KUZHAMBU VAGAIKAL

VENGHAYA PULI KUZHAMBU:

Soak a small orange- sized tamarind in water and extract the thick juice out of it after 1 hour.

Pour ¼ cup of gingelly oil in a kadai and heat it.

Add 1 cup of small [sambar] onions to the oil and fry them to a soft brown colour under low flame.

Then add 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, 2 spring curry leaves and 1sp turmeric powder.

Cook till the tomatoes are mashed well and the oil floats on the top.

Then add 1sp fenugreek power and fry for a few minutes.

 Then pour the tamarind extract, with 2tbsp chilli powder and 3tbsp coriander power.

Let the kuzhambu simmer for 10 minutes.

Add enough salt, and 1sp gingelly oil.

 Let the kuzhambu simmer for a few minutes.

You can add either Drumsticks, or ladyfingers to this kuzhambu.

POONDU KUZHAMBU:

The method is the same as above.

 But, when you fry the onions, add small garlic flakes[1/2 to 1 cup] before adding the tomatoes.

When adding the fenugreek powder, add 1sp coarsely ground black pepper and fry. It will be more delicious if we add raw pappad pieces [especially garlic pappad] when the kuzhambu is simmering.

VATHAL KUZHAMBU: In the same poondu [garlic] kuzhambu, you can add dry vegetable vathals like katharikkai vathal, avaraikkai vathal, vendaikkai vathal etc.

VATHAL KUZHAMBU[TYPICAL BRAHMIN STYLE]

Soak a lemon-sized tamarind in water and extract the thick juice out of it after half an hour.

Pour 2tbsp gingelly oil in a kadai and heat it.

Add 1sp mustard seeds and when they splutter, add 1sp fenugreek seeds, 2tbsp Bengal gram, 2 spring curry leaves, a small piece of asafoetida and 5 red chillies. Fry them on slow fire for a few minutes.

Pour the tamarind extract, with enough salt, 1sp turmeric powder and 2 sp sambar powder.

Mix well and let the kuzhambu simmer for some minutes until the desired consistency.

VENTHAYA KUZHAMBU:

Soak a big lemon-sized tamarind in water and extract its thick juice after half an hour.

Fry 1sp fenugreek seeds to a golden colour and powder it.

Pour 3tbsp gingelly oil in a kadai and add 1sp mustard seeds.

When they splutter, add 1sp fenugreek seeds, ½ sp cumin seeds, with ½ sp fennel seeds.

When they turn to a golden colour, add 7 sambar onions and a big tomato which is finely crushed.

Fry for a few minutes until the tomato is well mashed.

Add 3sp chilli powder and 1sp turmeric powder.

Cook until the oil floats on the top. Add the tamarind extract with enough salt and let the kuzhambu simmer for some minutes until it is thickened.

Add the fried fenugreek powder, mix well and put off the fire.

Close with a lid and use it after half an hour.

INJI KUZHAMBU:

In a tbsp gingelly oil, fry 1sp coriander seeds, 1sp fenugreek seeds, 1sp cumin seeds, 5 sambar onions, 1 handful of shredded coconut and 3tbsp shredded ginger to a light brown colour. [These must be fried under slow fire]

Grind them with 2 spring curry leaves to a fine paste.

Soak a lemon-sized tamarind in water and extract its juice.

Add 1tsp of turmeric powder and the ground paste to the tamarind juice and mix well.

Pour 2tbsp gingelly oil in a kadai and heat it.

Add 1sp mustard seeds and 8 red chillies.

When they splutter add the prepared kuzhambu with enough salt and let it simmer for some minutes until it thickens to a desired consistency.

MOR KUZHAMBU:

Soak 1tbsp lentils for half an hour in a cup of water..

Heat a kadai and pour 1tbsp oil.

Add 1sp fenugreek seeds, ½ sp cumin seeds, 1sp split black gram, 8 green chillies and fry for a few minutes under slow fire.

Then add the soaked dhal, ½ sp shredded ginger and one handful of shredded coconut and fry for a few seconds.

Grind these ingredients coarsely with 1 cup of thick fresh curd and 1 cup of thick butter milk.

Heat the kadai again and pour 3tbsp oil.

Add 1sp mustard seeds and when they splutter add 5 red chillies, 1sp turmeric powder and 1 cup of crushed tomatoes.

Cook under medium fire until oil floats on the surface.

Pour the prepared mor kuzhambu with enough salt.

When it starts to simmer, put off the fire and add ½ cup of thick butter milk.

Add chopped coriander and curry leaves.

If you want to add vegetables, then white pumpkin [poosanikkai], ladies fingers and seeppankizhangu are suitable for this mor kuzhambu.

Like urundai kuzhambu, small urundias are steamed and added to this mor kuzhambu.

KARUVEPPILAI KUZHAMBU:

Heat a kadai and add one handful of curry leaves.

Fry for a few seconds and take them away.

The colour of the curry leaves should not be changed.

Then grind them with ½ sp cumin seeds, 1sp fennel seeds, ½ sp peppercorns, a small piece of ginger, 4 garlic flakes, 6 sambar onions, 1sp kuskus, 1sp shredded coconut and ½ cup of chopped tomatoes to a fine paste.

Heat the kadai again and pour 2tbsp oil.

Add 1sp karuvadagam and when they change into a brown colour, add 2tbsp chopped onions and ¼ cup of chopped tomatoes.

When the tomatoes are well mashed, add 1sp coriander powder, 1sp chilli powder and 1sp turmeric powder.

Then add the ground paste with enough water to a desired consistency. Let it simmer for 5 minutes

KARAMANI KARA KUZHAMBU[Chettinadu style]:

Ingredients:

Karamani paruppu- ¾ cup

Tamarind- a small lime size

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

Fenugreek seeds- ½ tsp

Garlic fales-5

Small onions- 1 cup

Finely chopped tomatoes- ¾ cup

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Chilli powder- ½ tsp

Coriander powder- 2tsp

Drumstick pieces-8

Grind to a paste: shredded coconut-4tbsp, sambar onions-3, fennel seeds- ½ tsp

Enough gingelly oil

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak the Karamani paruppu for 4 hours and then drain the water.

Add 1 cup of fresh water and cook the karamani in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles. Soak the tamarind in water for ½ hour and then extract its juice.

Heat a kadai and pour enough gingelly oil.

Add the mustards seeds and when they splutter add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and the garlic flakes.

Then add the sambar onions with the tomatoes and cook under moderate fire until they are well mashed.

Pour the tamarind extract, with the turmeric powder, chilli powder,coriander powde, drumstick pieces and enough salt.

Let the kuzhambu simmer for 15 minutes.

The add the ground paste to the kuzhambu and allow it to simmer for a few minutes.

PARUPPU URUNDAI KUZHAMBU:

Ingredients:

Tamarind- a small orange size

Lentils- 1 cup

Bengal gram- a handful

Red chillies-3

Green chillies-2

Fennel seeds- 1 tsp

Chopped onions- 1 cup

Chopped garlic flakes- 2tbsp

Curry leaves- a handful

Shredded coconut- ½ cup

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder- 3 tbsp

Chilli powder- 2 tbsp

Fenugreek powder- 1tsp

Enough gingelly oil

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind for ½ hour and then extract the thick juice out of it.

Soak the lentils with the bengal gram for 2 hours and then grind with the fennel seeds, red chillies, salt and green chillies coarsely like we grind for ‘Masal vadai’.

Add the chopped onions, chopped garlic flakes, curry leaves and shredded coconut to the ground paste and mix well.

Make lime sized balls.

In a deep vessel pour gingelly oil.

When the oil becomes hot, add the chopped sambar onions and the tomatoes.

Cook on moderate fire until they are well mashed and the oil floats on the surface. Add the fenugreek powder and some curry leaves to the tomatoes and fry for a few minutes.

Pour the tamarind extract with the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and enough salt.

Let the kuzhambu simmer for a few minutes.

Now add the balls 5 at a time and when they come on the surface after they are cooked, then add the next portion of balls again.

Thus complete all the balls.

When dropping the balls in the kuzhambu, the consistency of it must be watery and the fire should not be very high.

After completing the balls the kuzhambu must simmer for a few minutes.

The kuzhambu will thicken when we finish the cooking.

You can add pieces of drumstick and it will enhance the taste and the flavour.

It must be added and cooked well before dropping the balls.