Karela/Bitter gourd Chutney powder

Karela/Bitter gourd Chutney powder goes great with Hot rice, Idlis and Dosa. The combination of Copra , bitter gourd and chillies is tempting spicy and blissfully tasty. It takes very little time to prepare but can be saved for months.

Naveen loves bitter gourd so last time he went to get Vegetables, he bought home 2 kgs of bitter gourd!! he said he could see them in the Market after a very long time. I sat wondering what on earth can I do with so many. :-? My mum gave this amazing idea and when I executed it, the result was a surprise. Guess what? I could eat this chutney powder without anything to go with it. \:D/ It also tastes wonderful with hot rice and a dollop ghee, it was heavenly!

I have already listed all the health benefits of bitter gourd in my post for Stuffed Karela (Bitter gourd) curry. It does not hurt to list it again though, so here goes the list anyway.

* Bitter gourd juice purifies blood from the toxins and also helps to cure boils and itching on skin due to infections.
* It is a remedy for cholera in it's initial stages.
* Bitter gourd contains a compound that lower the blood sugar levels and hence the perfect vegetable for people with Diabetes. It improves the glucose tolerance without increasing Blood insulin levels.
* It also improves the stamina level of your body if consumed regularly in turn increasing your body's resistance against infections.
* Bitter gourd is also known to cure some respiratory disorders.

I have made chutney powder out of a kilogram of Bitter gourds. Please feel free to modify the recipe as per the quantity of bitter gourds you are using. The chutney powder tastes better if it is spicy but you can change the quantity of chillies as per your taste.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	64		Calories
Fat	6		%
Carbohydrates	1		%
Dietary Fiber	0		%
Sodium	1		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	0		%
Calcium	0		%
Iron	0		%
Protein	3		Grams
Sugar	0		Grams

Ingredients
Bitter Gourds	1 Kilogram
Tamarind	1 lemon size deseeded
Red chillies	8 or more
Copra	1 cup
Asafoetida/Hing	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Coconut Oil	2 teaspoons

* Deseed and  grate the bitter gourds. You can chop them finely but I am not sure if the chutney powder will come out dry enough.
* Spread the grated  bitter gourds on a plate lined with aluminium foil or just a plastic cover and keep it under the sun for at least an hour. The shortcut to this step is to bake without oil for an hour at 100 degrees. This step is done to decrease the moisture of the grated bitter gourds.
* You can skip this step if you are preparing less quantity that can be used in 2 or 3 days.

* Make small pieces of tamarind, heat a frying pan and fry tamarind pieces and let it cool. In the same frying pan, fry copra, red chillies and asafoetida.
* Let them cool and grind to a coarse powder.
* Heat the frying pan again, add the dried bitter gourd and fry till the aroma starts.

* Simmer the flame, add ground powder and salt and mix well. Fry under low flame for 10-15 minutes.
* Take off the heat and let the chutney powder cool.
* Transfer chutney powder to an air tight container and enjoy!

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Cauliflower Fritters

Nothing warms up a cold evening better than a plate of hot crispy fritters. Cauliflower Fritters are pan fried with very less oil so, these are healthy fritters! These fritters can be made within 10 minutes and you can serve them as a snack for a cold evening or as a tasty starter for lunch/dinner.

Cauliflower is called as a Super food not without reason. It is filled with goodness and can also be replaced with potatoes for most of the potato dishes. Some of the health benefits of cauliflower include:

Low in calories: Yes, this is the first thing I check about food. 100 grams of cauliflower contains only 25 calories. Whats more, it contains 0 cholesterol!

Nutritional information: 100 grams of cauliflower contains 8% potassium, 8% dietary fiber, 3% protein, 80% Vitamin c and 10% Vitamin B-6. It is also high in manganese making it a rich source of antioxidants.

Prevents cancer: Cauliflower contains sulfur- containing phytonutrients called glucosinolates and thiocyanates. They cleanse the body and kill cancer causing cells. Cauliflower consumed with  turmeric is also known to keep our body away from Colon cancer, prostrate cancer, cervical and ovarian cancers.

Strengthens heart: The anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cauliflower helps to improve blood circulation and maintaining healthy blood vessels. Cauliflower contains Allicin, a chemical which reduces the risk of strokes.

Brain-booster: The Vitamin-B called Choline present in cauliflower boosts brain cell development  and protects against toxins.

Weight loss: Less in calories, rich in nutrients, rich in dietary fiber, Cauliflower is also the next high source of Vitamin C to Citrus fruits. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant which is important for weight loss. It has no startch content and makes the best vegetable for weight loss that can be eaten in unlimited quantities.

Whew! #:-S that was quite a list, I still could not include all the benefits. Oh yes, there are a lot more benefits of cauliflower but I better stop listing so that I can start off with the recipe.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	22		Calories
Fat	3		%
Carbohydrates	2		%
Dietary Fiber	8		%
Sodium	26		%
Vitamin A	1		%
Vitamin C	58		%
Calcium	4		%
Iron	3		%
Protein	3		Grams
Sugar	1.9		Grams

Ingredients
[Makes 8 fritters]
Grated cauliflower	2 cups
Wheat flour	2 tablespooons
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Egg(optional)	1
Chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Oil	to fry
Water(if not using egg)	enough to make a batter

* Combine all the ingredients except oil to make a thick batter . If not adding egg, add just enough water to hold the mixture together.Check seasoning after the mix.
* Heat a frying pan and add little oil. Drop the batter and flatten them like thin pancakes so that they cook through.
* Flip over and cook till then turn golden brown. Serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

* You can also deep fry the fritters for more crispiness.
* Egg is optional but tastes better. You can replace egg with a mashed small potato.
* Some recipes replace wheat flour with Besan (gram flour). It is entirely your choice but actually makes no difference in texture or taste of fritters.