Easy Vathal Kuzhambu

What I Used:

Shallots -12, halved or whole if not too big
Vathal/Drumsticks/Aubergine - 1/2 cup (you can add pretty much any of these in the kozhambu for a unique flavour)
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp (or half cup tamarind water made by squeezing a lemon sized tamarind ball in luke warm water)
Fenugreek/venthayam/uluva - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 3 tbsp
Peppercorn - 1tsp
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

For thickening:
Either 1 tbsp urad dal roasted and powdered OR 1 tbsp rice flour mixed with some water.

How I Made It:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan temper mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
2. Then add the shallots and any vegetable or vathal you are using and fry for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the sambar powder and peppercorn and fry for another 30 seconds.
4. Add the tamarind water and water and allow to boil on low flame for 8-10 minutes.
5. Add the thickening ingredients of choice and let boil for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed white rice and ghee drizzled on top.

Arachuvitta Sambar

What I Used:

Toor dal / tuvar dal / thuvaram paruppu - 1/2 cup
Shallots / small onions - 1/2 cup, halved or quartered
Tamarind paste – 3 tbsp (or a marble sized amount soaked and squeezed in half cup water)
Asafoetida / hing / kaayam / perungayam - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Salt - to taste
Oil – 2 tsp
Chopped fresh coriander leaves - for garnishing

Roast, cool and grind for masala mix

Coriander seeds / malli – 2 tbsp
Grated coconut (fresh or dessicated) - 2 tbsp
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Dried red chillies – 6
Fenugreek seeds / methi seeds / uluva / menthayam – ¼ tsp (or a little less)
Curry leaves - a few
Oil - 1 tsp

How I Made It:

1. Pressure cook the dal in 3 cups water for 3 whistles.

2. Roast and grind the masala mix and set aside.

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and temper mustard seeds until they pop. Add curry leaves and chopped shallots and fry for a minute. Then add turmeric and hing.

4. Add the cooked dal and tamarind paste to the above. Adjust water to get the right consistency. Bring to boil.

5. Now add the ground masala mix and stir well, reducing the fire to sim. Add salt. Let the sambar boil for about 2-3 mins.

6. Remove and garnish with chopped coriander.

Goes well with vada, dosa, idli and steamed rice.

Kadala Kozhambu / Chickpeas in Coconut Milk

Chickpeas / Kabuli Chana

What I Used (Serves 2-3 people):

Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana - 1/2 cup

Thick coconut milk - 3/4 cup

Tamarind - one marble sized ball (or 2tbsp if you are using paste)

Sambar cum rasam powder - 1 tbsp - I told you its versatile, and has more uses than just in sambar and rasam ;)

- if using your own sambar powder, use 1/2 tsp and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder.

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Hing/Asafoetida/Kayam - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil and mustard seeds - for tempering

How I Made It:

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in 3 cups water. Pressure cook and keep aside.

2. Use 1/2 cup warm water and blend the tamarind with your hand to extract the juice. If using paste, dilute it in 1/2 cup water.

3. Heat a pan and bring the tamarind water to boil. Add turmeric powder, hing, salt and the sambar powder to this. Sim and let it boil for 10 minutes.

4. Add the cooked chickpeas and boil for another 10 mins.

5. Remove from fire, add coconut milk and mix well. Adjust salt.

6. Heat some oil in a small saucepan and temper some mustard seeds. While hot, pour on the above gravy and mix well. You can even use some curry leaves at this stage.

Kadala Kuzhambu

Serve hot with rice.

VEGETARIAN LUNCHES

Kara Kozhambu


What I Used:

Onions - 2 medium, chopped fine
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
Gingelly oil - 4 tbsp
Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - one strand
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1) Fry onions in oil till golden brown and then fry the fenugreek seeds.
2) Mix salt, chilly powder, pepper and coriander powder into the tamarind paste and pour into the fried onions.
3) Boil well to get a thick gravy.
4) Add curry leaves in the end, mix well and remove from fire.

Beans-Parippu Usili


What I Used:

Beans - 10-15
Toor dal - half cup, soaked
Onions - 1 small, finely chopped
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies - 4
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 3 cloves
Hing - one pinch
Curry leaves - one strand
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1) Cook beans with salt and leave aside.

2) Grind together: toor dal, chillies, jeera powder and coconut with some salt.

3) Fry this dal mixture in some oil till it breaks into pieces. Keep mixing to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once done, keep aside.

4) Cackle mustard seeds in some oil, saute onions and garlic with curry leaves and hing.

5) To this, add the dal mixture and the cooked beans. Stir well, break into small pieces and remove from fire.

If anybody has a different way of making this, please do let me know. I feel the taste can be made better than how it was and this was my first time.

Pepper Rasam and Potato Masala - Simple Sunday Lunch