Pulikutthy poricha kozhambu

We brought brinjals and ladies finger from the market. Immediately I remembered about the pulikutthy poricha kozhambu that my mother used to prepare . It is a long time since I prepared this delicacy in recent days. This is a vegetable preparation of semi liquid consistency, to accompany rice in place of the usual sambar prepared in many South Indian house holds. This is how my mother used to prepare it.

Ingredients:

1. Brinjals cut into cubes – 1cup
2. Ladies finger cut into half inch thick pieces – 1cup
3. Grated coconuts - 1cup
4. Red chillies 5to 6 or according to taste
5. Tamarind -1 lemon sized ball.
6. Thuvar dhal- 1cup
7. Hing 1 piece (soaked) or powdered 1/2 tsp
8. Curry leaves
9. Oil to season
10. mustard seeds
11. Urad dhal
12. turmeric powder 1teaspoon
13. salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and pressure cook the thuvar dhal with half teaspoon of the turmeric powder.
2. Clean the brinjals and ladies finger and cut into pieces as above. Cook in 1 cup of water after adding the remaining turmeric powder, in a different vessel.
3. Set aside1 spoon of grated coconut and grind the remaining part and the chillies into a fine paste while the vegetables are cooking.
4. Extract the juice of the tamarind into a reasonably thick consistency and pour into the vegetables which are being cooked. Add few curry leaves into it along with salt to taste. Allow to cook for three to five minutes.
5. Now remove the cooked dhal from the cooker, mash it nicely into a paste, dilute and pour into the boiling tamarind and vegetable mixture. Add hing, reduce the fire and continue to cook.
6. Heat two spoons of cooking oil in a kadai , add mustard seeds. When the mustards starts spluttering add the urad dhal and curry leaves. when the urad dhal begins to turn into golden yellow colour, put the grated coconuts into it and fry a little.
7. Pour into the boiling kozhambu and remove from fire.

This can be used with rice, and with chappathies instead of sambar and dhal. Hope you enjoy this.

Sakkarai Pongal

Today (12th January 2008) is 27^th day of the month of Margazhi, the Tamil month and the favourite month of Lord Shri Krishna. Andal, daughter of Periazhwar, along with her friends, finishes the rigidities of her Paavai Nombu, and begins celebrating the entry to HIS Presence and praising HIM in her Hymn ‘Koodarai, vellum seer govinda’. She describes the dishes they will eat in the Paasuram (verse). Vaishnavites, in Tamil Nadu prepare Sakkaraipongal on this day as a must. This is how I prepare it as taught by my amma.

Ingredients:

1. Rice one cup.
2. Greengram dhal one tablespoonful
3. Powdered jaggery two and a half to three cups
4. Cashewnuts about five to six
5. Raisins few (one spoon app)
6. Cardamom (one spoon powdered )
7. Ghee one third of a cup (to be restricted according to one’s diet consciousness)
8. Milk one cup

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice in water, drain and keep aside.
2. Dry fry the dhal till golden brown, wash and add to the rice.
3. Boil the milk (diluted with two cups of water), add the rice and dhal mixture to it and cook in a pressure cooker.
4. Heat water and dissolve the powdered jaggery, filter the solution and make it into thick syrup in a thick bottomed vessel .
5. Add the cooked rice and dhal mixture to it, pour about a table spoon of ghee into it and keep stirring till they blend together nicely.
6. Fry the cashews and raisins in one tablespoon ghee, pour into pongal mixture along with the powdered cardamom.
7. Remove from heat, add the remaining ghee (or more according to ones taste) when it is still very hot.

Note: On Pongal day, which is falling on 15^th January this year, Sakkarai Pongal is usually prepared in a traditional vessel called paanai (pot) instead of a pressure cooker. In this method, one would pour the syrup of jaggery into the pot containing the cooked mixture of rice and dhal (cooked in diluted milk). This is then cooked till done. Care should be taken not to burn it. You can add water as required and ghee if needed.

HAPPY PONGAL!

Vella Aval (beaten rice with jaggery)

Here’s a simple and short preparation made out of beaten rice (aval), coconut and jaggery, as main ingredients.This is a traditional sweet dish made on even normal days . Children can enjoy it in the evening, can be preserved for 1 or 2 days. Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

1. Beaten rice- 1cup.
2. Grated coconuts- ½ cup approximately
3. Powdered jaggery- ¾ cups
4. Cashew nuts cut into pieces- 1 Tablespoon
5. Cardamom 3 to 4 Powdered.
6. Ghee – 1Tablespoon.

Step 1: The jaggery (vellam in Tamil) is to be dissolved in a wide mouthed vessel in water just sufficient to soak it. Heat it in medium fire with constant stirring, till all of it dissolves. Filter the solution to remove fine dust particles and keep it aside.

Step 2: Clean the beaten rice (aval Tamil).

Step 3: Heat a thick bottomed vessel or kadai and add ½ table spoonful of ghee and fry the cashews in it till golden brown and keep it aside.

Step 4: Pour the liquid jaggery in the thick bottomed vessel and heat till it boils to form a thick syrup. You will see that the boiling liquid is full of brown bubbles.

Step 5: Add the coconut gratings into it and allow to boil for 2 more minutes while stirring . Finally add the beaten rice and fried cashews. Turn off the heat, add the cardamom and the remaining ghee, stir well and allow to cool.