SEPPANKIZHANGU PULI KUZHAMBU

Ingredients:

Seppangkizhangu- 200gms
Tamarind- lemon size
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Sambar powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- half tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Sambar onions[chopped]-half cup
Chopped tomato- half cup
Fenugreek powder- half tsp
Ground coconut paste- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Gingelly oil- 4 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of water for an hour and extract its juice. Steam the seppangkizhangu in pressure cooker up to 4 whistles. When cooled remove the outer skins and cut them in to cubes.
Heat a pan and add the oil. When it becomes hot, add the onion and fry well. Then add the tomato with the curry leaves and the fenugreek powder. When the tomatoes are mashed well and the oil floats on the surface, add the tamarind extract with the powders, coconut paste, and seppangkizhangu pieces with enough salt. Cook until you get the desired consistency.

EGG CUTLET KUZHAMBU

Ingredients:

For the cutlets:

Eggs-6
Ginger-1 sp
Green chillies-6
Garlic flakes-2
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Gram dal[pottukkadalai]-1/4 cup
Salt to taste

For the gravy;

Chopped onion- half cup
Chopped tomato- 2 cup
Fenugreek- 1 sp
Curry leaves- a handful
Turmeric powder-half sp
Chilli powder- 2 tsp
Coriander powder-3 tsp
Tamarind- a big lime size
Shredded coconut- a handful
Fennel seeds- 1tsp
Oil- 3 tbsp

Procedure;

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for half an hour and extract the juice. Grind the coconut with the fennel seeds to a thick paste.
Beat the eggs well with enough salt. Fry the fennel seeds, ginger, garlic and the green chillies in a little oil. Grind them to a paste and add this to the eggs with the gram dal powder. Mix well. Pour the egg mixture in small bowls and steam them in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes. When cooled, take the balls away. Heat a pan and pour the oil. Add the fenugreek seeds with the curry leaves. When the fenugreek seeds flutter, add the chopped onion with the tomatoes and the turmeric powder. Cook well until the oil floats on top. Add the tamarind extract with the powders and the salt. Let the kuzhambu boil for some minutes. Add the ground paste and cook for a few more minutes. When the gravy is slightly thickened, add the cooked balls and put off the fire. Or pour the hot gravy on the egg balls at the time of serving and sprinkle the coriander.

MORKUZHAMBU

This recipe is my favourite which always receives appreciation from my guests. I have already posted this recipe. But I am again posting this with a few alterations.

Ingredients:

Fresh curd- 2 cups
Slightly sour curd- 1/2 cup
Extra curd-1 cup
Shredded coconut- 1 cup
Lentils[thuar dal]- 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2tsp
Black gram- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Green chillies-7
Shredded ginger-1/2 tsp
Chopped tomato-2 cups
Red chillies-4
Mustard seeds- 1tsp
Asafoetida- a pea size
Ladies finger- 250 gram
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
coriander leaves- 1/2 cup
Curry leaves- a handful
Enough oil

Procedure;

Soak the lentils in water for 1/2 hour. Cut the vegetable in to small pieces and then fry them in a dry pan until their colour slightly changes. Take them away. In little oil fry the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, and the black gram until they changes into light brown. Then add the lentils and fry for a few seconds. Then fry the green chillies for a few seconds. Then add the coconut with the ginger and fry for a few minutes until they become slightly brown. Then grind them coarsely with the sour curd. Add the remaining curd and mix well. Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp of oil. Add the mustards and when they splutter add the tomato with the turmeric powder, asafoetida and the red chillies.

Fry well on slow fire until the oil floats on top and the tomatoes are mashed. Add the vegetable with a little salt and ¼ cup of water. Cook them till the vegetable is cooked and the gravy is thickened. Add th greens and fry for a few seconds. Now add the prepared morkuzhambu gravy with enough salt. when the morkuzhambu starts to simmer add the extra fresh curd, mix well and put off the fire.

TOMATO COCONUT KUZHAMBU

In fact this recipe is 30 years old and I have learnt this at the time of marriage

Heat 2tbsps of oil. Add 1sp mustard seeds. When they splutter, add 1cup of chopped onion and 1 cup of chopped tomato. Fry well until they are mashed and oil floats on the top. Add 2sps chilli powder, 1sp coriander powder and 1sp turmeric powder and fry for a few minutes. Grind 1 cup of shredded coconut with 1sp ginger to a fine paste. Add this to the masala with 1 cup of water and enough salt. Cook until it is well blended.

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. Soak a lemon-sized tamarind in water and extract its juice. Mix the tamarind juice with the ground masala. Add 1sp turmeric powder and mix well. Pour 2tbsp gingelly oil in a kadai and heat it. Add 1sp mustard seeds and 8 red chillies. When they ssplutter add the prepared kuzhambu with enough salt and let it simmer for some minutes until it thickens to a desired consistency.

KARAMANI KARA KUZHAMBU [Chettinadu style]

Ingredients:

Karamani paruppu- 1/2 cup
Tamarind- a big lime size
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
Garlic fales-5
Small onions- 1 cup
Finely chopped tomatoes- 3/4 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 2tsp
Drumstick pieces-8
Grind to a paste: shredded coconut-4tbsp, sambar onions-3, fennel seeds- 1/2 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 half an 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 powder, drumstick pieces and enough salt. Let the kuzhambu simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the ground paste to the kuzhambu and allow it to simmer for a few minutes.

KEERAI KUZHAMBU and SAMBAR

KEERAI KUZHAMBU:

Cook 3 cups of finely chopped keerai in ½ cup of milk with ½ sp cumin seeds and a green chilli. Mash the keerai finely. Soak a small lime-sized tamarind for 1 hour and then extract its juice. In a sp of ghee fry 3 red chillies, 1sp coriander seeds, 1sp Bengal gram,4sp shredded coconut , 1 small piece of asafoetida, 1sp black gram and ½ sp peppercorns to a golden brown color and then powder them finely. Heat a kadai and pour 4 tbsp gingelly oil. When the oil becomes hot add 1sp mustard seeds. When they splutter add ¼ cup of chopped onions and fry for a few seconds. Then add ½ cup of chopped tomatoes and 1sp turmeric powder. Cook well until the tomatoes are well mashed. Add the tamarind extract and the powder with enough salt. Let the kuzhambu simmer for some minutes. Then add the mashed keerai and allow it to simmer for only a few minutes.

KEERAI SAMBAR:

Soak a lime sized tamarind for 1/2 hour and then extract the juice out of it. Cook three handful of lentils in a pressure cooker. Pour enough oil in a vessel and heat it. Add 1sp mustards and when they splutter add 1 cup of chopped sambar onions, a small piece of asafoetida and 4 slit green chillies. When they become slightly brown, add 1 or 2 cups of chopped tomatoes and 1sp turmeric powder. Cook until the tomatoes are well mashed. Add the tamarind extract and allow it to simmer for some minutes. Then add the ooked dhal, finely chopped keerai with enough salt.Let the sambar simmer for a few minutes. Add 2tsp sambar podi and mix well. Turn the fire very low. Cook for a few minutes. Add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.the keerai should not change its green colour fully.
Sambar podi: Fry one handful of red chillies, 1tbsp Bengal gram, 2tbsp coriander seeds, 1sp fenugreek seeds, 8 peppercorn, 1/2 sp mustard seeds and 1 sp black gram for a few minutes to a light brown colour. When cooled, powder them.

MAMBAZHA MORKUZHAMBU

Ingredients:

Mango pieces- 1 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Shredded coconut- 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Green chillies-6
Small garlic flakes-6
Coconut oil- 2tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
Red chillies-4
Curry leaves- 1 arc
Curd- 1 cup
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Cook the mango pieces with a little water, chilli powder, turmeric powder and enough salt. Grind the coconut with the green chillies, gralic and cumin seeds to a coarse paste and add this to the mango mixture and cook for a few minutes. Heat a small kadai and pour the coconut oil. When it becomes hot, add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the fenugreek seeds with the curry leaves and red chilies. Fry them for a few seconds and add this tempering to the mango mixture and mix well. Put off the fire and add the curd. Mix well.

MILAGU KUZHAMBU

MILAGU KUZHAMBU-III:

Soak a big lime-sized tamarind in water for 1 hour and then extract its thick juice. In a sp of gingelly oil, fry 2sp peppercorns, 1sp cumin seeds, 1/2sp fenugreek seeds and 5 red chillies to a golden brown color and then grind them with 5 garlic flakes, 1tbsp chopped coriander leaves, 1 spring curry leaves and 1sp chopped ginger to a fine paste. Heat a kadai and pour 4 or 5 tbsp gingelly il. When the oil becomes hot, add 1sp mustard seeds and when they splutter add ½ cup of small onions and ½ cup of tomatoes which are finely chopped. Cook them until they are well mashed and the oil comes on the surface. Now pour the tamarind extract with the ground masala, 1sp turmeric powder and enough salt. Let the kuzhambu simmer on a medium fire until it thickens.

PARUPPU URUNDAI KUZHAMBU

Soak a small orange sized tamarind for ½ hour and then extract the thick juice out of it. Soak 1 cup of lentils with a handful of Bengal gram for 2 hours and then grind with 1sp fennel seeds, 3 red chillies and 2 green chillies coarsely like we grind for ‘Masal vadai’. Add enough salt when grinding the dhals. Add 1 cup of chopped onions, 2tbsp chopped garlic flakes, curry leaves and ½ cup shredded coconut. Mix well. Make lime sized balls. In a deep vessel. pour gingelly oil. Add one cup of chopped sambar onions and 2 cups of crushed tomatoes. Cook on moderate fire until they are well mashed and the oil floats on the surface. Powder 1sp fennel seed and 1sp fenugreek seed coarsely. Add the powders and some curry leaves to the tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Pour the tamarind extract. Add 1sp turmeric powder, 2tbsp chilli powder and 3tbsp coriander powder. Add 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, then add the balls again. Thus complete all the balls. When dropping the balls in the kuzhambu, the consistency of it must be watery. The fire should not be 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.

PORITHTHA KUZHAMBU

PORITHTHA KUZHAMBU-I:[chettinadu style]

Cook 1 cup of lentils in a pressure cooker. In a tbsp
oil fry 10 red chillies, 1 ½ sp black gram, 1 ½ sp
cumin seeds, and ½ shredded coconut to a brown colour
and then grind them to a fine paste. In a vessel cook
2 cups of diced peerkangai, 2 chopped onions and 1 cup
of chopped tomatoes with enough water, salt and 1sp
turmeric powder. When the vegetables are cooked add
the cook dhal, the ground paste and mix well. Cook for
a few minutes. In a small kadai pour 2tbsp oil and
add 1sp mustard seeds, curry leaves and 1sp black
gram. When the mustards splutter pour them in the
kuzhambu. Mix well and put off the fire. Cooked green
gram can be added instead of lentils.


PORITHTHA KUZHAMBU-II

Pressure cook ½ cup of lentils well. Cook 1 cup of
diced peerkangai, ½ cup of chopped tomatoes, and 1 cup
of diced avaraikkai, with enough water, 1sp turmeric
powder and enough salt. Grind ½ cup of shredded
coconut, 1sp peppercorns and ½ sp cumin seeds to a
fine paste. When the vegetables are cooked add the
cooked dhal, and the ground paste. Cook well. In a
small kadai pour 2tbsp oil and heat it. Add 1sp
mustard seeds and when they splutter add 1sp
asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Pour this on the
kuzhambu. Mix well.

THANNEER KUZHAMBU

Pressure cook one handful of split green gram and one handful of Arhar dhal with enough water. Soak a gooseberry sized tamarind in water for ½ hour and then extract its thick juice. In a kadai, pour the cooked dhal with 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped tomatoes, 2 garlic flakes, ½ sp chilli powder, ½ sp coriander powder, 1sp turmeric powder, tamarind extract, and 2tbsp chopped coriander with enough salt. Add 2 cups of water to it. Let the kuzhambu simmer for some minutes. Then heat a small kadai and pour 2tbsp cooking oil. When it becomes hot, add 1sp mustard seeds and when they sputter add 1sp asafoetida powder, 1sp black gram, 1sp fennel seeds, and 5 red chillies and fry for a few seconds. Pour this tampering into the kuzhambu. Mix well and put off the fire. This kuzhambu must be watery when it is prepared.

THAKKALI KUZHAMBU:{Tomato kuzhambu}

Soak a gooseberry sized tamarind in water for ½ hour and then extract its thick juice. Heat a kadai and pour 3 or 4 tbsp gingelly oil. When the oil becomes hot, add 1sp mustard seeds. When they splutter, add 1sp black gram, 1sp fenugreek seeds, 1sp Bengal gram, 3 red chillies and some curry leaves. When they change their colour slightly, add ½ cup of chopped sambar onions and fry for a few minutes. When they change into golden brown color, add 2 cups of crushed tomatoes and 10 garlic flakes. Fry well until the tomatoes are mashed well and the oil floats on top. Pour the tamarind extract, add 2tsp sambar powder, and 1sp turmeric powder with enough salt. Allow the kuzhambu simmer for some time until it is thickened.

ULUNTHU KUZHAMBU

Heat a kadai and pour 1sp gingelly oil. Fry 1 handful of split blackgram to a light brown colour on medium fire. Then pressure cook it with 1 tsp turmeric powder and enough salt. Grind 5 red chillies, 1sp cumin seeds and 2tbsp shredded coconut to a fine paste. Again heat the kadai and pour 3tbsp gingelly oil. When it becomes hot, add 1sp mustard seeds and when they splutter, add 1 spring curry leaves, and 10 small onions which are finely chopped. Stir well and cook until the onions brown slightly. Add the cooked dhal, ground paste and enough salt. Let the kuzhambu simmer for some minutes until it is slightly thickened.

VATHAL KUZHAMBU

VATHAL KUZHAMBU-I:

Soak a big lime sized tamarind in water for 1 hr and then extracts its thick juice. Heat a kadai and pour 2tbsp gingelly oil. When the oil becomes hot, add 1sp mustard seeds and when they are spluttering, add 1sp black grams, 2tbsp Bengal gram, 3 red chillies and some curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds and then pour the tamarind juice, half a spoon turmeric powder, 2tsp vathal kuzhambu podi and enough salt. Mix well and allow the kuzhambu to simmer for some minutes until the raw flavour disappears and the kuzhambu is slightly thickened.


VATHTHAL KUZHAMBU-III:

Soak a big lime-sized tamarind in water for 1 hour and then extract its thick juice. Heat a kadai and pour 4tbsp gingelly oil. When the oil becomes hot, add 1sp mustard seeds. When they splutter, add1sp black gram, 4 red chillies, and 1 spring curry leaves and fry well. Then add 1 cup of small onions and 4 slit green chillies. Fry for a few minutes and when the onions become soft, add a handful of mixed vathals like sundaikkai, avaraikkai, manaththakkaali, katharikkai etc. and fry for a few seconds. Pour the tamarind extract and add 2tsp chillipowder, 1sp turmeric powder, 4sp coriander powder and enough salt. Mix well. Let the kuzhambu simmer for sometime until it thickens fairly. Add ¼ cup of cooked thuar dal and 1tbsp chopped coriander leaves to the kuzhambu and mix well. Put off the fire.

PONGAL KUZHAMBU

Pressure cook 3 handfuls of lentils. Soak a small orange size of tamarind in warm water. Extract the juice after ½ hour. Roast a handful of boiled rice, 1 tbsp of raw rice, 1sp of cumin seeds, 1sp of peppercorns and 1sp of aniseeds in a dry pan to a nice brown colour. Grind them to a nice powder. For this kuzhambu, 6 important vegetables are needed. Add a handful of chopped tomatoes, a handful of avaraikkai[cut into 1” pieces], a handful of red pumpkin pieces[cut into 1” pieces], 2 handfuls of sweet potatoes[cut into 1” pieces], a handful of brinjal pieces[cut into medium pieces], 2 raw bananas[cut into cubes] and most importantly 2 cups of mochaikkai in a cooking vessel and add enough water to cover it. Cook them with enough salt and 1 tsp of turmeric powder. When the vegetables are half done, add the tamarind juice, 2tbsps of chilli powder and 1 tbsp of coriander powder. After cooking them for some minutes add the dhal and mix well. Again cook for a few minutes. Now add the powder and mix well. Add 1 cup of shredded coconut and mix well. Cook under slow fire for 5 minutes. Garnish with curry leaves.