Ivy Gourd Buttermilk / கோவை மோர்

Buttermilk is always an excellent body cooler and thirst quencher. Along with its good properties added the goodness of ivry gourd to make it a stomach cooler too.

Ivy Gourd (english), Tondli (Marathi), Kovai Kaai (Tamizh)

  

The plant as a whole is used for medicinal purposes in Indian Medicine. Ivy gourd is good in controlling sugar level, cures mouth ulcer, stomach ulcer when used in raw form. This humble vegetable which grows in abundance in the wild and on fences can also control heavy bleeding in woman during the monthly cycle. It also controls the intestinal worms.  

Let's get  into the Kovai Express! The preparation is very simple and easy. To make one serving you will need :-

1. Buttermilk - 1 Glass
2. Ivry Gourd - 4 Nos
3. Curry Leaves - 3 Nos
4. Black salt to taste 

• Wash and clean ivy gourd. chop into cubes.
• In a blender throw the cut cubes, curry leaves, black salt and little buttermilk and blend into a nice paste.
• Mix in remaining buttermilk and pour into a serving glass
• Black salt is good for medicinal purposes. You may use instead, normal table salt.
•  Yummy summer cooler - Ivy Gourd Buttermilk is ready to be relished! 

Round Ruffled Doily

This can be used as a hot pad, fruitbasket holder, flower pot holder etc.

Did this for a CAL in "Passionate About Crochet" Group and really enjoyed doing this. A trial and error method but finally able to make it.

Bhopla Sabzi / Pumpkin Dry Curry

A simple recipe with the humble Pumpkin / Bhopla / Kadhdhu / Maththan / manjal poosani / parangikai

Ingredients :

1. Pumpkin - 750 gm
2. Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
3. Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Garlic pods - 3 nos (big)
5. Ginger - 2" piece
6. Curry Leaves - 5 nos.
7. Dried Red Chilli - 1 No. (pandi mirch)
8. Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
9.  Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Red chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
12. Cumin powder - less than 1/4 tsp
13. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp (optoinal)
14. Salt to taste

 Procedure :

• Wash, peel and dice the pumpkin into cubes

• Crush the garlic pods and ginger using a pestle / stone

• Wash and pat dry the curry leaves

•  Heat oil in a pan, Add Cumin seeds. when they start splutter, add crushed ginger and garlic, curry leaves and saute till raw smell goes. 

• Add a pinch of asafoetida powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, fry for 30 seconds.

•  Throw in the pumpkin cubes 

• Add Turmeric powder, Red Chilli Powder, Salt. Mix well.

•  Keep it covered and cook, Mix in between gently to prevent sticking to the pan.

•  When the cubes are tender, add grated coconut at this stage in raw or roasted form. I didn't use coconut today so presented the simplest form of it here :-)

• The subzi is ready to be relished with Chapathi / rice / curd rice 

Padi kolam 31

design 31

Wet rice flour ( maa kolam)