Aanpakaya (Bottle Gourd) Allam kura

Ingredients:

• Aanapakaya - 1 No's Medium
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 Tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 Tsp
• Red Chillies - 1 No
• Green Chillies - 5 No's
• Ginger - 2 Inch (Add more or less as per taste)
• Curry Leaves - 1 Strand
• Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp
• Salt - 1 Tsp
• Hing - 1/4 Tsp
• Oil - 4 Tsps

Preparations:

1.  Peel the skin of Bottle Gourd, clean it and chop into small pieces.
2. Make a coarse paste from green chillies and ginger and keep aside.
3. Take Oil in a pan. Add Chana Dal and  Urad Dal and fry till it turns red. Add Mustard and Cumin seeds and let them Pop. Add Turmeric, Hing, Curry leaves and Red Chillies and stir fry for few seconds.
4. Add green chillies and ginger paste and cook till the raw smell goes off, for about 1 min.
   
5. Add peeled and cut Bottle Gourd pieces to seasoning and cook covered on a medium flame for another 15-20 minutes. Add water at this stage, if required.
6. Cook till bottle gourd is soft and water evaporates. Add required salt and mix well.
7. Turn off heat and serve hot with Rice.
   

Nuuvu Podi / Spiced Sesame Powder

Ingredients:

• Sesame Seeds - 1 Cup
• Red Chillies - 10 - 12  No's
• Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to Taste

Preparations:

1. Heat a pan and dry roast sesame seeds, stirring continuously on a very low flame.
2. Roast till there is no rawness in the seeds and they are golden brown in color. When fully roasted remove the seeds and spread them in a plate to cool. 
3. Take the red chilies and break them into small pieces and fry for one or two more minutes till they become crisp.
4. Take a mixie jar and add roasted Sesame Seeds and red chilies to it. Add the required salt. Now  grind for few seconds using PULSE button. 
5. Store in a air tight jar.

Tips:

• If you grind the sesame seeds for more time oil oozes out and the powder becomes lumpy & tastes oily. So use PULSE button in the mixer grinder and crush the sesame seeds.

Beerakaya (Ridge Gourd) Kura

Ingredients:

• Beerakaya - 2 No's Medium
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 Tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 Tsp
• Red Chillies - 1 No's
• Curry Leaves - 1 Strand
• Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp
• Salt - 1 Tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp
• Hing - 1/4 Tsp
• Oil - 4 Tsps

Preparations:

1. Take Oil in a pan. Add Chana Dal and  Urad Dal and fry till it turns red. Add Mustard and Cumin seeds and let them Pop. Add Turmeric, Hing, Curry leaves and Red Chillies and stir fry for few seconds.
2. Add peeled and cut Ridge Gourd pieces to seasoning and cook  covered on a medium flame for another 15-20 minutes. Cook till water evaporates.
3. Add required Salt and Red chilli powder and mix well.
4. Turn off heat and serve hot with Rice.

Tips:

•  We can also add curry powder to enhance the taste at the end.

Aanapakaya (Bottle Gourd) / Beerakaya Nuvvupodi Kura

Ingredients:

• Aanapakaya - 1 No's Medium
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 Tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 Tsp
• Red Chillies - 1 No's
• Curry Leaves - 1 Strand
• Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp
• Salt - 1 Tsp
• Hing - 1/4 Tsp
• Oil - 4 Tsps
• Sesame Seeds Powder - 3 Tsps

Preparations:

1. Take Oil in a pan. Add Chana Dal and  Urad Dal and fry till it turns red. Add Mustard and Cumin seeds and let them Pop. Add Turmeric, Hing, Curry leaves and Red Chillies and stir fry for few seconds.
2. Add peeled and cut Bottle Gourd pieces to seasoning and cook covered on a medium flame for another 15-20 minutes. Add water at this stage, if required.
3. Cook till bottle gourd is soft and water evaporates.
4. Add required Salt and Sesame seeds powder and mix well.
5. Turn off heat and serve hot with Rice.

Tips:

•  We can also use  Birakaya / Ridge Gourd instead of Aanapakaya and do the same curry.
• Add little salt as sesame seeds powder also has salt in it. 
  
• Refer to Nuvvu podi recipe for Sesame seeds powder.