Kottu Kuzhambu

This Kuzhambu is one of our Iyengar dishes.

Ingredients:

 Tamarind extract juice              1 ½ cup

Okra                                         ¼ cup

White Pumpkin                          ¼ cup

Sambhar Powder                      2 tsp

Curry leaves                             few

Salt to taste

Rice flour                               1tsp (Mix it with water)

Seasonings:

 Oil                                       2 tsp

Mustard seeds                      ¼ tsp

Fenugreek seeds                  ¼ tsp

Bengal gram dhal                 1 tsp

Whole red chillies                 3 no

Hing                                    ¼ tsp

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the juice.
• Take ¾ cup of tamarind water, add Sambhar powder, salt, curry leaves and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in kadai, add all seasonings and fry for 2 minutes.
• Now add ½ of the tamarind water (3/4 cup) , vegetables in it.   Let it boil for 5 minutes.
• Now add the above tamarind water in it .  Lower the stove heat and let it boil for 6-8 minutes.
• Add rice flour water in it.  Boil for few more minutes. Switch off the stove.
• Serve with hot rice.

ELLU KUZHAMBHU- VARUTHU ARACHA KUZHAMBU

VARUTHU ARACHA KUZHAMBU is From Thirunelvelli cuisine. Tasty gravy prepared from Ellu and tamarind pulp. Paddy’s family is from Thirunelvelli; often my mother in law used to prepare this dish. Paddy likes this Kuzhambu very much.  My eldest sister in law Rukku manni prepares this dish very tasty. Typically it can be taken along with rice.

Ingredients

Tamarind –                   a lemon size

Turmeric Powder            ½ tsp

Salt                              To taste

Vegetables –                2 Cups
(Red pumpkin, ash gourd (White pumpkin), carrot, plantain,Long chilies)

Fry and Grind:

Raw rice –                        1 Tsp

Black Ellu (sesame)           1 tbsp

Toor dhal                          1 Tsp

Chenna dal                        1Tsp

Urdh dhal                           1 tsp

Grated Coconut                   ¼ cup

Red chilies                           8 no (According to your spice level)

Curry leaves                       few

Asafetida                            ½ tsp

For seasoing:

Mustard seed                      ½ tsp

Curry leaves                         few

Coconut oil                           2 Tbsp

red chilies                             1 no 

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the juice.
• Precook the vegetables by adding salt and turmeric powder and when it is half cooked add the tamarind water in it and let it cook.
• In the mean time in a dry kadai first fry the sesame and rice till the fried flavor of sesame comes. Keep aside.
• Add oil to the pan and fry all the three dhals till they are golden brown along with the red chillies. Also fry the coconut in the same kadai without applying oil till it is golden brown.
• Grind all fried item into a smooth paste by adding required amount of water.
• Once all the vegetables are cooked add the paste and a small bit of Jaggery. Mix them well and once the mixture starts to froth at sides turn the stove off.
• Season it with mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves with the remaining oil.
• Serve hot with steamed rice or Venn Pongal.

Yennai Kaththirikkaai Kuzhambu (Brinjal Kuzhambhu)

Eggplant or Brinjal, is a very low calorie vegetable and has healthy nutrition profile; good news for weight watchers! The veggie is popularly known as aborigine in the western world. Generally, these veggies falls into two broad categories, either oval shaped or thin and elongated.

Health benefits of Eggplant (aubergine)

Eggplant is very low in calories and fats but rich in soluble fiber content.

Eggplant is effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol.

It contains good amounts of vitamin B5, Vitamin 6, and thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (B3).

I prepared this spicy and tangy ennai Kathirikai kuzhambu for the weekend lunch. It tasted great.

Ingredients

 Small/baby eggplants -  about 8 to 10 cut into 4 quarters 

Cooking oil                   3 tbsp

Tamarind soaked in warm water - about the size of a small lemon

Asafetida                   1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves                 a few

Jaggery                        1 teaspoon

Salt                               to taste

To dry fry and grind into a coarse powder:

Channa dhal                   2 tbsp

Urad dhal                      1 tbsp

Dried red chillies            6 no

Coriander seeds             1 tbsp

Curry leaves                  few

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract juice and  keep aside.
• Dry fry Chenna dhal, Urad dhal, dried red chillies and coriander seeds, curry leaves one after the other, grind into a coarse powder, mix with asafetida and some salt and keep aside.
• Now slit the Kathirikai and Stuff above the powder and keep aside the remaining powder.
• Place all stuffed eggplants in a microwave plate and cook it for 5 minutes in the microwave.
• In a cast iron pan, heat cooking oil, pop mustard seeds, add curry leaves and place the stuffed eggplants neatly and cook evenly by turning them until they become soft.  
• Once the eggplants are soft, add the remaining powder and sauté for 3 minutes.
• Add the tamarind juice and some more salt .Boil for 10 minutes on medium heat or until the rawness of the tamarind goes away.
• Add Jaggery and mix in well and turn off the stove.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Mor Kuzhambu 3

This is simple version of MOR Kuzhambu.

Ingredients:

Plain yogurt                   – 2 cups

Okra                              – 1 cup (chopped)

Turmeric                        – ½ tsp

Asafetida                          ¼ tsp

Curry  leaves                     - few

Grind to a paste
Fresh grated coconut         – ¾ cup
Grated ginger                    – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds                     – 1 tsp

Curry leaves                      – 1 tbsp

Green chillies                     – 4 no

For seasonings:

Coconut oil                         – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds                      – 1tsp

Red chillies                          – 2 no

Black peppercorns                 – 2no

Garnishing:

Cilantro                              – few leaves

Method: 

• Grind the ingredients as mentioned above; keep aside.
• Whip yoghurt lightly to make it to a uniform consistency. Keep aside.
• In a deep pot, heat oil, and add the above seasoning items, when the mustard starts to pop and splutter, add the asafetida, curry leaves, turmeric, and okra.
• Fry for a minute, the add 1 cup of water and cook the okra till soften.
• Now add the coconut mixture and cook about for 2 minutes. Add the yoghurt to coconut mixture. Add sufficient salt now; let the mixture boil for one to two minutes and switch of fire. Stir gently and low heat for 3 minutes.  Do not let the gravy boil once you’ve added the yogurt.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve with hot rice, Adai, Sevai.

Mor Kuzhambu 2 - Yogurt Coconut Curry

 It is a traditional buttermilk based curry of south India. It uses less oil and chili. The spices used in this curry vary region-to-region and home to home. You can add any veggie in this curry like okra,  taro and ash gourd.  I love this with ash gourd or okra.

Here I have prepared Mor kuzhambu using ash gourd. This is prepared with slight variation in north India and they call it as Khadi.

Ingredients

2cups of thick and sour yoghurt

Ash gourd pieces – 1 cup

Turmeric powder 1/8 of tsp

Asafetida – peanut size

Salt- to taste

Curry leaves – few

Soak for 30- 40 minutes

Coriander seeds2tsps

Toovar dal -2tsps of

Chenna Dhal – 1 tsp

 Raw rice - 2 tsp 

Grind

Fresh coconut - 4 tbsp

Soaked items

Green chillies – 4 no

Cumin Seeds – ¼ tsp

Grated Ginger – 1 tsp 

For seasoning

Coconut Oil – 1tbsp

Red chillies, broken 4-5 into 3 pieces each

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Method 

• Soak and grind the ingredients as mentioned above; keep aside.
• Whip yogurt lightly to make it to a uniform consistency and mix well with  the ground item in that.. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the seasoning, when mustard splutters, add chopped ash gourd pieces, pinch of salt, turmeric powder and mix well; add 1 cup of water and cook.
• When ash gourd is soft, add spice mixed curd and bring to boil; add sufficient salt now, let the mixture boil for one to two minutes and switch of fire.
• The curry should be semi-thick and not too watery in the final stage
• Serve hot with rice, Sevai, Adai.

Tips

• Do not let the curry boil once you’ve added the yogurt. Use low heat and stir constantly to prevent boiling
• Remember to only gently re-heat this dish
• If buttermilk is too sour, add one more green chill.
• Adding salt finally in the dish helps to avoid it to be too watery.

Venthaya Kuzhambu – (Healthy Methi and spices in tamarind gravy)

Fenugreek (also known as Greek Hay and Fenigreek), is an herb that is commonly found growing in the Mediterranean region of the world. Fenugreek seeds have been found to contain protein, vitamin C, niacin, potassium. 

The Health benefits are:

• Balancing Cholesterol, Lowering Blood Sugar Levels, Natural Cure for Heartburn and Acid Reflux. 

Venthaya Kuzhambu is a healthy quick preparation. Its quick, easy and utterly delicious. 

  

Ingredients:

Tamarind juice (extracted)           2 cups

Turmeric powder                         ½ tsp

Sambhar powder                         2 tsp

Asafetida                                 ½ tsp

Salt                                        to taste

Seasonings:

Giggly oil (NELLA ENNAI)           2 tsp

Red chillies                             6 no

Bengal gram                           2 tsp

Toovar Dhal                           1 tsp
Peanuts                                 1 tbsp

Urdh dhal                              ½ tsp

Fenugreek seeds                    1 tsp

Curry Leaves                          few

Method

• In a kadai, add oil and when it’s hot, add all seasoning items and fry till slight brown color.
• Now add Sambhar powder, Asafetida, turmeric powder in it and fry for few seconds.
• Now add the tamarind juice an d salt  and allow to slowly boil on a medium low flame.
• After about 15 minutes or so, when the gravy has been reduced, and becomes a little thick, switch off  the flame.
• Delicious Venthaya Kuzhambu is ready to be served with steaming hot rice and adding 1 tsp of gingili oil to enhance the flavors of the gravy. 

Tip

• If the gravy is too watery add 1 tsp of rice flour mixed in 2 tsp of water and add to the kuzhambu and boil it.
• I always feel it tastes best the next day as the spices have soaked in the tamarind gravy all day long!!!

Tomato Theeyal

I always do small twist to recipes and make a new recipe. That’s my habit. Sometimes it will come out very well. Sometimes it comes out a big flop.  Thanks to Paddy for being my guinea pig. But this tomato Theeyal came out very well.

Theeyal means “burnt dish” (Burnt coconut).  It is one of the traditional dishes from Kerala. Most preferred Theeyal is suran & onion.  I already showed you how to make zucchini Theeyal in my old recipes. Here I tried  to make tomatoes Theeyal. I skipped tamarind and I used  only  tomatoes. It came out very well. . But the procedure remains same for all.

Ingredients:

Big Tomatoes 4 no (cut into small pieces)

Green chili - 3 no

Grated Coconut ¾ cup

Red chilies – 3 no

Chili powder 1 Tsp

Coriander powder – 1tsp

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves for decoration

 Coconut Oil  - 2tsp

Salt to taste

Method: 

• Heat oil in a kadai and add the chopped ¾ of tomato pieces, and chilly. Sauté it well.  Keep it aside.
• Roast the grated coconut, and curry leaves in a kadai (roast it in low flame) till it turns brown colour. Then  lower the heat then add chili powder and coriander powder and fry for 1 minute.
• Remove it from fire, allow it to cool. Add the above tomato mixture in it
• Grind it all together well without adding water.
•  Heat oil in a kadai and sauté the left over tomatoes Fry for few minutes
• Now add this paste into the sautéed tomato mix and add water and salt.
• Boil it till the raw smell goes and ooze out the oil in top.
• Serve hot and garnish with coriander leaves.

Millaghai Sambhar (CHILIES SAMBHAR)

I made this Sambhar with different type of green chilies.  I used only chilies as a main vegetable for this Sambhar.

Ingredients

Different type of green chilies –each one (Jalapenos, Banana chilies, Paprika chilies, Anaheim chilies)

Tomato                               - 1 medium sized finely chopped

Sambar powder                     - 3 full teaspoons

Turmeric powder                    - 1/4 teaspoon

Tamarind                              - a small lemon size (soaked in water)

Toor dhal                              - 1/4 cup

Asafetida                              - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt                                        to taste

Seasonings:

Oil                                         – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds                         – 1 tsp

Dried red chili                          - 1 cut into half

Curry leaves                              - a few

Method:

• Wash and cut the chilies as lengthwise.
• Pressure cook the Toor dhal with turmeric powder and set aside.
• Extract about 1.5 cups of tamarind water from the soaked tamarind and set aside.
• In a small, deep pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds. After the mustard splutters, add Asafetida, all chillies, dried red chillies and curry leaves and fry for few minutes.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and wait for them to cook well.
• After the tomatoes get cooked, add the tamarind water, cooked Toor dhal and salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add sambhar powder and boil for about 10 minutes and turn off the stove. 
• It tastes good with rice, Idli’s, Dosas, and any such tiffin items. 

THIRUNELVELLI MOR KUZHAMBU

 This more Kuzhambu is from Tirunelveli district.   My eldest sister in law (Rukku Manni) makes this kuzhambu very tasty.You can make this very quickly.

Ingredients:

Coconut-                            ½ cup

Red chillies                         4 no

Curry leaves                      – 2 stem

Fenugreek seeds                – ¼ tsp

Coconut oil                         2 tsp

Butter milk                       – 2 cups (thick curd and water beat with a churner)

Salt                                 – to taste

Turmeric Powder                – a pinch

Method:

• Roast Fenugreek seeds, 2 red chilies and 1 stem curry leaves in a little oil, till the seeds turn brown.
• Add coconut with above and grind this to the smooth paste.
• Add buttermilk, salt and turmeric powder into paste. Mix it well.
• Heat in a low flame.  Stirring continuously. Do not boil.
• Season mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves in coconut oil.
• Add to the above Kuzhambu.
• Serve hot with rice, Adai, Sevai.

SAMBHAR 2 (KERALA SAMBHAR)

This delicious sambhar from my Madappalli.

 Ingredients:

Tuvar Dal                               1 cup

Mixed vegetables chopped        1 cup (potato, carrot, okra, Ash gourd)

Tomatoes                              2no

Tamarind                             – A small lemon size ball (soaked in hot water)

Green Chilies                          - 3 no
Ginger grated                          – 1tsp–
For Grinding:

Red Chili Powder                       – 1tsp

Coriander powder                      – 2 tsp

Hing                                       – ¼ tsp

Fenugreek powder                    – 1/8 tsp

Coconut                                   – 3 tbsp

Turmeric Powder                        – ½ tsp

For Seasoning:

Coconut oil                                – 3tsp

Mustard seeds                               – 1tsp

Dry Red chillies                            – 1 no

Curry Leaves                                – 2 stem

Method

• Cook the dal in a pressure cooker till 3 whistles. Keep aside.
• Make a tamarind extract from soaked tamarind water.
• Fry the grated coconut, using little oil in an even heat till it`s color turns golden brown. Reduce the flame. Add chili powder, coriander, and fenugreek powder. Stir for 1 minute till the raw smell of the powders goes. Grind it to a fine paste and keep aside.
• Wash the vegetables. Sauté, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves in oil.
• Add the vegetables to it along with tamarind water, and turmeric powder. Cook till all the vegetables become tender.
• Next, add the grounded coconut paste and tomatoes and stir it well. Allow it to boil for few minutes.
• Add the cooked dhal mixture and salt and mix again. Simmer the heat and allow it to boil.
• It should neither be too watery nor too thick when you get the desired consistency, remove from flame.
• Fry the mustard seeds, chillies, curry leaves in 2 tsp of oil and pour it over the Sambhar.
• Garnish with Coriander Leaves.
• Serve  hot with rice,Dosai,Idli,Vadai

Iyengar Milagu Kuzhambu

Pepper is perhaps the most common cooking spice in the world. Both ground pepper and peppercorns are also powerful herbal medicines, with a wide range of benefits. Black pepper’s health benefits are: aids digestion, helps relieve cough and colds, improves overall health, a powerful antioxidant, reduces inflammation.

Ingredients:

Pepper (Milagu)                         - 2 Tsp.

Red Chillies                              - 2

Hing (Asafetida)                       – ¼ tsp

Tamarind                                   - a small lemon size

Urdh dal                                    - 1 tsp

Coconut                                     – 1 tsp

Toovar dal                                  - 1 tablespoon

Mustard                                      - 1 teaspoon

Jaggery                                       - 1 inch piece

Gingili Oil                                    - 2 tablespoon

Curry leaves                                 - 5 to 6 sprigs

Salt                                                to taste

Method:

• Soak, strain and collect thick tamarind juice and keep it aside.
• Heat the frying pan with 1 tsp of oil. Fry pepper, red chillies, Toovar dal, Urdh gram dal, coconut and curry leaves. Grind this into a fine paste by adding small amount of water.
• Heat the frying pan with 2 tablespoonful of oil and add mustard and when it stops crackling add few curry leaves, Hing and extracted tamarind juice.
• Add turmeric powder and the grounded paste and mix well. Add Jaggery in it.
• Cook till the raw smell goes off and add salt to taste. Boil till oil separates and floats on top.
• Serve with steamed rice and pappad and it tastes best when served  with Inji (Ginger) Thuvaiyal and Paruppu Thuvaiyal.
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Kalan

This is one of the traditional Kerala dish.  Kalan is a main dish in all Kerala Sadya. There is lot of regional difference to make this dish. Here I am showing you Thirusur based Kalan dish. Here I used raw banana and yam to make this recipe. You can make this with white pumpkin, Snakegourd.

Ingredients:

Yam –                                                   1 cup (Sliced into small pieces)

Raw banana (prefer Nendran)                 1 no.

Thick slightly sour yogurt                        2 cups

Green chillies                                        5 no (slit)
Pepper powder                                      1 tsp

Turmeric powder                                  1/3 tsp

Water                                                    1cup

Fried and powdered Fenugreek               ½ tsp
Salt                                                         to taste
To Be Grind:
Grated Coconut                                       ½ cup

Cumin seed                                              ½ tsp

Seasoning:
Coconut oil                                         – 2 tbsp

Mustard seed                                      – 1 tsp

Jeera                                                – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves                                        – 2 stem

Whole red chillies                            – (broken into 2 pieces)

Method

•  Remove the skin of the plantain and slice into small pieces.
• Heat the water in a pan, add pepper powder and cook the vegetables in this water.
• Add turmeric powder and salt .Stir well.
• Grind the coconut and cumin to a smooth paste without adding water. Keep aside.
• When water dries add silted green chillies in it. Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil in it. Simmer the stove heat.
• Pour the yogurt and mix well. Lower the flame.
• When the curd boils and become dry and thick, add the grounded coconut mixture and fenugreek pour into it. Stir well.
• Bring to boil for three to four minutes and remove from the fire.
• Season with mustard seed, chillies, curry leaves.

Zucchini Theeyal

Theeyal means “burnt dish” (Burnt coconut).  It is one of the traditional dishes from Kerala. It gets its color from browning of coconut and tamarind. You can make this dish with baby shallots, drumstick, sankegourd, suran, Brinjal and zucchini.. You can make this recipe with one vegetable or mix match with other vegetable. But the procedure remains same for all. Most preferred theeyal is suran.

Here I am showing the zucchini Theeyal

Ingredients

Zucchini                              – 2 nos (chopped big pieces)

Tamarind                            – 1 small lemon size

Red chili                             – 2 tsp

Green chillies                      – 4 nos

Coriander powder                   2 tsp

Grated coconut                    – 2 cups

Turmeric powder                  – ½ tsp

Curry leaves                       – 3 stems (chopped)

Red chillies                         – 2 no (broke into pieces)

Fenugreek seeds                 – ¼ tsp ( dry fry and powdered it)

Hing                                  – 2 pinch

 Coconut Oil                        as needed

Salt                                       to taste

Method

• Wash and clean the zucchini. Cut into big pieces. Do not remove the skin.
• Soak the tamarind in hot water for ½ hour. Extract the pulp from tamarind. Keep aside.
• Heat the pan add ½ tsp of oil; fry the coconut till golden brown. Simmer and add all masalas powders and stir and fry till it gives you a good aroma.  Keep aside for cooling
• Now dry grind the masalas to a very smooth paste.
• Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, whole red chillies and allow to splutter. Add zucchini, fenugreek powder, Hing and fry for one minute .Now add tamarind pulp , salt in it. Cook  it for 2  more minutes.
• Now add grind coconut paste in it. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with rice.

Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu (Spicy Brinjal Gravy)

 This is very famous  Chettinadu dish.  This gravy is served with steamed white rice for a main meal. It also serves as a good accompaniment with piping hot dosa or Idli. The secret to relish this dish is it tastes better the next day. I made some changes in masala process and you can make this recipe very fast and tasty. Though the name is Kara Kuzhambu, I don’t add too much karam (chili powder) or Puli (tamarind). I add tomatoes, so it takes very little tamarind. I also used less coconut in this recipe. In this recipe I added Jaggery , because it will give slight sweetness and also preservative. You can store this gravy for a week.

 Ingredients:

Purple color Brinjal                     10 nos

Tamarind                                   Small Lemon size

Turmeric Powder                         ½ tsp

Oil                                            2 tbsp

Salt                                          to taste

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds                             ½ tsp

Curry leaves                                1 stem

Chenna dhal                                 1 tsp

Whole red chillies                         2 nos

Grated Jaggery                             1 tbsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

To be  Grind:

Tomato                                      2 no (chopped finely)

Grated coconut                              3 tbsp

Sambhar Powder (Kuzhambu Podi) – 2 tbsp

Coriander powder                         1/2 tsp

Fennel powder                            – ¼ tsp (Optional)

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water and make tamarind extract and keep aside.
• Cut tomatoes and Brinjal like medium pieces.
• Heat oil in kadai, fry coconut till brown then add Sambhar powder, coriander powder, fennel powder , tomatoes and Hing. Fry for two minute.
• Grind that masala very fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat the oil in kadai, add seasonings and fry till mustard seed crackles, add Brinjal, turmeric powder and fry for a minute. Add tamarind extract, salt and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add grounded masala in it and mix everything well and allow the gravy to cook for further 8 minutes or till the gravy turns to the consistency of Sambhar. Add Jaggery powder and cook for 2 minutes.

 Note:

•   In this recipe instead of Sambhar powder you can use 1 tbsp red chili powder,1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp Hing.

Okra Vatral Kuzhambu 2

This is very simple and easy to make.

Ingredients:

Tamarind                           – 1 small lemon size

Okra                                 – 4 no

Gingili oil                        – 1 tbsp

Red chili powder                – 1tsp

Coriander powder              – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder               – ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds                  – 1 tsp
Chenna dal                       - 1tbsp

Methi seed                        – ¼ tsp

Hing                                – ½ tsp

Curry leaves                     – 1 stem

Whole red chillies                – 2no (broken into pieces)

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water.  Make thick tarmarind extract. Cut okra big pieces.
• Heat the oil in kadai, fry mustard seed, red chillies, dhal, and okra and curry leaves.
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and Hing. Fry for few minutes.
• Add tamarind extract, salt and boil for 10 minutes.
• If the vatral kuzhambu consistency is too thin, a spoon of rice flour added with a little water should thicken it up.
• Garnish with curry leaves.