Vazhaipoo usli ( Banana flower usli)

Banana flower usli 

Lauki halwa with khoya

Lauki is a light vegetable available throughout the year. I have harvested the fresh, tender lauki from my farm. 

Few things to remember before start making the lauki halwa. You should keep all the ingredients ready, like milk, sugar,ghee, cardamom powder, dry chopped nuts and crumbled khoya.

Also as soon as you grate the lauki immediately start making the halwa, as lauki has certain properties which turns it  into black colour. 

Lauki halwa with khoya 

Ingredients

1 medium sized lauki, washed, peeled and grated - 2 cups

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons of ghee

1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder

200 grams of fresh khoya ( I used Amul)

1 cup milk.

2 tablespoons of crushed nuts (cashews and almonds)

Method

In a thick bottomed kadai pour ghee, add grated lauki, mix well, cook in medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes.

Once the lauki is tender, add sugar and continue stirring.

Once sugar is melted and started to cook, add milk and keep stirring.

You will start noticing that the milk is slowly reducing and the halwa is thickening.

You may add the crumbled khoya and stir further. 

When it's completely gets mixed up, you can see the ghee starts to oozes at the edges of the halwa.

You can add the crushed nuts and cook for a little more time.

Once the halwa has nicely thickened, off the stove.

You may add more nuts to garnish if you like, ( I have roasted a few cashews for the garnish)

Serve the halwa when it's still warm.

Salad

 Lettuce (lollo rosso green), red and yellow bell peppers, olives, jalapeno peppers, olive oil, beetroot sauerkraut, cucumber, cherry tomato, hog plum ( salted, homemade) raw pumpkin seeds. 

I generally don't add salad dressings, if you like you may add it.

I prefer the crunchy and natural flavours of the veggies and don't add extra salt, as the pickled veggies are already soaked in salt brine.

Mix well and enjoy.

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.