Vengaya Kuzhambu

Ingredients:
25 Small Onion/Shallots peeled
1 Medium sized Tomato finely chopped
5 Garlic finely Chopped
2 cup thick Tamarind Juice (2 tbs Tamarind extract dissolved in 2 cup water)
2 tbs Sambar powder
1 tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp Cumin seeds
½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste
1 tbs Oil

Preparation:

In a pan, heat oil, mustard, fenugreek, cumin curry leaves and sauté for few minutes.

Add garlic, onion and sauté till the onion turns light brown.  

Add tomatoes and sauté it for few minutes.

Add Sambar powder and sauté it for few minutes.

Add tamarind juice, salt and leave the pan uncovered in medium heat for 10 minutes.

When the curry thickens turn off the heat.  

Serve the curry with hot rice.

(Note: the flavor of the curry will be tastier if we use gingelly/sesame oil for making this curry)

Mixed Vegetable Kara Kulambu

Ingredients
1 cup Mixed Vegetables (Eggplant, Drumsticks,Okra, Beans,etc.)
1 large Onion /10 small Onions (Shallots) finely chopped
1 medium sized Tomato finely chopped
5 Garlic cloves crushed
2 cup Tamarind juice (1 tbs of Tamarind extract dissolved in 2 cups of warm water)
2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander powder 
¼ tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tsp Mustard seeds 
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
Few Curry leaves 
Salt to taste
2 tbs Oil

Preparation
In a pan, heat oil, mustard, fenugreek, curry leaves and sauté for few minutes.
Add garlic, onion and sauté till the onion turns light brown.  
Add tomatoes and sauté it for few minutes.
Add the vegetables and sauté finely for 4-5 minutes.
Add tamarind juice, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt one by one and sauté finely.
Add ½ cup of water and leave the pan uncovered in medium heat for 10 minutes.
When the vegetables are fully cooked and the curry thickens well turn off the heat.
Serve the curry with hot rice.
(Note: the flavor of the curry will be tastier if we use gingelly/sesame oil for making this curry)

Vegetable Coconut Kuruma

Ingredients

1 Potato Chopped

2 Carrots Chopped

10 Beans Chopped

1 medium sized Onion finely chopped

2 medium sized Tomatoes finely chopped 

1 Green chilli cut in lengthwise

½ tbs Ginger Garlic paste

2 tsp. Chilli powder

1 tsp. Coriander powder 

¼ tsp. Turmeric powder

1 Cinnamon stick2 Bay leaves

Few Curry leaves

1 cup Shredded Coconut

1 tsp Poppy seeds (Khus Khus)

Little Coriander finely chopped

1 tbs Oil

Salt to taste

Preparation

Grind the coconut with poppy seeds into a fine paste and keep it aside. 

In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil, add cinnamon stick, curry leaves and sauté for few minutes. 

Add the onion, green chillies and sauté till the onion turns light brown.  

Add ginger garlic paste, tomatoes and sauté it for few minutes. 

Add the vegetables, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder,  salt one by one and sauté finely.

Add 2 cups of water and leave it in medium heat for 15 -20 minutes. 

When the vegetables are cooked well and soup boils well, add the coconut paste and reduce the flame.

When the kuruma  thickens turn off the heat and garnish with coriander.

Vegetable coconut kuruma is ready to serve with puri and chappati.

Spinach Sambar (Keerai sambar)

Ingredients

1 cup Toor Dal (Split pigeon peas)

Bunch of Spinach leaves

1 medium Onion 

1 large ripe Tomato

2 Green chillies

2 tbs Sambar powder

6 Garlic cloves

¼ Tamarind juice

½ tsp Turmeric Powder 

½tsp Mustard seeds 

½ tsp Urad dal 

¼ tsp Asafoetida

Few Curry Leaves 

Bunch of coriander leaves 

2 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

Preparation

Wash the dal and soak it for 30 minutes.

Choose a heavy cooking pot, take 2 cups of water and add the dal, turmeric powder and garlic.

As the dal boils, skim off the foam and discard. 

Boil until the dal is soft and then mash it coarsely.

If needed, add more water as it is boiling but do not let it get too watery.

We can also use a pressure cooker to cook the dal (keep it 2-3 whistle).

Take a separate pot in medium heat, add oil and once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad   dal and as the mustard pops add chilies and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes. 

Add the onion and fry until it turns light brown.

Add tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes.

Add the Spinach and sauté it for few minutes.

Add tamarind and cook it for few minutes.

Then add the mixture of the dal with asafoetida, 2 cup of water, sambar powder and salt.

Allow this to boil for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the heat.

Garnish with coriander.

Serve the Keerai sambar with rice.

Potato Kuruma

Ingredients:

·         4 Potatoes Boiled and diced into small pieces

·         1 medium sized Onion finely chopped

·         1 medium sized Tomato finely chopped

·         3 Green chillies cut in lengthwise

·         1 small piece Ginger crushed

·         ½  tsp Turmeric powder

·         1 tsp Coriander powder

·         1 tsp Garam  masala powder

·         2 tsp Chilli Powder

·         1 Bay leaf

·         Few Curry leaves

·         Little Coriander finely chopped

·         Salt to taste

·         2 tbs Oil

Preparation:

·    In a pan, heat oil, add bay leaves, curry leaves, ginger, onion, green chillies and sauté till the onion turns light brown.

·    Add tomatoes and sauté it for few minutes.

·    Add the diced potatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt one by one and sauté finely.

·    Add desired amount of water and cover the pan leave it in medium heat for 10 minutes.

·    When the potato along with masala’s boils and thickens and all the raw smell is gone turn off the heat.

·    Check for the salt.

·    Garnish with Coriander.

·    Serve the potato kuruma with chappathi.

Channa Masala

Ingredients:

2 cups Channa soaked in water for 8 hrs

2 Onions (1 onion finely chopped)
2 Tomatoes
1 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Chilli powder (desired amount)
1 tsp. Coriander powder
½ tsp. Garam Masala powder
¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
¼ cup Tomato ketchup (Optional)
Few bunch of Coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbs Oil

Preparation:

Steam the channa dal in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes.

In a blender, take onion, tomatoes, cumin and grind in to a fine paste.
In a pan, heat oil, add the chopped onion and sauté till it turns light brown.
Add the ground paste, channa, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, salt and stir it well and let it stand for 5 minutes.
When the channa mixture boils and thickens add the chopped coriander leaves give a stir and turn off the flame.
If you want the channa masala to be little sweet add tomato ketchup.
Channa masala is ready to serve with Puri/Chappathi.

Pineapple Rasam

Ingredients:

1 cup of Pineapple chunks

½ cup pressure cooked Toor dal

1 medium sized Tomato finely chopped

1 tsp. Black pepper powder

1 tsp. Cumin Powder

¼ tsp. Turmeric powder

¼ tsp. Asafoetida

½ tsp. Mustard seeds

½ tsp. Urad dal

Salt to taste

1 tsp. Oil

Preparation: 

In a deep pan, heat oil, add mustard, urad dal, black pepper powder, cumin powder, asafoetida and sauté for few minutes.

Add the pineapple, tomatoes and sauté finely and let it stand for few minutes until they are soft and mushy.

Add the toor dal, turmeric powder, salt, 2 – 3 cups of water and let it stand in medium heat for 5 minutes.

When the rasam forms foam and begins to boil turn off the heat.

Hot Pineapple rasam is ready to serve with rice.

Dal fry

Ingredients:

 ½ cup of Toor dal

1 medium sized Onion chopped

1 Tomato diced

3 Garlic cloves

2 Green chillies cut in length

1 tsp. Chilli powder

1 tsp. Coriander powder

¼ tsp. Turmeric powder

½ tsp. Mustard seeds

½ tsp.Urad dal seeds

½ tsp. Cumin seeds

Few sprinkles of Asafoetida

Few Curry leaves

Salt to taste

1 tsp. Oil

Preparation:

Take the Toor dal along with garlic and pressure cook for 10 minutes.

In a pan, heat oil, add mustard, urad dal, cumin, curry leaves, green chillies, asafoetida, onion one by one and sauté finely until the onion changes to light brown.

Add the tomatoes and sauté it finely until it is cooked well.

Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and sauté it for few minutes.

Add the cooked toor dal, salt and give a stir and leave it in reduced flame.

When the dal thickens and comes to little boiling turn off the stove.

Garnish with coriander.

Tasty Dal fry is ready and serve it with rice/chappathi.

Kollu Rasam Type I

Ingredients:

·         2 tsp. Kollu podi

·         1 tsp Coriander powder

·         1 tsp Cumin powder

·         1 tsp Black pepper powder

·         ¼ tsp Turmeric powder

·         2 Red Chillies

·         5 Garlic cloves

·         ¼ tsp Asafoetida

·         ½ tsp Mustard seeds

·         ½ tsp Urad dal

·         1 cup Tamarind juice (1 tbs Tamarind extract dissolved in 1 cup of hot water)

·         Few Curry leaves 

·         Small bunch of Coriander leaves finely chopped.

·         Salt to taste

·         1 tsp Oil.

Preparation:  

·       In a deep pan, heat oil, add mustard, urad dal, curry leaves, red chillies, garlic, asafoetida and sauté for few minutes.

·       Add the tamarind juice, 2 tsp of prepared kollu powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper, turmeric powder, salt, 2 – 3 cups of water and let it stand in medium heat for 5 minutes.

·       When the rasam begins to form foam add the coriander leaves and turn off the heat.

·       Hot Kollu rasam is ready to serve with rice.

(Note: To make Kollu podi check my previous recipe)

Parruppu / Dal

Ingredients:

·         1 cup Toor dal (Split Pigeon Peas)

·         4 Garlic cloves

·         1 tsp. Cumin seeds

·         ½ tsp. Mustard seeds

·         ½ tsp. Channa dal

·         2 Red chillies

·         Few curry leaves

·         Few sprinkles of Asafoetida

·         1 tsp.

·         Oil/ghee

·         Salt

Preparation:

·       Wash the dal and soak it for 10 minutes.

·       Choose a heavy cooking pot, take 2 cups of water and add the dal and garlic.

·        As the dal boils, skim off the foam and discard.

·        Boil until the dal is soft and then mash it coarsely.

·        If needed, add more water as it is boiling but do not let it get too watery.

·        We can also use a pressure cooker to cook the dal (keep it 2-3 whistle).

·       Take a separate pan in medium heat, add oil and once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal and as the mustard pops add red chilies, curry leaves, cumin seeds, asafoetida and sauté for a minutes.

·       Add the above seasoning and salt to the dal and mix it well.

·        Parruppu / Dal is ready to eat with Ghee rice / Chappathi.