaggery has a ability to cleanse our body, act as a digestive agent, sweeten our food in a healthy manner and provide good amount of minerals.

Bananas contain carbohydrate, protein and free from cholesterol, free of fat and sodium. Banana is easy to digest. It holds a good amount of dietary fiber. It helps normal bowel movements and helps to reduce constipation problem. It is good source of vitamin-B6 vitamin C and minerals like copper, magnesium and manganese. Fresh banana is a very rich source of potassium.

Eating coconuts are excellent for one's immunity. They are antiviral, antifungal, anti bacterial and anty parasitic. (It means they kill harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi). Coconut helps to prevent Obesity by speeding up metabolism, providing an immediate source of energy with fever calories than other fats. It is a high dietary fiber. Improves digestion.

Rava or Semolina is a good source of carbohydrates, and slow in digestion. So the people who wants to shed their weight can have Rava in their diet. Rava is good for diabetics.Rava is low in sodium and cholesterol and high in fiber. Rava is loaded with Vitamin B-complex and Vitamin E. Rava has very less saturated fats. Rava contain loads of minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnessium.

Here is a recipe of Rava -Banana Sweet idli. It is easy and quick to prepare, we can have them at any time of the day. We can pack them for kids snack or lunch box and definitely love to eat this "Rava-Banana Sweet idli". We can prepare these idli for special days too. (During fasting or on Ekadashi).

Things Needed :

Rava :  (Semolina -Medium size) : 2 Cups 
Oats : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Bananas : 2 (small size)
Salt : a little
Cardamom : 4 to 5 pods.

 Method :

1. Grate coconut , remove the pods from cardamom. Roast Oats and dry grind when it is cooled.

2. Keep a pan and put jaggery. Add 1/4 cup of water to it and boil it. Let it dissolve completely. Now stain it with a stainer and remove the unwanted dirt from jaggery. Let the clean jaggery liquid cool.

3. Now grind bananas, coconut, cardamom with jaggery liquid till the mixture is soft.
4. Remove from liquidizer and put it in a bowl.

5. Now mix rava and dry ground oats, nicely with jaggery coconut mixture and leave it for 10 minutes.

6. Apply ghee to idli plates and put a spoonful of Rava -bananan idli dough and steam in a pressure cooker or idli container for 10 minutes.

7. Put off the gas and remove the cooked Rava- Bananan Idli to a serving bowl or a plate.

 8. Serve with ghee.

 Note:

No need to roast Rava. No need to add any Eno or Cooking Soda. Use of coconut is optional. (Use more banana and 1/2 cup of curd).

Use of more or less jaggery is also optional.  Well ripe banana will add good taste to idli.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5.

nce rava or sooji is low in sodium and cholesterol and also high in fiber it can be considered as a balanced diet. Sooji has very less of saturated fats, cholesterol and also contains zero Trans fatty acid. Sooji is loaded with the vitamin B complex and is also high in vitamin E. - See more at: http://www.healthbeautyblogs.com/articles-flours-benefits/assorted-benefits-of-sooji-for-health-and-diet#sthash.4IzCtX5N.dpuf

Since rava or sooji is low in sodium and cholesterol and also high in fiber it can be considered as a balanced diet. Sooji has very less of saturated fats, cholesterol and also contains zero Trans fatty acid. Sooji is loaded with the vitamin B complex and is also high in vitamin E.
- See more at: http://www.healthbeautyblogs.com/articles-flours-benefits/assorted-benefits-of-sooji-for-health-and-diet#sthash.4IzCtX5N.dpuf

Cucumber Rava Idli -Mango Chutney

Spicy cucumber Rava Idli is a main dish and we can have them for breakfast, as evening snack or for dinner. Cucumber, green chilly, coriander leaves and coconut are used with rava to prepare Spicy Cucumber Rava Idli.

Rava is a tummy filling and it is digested slowly, it keeps you filled for a long time. Good for the people who want to shed their extra weight. It is also good for diabetic people.

Cucumber is a good source of potassium. It contain Vitamin C, Vitamin A and a high amount of Vitamin K. It contains anti oxidants. It also regulates blood pressure. Cucumber helps to normalize body temperature. It also helps the patience who are suffering from gastric. It also helps to grow a healthy hair and treat skin aliments.
Here is a recipe of  "Spicy Cucumber Rava Idli ", and Totapuri Mango chutney,  which can be prepared it easily and the whole family will enjoy having these idly.

Cucumber Rava Idli 

Things Needed:
Medium Size Rava :  3 Cups
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Cucumber : 1 Medium size
Coconut : 2 Table spoons
Green chilly : 1
Coriander leaves : 1 Handful
Jeera : 1 Tea spoon
Pepper Pods : 3 to 4
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Salt : To taste
Water : Required
Pomegranate : 2 Table spoons
Eno salt: 1/2 Tea spoon

Method :

1. Mix curd with 1/2 Cup of water and mix rava, salt in that curd mixture. Leave it aside.

2. Wash green chilly, cucumber and coriander leaves. Cut cucumber in to small.

3. Grate coconut , grind grated coconut, cucumber, chilly and coriander leaves with very little water.

4. Mix this ground mixture with  rava and mix it well.

 5. Oil the the idli plates, put a spoon of pomegranate in each mould. Keep  idli cooker on the fire. Put a glass of water.

6.  Add Eno to the Rava mixture and put a spoon of idli dough to each mould in the idli plate.

7. Arrange the plates in the idli stand and keep it in the idli cooker. Cook for 10 minutes.

8. Put off the fire and remove the idli from the plates. Arrange them in serving dish.

9.  Serve these Cucumber rava Idli with side dish of your choice.

10. I Serve Cucumber Rava Idli with Totapuri Mango Chutney and the combination is really tasty.

Note :

You can dry roast rava before using. ( I did not do). You can add more chilly and pepper. Taste differ. Using more cucumber will turn idli more soft. Using coconut is your choice. Using Eno also is optional. (I used Eno). You can use grated carrots or fresh pea pods and cashew nuts to top up the idli.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 5.

Totapuri Mango Chutney

Wash and cut Totapuri( Half ripe),  add grated fresh coconut, roasted methi and red chilly, coriander leaves and salt. Grind together with little water and ingh. Shift this ground chutney and give a mustard splutter and serve with Cucumber Rava Idli. It is a good combination. Do not add any tamarind or lemon.

Roasted Methi Seeds

Roasted Red chilly and curry leaves.

Cut Mangoes (Totapuri)

Ready to grind  Mango and coconut mixture

                     Ready to Serve Mango Chutney                      

                

Ready to Serve Cucumber Rava idli and Mango Chutney