Vegetable Biriyani (made with curd/yogurt)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:








Vegetable Biriyani
Photo Courtesy:My Parents

We fondly call this biriyani recipe as 'Jayanthi Biriyani' in our family. My aunt taught this recipe to all our family members. However, I have never seen her make it often. Mom makes it atleast once in 15 days! My dad craves for this biriyani all the time. It is really spicy hot.. A very addictive one..

Ingredients:

For gravy:

3 small tomatoes (roma/bengaloru thakkali)
1 onion or 1/2 onion if big American sized (cut long)
1 handful chopped coriander leaves
1 handful chopped mint/pudhina leaves
2 cups sour curd/yogurt
1/2 sp biriyani masala/garam masala/curry powder
1 sp dhaniya powder
chilli powder 1 sp, salt (to taste), 1/4 sp turmeric
1 sp ginger garlic paste/ ginger paste
3 green chillies (grind to paste)
3-4 tsp oil

For the rice mixture:

3/4 cup assorted veggies (carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, potato)
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
salt
jeera 1/2 sp, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 1 big elachi
3-4 sp ghee

Soak/ marinate all the gravy ingredients in curd/yogurt except onions atleast for 1 hour. Add oil in a kadai. Saute chopped onions. Add the soaked items and continue to boil till completely dry. This might take a long time. Keep aside.

Parallely in a kadai, add ghee, add jeera, spices, rice and veggies. Saute well. Transfer to an electric rice cooker. Add water, salt and cook till done. ( Alternatively, you can cook the rice in a pressure cooker or directly in the kadai. Check the ratio of water and rice however. Make sure that the rice does not get soggy.)
Once the rice and gravy mixture cools, mix them together.

You cannot resist tasting it while mixing!!

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Keerai curry (sundal)/ keerai kosambri

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Keerai Curry
Recipe Courtesy: Parents (Padmini, Srinivasan)


The is the simplest method of making keerai.

Ingredients:

3 cups keerai/Greens (molkeerai, spinach etc)
2 sp moong dal/ payathamparupu
1 sp oil
1 sp mustard seeds, 1 sp urad dal
1 dried red chilli
salt, hing 2 dashes
3 sp grated coconut

Cook your choice of keerai with 2 tsp of moong dal and sufficient salt and hing. Make sure that you cook the keerai and parupu in an 'open pan'. Don't pressure cook it. In a kadai, fry mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli. Add cooked keerai with prupu. Garnish with grated coconut.

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Podimas (urulai and Vazhakka/ Potato and raw banana)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Podimasss...Oh, the Indian 'mashed potatoes'...So boring... I prefer frying potatoes and raw bananas with lots of oil and chilli powder..Here is the recipe anyway...

To make the Podi:

(Also called as vazhakkai/ urulai podi)

2 sp urad dal
1 sp channa dal
1/2 sp toor dal
oil 1sp, 1/2 piece red chilli
salt, hing

Saute with oil, grind dry and coarse with salt and hing.

To make podimas:

Potato/ Raw banana 2
salt
1 sp mustard. 1 sp urad dal
oil 1 sp
green chilli 1

Boil potato/raw banana. Mash well. Fry mustard and urad dal, green chilli . Add mashed potatoes/ raw banana. Add salt. Mix with podi.

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Parupusli

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Long beans parupu usli
Photo Courtesy: Aarthi (My sister)

This is a simple side dish made with fresh veggies and lentils/dals. I have not heard of a single person who does not like parupu usli! There are different ways of making this dish. Some peope like to add all the lentils, pressure cook them and then make usli. However the method we use at home is very simple.

Beans parupu usli is the most popular type. You can make parupusli with beans, avaraka (flat broad beans), kothoranga(cluster beans), cabbage, vazhapoo (banana flower), paithanga (long beans), podalangai (snake gourd), vendaka (ladies finger/ okra).

Ingredients:

1/2 -3/4 cup toor dal
4 red dried chillies
2 cups finely chopped veggies (use any veggie mentioned above)
salt
turmeric 1/8 sp
hing 2-3 dashes
oil 4-5 tbsp
mustard seeds 1 tsp


Procedure:

Soak toor dal overnight (or for 1-2 hrs till soft) with sufficient water. Cook the vegetable separately with salt. Grind the soaked dal with red chillies, turmeric and hing. Make sure that the paste is not watery. It should be like a thick paste. Don't make it very smooth. Let it be partly coarse (something like a thogayal).
Add oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds. Add the dal mixture. Saute well. slowly, you will notice that the mixture gets dry. Continue mixing with a flat spatula. Add more oil if necessary. The usli will automatically start forming. Don't overcook and make it too powdery. Add the cooked vegetable. Mix evenly and simmer for 2 minutes.

Note: Most veggies can be boiled before adding. However saute well ladiesfinger/okra and podalanga(snake gourd) before adding...

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Avial

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Avial
Photo courtesy: My Parents


Ingredients:

Assorted vegetables (white pumpkin, red pumpkin, beans, carrot, peas, raw banana) 3 cups
1/2 cup coconut grated
1 sp jeera
salt to taste
3-4 green chillies
3-4 cups curd (yogurt)
coconut oil - 2 tsp
1 sprig curry leaves
2-3 boiled sepankezhangu (arbi/arvi/colocasia/yam) - optional

Cook the assorted veggies together with salt. Boil sepankazhangu separately and chop them into quarters (this step is optional). Keep aside. Grind together coconut, 1/2 tsp jeera, green chillies with sufficient curds to make a thick paste. Heat coconut oil. Splutter 1/2 sp jeera seeds, curry leaves, add paste. Saute well till the moisture is completely out and the paste is thick. Add enough salt. Add boiled sepankezhangu. Saute well. Add the cooked veggies. Mix evenly and simmer for 2 min. After it cools, add sufficient curds to make it look like a stew.

Avial is an excellent side dish for puliyodharai/puliyogare, adai, bisibele bath and sambhar rice.
You can even mix it with rice and enjoy maadi!

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Puli Kootu variety

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Pumpkin (Pushnikkai) Puli kootu

Mixed veggie Puli Kootu


Photo Courtesy: Aarthi (my sister)



Puli kootu is generally made with a vegetable and a legume/pulse. Some of the most popular combinations are

1. White pumpkin and channa(chickpea)/Mochakotta(avarakalu)/ black channa
2. Mixed veggies (carrot, beans, red and white pumpkins, chow-chow, raw banana etc)
3. Brinjal and channa/ Bitter Gourd (also called pitlai)
4. Green tomatoes palin or with any pulse


Brinjal Pitlai

Photo Courtesy: Priya (my friend)

As the name itself suggests, this is the only kootu variety with tamarind. Also the recipe is a lot like making arachu vitta sambhar. However, the used here is less and the veggies make up most of the volume.

Ingredients:


2 1/2-3 cups chopped veggies (please cut long or into chunks)
1/4 cup toor dal
Turmeric 1/4 sp, Hing - 4 dashes
1/2 -3/4 cup of desired pulse (soaked overnight)
extract of 1 lemon sized tamarind
oil 1sp
salt to taste
mustard seeds 1 sp



For the podi/ paste:


Coriander seeds/dhaniya
3tsp Channa dal
1.5 tspUrad dal
Dried red chillies-4 to 5 (depending on taste)
Vendhayam/Methi - 4-5 seeds
3 tsp grated coconut
Oil-5 tsp


Fry the above ingredients in a little oil and make a paste with water in a mixie.

Cook the veggies with salt. Pressure cook dal and the pulses separately. In a kadai, add oil, splutter mustard seeds, add tamarind extract. When it starts boiling, add the above paste. Add turmeric and hing, salt. Let it boil well. Add the veggies and pulse. Continue boililng. Fianlly add the cooked dal.

Puli kootu can be mixed with rice. Serve Puli kootu with coconut rice. Also Puli kootu is an excellent side dish for morkozhambu rice.

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Jeera Kootu variety

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Mixed Veggie Kootu

Photo Courtesy: Aarthi (my sister)

Jeera kootu variety is kinda more subtle in flavour when compared to molagu kootu..

The veggies you can use are cabbage, spinach, any kind of greens( mala keerai, venthiya keerai etc), Chow-chow/Bengaloru kathrika (chayotes), beetroot, mixed veggies....


Ingredients for the masala:


3 tsp grated coconut
1/4 sp jeera
3-4 red chillies
Grind together to a paste. (Note: Don't fry)

For the kootu:

3 cups veggies
1/2 cup moong dal
salt, hing 3- 4 dashes, turmeric 1/4 sp
1 sp oil, mustard seeds 1sp, urad dal 1 sp.

Cook the veggies in a pan with water. Add enough salt. Pressure cook moong dal. Add dal to the veggies. Continue boiling.
Add hing, turmeric. Add the masala. Boil for 3 min. Add more water if required. Garnish with fried mustard seeds and urad dal.

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Molagu kootu variety

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Photo Courtesy: Srinivasan and Padmini

Molagu Kootu


If you love the taste of black pepper, you are sure to love molagu kootu.. Molagukootu can be made with veggies like beans, paithanga (long beans), podalanga (snake gourd), avarakka (flat broad beans), kotharakka (cluster beans), mixed veggies... check out the pic of mixed-veg kootu. My aunt Malathi makes perfect molagu kootu.


Ingredients:

For the masala:


oil -2 tsp
1 1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 sp pepper pods
2-3 red chillies
1 sp grated coconut


Photo Courtesy: Aarthi (sister)

Fry together in oil and grind to a smooth paste.

For the kootu:
3 cups chopped veggies
1/4 cup moong dal (payathmaparupu)
Hing 4 dashes, turmeric 1/4 sp, salt
1 sp oil, 1 sp mustard seeds, 1 sp urad dal,

Cook the vegetable of your choice with salt. Pressure cook dal with hing and turmeric.
In a kadai, add some oil, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal. Now, add the veggies, add the paste. Add enough salt. Add the cooked dal . Mix well.
Let it boil for just 2 min. Add some water if required to get the desired consistency.




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Gottu Rasam (Simple Rasam)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Gottu Rasam

This is the simplest and easily the tastiest rasam. My great grand mother's own recipe :) My husband loves it. We generally make rasam everyday at home along with some sambhar or kootu... Amma used to make this atleast 2-3 times a week (and so do I)...

Follow the same recipe as the regular Parupu Rasam. However, do not add the cooked dal at the end. Add 1 full tbsp of toor dal along with the chopped tomatoes at the beginning itself. Let this boil well. By the time you finish making the rassam, u will realize that the parupu is almost cooked. It gives a unique flavour to the rasam without disturbing he tangy tomato flavour. Remember to garnish it with mustard seeds and coriander leaves...

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Pineapple Rasam

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Pineapple Rassam

Photo Courtesy: Padmini, Srinivasan


This is a unique rasam. I learnt this from my mother-in-law Premama. It is a tricky recipe. The rasam may get sweet or sour depending on how ripe the pineapple is!

For the masala:

Just follow the mysore rasam masala recipe. http://authentic-food-treasures.blogspot.com/2009/02/mysore-rasam.html

For the rasam:

2 Tomatoes, equal amount of pineapple pieces,
Turmeric 1/4 sp
Salt, Hing 3-4 dashes
3-4 tbsp toor dal
1 sp oil, 1 sp mustard seeds.

Pressure cook the toor dal. Grind the tomatoes and pineapple together. Transfer to a rasam vessel. Add turmeric, hing. Add a cup of water and let it boil well. It has to really boil well for about 15-20 min. Add salt. Add more water and dilute to rasam consistency. Add the cooked dal. Garnish with fried mustard seeds.

Tip:

First taste the pineapple. In case the pineapple is too sweet and not at all sour, add a small gooseberry sized tamarind juice (the recipe does not call for the use of tamarind otherwise) in the beginning itself along with hing, turmeric. If the rasam you made is too sour, add a little bit of sugar...

My uncle siyamee makes this rasam in a different way.

Follow the same recipe as Tomato rasam but grind together 1 tomato and 4 slices pineapple instead of using chopped tomatoes.

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Tomato Molagu Jeera Rasam/Pepper rasam

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Tomato Molagu Rasam

To make the rasam paste:

Follow the same recipe as in 'Traditional molagu rasam' post.

http://authentic-food-treasures.blogspot.com/2009/02/traditional-jeera-molagu-molagu-rasam.html

To make the rasam:

Ingredients

Tomatoes chopped 2
2 tbsp toor dal
Salt, hing 3 dashes, turmeric 1/4 sp
tamarind- 1 big gooseberry sized
1 sp oil
1 sp mustard, 1 sprig curry leaves

Pressure cook 2 tbsp toor dal. Add 2 chopped tomatoes, hing, turmeric, salt, tamarind. Boil well. with 2 cups water. Add the paste. Add another cup of water and boil for 2-3 min. Add more water if required. Add the cooked dal. Boil for a minute. Check for salt. Garnish with fried mustard seeds and curry leaves.

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Traditional Jeera-Molagu /Molagu rasam

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Molagu Rasam


Photo Courtesy: My Parents

The traditional method of making molagu rasam does not include either tomatoes or cooked dal.
We are originally from Kumbakkonam (settled in Chennai). Kumbakonam, also known as the 'Temple Town' of India, is home to thousands of temples. It is the major town in Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu state. This recipe is handed down through generations in the family.

This recipe of Molagu rasam (Pepper Rasam) is popular in different parts of Tanjore especially in the Kumbakkonam belt.

It is a simple recipe. The rasam is strong and spicy. It has a long shelf life.
This entry goes to Gramathu Kaimanam event hosted by Shama Nagarajan


Ingredients to make the Paste:

Fry together
1 sp toor dal,
1/2 sp peppercorns,
1/4 sp jeera,
1 red chilli
Fry together in 1 sp oil and grind to a fine paste.

For the rasam:

Ingredients:
mustard seeds/jeera 1sp
oil/ghee 1sp
salt
hing 3 dashes
turmeric 1/4 sp
1 sprig curry leaves
1 big gooseberry sized tamarind.

Procedure:

Add 2 cups of water in a deep vessel. For authentic taste you can use manchatti (clay vessel). Add hing, salt, turmeric, tamarind. Boil well for atleast 15 min. Add the paste next. Let it boil for 2-3 more min. Do not overboil.

In a kadai, fry some mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil and add it to the vessel. Check for salt.

Serve with rice and ghee. Vendakka curry (okra) is the best combination for this rasam.

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Mysore Rasam

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Mysore Rasam
Photo Courtesy:Aarthi(my sister)

For the mysore rasam podi /paste:

Fry together
1sp channa dal
1 sp dhaniya
1 red chilli
6 pieces of peppercorns
1/4 sp jeera
1 spoon coconut gratings and dry to a wet paste.

For rasam:

2 tomatoes,
2 sp mysore rasam powder
3-4 tbsp toor dal
mustard seeds/jeera 1sp
oil/ghee 1sp
salt
hing 3 dashes
turmeric 1/4 sp
coriander leaves

Cook dal in pressure cooker. Chop tomatoes. Transfer into a deep vessel. Add salt, turmeric, tamrind, hing. Submerge with water (1-2 cups of water). let it boil for atleast 20 min till the tomato juice oozes out. Add 1 cup water, add paste. Let it boil till the flavours penetrate. Add 1-2 more cups of water, let it boil till done. Add more salt if required. Add cooked dal. Boil for another minute. In a pan, add 1 sp oil, splutter mustard seeds. Transfer to the rasam vessel. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

I have another variation of the above recipe from my co-sister Radha

Ingredients:

To make paste:

6 peppercorns
3 red chilliles
1 tsp dhaniya seeds
3 tsp coconut gratings
3 1/2 tsp channa dal
oil 1 tsp
Add oil in a kadai, add all the above ingredients and make a paste.
1 goosebery sized tamarind (extract)
3 tbsp toor dal (pressure cooked)
turmeric 1/4 tsp
hing 4 dashes
For garnishing:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chilli
1 sprig curry leaves
oil 1 tsp

Add the tamarind extract in a deep vessel. Allow it to boil with turmeric and hing for a few minutes. Add the paste and boil for 10 min. Add cooked dal. Garnish with fried curry leaves, red chilli, mustard seeds.

Note: This recipe does not require tomato.

2 comments

Lime Juice Rasam

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Lime Rasam

Photo Courtesy: My parents

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes,
2 sp rasam powder
3-4 tbsp toor dal
mustard seeds/jeera 1sp
oil/ghee 1sp
salt
hing 3 dashes
turmeric 1/4 sp
coriander leaves
1 small lime

Procedure:

Cook dal in pressure cooker. Chop tomatoes. Transfer into a deep vessel. Add rasam powder, salt, turmeric, hing. Submerge with water (1-2 cups). let it boil for atleast 20 min till all the tomato juice oozes out. Add 2 more cups of water. Add more salt if required. Add cooked dal. In a pan, add 1 sp oil, splutter mustard seeds. Transfer to the rasam vessel. Let it cool for 5 min. Squeeze out the juice of 1 small lime . Mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Remember not to add lime while the rasam is boiling. The rasam will get very acidic and really bitter.

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Tomato Rasam

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes chopped
1 very small lemon sized ball of tamarind (or big gooseberry sized) extract
Salt, Hing 3 dashes, Turmeric 1/4 sp
2 tsp Rasam Podi
1 sp oil
Mustard seeds
Coriander leaves
3 tbsp toor dal

Procedure:

Cook toor dal in a pressure cooker. Keep aside. Take a deep cooking vessel. Add tomatoes, tamarind, rasam podi, salt, hing, turmeric. Add enough water to submerge the ingredients. Let it boil atleast for 20 min on med-high. Once the juice is completely extracted and the raw smell of rasam podi starts vanishing, add enough water (about 2-3 tumblers of water) to bring rasam to the right consistency and taste. Add the cooked dal. Check for salt.
Fry 1 sp oil /ghee in a pan. Add 1 sp mustard seeds/ jeera seeds. Add it to the rasam. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Note that rasam has to be a little tangy. I generally do not add anything to balance the sour taste. The cooked dal will automatically balance all the tastes. The tanginess is more because of tomato's flavour which is not sharp. However, if you wish, u can add 1/8 sp of sugar or just reduce the amount of tamarind/ tomato.

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Secrets in making the best kozhambu

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Turnip Sambhar
Photo Courtesy: Priya (my friend)

South Indian cooking is all about balancing various tastes like sweetness, sourness, bitterness, hot/karam/spicy/dryness and a sixth taste called kasaaya (that extra edge you have to provide in your cooking). Every kozhambu must have the perfect balance of all these tastes! This is not American cooking wherein the inherent flavour of rice, vegetable or the main ingredient is important. Play around with your masalas and kill all the original flavours as much as possible..hahaha..

Here are some tips you can follow...

1. While roasting the masala ingredients, add a dash of hing in the oil while roasting. Your kozhambu is sure to smell great

2. Whenever you make tamarind based kozhambus, use a little ( I mean very little) jaggery. It is the best way to balance the tangy and karam (hot/spicy) taste. Make sure that you don't add to much and spoil the dish!

3. If your kozhambu gets very salty, don't panic. Add a big peeled piece of a raw potato. Boil with the potato for a few min. The potato absorbs the excess salt. Now, discard the potato. Super quick fix and works well.. (thanks mom!)

4. Never blindly follow recipe books. Understand why you add certain ingredients. Change the proportion of ingredients to suit your taste.

Specific properties of ingredients in a masala:

Urad dal: Gives thickness to the kozhambu
Channa dal and toor dal: Enhances flavour, also thickens
Jeera, dhaniya and peppercorns: Give a particular flavour
Red/green chillies : obviously increase the heat factor
Coconut: Gives a soothing flavour and helps in thickening
Hing: Aroma factor, a little bitter flavour
Turmeric: Medicinal value, gives colour
Methi seeds: Bitterness, medicinal value.

5. When you feel the colour of your kozhambu is too light, the first thing you must do is check the salt content. You might have forgotten to add salt!

6. Use gingely oil/ til oil/ nalla yennai while frying masalas and while adding seasonings. It gives a traditional flavour...

7. If you have problems with vatha kozhambu thickening, add 1/2 sp of kadala maavu/ besan with the kozhambu podi and fry well. If you are in chennai, try to mix your kozhambu podi with a little bit of Grand Sweets Vathhakozhambu podi! It is yummy, extra hot and amazing! (thanks siyamee)

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Kaara Kozhambu/Thengapal kaara Kozhambu

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

We generally don't make this kozhambu at home as our dishes never include the use of garlic as an ingredient. However, we are used to eating onions :)

It is the most common kozhambu in the Chettinad/Tamilnadu style of cooking. I learnt this dish from my mother-in-law premama, chinna paati Nimmi and my friend Subha. I have tasted kaara kozhambu made by some of my friends. I think this recipe is very simple, fantastic and tasty.

Ingredients:

1 sp mustard seeds
3 sp oil
1/2-1 sp chilli powder (according to yr taste)
1/4 sp turmeric
3-4 dashes hing, salt
Extract of 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
5-6 sp of grated coconut
1/2 cup chopped onions or small onions/kutty vengayam
1 small tomato chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 cup veggies/ cooked pulses or legumes of your choice
Curry leaves/ coriander leaves


Add oil in a kadai. Add 1 sp mustard seeds, add onions, 1 clove garlic. Fry well and the onions get translucent, add tomato. Cook till soft. Add the vegetables/pulses. Let it cook well. Add tamarind juice. Add hing, turmeric, salt, chilli powder. Let is boil well. Meanwhile, grind coconut and the remaining garlic cloves to a watery paste. Add the paste and boil well till the colour spreads out evenly. Add 1/8 sp jaggery to balance the sharp taste of tamarind. Garnish with curry leaves/coriander leaves.

Tastes best with potato and Sepankazhangu/ arby/arvi fry

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Pulli Keerai Kozhambu/ Greens Kozhambu

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Ingredients:

Mustard seeds 1 sp
Oil 2 sp
2 cups Chopped greens (Spinach/ mola keerai/ any variety of greens)
Extraxt of 1 small lemon sized ball of tamarind (about 3/4 tsp of concentrated paste is sufficient)
1 red dried chilli
Salt, turmeric 1/4 sp, hing 3 dashes
1 heaped spoon sambhar podi/ kozhambu podi
1/4 cup toor dal

Add mustard seeds , red chillies in 2 tsp oil. Add cooked spinach/molakeerai (pre cook in a microwave oven). Mash the keerai well. Add the extract of tamarind.
Add salt, hing, turmeric, sambhar podi. Let it boil well till it slowly thickens. Add cooked, mashed toor dal. Check for salt.

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Kadalai Kozhambu/ Chickpea sambhar

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

In the arachu vitta sambhar recipe, add 1 hand ful of soaked, salted and boiled channa (chick peas) instead of the vegetables after adding mustard and methi seeds.
refer: http://authentic-food-treasures.blogspot.com/search/label/Arachu%20vitta%20Sambhar

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Karuvepalai Kozhambu/ Curry leaves kozhambu

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

I got this recipe from my aunt's mom, Moiamma. It is a very healthy and tasty dish. It is almost the same as molagu kozhambu.
http://authentic-food-treasures.blogspot.com/2009/02/molagu-kozhambu-pepper-based.html
However, instead of adding just 1-2 sprigs of curry leaves, add 5-6 sprigs of curry leaves. The kozhambu has a distinct greenish-brown colour.

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Murungaka Puli Kozhambu/ Drumsticks tamarind kozhambu

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

This recipe is very similar to molagu kozhmbu.

Ingredients:

For the masala:
Urad dal-2 sp
channa dal- 1sp
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 small dried red chillies
1 sp grated coconut.
1 sp oil

For the kozhambu

1 cup cut murungaka (drumsticks)
2 sp oil, 1 sprig curry leaves
1 sp mustard seeds
Extract of 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
Turmeric 1/4 sp
Hing 4 dashes, salt

Fry the masala ingredients and grind to a fine smooth paste. Keep aside
Add oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves,
Add drumsticks
Fry well. Add a cup of water and let the drumsticks cook well. (the vegetable can also be microwaved or pressure cooked and added)
After the drumsticks are soft, add the tamarind extract.
Add hing, turmeric, salt. Let it boil well.
Add the masala. Do not boil too much (If you boil for too much, the molagu/pepper may make the kozhambu bitter and strong)
Add 1/8 sp jaggery to balance the sharp taste of tamarind.

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Mor Kozhambu/ Buttermilk kozhambu

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Mor Kozhambu
Photo Courtesy:Aarthi (my sister)

Ingredients:

Sour buttermilk 4 cups
1 tsp channa dal
1/2 tsp toor dal or 1/2 tsp of raw rice.
1 sp urad dal
1/4 sp methi seeds
1/4 sp mustard seeds fo grinding + 1 sp for garnishing
1/2 sp dhaniya
3 green chillies
1 small piece of a dried red chilly
2-3 tsp coconut gratings
hing 4 dashes, salt
turmeric 1/4 sp
curry leaves 2 sprigs
coconut oil - 2 tsp
1/4 sp jeera



Soak channa dal and toor dal (or) raw rice for 1/2 hr. Fry methi seeds, dhaniya, chillies, mustard, urad dal. Grind all these ingredients with jeera and coconut gratings. Make a smooth paste with water.
In a vessel, churn buttermilk, Add turmeric, hing, salt and the masala paste. Churn for a few minutes. Keep aside. In a kadai, add oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the vegetable of your choice and saute well till cooked. Add the buttermiilk mixture. Simmer till it froths up. Check for salt.
You can use ladies finger, white pumpkin, chow-chow (Chayotes) for morkozhambu

2 comments

Vatha Kozhambu/ Vendhiya Kozhambu

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Onion Vendhiya Kozhambu
Photo courtesy: Aarthi (My sister)

My grandmother is known to make the best vathakozhambu in the family and here is the recipe!
Ingredients:

Tamarind extract (1 lemon sized ball)
Mustard seeds, 1 sp, oil 3 tbsp
methi seeds 1/8 sp
1/2 sp channa dal
1/2 sp groundnuts
1 cup small onions/pearl onions/ kutty vengayam/ shallots
2 sp sambhar podi/ kozhambu podi
1 dried red chilli, curry leaves-1 sprig
salt, hing 4 dashes, turmeric 1/4 tsp

Add oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, add methi seeds, curry leaves, channa dal, ground nuts. Fry till golden brown. Add onions. Sprinkle salt. Let it cook till the onions are soft. Add 2 tsp of kozhambu/sambhar podi. Fry till the sambar podi is well roasted. Add more oil if required. After 2 minutes, add the extract of tamarind. Add salt, turmeric, hing. Let it boil well till the oil separates out. Check for salt. You can now add more water to achieve the correct consistency. Add 1/8 tsp jaggery to balance the sharp sour taste of tamarind.

Small onions is the most common veggie used in venthaya kozhambu. Any veggie like drumsticks, ladiesfinger/okra, red pumpkin etc can be used.

When sundaka vathal or manthakalika vathal is added, it is called vatha kozhambu. However when you use a dried vathal, make sure that you fry it well and add it at the end like a garnish. If you add it in the beginning itself, the vatha kozhambu might get bitter.

Manthakalika Vathal Kozhambu

Photo Courtesy: Padmini, Srinivasan (my parents)

Also be careful with the amount of salt you add to the kozhambu. Vathal has a lot of salt. Use less salt when you make vathal kozhambu.

Note: For thickness in the kozhambu, 1 tsp of kadalai maavu (besan) can be added along with the sambhar podi and fried well with the kozhambu/sambar podi..

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Masiyal

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Moong Dal Masiyal
Photo courtesy: My Parents

Toor Dal Masiyal

Masiyal is flavoured dal/lentils. It is sambhar without tamarind. Masiyal is generally prepared with moong dal(payatham parupu). However, toor dal masiyal is tastier.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toor dal or moong dal
2 tomatoes
1/4 capsicum (bell pepper)
2 green chillies slit long
1.5 tsp sambhar podi/ Kozhambu podi
1 tsp methi seeds
1/2 carrot (optional)
mustard seeds 1 tsp
2 tsp oil
salt, hing 4 dashes, turmeric 1/4 tsp
1 lemon
coriander leaves

Pressure cook dal, carrot, bell pepper, chillies, 1 tomato, sambhar powder, methi seeds, hing, turmeric. Mash the cooked dal mixture.
Splutter mustard seeds in oil. Add 1 chopped tomato. Let it cook. Add the cooked dal mixture. Add salt. Simmer till thick. Remove from flame. Add the juice of 1 lime after 10 min.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: Methi seeds do not taste bitter when pressure cooked.

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Yennai Kathrikai Kozhambu (Stuffed Brinjal Kozhambu)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Yennai Kathrikai Kozhambu

My Kamala paati is an expert in this kozhambu..This is one of my favourite dishes. It tastes best with Sepankazhangu (arbi) fry or cabbage curry.

Ingredients:

5 tsp Dhaniya seeds
2 tsp channa dal/bengal gram dal
3 tsp toor dal
1 sp urad dal
1/2 sp methi seeds/venthayam
4 dried red chillies, salt

Grind the above ingredients to a fine thick paste and keep aside.
(Note: A coarse dry powder of the above ingredients is the karamathu podi or curry powder used to season brinjal and ladiesfinger/okra curry)

1 ball tamarind(lemon sized)
salt- to taste, hing - 4 dashes, turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Small Purple rounded Brinjal ( Indian Eggplant, small, dark purple ones) 5-6
Mustard seeds 1sp
Jaggery 1/8 tsp
Oil- atleast 5-6 tbsp

Slit the brinjal across into 8 parts. Do not cut them completely. Just make slits. Stuff the masala in it. Preserve the remaining masala for making the kozhambu. Transfer the stuffed brinjals to a microwave safe bowl. Drizzle with oil and microwave on high for about 4-5 min (the idea is to make the brinjals get partially cooked and absorb the masala).
Now splutter some mustard seeds in 5 tbsp of oil. Transfer the brinjals in the kadai. Sprinkle some more salt. Once they are almost completely cooked, add the extract of tamarind. Add hing, turmeric and the remaining masala. Let it boil and thicken. Add sufficient salt. Finish it off by adding a little jaggery to balance the sharp flavour of tamarind. Garnish with coriander leaves if desired.

Note: If you are particular about retaining the stuffing the brinjal intact, do not let it boil in the kozhambu. Instead cook the brinjals and the kozhambu separately and toss the brinjals in the kozhambu just before serving.

In case you are using many brinjals and the masala is insufficient, grind some more masala for the kozhambu.

If you don't have brinjals at home, try making the same with ladies finger/okra... A superb variation! Also the same recipe can be made without any vegetable, just fry some manthakkalika vathal and top the kozhambu.

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Molagu Kozhambu( Pepper based)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Milagu kozhambu

Photo Courtesy: Padmini, Srinivasan (my parents)

I have 3 variations of this recipe. The basic recipe remains the same. However, the variation is in the masala added to the kozhambu..

Variation 1:

Ingredients:

1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp toor dal
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 red chillies
2-3 sprigs curry leaves
mustard seeds 1 sp
turmeric 1/4 sp, hing 4 dashes
tamarind extract of 1 lemon sized ball

To make the masala: Fry 1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp toor dal
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 small red chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves till golden brown. Gring to a smooth wet past with water.

Add 1 sp mustard seeds. Add the lemon extract, hing and turmeric. Let it boil well. Once the raw smell of tamarind vanishes, add the masala paste. Let it simmer for a few min. Do not boil for long. add 1/8 tsp of jaggery to balance the sharp taste of tamarind.



Molagu Kozhambu

Photo of Molagu kozhambu (Variation 2)

Variation 2:

For the masala, fry 2 sp channa dal, 3/4 tsp dhaniya seeds, 1/2 tsp peppercorns, 1/4 tsp jeera( grind without frying jeera), 1 red chilli, 1/8 tsp methi seeds, 2 sprigs curry leaves till golden brown and grind to a wet paste.
This kozhambu may take more time to thicken however. The taste is subtle and tastes better. Thanks Premama!


Variation 3:
For the masala, fry 1 tsp channa dal, 1 sp toor dal, 1/2 sp urad dal, 1/2 tsp dhaniya, 1/2 sp peppercorns, 1/4 sp jeera, 1 red chilli, 1/8 tsp methi seeds, 2 sprigs curry leaves. After golden brown, grind to a paste and add. This is a combination of both the above recipes.

Note: Generally, no veggies are added to molagu kozhambu while making it. However, murungaka( drumstick), brinjal, channa (chickpeas), ladiesfinger taste good. Peanuts can also be added with mustard seeds at the beginning.

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Hotel Sambhar/Hotel Sambar

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Hotel Sambhar
Photo Courtesy: My parents

I personally think that this is the best kinda sambhar. My mom and grandmother came up with this recipe. I am sure that you will find this recipe worth the try! It is a great accompaniment with rice, idlis, dosais etc...

Ingredients:

Small Onions / kutty vengayam/shallots/ pearl onions/baby onions (1 cup)
1 tomato
2 green chillies
3 red chillies
1 sp dhaniya/coriander seeds
3 tsp coconut grated
Tamarind(1 lemon sized ball extract)
Mustard 1sp
curry leaves-1 sprig
Oil 4 tsp
Methi seeds 1/8 tsp
Turmeric 1/4 sp
Hing 4-5 dashes
Jaggery 1/8 tsp,
toor dal 1/4 cup

Add some oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds. Add curry leaves. Add the onions and tomato. pieces. Saute well. Add the red chillies and green chillies.
After a few min, pick up 2-3 pieces of onions and tomatoes and all the red chillies. Place in a separate cup. Add 1 sp dhaniya(raw) and coconut gratings to the cup along with these pieces of onions, tomatoes and red chillies. Grind them to a wet paste with water. Keep this masala aside.

Pressure cook toor dal. Now in the kadai, which contains the remaining onions, tomatoes and green chillies, add the extract of tamarind, hing, turmeric,salt, 1 sp of sambhar powder. Add the wet paste and let it boil atleast for 20 min. Add the cooked dal and simmer. Add 1/8 tsp jaggery. Garnish with coriander leaves.


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Arachu vitta sambhar (with fresh podi)

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Arachu Vitta Sambhar

Ingredients:

For the podi:

Coriander seeds/dhaniya 3tsp
Channa dal 1.5 tsp
Urad dal 1.5 tsp
Dried red chillies-4 to 5 (depending on taste)
Vendhayam/Methi - 4-5 seeds
3 tsp grated coconut
Oil-5 tsp

Fry the above ingredients in a little oil and make a powder in a mixie.

To make the Sambhar:

Mustard 1 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Extract of tamarind(1 lemon sized ball)
Choice of veggies+ 1 tomato
1/2 cup toor dal
Turmeric 1/4 sp, hing 4 dashes
Jaggery (gur) 1/8 tsp


Direcions:

Add the remaining oil, 1 tsp of mustard seeds, curry leaves, choice of veggies, 1 tomato. Fry well. Add the extract of 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind. Add turmeric, hing. Let it boil well till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes. Add the fresh sambhar powder. Let it boil. the sambhar will start thickening. Add 1/4 cup of cooked toor dal. Simmer for a few min. Add jaggery 1/8 tsp. Garninsh with coriander leaves.

Serve with rice and cooked seasoned veggies on the side.

2 comments

Sambhar/Plain Sambar

Author: kittymatti / Labels:

Sambhar (Plain)

As we are so much used to making the arachu vitta sambhar, I find it really hard to make this simple sambhar. My husband does a great job however. This recipe was given to me by my husband :) He makes a flawless podi potta sambhar. Simple and tasty...

Ingredients:

Sambhar Podi 1 1/2 tsp
Tamarind (1 small lemon sized ball extract), or 1 tsp of concentrated tamarind extract
Green chilli slit long 1
Mustard seeds (1 tsp), curry leaves (1 sprig)
Methi seeds (5-6 seeds)
3-4 tsp oil (refined sunflower/corn/canola or sesame oil)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp, 3-4 dashes of Hing,
1 cup Veggies of your choice (this may include vegetables like onions, bell peppers (capsicum), carrots, pumpkin, beans, brinjal, ladiesfinger/okra, drumsticks or just the left over veggies at home- my favourite is onions, bell peppers)
1 small tomato (optional)
1/2 cup cooked toor dal

Method:

Cook toor dal in a pressure cooker.
Heat some oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds-for flavour, add curry leaves
Add the veggies of your choice, 1 small tomato and 1 slit green chilli
Saute for a few min till the veggies are almost cooked.
Add the extract of 1 small lemon-sized tamarind ball. Add some salt, turmeric, hing and sambhar podi. Let it boil really well. The longer the time, better the flavour. The idea is that the veggies should absorb the masala flavour.
Now add the cooked dal and simmer for a few min. Add more water if the sambar is too thick. Check for salt. Add about 1/8 tsp of jaggery/Gur to balance the sharp sour taste of tamarind.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with rice and cooked seasoned vegetables.

Refer the link sambhar podi for the podi recipe given to me by my grandma.

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