Lauki chutney

We have freshly harvested lauki, so thought of making a spicy chutney with the tender lauki.

It's a very simple recipe with ingredients readily available at home.

I have added a few fresh lemon leaves for the delicious flavour to the chutney.

Lauki chutney

Ingredients 

Lauki - 150 grams

Green chilies -3

Coriander leaves 

Curry leaves 

Garlic - a few pods

Tomato - 2

A little tamarind 

Ginger A small piece

A few lemon leaves 

Salt

Gingly Oil- 1 tablespoon 

Jeera -1/2 tsp

Urad dal -1/2 tsp

Tadka optional 

Method 

Wash, peel and cut lauki into cubes.

Peel garlic 

Cut tomato into pieces 

Cut ginger 

Wash and cut coriander leaves, lemon leaves and curry leaves 

Remove seeds if any from tamarind and make small pieces.

In a kadai pour gingly Oil, add jeera, urad dal, let it release aroma, add garlic, chilli and ginger, saute for a minute.

Now add lauki cubes, tomato and tamarind pieces. Saute in medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add coriander leaves, lemon leaves and curry leaves. Mix well, add salt and off the stove.

Wait for the ingredients to cool down. 

Grind in the mixer jar and put it in a bowl.

You can do a quick tadka with a little gingly oil and mustard seeds. Let it splutter, pour it on top of the prepared lauki chutney.

Serve.

Lauki chutney version 2

This version of lauki chutney, I have put mango instead of tamarind and jaggery to balance all the delicate flavours of sweet, spicy, salty and tangy.

Lauki chutney version 2 

Ingredients 

Lauki - 300 grams 

Ridge gourd - 2

Onion - 3 medium size 

Mango - half ripe, a few pieces 

Green chilies - 5 

Ginger - a large piece

Garlic - a few pods

Jaggery - 2 tablespoon 

Red chilli - 5( non spicy)

Coriander leaves - a small bunch 

Curry leaves - a few

Tomato - 10 nos.

Salt as required 

Heeng - a small piece 

For tadka 

Gingly oil - 2 tablespoon 

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp 

Method 

Peel and cut lauki, ridge gourd into small pieces.

Peel and cut ginger, garlic and onion into slices.

Cut the tomatoes, green chilies.

Cut the mangoes with the skin into cubes 

In a kadai pour a little gingly oil and add jeera, red chillies, once it crackle add all the ingredients one by one. Saute for a few minutes. When the lauki is tender, add coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt, jaggery, Mix well. Off the stove.

Let it cool completely. Add all the ingredients to a mixer jar and grind to a chutney consistency. Pour to a big bowl.

In a small kadai, pour gingly oil, once it heated add urad dal, mustard seeds and jeera. Once the mustard seeds crackle pour it on top of the prepared lauki chutney. Serve.

Banana bread with coffee powder

It's the best bread you can bake when you have over ripe bananas.

I had a bunch of homegrown nendran bananas.

I baked bread two times. One with walnuts and spices. The other one with instant coffee powder, ginger and other spices.

You should make two types of preparation before making the final folding , one wet and another dry. 

Banana bread with coffee powder 

Ingredients

1 and a 1/2 cup of all purpose flour ( I used maida)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoon of instant coffee powder 

A pinch of cinnamon powder

A pinch of nutmeg powder

1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

4 ripe bananas

1/2 cup of sugar

2/3 cup of peanut oil/ghee

A few almonds or walnuts crushed

Method

Preheat the oven at 180 degree for 15 minutes 

Step one

Peel and cut the over ripe bananas into pieces, use a fork to mash it or use a mixer to make a puree(I did that)

Add sugar and oil/ghee, mix well, keep aside.

In a sieve add all dry ingredients, maida, salt, coffee powder, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder,baking powder, baking soda.

Step two

In a large bowl add the wet ingredients and add sugar and oil/ghee and fold, in that slowly and carefully add the sieved dry ingredients, keep folding and once it's in the right consistency for bread, spread a butter paper or baking paper on the bread loaf tin, carefully spread in all the sides. 

Pour the prepared bread batter, gently spread equally and add crushed walnuts or almonds.

Place the bread loaf tin on the wire rack and bake for 45 to 50 minutes in 180 degrees temperature.

You will notice the bread starts to rise and slowly getting baked, once done you can see the sides of bread is crusty and the you can smell aroma of baked bread. 

Be patient, once baking is done, use a knife or a toothpick and test whether the bread is completely baked and the knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Cut the bread using a knife and serve with tea or coffee.

This was with walnuts and no coffee powder.