Vatha kuzhambu

Ingredients

Dry Vegetables like turkey berry, bitter gourd, drumstick flesh & cluster beans /Vathal - 1/2cup 

Onion -1

Curry leaves - 1 sprig 

Tomato -2

Thick tamarind paste - 1/4cup 

Vathakuzhambu masala powder -11/2tablespoon 

Turmeric powder -1/4teaspoon

Gingelly oil - 3tablespoons

Sugar/ Jaggery -  1 teaspoon or a little piece 

To grind into a fine paste 

Coconut - 1/4cup 

Method

Chop the onion. Grind the coconut with little water to a fine paste. 

Crush the tomatoes with Tamarind water and keep it ready. 

Gather all the vathals. You can use either one of them too. As I had all these, I added everything. :) 

Heat generous amount of gingelly oil/Nallennai in a pan. Once its hot, add the vathals and fry them.

Then add the chopped onion and curry leaves, fry until the onions turn little pink. 

Now add the tamarind & tomato mixture and let it boil nicely. 

Add the coconut paste and enough salt after the raw smell of tamarind-tomato juice has gone. (Be careful while adding salt, as vathals may have salt in them.) 

Adjust the water level and let the kuzhambu boil on medium heat. 

Add the sugar when the oil floats on top of the kuzhambu and switch off the stove.

Serve the kuzhambu with hot steaming rice and some vegetable & dal stir fry. Here we had it with cabbage and moong dal curry and rasam. 

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Muttai puli kuzhambu/ Poached egg gravy with tamarind

Ingredients

Egg- 2

Onion-1

Green chilly-1

Chilly powder-1teaspoon

Coriander powder-1teaspoon

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

Coconut milk powder -2teaspoons

Tamarind juice-1/4cup

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Cumin seed-1/2teaspoon

Few curry leaves

Salt

Sugar-1/2teaspoon

Oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, let them pop up, then add cumin seeds and curry leaves, let them sizzle. 

Add the chopped onion, green chilly and sauté them.

Once he onion turns pink, add the chilly powder- coriander powder and turmeric powder.

Add the tamarind juice and required amount of water, salt and let it boil nicely.

After the raw smell has gone, reduce the heat  and add the coconut milk powder and sugar..mix it well.

Now break the eggs and add them with the gravy.

Mix it gently and cook for a few minutes or until the eggs are done.

Enjoy the quick and delicious kuzhambu with piping hot rice.

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Soya Puli Kuzhambu/Mealmaker in Tamarind Gravy

Ingredients

Meal maker/Soya chunks - 20

Onion-1

Green chilly-1

Tomato-1

Garlic-10cloves

Few curry leaves

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

Shakti Vatha kuzhambu podi-3teaspoons[can be replaced by 11/2teaspoons chili powder + 11/2teaspoons coriander powder]

Coconut milk powder-1tablespoon

Tamarind juice(thick) -1/4cup

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Methi seeds-10

Salt

Sugar-1/2teaspoon

Gingely oil - 1tablespoon

Method

Wash and put the soya chunks in boiling water, cook for 3 minutes. Drain them and squeeze out the water and keep it aside. 

Chop the onion and garlic cloves, green chilly and tomato into big chunks.

Heat gingely oil/nallennai in a pan, add the mustard seed and let them pop-up.

Add the methi seeds followed by the onion-garlic-g.chilly and curry leaves(which I didn't add). 

Saute for a while then add the soya chunks and cook for couple of minutes. 

Now add the chopped tomatoes, tamarind water, masala powder  and salt.

Let this boil nicely till the raw smell of the tamarind has gone. Then add the coconut milk powder and adjust the water according to the desired consistency.

Cook for one boil, reduce the heat to low, add the sugar and let the kuzhambu simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Tangy and delicious kuzhambu is ready. Soya chunks will absorb the tamarind juice and will be soft and yummy!

Enjoy the meal maker puli kuzhambu with piping hot rice.

Recipe inspiration : HERE

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Mor Kuzhambu/Poosanikkai mor kuzhambu

Ingredients

Poosanikkai/Ash gourd (chopped)-1cup

Butter milk -3/4cup (or 1/2cup curd, churned with 1/4cup of water)

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

To Grind

Coconut-1/4cup

Green chili-3 (adjust to taste)

Cumin seeds-1teaspoon

Ginger- a small piece

To Temper

Coconut oil-2teaspoons

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Cumin seeds-1/2teaspoon

Few curry leaves

Red chilli-1(optional)

Method

Grind the items given under "to grind" with little water to a fine paste. 

Cook the ash gourd with turmeric and enough salt. 

Add the ground coconut paste and little water, bring it to boil. 

Once the raw smell of the coconut has gone, reduce the flame to low and add the buttermilk. 

Cook on low heat for 2 minutes and put off the stove.
Make the tempering and add it to the kuzhambu.

Delicious mor kuzhambu is ready to serve. Serve hot with rice and paruppu usili with any veggie.

We had Mor kuzhambu with Beans paruppu usili. 

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Pakarkai Pitlai/Bittergourd Gravy with Channa

Ingredients
Bitter gourd-2 (1/2cup, chopped)
Thoor dhal-1/4cup
Cooked channa- one fist full
Tomato-1
Tamarind juice(thick)-1/4cup
Chilly powder-1teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon
Jaggery- a small piece
Salt
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Few curry leaves and cilantro
Oil
To roast & grind
Oil
Channa dal-1teaspoon
Coriander seeds-2teaspoon
Red chillies-3 (adjust to taste)
Grated coconut-2tablespoons
Hing/Asafoetida- a generous pinch

Method
Pressure cook the thoor dal and channa separately and keep it ready.
Chop the bitter-gourd and tomato into small pieces.
Heat little oil in a small pan, roast the items under "to roast & grind" without burning any. Let it cool completely, then grind it to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add the chopped bitter-gourd, fry for a few minutes. Then add the cooked channa and tomato.
Cook until tomatoes become soft n mushy, then add the tamarind juice, chilly powder, turmeric powder.
Let it boil nicely till the bitter-gourd is 3/4th done.
Mix the masala with the cooked dal and add it to the bitter-gourd.
Cook it on medium heat for 5-6 minutes.

Add the jaggery, curry leaves and cilantro, put off the stove.
Tasty Pavakkai pitlai is ready to serve. It tastes great with white rice and some veggie fry.

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Fresh Black NightShade & Tamarind Gravy/ Manathakkaali kai Pulikuzhambu

Ingredients

Fresh Black Nightshades -1/4cup

Tamarind Juice(thick)-1/4cup

Vathakuzhambu masala powder-1tablespoon[I have used "Sakthi masala Vatha kuzhambu powder". Can be replaced by Chilly and Coriander powders.]

Jaggery-a tiny piece

Gingelly oil-1tablespoon

Grated Coconut-2tablespoons

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Shallots -8 (or) Red onion-1

Green chilly-1

Tomato-2

Turmeric powder-1/8teaspoon
Few curry leaves
Salt

Black Nightshade Plant/Manathakkali chedi which is fondly called as "Sukkutti Chedi" in Coimbatore area is a common plant back home.  We get these greens in big bunches from local markets/street vendors. The leaves, fruit, unripe fruit of this plant are edible and have great medicinal properties. 

But here in US, its difficult to find this plant(at least, I thought so! ;)).  Long back, I spotted a plant during our local hike and plucked a few fruits with the hope that I can grow a plant in my patio garden.  But first time was no charm. Next time I saw the plant growing in a friend's house, whenever I go to her house,  used to bring a few fruits and sow them in the pots. But, that also didn't work.  After a long time, all of a sudden one tiny plant started growing in one of the pots. I got a strong doubt and took care of the seedling, to my surprise, its a Black Nightshade plant! :))) 

I was on cloud 9 and eagerly waiting for the fruit. The plant gave me lot of fruits and one fine day I decided to pluck all the unripe fruits and made this lip smacking pulikuzhambu/vatha kuzhambu.

Method

Wash the black nightshade veggie well and keep it aside.

Grind the coconut with little water to a fine paste. 

Heat gingelly oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. 

Add the chopped onion, green chilly...fry till the onions become transparent. 

Now add the washed black nightshade veggie and fry till they shrink. (say 2-3 minutes on medium heat)

Add the chopped tomato, turmeric powder, enough salt and cook until the tomatoes become soft and mushy.

Add the tamarind juice and let it boil nicely.
Now add the coconut paste, vatha kuzhambu powder and adjust the water according to the desired consistency of the kuzhambu.
Reduce the heat to medium low and let the gravy thicken for 5-6 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached and the oil oozes out from the kuzhambu.
Now add the jaggery and curry leaves, put off the flame.
Tangy and slightly bitter, delicious and healthy manathakkali kai kuzhambu is ready.

This kuzhambu is a perfect pair for white rice, idli and dosa. Personally we prefer to have it with wheat dosa or normal dosa! :)

~~~

It will be difficult to get this fresh veggie even back in India! If you have a big Manathakkali plant(s) at home then you can think of this kuzhambu. But the dry vathals are always handy and you can keep the vathal in the freezer for long time. Before having the plant in my garden, I use to prepare the same kuzhambu, with dry Black Nightshades. 

Manathakkali Vatha Kuzhambu

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Easy Sundal Kadalai Kuzhambu / Easy Channa Gravy with Tamarind and Veggies

Ingredients

Black Channa/Sundal kadalai/Kondai kadalai-1/4cup

Onion-1

Tomato-1

Tamarind juice-1/4cup

Potato-1

Brinjal-1 (or) 2

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Sugar-1/2teaspoon

Salt

Oil 

To grind

Pepper corns-7

Red chillies-4

Grated coconut-2tablespoons

Fennel seeds-1teaspoon 

Method

Wash and soak the channa over night or at least 8 hours.

Chop the onions into fine pieces. 

Cut the potato into big chunks. Trim the head of the brinjals, make a "+" cut into them.

Keep the potato chunks and brinjals submerged in water till use.

Grind the items to grind with little water to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add in the mustard seeds. Let them pop. 

Now add in the onions and fry till they change in color. 

Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, cook till the tomato becomes soft.

Add in the veggies along with the soaked channa. 

Fry for 2-3 minutes and add in the tamarind juice and let it boil nicely. 

Now add in the masala paste, enough salt. Adjust the water according to your desired consistency of the kuzhambu.

Add in the sugar, and close the pressure cooker.
Cook for 2-3 whistles in medium heat.
Let the pressure subside by itself, open the cooker, garnish the kuzhambu with cilantro.

Quick and tangy delicious kuzhambu is ready! It goes well with plain rice, idli and dosa. The veggies and channa taste grate as we pressure cook them with the masala.

This kuzhambu can be done in just about 30 minutes! Isn't it simple?! :) 

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Chettinadu style pakoda kuzhambu

I have already posted a Paruppu urundai kuzhambu recipe long back. There are several methods of making this kuzhambu, you can steam the lentil balls and add it into the gravy, or directly add it in the gravy or deep fry the lentil balls and add it in the gravy. Either way it tastes so good! This recipe is inspired from this blog. :) 

Ingredients

For the pakoda 

Dried split yellow peas/Vadai paruppu-1/4cup

Red chilly-5(adjust to your taste)

Fennel seeds-1teaspoon

Chopped onion-3tablespoons

Chopped cilantro and curry leaves-few

Salt

Oil to deep fry 

For the Gravy

Tamarind juice-1/4cup

Chilly powder-11/2teaspoon

Coriander powder-11/2teaspoon

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

Onion-1

Toamto-1

Green chilly-1

Coconut paste-2 tablespoons

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Bay leaf-1

Salt

Oil

Few curry leaves and cilantro -to garnish

Method

Wash and soak the yellow peas dal/vadai paruppu for 2 hours. Grind it along with red chillies-fennel seeds and enough salt.

Add in the chopped onion-cilantro,curry leaves, mix it well. 

Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry the pakodas. 

Once the oil is hot enough, pinch small pakodas and deep fry them. You should not cook the pakodas all the way till they turn golden brown, but take them out when they are 3/4th done.

 Look at the picture of pakodas for kuzhambu....and these ones below are regular pakodas. Hope you can see the color difference.

Now lets move on to the  gravy. Chop the onions and tomatoes into big chunks. Slit the green chilly. Heat some oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, let them pop-up. 

Then add the bay leaf, followed by the curry leaves, onion-green chilly and tomato.  

Fry till the tomatoes become soft. Meanwhile, add in the chilli-turmeric and coriander powders with tamarind juice, mix it well and keep it ready.

Once the tomatoes in the gravy are soft and mushy, add in the tamarind juice. Add enough salt and let it boil.

After the gravy has boiled nicely, add in the deep fried pakodas, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Now add in the coconut paste, adjust the water level of the kuzhambu, and keep cooking on low heat for 5 more minutes.

Once the oil oozes out from the gravy, its all done. Put off the flame.

Serve the pakoda kuzhambu with white rice, and your favorite side dish and rasam.

  Here I have served it with spicy potato fry.

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Vendaikkai puli kuzhambu / Okra in tamarind sauce

There are numerous ways to make puli kuzhambu, a south Indian delicacy. This version is my Mom's..simple and tasty!
Ingredients
Ingredients
Vendaikkai/Okra -12
Small onions 7(or) Shallots -2
Green chilly -2
Tamarind juice- Little more than 1/4cup
Coriander powder-11/2teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1teaspoon
Turmericpowder-1/4teaspoon
Sugar-1/2teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Oil
Salt
Few curry leaves and cilantro
To grind
Tomato(big)-1
Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoon

Method
Wash, pat dry the vendaikkai/okras, trim the edges, cut into 2" pieces and keep it aside.
Cut the onions and green chillies.
Heat  oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add in the okra pieces, fry on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add in the onion-green chilly-curry leaves, cook for few more minutes.

Add in the chilly powder-coriander powder-turmeric powder, toss it till the raw smell of the masala powders are gone. Add the tamarind juice and enough salt.

Grind the coconut and tomato into a fine paste.

Add it to the okra gravy. [I forgot to add the chilly and coriander powder in the above step, so added with this paste! ;) :)]

Add about a cup of water (or according to the desired consistency) and let it cook.

Once the oil oozes out from the kuzhambu, add in the sugar and cilantro, put off the flame.

Tangy and delicious vendaikkai puli kuzhambu is ready to serve.

 

It goes well with white rice, but you can enjoy it as a side dish for dosa as well.

Just a glance of the lunch..vendaikkai puli kuzhambu, rasam, carrot-beans poriyal.

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