Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

A simple Vethakuzhambu with added paruppu urindai is the yummy paruppu urundai kuzhambu. It goes well with idly, dosai, steamed hot rice. I prepared this for idly. It tasted so yum. The spicy and tangy taste from the kuzhambu mingles with parruppu urundai and gives a delicious flavor to the food. 

Ingredients:

For Paruppu Urundai:
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Channa dal - 2 tbsp
Red chilli - 4
hing - 1tsp
Salt
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

For Kuzhambu:
Small onion - 4 to 5
Tomato - 1/2
Garlic pods - 4 numbers
Tamarind - small lemon size
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5 to 6
Sambar powder - 1 tbsp (if your sambar powder is spicy, make it 1/2 tbsp)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt
For Grinding:
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Oil - a drop

Method:

For Paruppu urundai:
Soak both the dal for 1 hr.

Grain it with red chilli, hing and salt without adding water. Grind it to coarsely.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, once it splutters, add hing and grinded dal.

Fry for 2 min and remove from flame.
Once it become warm, grease the idly plate with oil, make small balls of the dal paste and place it in the plate.

Steam cook for 15 min.

Remove from the plate and keep ready to place it in the kuzhambu.

For kuzhambu:
Soak tamarind in 2 cups warm water and keep aside.
Peal the skin from small onion and cut tomato into small pieces. 
In a wide pan (we are going to add the paruppu urundal so the pan should have wide space) heat oil.
Add mustard seeds, once it splutters, add channa dal, curry leaves, fenugreek and fry for few seconds.
Add the onions, garlic and fry for a minute.

Add the chopped tomato, sambar powder, turmeric powder, little salt and fry till the tomato become mushy and oil ooze out.

Pour the tamarind puree and add 2 more cups of water. We need the kuzhambu little watery, as after adding paruppu urundau the kuzhambu becoms thick.

Keep the flame in medium and let it boil till the raw small from the tamarind and sambar powder goes off.
In the mean time, fry the ingredients to grind in a drop of oil.

Grain it to a fine paste adding required water.
Once the raw smell goes, add the ground paste to the kuzhambu.
Let it boil for 10 min.
Now slowly add the paruppu urundai to the kuzhambu.

Keep the flame in medium-low or low and boil it till the balls get cooked in the kuzhambu.

Once its ready take a ball and check if its cooked well.

Boil for some more time if its not cooked.
Remove from pan and serve hot.

Thiruvathirai Kootu /Sambar - Ezhu kari Kootu Recipe

For this special sambar we have to add vegetables in odd numbers. Usually the bitter veggies like bitter gourd and other veggies like drumstick, kovakkai is not added. I added 5 veggies including karamani, as i'm in shortage of veggies. 
In olden days this sambar is used for weeks by heating daily. Its called as "erucha kootu" as its heated as many times for days. 
This kootu goes good with dosa, idly, pongal and whatever you like. The best option is Curd rice and erucha kootu. You will feel the heaven while having this combo!!

Ingredients:

Carrot- 1
potato - 1
White pumkin - 1cup cubed
Chow Chow - 1 cup cubed
Karamani (cooked) - 1 cup
Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric power - 1 tsp
Tamarind puree - 1 cup (big gooseberry size)
Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup
Toor dal cooked - 1 cup 

Fry and grind:

Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Red chilli -3 no
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves
Oil - 1 tsp

For tempering :

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
red chilli - 2 no
Curry leaves - 3 to 4
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil -1 tbsp

Method:

Add all the veggies to a big pot/ pan, add water, salt and cover and cook till the veggies become soft and tender.
In a pan add oil and fry all the ingredients given to fry till light brown.
Transfer it to the blender along with shredded coconut and grind to a fine paste adding required water.
Once the veggies get cooked add the tamarind puree, salt, sambar powder, turmeric and boil till the raw smell of the sambar powder and tamarind goes off.
Add the grinded paste and add some water. Now the kootu will look thick. 
Boil them for 10 min. Keep the flame medium to low to avoid the base get burned.
Add the toor dal and cook for 10 more min.
Do the tampering and add it to the kootu.
Remove from fire and serve.

Note: If you feel its less spicy, add few red chillies while tempering.
           Add as much veggies you can, more the veggies more its tasty.
           Fry some shredded coconut in oil till brown and add while removing from
           stove and give a stir. It gives good flavor. 

Aadi Pathinettu Recipes

Aadi pathinettu or Aadi peruku is a festival celebrated every year 18^th day of Tamil month ‘Aadi’ ( mid-July to mid-August). In this period of the year, the river water level rises after the yearly monsoon. People, especially women do the water rituals, near the river banks to show their gratitude to the mother nature. A thanks giving, to the water sources for making their life prosperous. Kalandha sadam (variety rice) is the main menu on this special day along with sweet and vada. I prepared,

Pal payasam,
Thengai sadam,
Puli sadam,
Thayir sadam and
More Kuzhambu.

 

Here goes the recipes..

Thengai Sadam / Coconut Rice

Puli Sadam / pulikachal sadam / puliyogare / tamarind rice:

 

Puli sadham is made with cooked rice and pulikachal mix.

Pulikachal Mix:

Ingredients:

Puli – small lime size (soak in water and extract the juice)
Red chilli -7 to 8 numbers
Peanuts – 1tbsp
Hing – ¼ tsp
Chana dal – 1tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1tsp
Black sesame/ karuppu ellu seeds (powdered) – ½ tsp
Coriander seeds powdered – ½ tsp
Vendayam / fenugreek powdered – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves chopped – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Sesame oil / nallennai – ¼ cup

Method:

Soak the tamarind in ½ cup water.
Dry roast coriander seeds, sesame seeds, fenugreek separately. Powder them separately and keep aside.

Dry roast the peanuts, remove the skin and keep side.

Make thick extract out of the soaked tamarind and keep aside
In a heavy pan or kadai, heat the sesame oil ( if not available, use any refined oil).
When the oil is ready, creak mustard seeds, add chana dal, hing, curry leaves, red chilli, peanuts and fry for few seconds.
Pour the tamarind extract followed by turmeric powder and salt.
Stir and let them boil for 10min in low flame.
When the oil starts oozing out, add all the powers (sesame , coriander, fenugreek) one by one and mix well.
Let them boil for 2more min.
Remove from the fire.

Puli sadham:

Mix the pulikachal to the cooked rice 1 hour before serving.
There is lot of side dishes which makes puli sadham more yummy, chips, vadam, papad, raita, potato fry, more kuzhambu.

Pal Payasam/ Kheer:

A kheer, made with cooked rice and Milk.

 

Ingredients:

Milk – ½ litter
Raw rice – ¼ cup
Sugar – ¾ cup
Cardamom powder – a pinch
Ghee – 2 tsp

Garnishing

Cashew nut – 1tbsp
Raisin – 1tsp

Method

In a pan add ghee, cashew nuts, raisin and fry. Keep aside
In the same ghee add the raw rice and fry for 1min in low flame.
Pressure cook the rice adding water ¾ cup. (3 whistle).
Boil the milk and add the cooked rice.
Stir well and add sugar. Let them boil for 2min.
Add cardamom powder and remove from fire.
Garnish with cashew and raisin.

More Kuzhambu:

In simple, More Kuzhambu is a type of Kuzhambu made with curd and coconut masala.

Ingredients:

Thick curd – 1cup
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Shredded coconut – 1tbsp
Pottu kadalai / roasted gram split – 1tbsp
Green chilli – 2numbers
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Ginger – 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 1tbsp
Hing – a small pinch
Salt to taste
Coconut oil or refind oil – 2tsp

Method

Add water ½ cup to the thick curd and beat well.
Add turmeric and salt to the curd and bring to boil.
Boil them for just 2min in low flame.
Grind coconut, cumin, green chilli, ginger, roasted gram split adding little water.
Add the past to the boiling curd.
Let them boil for 5min.
Remove from fire.
In a small kadai, heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds, when they splutter add hing and curry leaves.
Pour them to the more kuzhambu.
Now the yummy More Kuzhambu is ready. Serves with hot rice, or serve as a side dish for the Varity rice.

Thayir Sadam:

The simplest but yummiest rice variety made with cooked rice and curd.

Method:

In a small pan add any refined oil, add mustard seeds, when they start cracking add finelly chopped green chilli, finely chopped ginger, urad dal and hing. Remove from the fire and pour them to the cooked rice.
Add some salt and thick curd along with little milk and water.
Mix well with a ladle.

Serve with any pickle.

Onion Vathal Kuzhambu

Vathal kuzhambu is a very famous south Indian dish. Tamarind is the main ingredient which dominates the taste. Instead of onion we also can use papad, fried okra. It can be refrigerated in airtight container for 1 week. Goes well with rice, idly, dosa, and  toasted bread.

Ingredients:

Tamarind - small lemon size(soak it in 1cup water and make thick puree)

Sambar powder - 2tbsp

Turmeric - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Small onion - 10 no

For tempering:

Oil - 2tbsp (preferably sesame oil)

Mustard - 1tsp

Manathakali vathal or Sunadakai vathal - 1tsp

Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 1tbsp

Asafoetida - 1tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan.

Temper the ingredients and add onions.

(If you are adding pappad instead of onions, cut into pieces and add them at this point and fry for few seconds)

Fry till the onion turn light brown.

Add the tamarind puree following sambar powder, turmeric and salt.

Add water 2 cups and boil till the raw smell goes (30min).

Now the vathal kuzhambu is ready, remove from the heat and serve with hot rice.