Winter Melon Raita

Winter melon is my husband's favorite vegetable. I always buy a whole one. I usually cut and freeze about half of it. When I freeze it, I store it in small freezer ziplocs so it will be easy to defrost and use the whole bag in a kootu or Sambar. Please note that you can use it only in gravy dishes as it lets a lot of water. If you want to make this raita, it has to be a fresh one. I also make Wintermelon Dry curry. Now we can talk about this Raita...

This is such an easy Raita.... All you do is just wash the winter melon. Peel the skin with a pareing knife, and take the soft stuff out, from inside. And then grate it well. Mix with beaten curds and give it Tadka.

Tadka -- Take some oil in a kadai, add some mustard seeds, when it sputters, add some green chillies and some slit red chillies, and some hing and add some curry leaves.

Tastes So Good........ with anything...

I have started adding raw Wintermelon to salads also, it tastes great in that also.

(Winter Melon in yogurt gravy and Lentil Crepes )Poosanikai Pachai Mor Kuzhambu and Power Packed Adai

Power Packed Adai

I have to let you all know, that this was an experiment! But it turned out good!

On Tuesdays, during Tennis season, I have to leave the house by 5pm and can come back only by 7pm. I work from home, so I usually make dinner only at 5pm. So I end up making some Dosa items for dinner since it is quick. Since I just came back, and didnt have any dosa dough at hand, I thought why not Adai , a lentil dosa. I did a little variation

Here is what I did

1 Cup Whole Green Mung

1 Cup Whole Skinned Urad

1 Cup Rice

½ cup Channa Dal

½ Cup Black Eyed Peas

½ cup Horsegram

½ Cup Sabudana

3 Green Chilllies

1 Red Chillies

2 teaspoons Salt

Coconut-one handful cut in tooth shaped pieces

Curry leaves (I still havent bought it! but you can use if you have)

Method

-->I soaked all this before I left, all in one bowl, except the sabudana.

-->I soaked the sabudana seperately.

-->When I came back, I put all this (except the

sabudana )in my food processor and made a batter.

-->To this batter Imixed the sabudana.I made thin lentil crepes out of it.

Verdict

The kids loved it, I also liked it. Next time, I will soak the green mung way ahead of time, or use regular mung dal. I felt it had to soak a lttle more, but I was the only one who felt that way. My husband also liked it! It is a very filling dinner.
As a side dish to this I Made

Poosanikai Pachai Mor Kuzhambu

Pachai means Green in Tamil , Mor Kuzhambu is gravy made with yogurt base.

Items You Need:

For the Masala Soak for 10 to 15 minutes

1 tsp Jeera (Cumin)

3 tsps Coconut shredded (I used Frozen)

1 tsp Rice

2 Green Chillies

1 handful Fresh Coriander

For the Gravy

Wintermelon - 5 cups (Cut in square shapes)

Salt as needed

Water

Thick Yogurt - 2 cups (blended in to thick buttermilk)

Oil- 1 Tsp

Mustard-¼ tsp

Red Chili -1
Method

-->In a vessel, take the wintermelon, and add

enough water to lightly cover the vegetables

-->Add the salt once it starts boiling

-->Grind the masala and add the mixture to it

and cook for a 5 to 7 minutes in low fire

-->Add the thick buttermilk to it, and cook for

3 minutes in low fire
-->In a small pan, add some oil, add the mustard,

once it sputters add the Red Chili, and pour it over

the gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves, and curry leaves.
Note- You should be careful, not let the buttermilk curdle. It should be thick and creamy!

Poosanikai Mor Kootu (Wintermelon in yogurt gravy)

You know, I have seen in some homes, they make mor kootu (yogurt gravy) only if it turns sour.
Not in my house. My Maternal Grandma, Mrs Vimalam Ramamurthy, would make fresh yogurt and then use that to make the Kootu or Avial.
I also have to say, making this kootu is an art. You have got to be careful not let the yogurt separate.


What you need to make this wonderful dish.

For Soaking (at least half an hour before)
--- 2 tsp Jeera
--- 1 tsp rice
--- 1 tsp Channa Dal
--- 2 or 3 green chillies (add more if you like it spicy)
--- about 5 tbsp of coconut

For the Kootu
----take about 8 cups of winter melon (washed, take of skin and cut in 1 inch pieces)
---1/2 cup of water
--- salt (add to taste)
--- 3 cups of thick yogurt ( I use store bought mostly because of the thickness, since the one I make at home tends to be watery (I use skim milk to make yogurt at home)


Method
---Take a vessel, and add the winter melon, and the water and salt.
---Keep on low fire.
---Winter melon has lot of water content, so you don't need to add too much water.
when this is boiling, grind the masala, which has soaked to a smooth mixture.
---add the masala slowly and stir it well
---reduce fire and add the yogurt to this
---heat only for 5 to 10 minutes making sure the yogurt doesn't separate
--- give tadka to this with oil, mustard, red chillies and curry leaves.


You can eat this with rice or rotis