KUMBALANGA PULINCURRY

Pulincurry is a curry with gravy (ozhichu koottaan/kuzhambu) which goes well with rice. It can be made with vegetables like vendakkaa (ladies finger) and chembin thaal (colocasia stem) also.

INGREDIENTS

1. Ash gourd (kumbalanga) - 1/2 kg
2. Tamarind - 1 table spoon
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
4. Muringakkaa (drumstick) - 1 (optional)
5. Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
6. Red chillis - 2 + 2
7. Fenugreek - 1 tea spoon
8. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
10. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

METHOD

1. Clean and cut muringakka into 2" pieces

2. Remove skin and seeds and cut ash gourd into thin 3/4" square pieces.

3. Add 1/2 cup hot water to the tamarind and extract juice.

4. Cook ash gourd and muringakka with 1/4 tea spoon turmeric and 2 cups of water. Once it is almost done add tamarind extract and cook again. Reduce heat.

5. Heat oil in a pan and fry 2 red chillis and fenugreek. Grind the coconut with 1/4 tea spoon turmeric, salt  and the fried chilli and fenugreek to a fine paste.

6. Add the coconut paste to the ash gourd and cook on low heat. Check for taste. If it tastes bitter add more tamarind juice. When it starts frothing switch off heat.

7. Heat the pan (with oil ) again. Splutter mustard seeds, fry the remaining chillis and curry leaves and pour into the curry.

MUTHIRA MULAKUSHYAM

No grinding! No tempering! What an easy way to make a kuzhambu (curry with gravy/ozhichu koottan)!

One day while chatting over phone I asked my friend Beena what she had made for lunch. She said she felt too lazy to do any heavy cooking and made some rice and muthira mulakushyam. I was familiar with kaaya mulakushyam, kumbalanga mulakushyam etc. but this was something new. Naturally I asked for the recipe. Here it is, the super simple recipe of muthira mulakushyam (moloshyam) which goes well with rice, pappadam and pickle.

INGREDIENTS

1. Muthira (horse gram) - 1 cup

2. Green chilli split - 2

3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon

4. salt

5. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

6. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon

METHOD

1. Pressure cook muthira with turmeric powder and 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.(after the first whistle reduce heat to low)

2. Open the cooker, add green chillis, salt and 1 1/2 cup water and cook for 5 minutes.

3, Switch off stove and add coconut oil and curry leaves

TOMATO RASAM

This rasam is made with pureed tomato. To get the real taste of tomato make sure the tomatoes are sour enough so that you dont have to add tamarind or lime juice to adjust the taste.

INGREDIENTS

1. Ripe tomatoes (thakkaali) - 250 gm
2. Rasam powder - 2 tea spoon
3. Turmeric powder 1/4 tea spoon
4. Asafoetida - 1/4 tea spoon
5. Garlic - 1 clove crushed (optional)
6. Crushed black peppercorns - 5-6
7. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
8. salt
9. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
10. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
11. Red chillis - 2 (break each into 3)
12. Corriander leaves - 1 table spoon

METHOD

1. Cut the tomatoes into 2 or 4. Cook this with a cup of water till the skin gets peeled on its own. Allow to cool, remove skin and run in a mixie for 8-10 seconds.

2. Mix the pureed tomato and items 2-8 in the same vessel in which the tomato was cooked. Add 1 more cup of water. heat on medium flame. When it starts frothing stir well and allow to cook for 5 more minutes on low flame. Switch off stove and add corriander leaves.

3. Heat oil in a small pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry the red chillis. Pour into the rasam.

MOR KUZHAMBU

This is an easy curry which goes well with rice or seva

INGREDIENTS

1. Kumbalanga (ash gourd) - 250 gm (can be replaced by banana, elephant yam, taro root, ladies finger, cucumber etc. I have used raw banana and cucumber in this recipe)

2. Turmeric - 1/2 spoon

3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

4. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch

5. Toor dal - 1 table spoon

6. green chillis - 2

7. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon

8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

9. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

10. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

11. Dry red chillis - 2

12. Thick sour butter milk - 2 cups

13. Salt - to taste

METHOD

1. Soak toor dal in water

2. Skin and dice the ash gourd. Cook with 1/4 tea spoon turmeric and 1/2 cup water.

3. Grind coconut, toor dal, cumin seeds and 1/4 tea spoon turmeric to a fine paste. Add greenchillis and grind for 2-3 seconds more.

4. Add coconut paste to the ash gourd and cook on low flame till it starts frothing. Add buttermilk and continue heating for a few more seconds stirring continuously. Dont let it curdle.

5. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add fenugreek, red chillis and curry leaves and fry. Pour into the kuzhambu.

VATHAL KUZHAMBU

Vathal kuzhambu is similar to kurumulaku (pepper) rasam and is good for digestion. Both "chundakka" and "manathakkali" vathals (available in Tamil stores) can be used to make this curry. In this recipe I have used manathakkali vathal.

Instead of vathal kuzhambu podi , rasam powder or sambar powder can be used. In that case 1 table spoon of wheat flour is to be added to get a thick gravy.

Rice, vathal kuzhambu and vadaam/pappadam is a very good combination

INGREDIENTS

1. Manathakkali vathal - 1 1/2 table spoon.
2.Tamarind - lime sized ball (soak in 1/2 cup hot water and extract juice)
3. Vathal kuzhambu podi - 11/2 table spoon
4. Water - 2 cups
5. Coconut oil (sesame oil can also be used) - 1 table spoon 
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
7. Fenugreek - 1 pinch


METHOD

1. To the tamarind extract add vathal kuzhambu podi and salt and mix well. Add two more cups of water and heat. When it starts boiling reduce heat and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add fenugreek and the vathal and fry. Pour over the kuzhambu.

VATHAL KUZHAMBU PODI RECIPE

1. Kadala parippu - 1 table spoon
2. Thuvara parippu - 1 table spoon
3. Coriander seeds - 2 table spoons
4. Red chillis - 4 or 5
5. Black pepper corns - 1 tea spoon
6. Cumin seeds (jeerakam) - 1/2 tea spoon
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
8. Asafoetida powder - 1 tea spoon
9. Coconut oil or sesame oil - 1 tea spoon

Fry 1-6 in that order in 1 tea spoon oil. Switch off heat and add turmeric powder and kaayam and stir well. Grind in a mixie. Store in a dry bottle.

OZHICHAVIYAL

Ozhichaviyal is an improvised version of aviyal which comes under the ozhichu curry/ kuzhambu category.

INGREDIENTS

1. Vegetables cut into thin 3/4"pieces - 2 cups
(Cucumber, drumstick, banana, string beans, elephant yam, brinjal,carrot and snake gourd)
2. Green chillis - 2
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
4. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
5. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
6. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
7. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
8. Salt
9. Curd - 1/2 cup

METHOD

1. Cook the vegetables well. (can be pressure cooked with 2 cups of water. Switch off stove after first whistle)

2. Grind the coconut with turmeric powder and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Add this paste, salt and enough water to the vegetables. (consistency should be that of sambar) Cook on low flame. When it starts frothing add buttermilk and stir for 5-6 seconds.

3. Switch off stove and add curry leaves and coconut oil. Cover and keep undisturbed for 10 minutes. Stir before serving.

KEERA MOLAGOOTTAL

Keerai (cheera) molagoottal can be made using red or green spinach or palak. The spinach/palak is cooked and ground to a fine paste and mixed with daal and coconut . This goes well with rice.
INGREDIENTS

1. Palak - 15-20 leaves (1 cup when cut)
2. Toor daal - 1/4 cup
3. Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Urad daal (uzhunnu parippu) - 1 tea spoon
5. Green chilly - 1 or 2
6. Cumin seeds (jeerakam) - 1/2 tea spoon
7. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
10. Red chilly - 2 (cut into 3 )

METHOD

Clean and cut the palak (big pieces will do) Add 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder and a little water and cook well. Grind to a fine paste.

Cook (pressure cook for 5-6 minutes) and mash the daal. Add to the palak.
In a pan heat the oil and fry the urad daal till the colour is light brown. Keep the oil and grind the urad daal with coconut, cumin seeds and 1/4 tea spoon turmeric. Add this also to the palak paste. Add salt and enough water and mix well. Heat on medium flame When it starts frothing turn heat to low and allow to cook for 2 minutes.

Heat the oil again and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the red chillies too. When they turn brown pour on to the curry.

SAMBAAR

INGREDIENTS

1. Cucumber (diced) - 1 cup
2. Drum stick (muringakkaa) - 1 (cut into 2 inch pieces)
(Any vegetable like banana, ladies finger, bitter gourd, pumpkin etc. can be used to make sambaar )
3. Toor daal - 1/2 cup
4. Asafoetida - 1/2 tea spoon
5. Tamarind - 1 table spoon
6. Turmeric powder 1 tea spoon
7. Coriander seeds - 1 table spoon
8. Red chilly - 5
9. Chana daal - 1 tea spoon
10. Fenugreek seeds (uluva) - 1/2 tea spoon
11. Scraped coconut 1/4 cup
12. Coconut oil - 1 1/2 table spoon
13. Mustard seeds
14. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
15. Coriander leaves (cilantro) - 1 Table spoon
16. Tomato - 1 (cut into 2 )

METHOD

Pressure cook the daal with water (1 cup) for 5 minutes

Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the juice

Cook the vegetables in 2 cups of water, 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder and 1/4 tea spoon asafoetida. If ladies finger or colocasia (chembu) is there add a little tamarind juice as well.

In a pan heat 1/2 tea spoon oil and fry the daal, fenugreek, coriander, 3 red chillies and coconut (in this order) When the coconut starts changing colour remove from fire and add 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder and the rest of the asafoetida. Stir well and grind to a paste.

To the cooked veggies add  mashed daal, masala paste, more tamarind juice, curry leaves, tomato and salt. Mix cover with a lid and heat on a low flame. When it starts frothing stir gently for a minute and switch off the stove. Add the coriander leaves (optional)

Heat 1 table spoon oil in a small pan. Splutter the mustard seeds and add 2 red chillies (cut into 3 or 4 ) Stir for 5 seconds and pour on to the sambaar.

ARACHU KALAKKI

This is the simplest of all curries. The taste is best when fresh and the cooking time is hardly 5 minutes. I usually keep all the ingredients ready and make the arachu kalakki while the other dishes are being heated to be served.

INGREDIENTS
1.   Pickled mango/gooseberry  -  3 or 4 pieces (kaduku mangaa, aavakkaai, nellikka achaar  , anything can be used)

     2.   Grated coconut - ½ cup

     3.   Butter milk          - 2 cups

     4.   Ginger                  - 1 small piece

     5.   Dried red chilly    - 2

     6.   Salt

     7.   Coconut oil           - 1 tea spoon

     8.   Mustard seeds     -  ½ tea sp

     9.   Fenugreek seeds  - ¼ tea spoon

     10. Curry leaves         - 1 sprig

METHOD

Grind coconut, mango/gooseberry, 1 red chilly and  ginger. Add this to the buttermilk.  Add water to get a not too thin consistency (like pulissery) Check for salt. The pickled mango /gooseberry already has salt in it . Add more if required.

Heat oil in a small pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add fenugreek seeds, then the remaining 1  red chilly (cut into 2 or 3) and curry leaves. Fry and pour into the butter milk.