Green Sundakkai Kootu

Sundakkai is a round pebble like fruit, green in color. The fresh and green ones are a little bitter, but have amazing medicinal value.. These are available regularly at all the Surya vegetable outlets, so good for us!



It is a good antidote for curing ulcers and worms in the stomach. Tamizh Nattu Vaidhyam prescribes Sundakkai as a medical supplement for controlling BP, diabetes and for disorders of kidney and liver.. It is also good for skin ailments, relieves colds and helps to increase the appetite.

Traditionally to cut down the bitterness, it is soaked in butter bilk and salt and dried, and consumed as Sundakkai Vattrals - These vattrals can then be fried in ghee (and mixed with white rice), or added in Vattral Kuzhambu..




Ingredients:

Green Sundakkai – 1 medium cup
Tamarind water – Thick water extracted from a lemon sized ball of tamarind
Toor dal (pressure cooked) – 2 cups
Salt and little jaggery for taste

Mustard Seeds & round red chillies - 2 for tempering
Gingelly oil – 3 tsp
Sambar Powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder
Grated fresh coconut – 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves
Asafetida


1. Wash the green sundakkai, and using a small “mathu” or a hammer, you can smash the bunch of pods. Smear a little salt and leave it for 5 minutes. This helps to reduce the bitterness.
2. Heat 2 tsp of gingelly oil, and sauté the green sundakkai on a low flame. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the tamarind water, salt, turmeric powder, (and little water, if required) and let it cook well for 3 minutes.
4. Add the cooked toor dhal, add the sambar powder, salt and jaggery.
5. In a separate pan, make the seasoning. In the remaining oil, temper mustard seeds and red chillies. Add asafetida, curry leaves and sauté with fresh grated coconut on low flame. Transfer this seasoning to the kootu.

Kathri–Thakkali (Brinjal-Tomato) Gothsu

Gothsu is an all in all side dish, which goes well with most of the south Indian tiffin menu – be it idli, dosai, pongal, upma.. Of course, the best combo I relish is with Venn Pongal…



Ingredients

1 big onion, cut finely
3 small brinjals ( violet, slim & long variety)
4 tomatoes ( Use the nattu thakkali variety to enhance the taste, as it imparts a natural sour taste).. If using other tomato varieties, you can add a little tamarind to even out the taste
4 green chillies – slit lengthwise
Sambar powder -1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – ½ tsp
For the tempering : Oil – 2 tsp, mustard seeds, asafetida, turmeric powder, curry leaves.
Green coriander leaves – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste, sugar a pinch.


1.Cut the brinjals and tomatoes into small pieces. To reduce the cooking time, just microwave these vegetables for 3 minutes in high. Keep it aside.

2.Heat the oil, make the tempering with mustard, asafetida, turmeric, curry leaves.

3.Reduce the flame, add the slit chillies and sauté the onions golden brown.

4. Now add the microwaved brinjals and tomatoes. Add salt, sambar powder and a pinch of sugar. If you need more spice, then add a dash of red chilli powder to add to the color and taste.

5. Add little water to make it semi gravy and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. Once it is done, add the coriander leaves and churn, so that the aroma soaks in..

6. The heavenly gothsu is now ready to be served with the tiffin..

Chinna Vengaya Chutney

Chinna Vengayam – also called as Sambar Vengayam / Small Onions / Shallots are indispensable in South Indian cooking and enhances the taste of any dish in which it is added.



Chinna Vengaya Chutney and Idlis are “Made for each other” and try this simple finger licking chutney recipe, you’ll never go wrong! This is best made with gingelly oil and can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.. (If it lasts..)

My grand-mom used to whip up this delicious chutney as an accompaniment with packed idlis / chappatis for train travel.. I remember how I used to gobble this up and fight with my sister till the last serving!

The only pain is to peel the small onions with eyes watering and with the advent of departmental stores offering ready made - peeled onions, its sure a blessing for lazy people like me!

Ingredients

Small Onions – ½ kg
Dry Red Chillies (long variety) – 10 -15
Lemon sized ball – Tamarind
Tomato (small) - 2
Garlic – 3 pods
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Gingelly oil – 4 tablespoons


1.Cut the onions in to half / small size so that while grinding, it comes out even.
2.Add all the ingredients (except gingelly oil) in a mixie and grind it. This mixture need not be too fine, but a little coarse. You may add half cup of water to grind this. (Not too much of water, this mixture should be semi-solid)
3.In a Kadai, add 2 tablespoons of gingelly oil, add mustard and a little asafetida, turmeric powder for tempering.
4.Add the ground onion mixture. Lower the flame and cook for about 10 minutes.
5.Add the rest of the oil after 10 minutes(after the onion is cooked) and now you can see the chutney like consistency (The chutney comes out in one whole lump without sticking to the sides of the Kadai).
6.Check for salt and sugar, and if needed, add the same. Allow to cool.


Try out this recipe which would go well with any tiffin – be it Idli, Dosa, Upma or chapatti and enjoy the compliments! As a variation, you could also make this with the regular onions, but you cannot beat the taste of Sambar vengayam..

Vazhakai Podi

This amazingly easy south indian curry is a tasty dish which goes well with rice. Just steam the vazhakai (green raw plantain) and grate it, add the curry powder.. and you have a nice dish ready in a moment!

Ingredients

Vazhakai – 2
Coconut oil – 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Asafoetida
Curry Powder – 2 -3 tablespoons
Turmeric powder
Red chillies - 2
Salt
Mustard and split urad dal for tadka

Cut the Vazhakai (with the skin on) in to half and microwave these pieces wrapped in a wet cloth. Microwave in high for 3 minutes and let it cool. If you overcook these, then it would become Vazhai Halwa.. so be careful!

After it’s completely cooled, grate this and keep aside. To this grated mixture, add ½ tsp of coconut oil, asafetida, turmeric powder, curry powder, and salt and gently sift through using your hands. (so that the mixture is not sticky forming lumps).

In a Kadai, heat coconut oil and do the tadka with red chillies, mustard seeds, split urad dal, curry leaves, asafetida. Toss in the grated Vazhakai mixture on a low flame. Leave it on for just 2-3 minutes till everything is mixed well. You can add in a little more curry powder if you like it a little spicer. Enjoy!

For the Curry Powder - This can be made in advance and stored for 2-3 weeks. This curry powder or podi can also be used for Ennai Kathirikai and all other Podi Curries. Dry roast all the below mentioned ingredients and make a semi-ground podi in the mixi.

Corainder seeds – 4 tsp
Long, dried red chillies – 10-15
Asafoetida – ½ tsp
Channa dal or Kadalai Parruppu – 2 tsp
Broken white urad dal – 2 tsp
Rice – 1 tsp

Kovakkai Fry

Any vegetable, when stir fried or deep fried, tastes awesome! (Forget about nutrition and calories, please!)

You can make the dull and boring Kovaikkai yummy when fried, and make it even more Tastier by adding the right curry powder masala.. The end product is crispy and tastes superb with Rasam Sadam.. (what else, huh?)

Ingredients :

Kovaikkai ( Ivy gourd) – slit, lengthwise.

Wash and cut Kovakkai, Smear little salt on it and keep it a colander which would drain off the excess water.

For the Curry Powder : This can be made in advance and stored for 2-3 weeks. This curry powder or podi can also be used for Ennai Kathirikai and all other Podi Curries. Dry roast all the below mentioned ingredients and make a semi-ground podi in the mixi.

Corainder seeds – 4 tsp
Long, dried red chillies – 10-15
Asafoetida – ½ tsp
Channa dal or Kadalai Parruppu – 2 tsp
Broken white urad dal – 2 tsp
Rice – 1 tsp


1. Fry the Kovakkai in hot oil in small quantities, finish the entire batch.
2. In a non-stick tava, add ½ tsp of oil to season mustard, urad dal, curry leaves, turmeric powder.
3. Toss in the fried vegetable, add required salt. If required, you can add a tweeny bit of sugar also.
4. The last part is to flavour the vegetable with our ground curry powder masala (2 -3 tsp)



The heavenly aroma of coriander seeds can turn any dish delectable! And now, enjoy the Kovakkai Fry!

Mor Kuzhambu

Mor Kuzhmabu is a simple and yet a tasty dish which could be done in a jiffy! The veggies used could be Ladies finger, potato or white pumpkin (Pushanikai)..

Ingredients :

Thick sour curds (whipped with salt and turmeric)
Grated fresh coconut - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 6
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Toor dal - 1 tsp; Rice - 1/2 tsp (to be soaked in water for 10 mins)
Asafoetida
Small piece of Ginger/ 1 small Garlic (if needed)

For Tempering : 2 tsp Coconut Oil, Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1 tsp, Fresh curry leaves, a pinch of turmeric powder and asafoetida.

Preparation :

1. Grind all the ingredients with grated fresh coconut and add this mixture to the whisked sour curds.

2. Heat a Kadai, make the tempering, and add the boiled vegetables. (Tip : Use boiled & Cubed potatoes, if using Ladies finger, it can be deep fried and added while serving, if using white pumpkin, it can be pre-cooked in a microwave).

3. Lower the flame, then add the curd mixture. Keep it on just for 2-3 minutes, till the froth appears. Switch off the gas immediately and transfer it to a serving dish. (If you leave it on high flame, the curds will break and the mor kuzhambu will be in a thinner consistency)

4. Can be served with hot rice and pappadam / appalam.

Paruppu Usili

Paruppu Usili, a popular Tam brahm veggie preparation is a deadly combo with Mor Kuzhambu … It is a lentil crumble that is added to vegetables like cluster beans (Kothavarangai) or French beans. (Variations: Capsicum, cabbage, carrot, kovakkai.Usili adds flavour and volume to the vegetables.

Paruppu or the lentils are soaked and ground with spices, steamed and then mixed with the cooked veggies. It is a delight to make as much as it is to eat. (Especially with a microwave around!).. My mom was an expert in making this, and over the years, I have perfected and found short cuts to make this dish, and yes, she says that I prepare it better than her!

Ingredients

3/4 cup toor dal
1 tsp chana dal
5-6 dried red chillies, 1 green chilli (for extra pep)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp rock salt
1 sprig curry leaves
1 small piece ginger
1/4 kg vegetables – finely chopped

For tempering :

1/2 tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp white split urad dal for tempering
2 tbsps coconut oil ( this makes all the difference..)
A sprig of curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp of asafoetida


Step 1 - Preparation of the lentil mixture




1. Soak dal (toor + chana) for one hour along with red chillies.
2. Drain the water, grind this mixture to a coarse paste, along with the rest of ingredients, without adding any water.
3. In a microwaveable dish, steam this paste (cook it covered), for 4 mins. Turn it around after 2 minutes. Allow this mixture crumble to cool. (If you do not want to use the microwave, you can steam this in an idli thattu or steamer for 10 minutes). This steamed lentil mixture can be freezed and stored for sometime to cut down the time during your next preparation…
4. The last part is the secret for the fluffy usili (years of experience in perfecting the usili, ha ha) is to put the cool mixture in a mixi and whip it anti-clock wise ( Just one round), so that air gets in a makes the usili mixture fluffy. This way the mixture will be granular and also light and so it can mix well with the vegetables.


Step 2 - For making the Paruppu Usili with vegetables

1. In a microwave safe bowl, place the finely chopped vegetables, sprinkle some water and cook for 4-5 mintues. (Except for capsicum, which can be added to the usili directly last)
2. In a kadai, heat 2 tbslps of coconut oil, add the tempering. Add the cooked vegetables, toss over for 3 minutes and finally added the lentil mixture. Mix it well along with the cooked vegetables.
3.Over low heat, stir it around for 5-7 minutes. Finally when it is done, add 1-2 tsp of coconut oil before switching of the flame.

The delicious aroma of Usili will make your mouth water! Best served with hot rice, Mor Kuzhambu and Appalam or papadam.




I hope the picture makes you to drool over..

Creamy Cauliflower Kurma

Yummy 'n' creamy Cauliflower Kurma which goes well with Appam, Idiappam and chapathi. Sure to get good reviews from the household members!

My benchmark of a good kurma is Saravana Bhavan's Cauliflower chops.. Everytime it tastes the same..

Ingredients :

Onion - 1 small
Boiled Cauliflower florets - 1 small
Green peas - 2 -3 tsp
Dabur Homemade Coconut Milk - 200 ml pack (you can use 3/4 of this pack)
Amul Cream - 200 ml pack (1/2 of this pack)
Coconut Oil - 2 tsp

Masala to be grounded :

Fresh dessicated coconut - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 3
Khus Khus - 1 tsp
Cinnamon/clove - 1 each
Elaichi - 2
Ginger - 1 small piece
Garlic pods - 2-3


Method :

1. In a Kadai, heat coconut oil. Fry the onions well, add the boiled cauliflower florets and green peas.
2. Saute for a minute, add the grounded masala and little water. Cover and cook for a minute.
3. Add salt and when the gravy starts boiling, reduce the flame.
4. Now add coconut milk and a little sugar. After a minute, add the amul cream.
5. Garnish with corainder leaves and serve it hot.

Palak Coriander Pulav

A spicy "chutney pulao" for Sunday lunch.. You can replace palak with mint, as a variation..


Ingredients:
Basmati rice 1 cup
Palak(Spinach) 1/2 cup
Corinder leaves 1/2 cup
Green chillies 4
Ginger 1″ piece
Garlic 4-5
Lemon juice 2 tbl spns
Sugar 1 tea spn
Coconut 2 tbl spns
Garam masala 1/2 tea spn
Bay leaves 2
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1″ stick
Cardamom 2Ghee/oil 1 tbl spn
Onion 1 big
Vegetables(Green beans, carrot, peas, cauliflower) 1 cup
Salt

Method:

Grind together palak, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, coconut, sugar and garam masala without adding much water (If required, only a little water can be added).

Heat ghee, add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic. Fry for a minute. Add onion and fry till they turn slightly brown in color.

Add vegetables and the paste, fry for 5min. Add rice, toss and add one cup of water, salt and close the lid. Let it cook till one whistle.

Can be served with Onion raita.

Kariveppilai Milagu Kuzhambu

My favourite Kariveppilai Milagu Kuzhambu.. Nothing to beat this combination with hot rice, lots of ghee and pappadam!

Ingredients :

Kariveppilai – 2 cups ( leaves to be discarded from stems)
Red Chillies (Long) – 5
Pepper – 2 tsp
Jeera – 2 tsp
Gingelly Oil – 4 tblsp
Tamarind – 1 small ball
Garlic Pods – 2 /3
Salt
Sugar
Perungayam
Roasted Pepper – Jeera Powder – 1-2 tsp

Heat 2 tbsp of gingelly oil, add the red chillies, pepper, Jeera, fry well and then add Karuveppilai leaves.

Add tamarind ball, little salt, perungayam, garlic pods and sprinkle some water. Cook covered on a low flame for about 3-4 mins, till the leaves become soft.

When Cool, grind this mixture nicely adding little water. Once again, heat oil, splutter mustard and jeera and add this ground mixture. On a medium flame, cook this covered until the oil separates from the mixture. Check for salt, add sugar, a little perungayam and then finally add the roasted pepper – jeera powder.

The mixture would be more or less like chutney and can be bottled and stored in the fridge for 7-10 days.

Nellikkai Aracha Kalaki

This recipe is posted on demand, for my brother Sriram...

Nellikai used is in this recipe are the larger vareity (Amla / goose berry). This is like a spicy raita or Mor Kuzhambu and a traditional item in Kerala cuisine. "Aracha" means "to grind" and " Kalaki" is to mix. The combination of coconut, green chillies and nellikai alongwith curd imparts special taste to this recipe.

Ingredients :

Nellikkai - 5 /6 ( deseeded and cut in to pieces)
Dessicated cocount - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 4-5
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Salt
Thick Curd - 1 cup

For seasoning : Oil, Mustard Seeds & Curry Leaves

Method :

1. In a blender, add nellikai, green chillies, asafoetida and grind it coarsely.
2. Now toss in the coconut and just blend it for 2 seconds.
3. Take this mixture out and mix well with the curds alongwith salt.
4. Do the seasoning.
5. The trick of this recipe is to keep the aracha kalakki coarse and the curd should not be too sour. If need be, you can add a small pinch of sugar for balancing out.

Onion Pulikuzhambu

Onion Pulikuzhambu is one of the simplest as well tastiest dishes which could be prepared in a jiffy.. When you run of out of vegetables and when you need a dish that would go with plain rice or any tiffin item, within a short span of time, this is a real blessing. Try this recipe which would never go wrong and you can have lip-smacking, finger-licking stuff in 10 minutes..

Ingredients :

Onions (sliced lengthwise) - 2 medium
Tamarind – A small lemon sized ball
Green chillies (sliced lengthwise) - 5

Red Chillies - 2 small (optional)

Ginger - 1 small piece, sliced

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Asafoetida –1 tsp
Salt
Jaggery
Sambar powder – 2 tsp

Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp (optional)
Oil – 3-4 tsp (Gingelly Oil)

Curry leaves

Preparation :

The Tamarind : Soak the tamarind in hot water for 5 mins, extract a thick puree first and with little water, extract the second puree also. Add salt, curry leaves, red chilli powder, sambar powder, jaggery. Mix this well and keep it aside.

Cooking :

Heat gingelly oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, after it splutters, add green chillies, (red chillies), ginger and curry leaves, turmeric and asafoetida. Add the Onions and saute on a slow fire.

Now add the tamarind water mixture and boil it for 5 mins.

If you feel the kuzhambu is a little watery, add 1 tsp of rice flour, which will help to thicken the gravy.

Tip : Gingelly oil imparts a special flavour to this recipe, you could even add 1 tsp extra at last just before switching off the flame.

Narthangai Rice

My Mom's version of Lemon/Narthangai sadam. The distinct flavour is further enhanced by the use of ground coconut and chilles..

Ingredients :

White rice (cooked) - 2/3 cups
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbslp
Green chillies (small) - 2
Red Chillies - 2

Salt to taste
Juice of Narthangai or lemons - 2 tablespoon

For the tempering :

Gingelly oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds
Kadalai Paruppu - 1/2 tsp, white urad dal split - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
Asafoetida
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp


1. Grind the grated coconut along with green and red chillies without adding any water.

2. Heat the kadai, add the oil and do the tempering with the ingredients mentioned above. Switch off the flame, add the ground mixture and toss.

3. Add the plain rice, salt and the lemon or narthangai juice and mix well. (Increase/reduce the juice as per your taste)

Ennai Kathirrikai Curry

Ennai Kathirrikai Curry - (Ennai - Oil, Kathirrikai - Brinjal) is a regular favourite dish in any Tam Bram house, especially from Thanjavur! The curry powder used for this can be prepared ahead and stored.

Variations could be to replace brinjals with Ladies finger or Avarakkai. This is best eaten with hot rice and ghee, or with "Rasam sadam". Enjoy!

Ingredients

Brinjals – ¼ kg
Tamarind Puree – 1 tsp

For the tempering :
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
White Urad dal split – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Gingelly Oil – 4 tsp
Asafoetida
Red Chilli – 1
Turmeric – a pinch
Salt

Curry Powder :
Dhania Seeds – 4 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Channa dal – 1tsp
Red Chillies – 8-9
Asafoetida

(For the Curry Powder : In a kadai, dry roast the red chillies, coriander seeds, urad dal and channa dal with the asafoetida. Grind this coarsely in a blender and keep it aside.)

Preparation :

The Vegetable : Slice the brinjals lengthwise.

Cooking : In a Kadai, heat the gingelly oil, add the tempering of red chillies, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, asafetida and turmeric. When it is done, add the brinjals and toss it. Cover and cook for 2 mins, by which it would have become a litte soft.

Open cover, add salt and the tamarind puree. When it is almost cooked, add 3-4 tsp of the ground curry powder and continue cooking till the oil separates from the curry, say about 5 –6 minutes.

Tip : If you are using small round brinjals, remove stem in the top, cut diagonally. When partially cooked, you can stuff this curry powder inside the brinjals and follow the rest of the receipe.

Thakkali Kai Kootu

This dish is made out of Green raw tomatoes. The variety of "Nattu Thakkali" gives this dish a more tangy & tasty flavour. So if are using this variety, you can slightly cut down the tamarind.

Ingredients:

Raw Tomatoes – 4
Tamarind puree – 1 tsp
Sambar powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Toor dhal – 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Green coriander leaves cut – few

For the Seasoning :

Oil , 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp white urad dal split & Curry leaves
Green chillies – 2 (slit lengthwise)
Dessicated Coconut –2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Preparation:

The vegetable : Dice raw tomatoes in to medium pieces.
The Dal : To be pressure cooked

Cooking : Heat Oil in a Kadai. Add mustard seeds, after it splutters, add urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. Add the dessicated coconut and fry it golden brown. Set this aside.

Heat Oil, sauté the raw tomatoes for 2 minutes, add little water and tamarind puree. Add a little turmeric powder, a little salt. When this starts boiling, add the toor dhal and sambar powder and the kootu should be a little thicker than sambar consistency. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes and now the seasoning can be added to the kootu.

Serve hot with rice.