Thengai Araitha Kuzhambu

Today I felt like preparing another variety of kuzhambu, the preparation of which is more or less similar to that of Pulingari. The main base is a mixture of tamarind and coconut and the vegtables used are usually brinjals, ladies fingers, and especially raw bananas, which give it a special flavour and taste. This recipe was handed over by my husband’s grandma and so we fondly call it “patti kozhambu” in our family.

Ingredients:

1. 1 or 2 of the above mentioned vegetables – 200 grams, washed and cut into 2″ pieces.
2. Tamarind (washed and soaked)- equal to that of a medium sized lemon.
3. Coconut gratings – 2 tablespoons or 1/2 cup approximately.
4. Thuvar dhal – 1 tablespoon.
5. Fenugreek (methi) seeds – 1 teaspoon.
6. Red chillies -5 to 6 or according to taste.
7. Hing – 1 piece of the size of a pea, or 1/2 tsp if powdered
8. Turmeric powder- 1teaspoon.
9. Salt – to taste.
10. Curry leaves -3 to4 twigs.

For seasoning:

Cooking oil- 2 spoons.
Mustard seeds – 1 Spoon.

Preparation:

1. Heat a frying pan and pour 1 spoon of oil and fry ingredients 4 to7, ie Thuvar dhal, methi seeds, hing and chillies,till the dhal and methi seeds turn golden brown emitting a nice flavour. Allow to cool.
2. Cook the cut vegetables in a vessel by adding just sufficient quantity of water and the turmeric powder.
3. Wet grind the fried ingredients except the coconut gratings with water to a chutney like consistency. Add the coconut gratings, and run the mixer for a few seconds so that the gratings mix well with the other ingredients. Keep aside.
4. Extract juice from the Tamarind by adding about 2 cups of water  and keep aside.
5. When the vegetables are half cooked, add salt and the curry leaves, followed by the ground masala, and finally add the tamarind juice. Stir well to avoid lumps and allow to boil for 2 to3 minutes .
6. Heat the frying pan, add the remaining oil and the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and saute for 1 minute and pour into the boilng liquid. Remove from fire and allow to set before serving.

This goes well with rice. For a traditional taste, coconut oil can be used. The tamarind juice is to be added only in the final stage to retain the special flavour and freshness of the dish.

Chenaikkadi

I saw some Yams in the vegetable market today and another excellent dish that goes well with rice and sambar, came to mind. In Kerala we call it Chenaikkadi which is named after the main ingredient, the tuber Chenai - Tamil/Malayalam for Yam (suran in Hindi). Chenaikkadi is prepared out of Yam, moong dhal (greengram dhal) and coconut. This how I prepare it as taught by my mother.

Ingredients:

1. Yam – Half a kg, washed peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes.
2. Green gram dhal – 1 cup .
3. Coconut gratings – 1cup or shreds from half of a medium sized coconut.
4. Green chillies – 3 to 4, cut into small pieces.
5. Raw ginger -1/2 inch sized cube peeled and cut into small pieces.
6. Asafoetida (hing) – 1 small piece of the size of a pea soaked in water or 1/2 teaspoon if powdered variety.
7. Turmeric powder- 1teaspoon.
8. Salt to taste.
9. Curry leaves – 2 to 3twigs.
10. Lemon juice – of 1 medium sized lime. 

Seasoning :

1. Cooking oil -1 or 2 spoon.
2. Urad dhal – 1spoon .
3. Bengal gram dhal-1spoon(optional).
4. Mustard seeds – 1spoon.

Preparation:

1. Wash and pressure-cook the moong dhal in 1cup of water adding 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder till two whistles. Mash nicely after removing from cooker and keep aside.
2. Cook the cut pieces of yam in another 2 cups of water, adding the remaining part of turmeric powder ( this can be done in a pressure cooker as well, adding just sufficient quantity of water, since some varieties of yam are hard to cook ).
3. When the yam gets cooked, add 1/2 a teaspoon of oil to facilitate the process and add the cut chilli and ginger pieces and continue to cook.
   Add salt, the mashed moong dhal, hing, curry leaves and 3/4th of the coconut gratings, when the yam pieces become soft. Allow to boil for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat, taking care not to burn it by stirring and adding a little bit of hot water to the required consistency.
4. Heat a frying pan for seasoning. Add one spoon of oil and when hot add the mustard seeds first. The urad and bengalgram dhals are to be added after the mustard seeds start spluttering, followed by the remaining coconut gratings, when the dhals turn golden brown. Add a few more curry leaves and saute in medium fire till the coconut gets fried till reasonably crispy.
5. Now the yam and dhal mixture is also ready. remove from fire, add the above seasonings to it along with the lemon juice . Leave for some time to set and serve hot with rice.

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai

This time of the year marks the beginning of the Tamil month of Panguni and the end of the previous month of Masi according to the solar calender. Tomorrow, the 14th of March, is the first day of Panguni, on which day Karadaiyan Nombu is celebrated in commemoration of Sathi Savithri’s success in bringing back her husband’s life.

Karadai, a sweet preparation made out of rice powder and jaggery is prepared on this day. Although the name implies a different meaning.This is how we prepare it in our family.

Ingredients:

1. Roasted rice powder – 1 cup
2. Cow pea(Red) – 1tablespoon.
3. Powdered jaggery – 1 and 1/4cups.
4. Grated coconut- 1 and 1/2 cup or half a coconut of medium size.
5. Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon
6. Ghee -1 to 2 tablespoons.
7. A pinch of salt
8. Butter – about 50 grams.

Preparation:

1. To prepare roasted rice powder– Wash and soak 1cup of raw rice in water for 1 to 2 hours. Drain water and dry the soaked rice in a white cloth under shade. When the moisture is removed fully dry grind it in a mixer into a fine powder. Dry roast it in a frying pan till a nice aroma comes out of it, taking care not to burn it. Keep aside.(This can be readied the previous day itself)
2. Dry roast the cow peas in a pan in medium till it emits a nice flavour,and soak in just sufficient quantity of water and allow to stand overnight.
3. On the day of preparation, pressure cook the cow peas in the same water upto two whistles.
4. Dissolve jaggery in 1 and a half cups of water, filter, strain and allow to boil, adding the coconut gratings and the pinch  of salt till the raw smell goes.
5. Now add roasted rice flour and the cooked peas together into the boiling jaggery solution, stirring all the while.
6. Add the cardamom powder and the ghee, stir well till every thing together cooks well to form a thick paste. Remove from fire and allow to cool.
7. When reasonably cool, roll the cooked flour into balls. Take half of the balls and flatten in the form of adais on plantain leaves. The remaining balls have to be shaped into kozhukkattais.
8. Steam cook for ten minutes.
9. After removing the steamed adais and kozhukkattais, it is offered to god before consumption

The women in the family perform Naivedyam (offerings to the divine)  after placing a Karadai and Kozhukkattai in a plantain leaf with betel leaves, arecanut (betel nut) and a ripe banana in front of the idol of God. A Charadu (sacred thread) with a flower tied to it like a pendant (in a necklace) is also placed along with the offering.

A small quantity of butter is placed on the adai and offered to the gods. While offering the women chant, ‘urukkadha vennaium oradaium vaitthen, orukkalum piriyamal en kanavan irukka‘ which is essentially an entreaty to God to grant her husband a long life. After finishing the pooja, according to one’s custom, charadu should be tied around the neck.

This is an ancient ritual long practiced before the advent of modern customs like Valentine’s day, where the menfolk usually do the toil.

Pulingari

After quite a long gap, I am here to post one more Kuzhambu variety known as Pulingari, frequently prepared in our family.The name itself suggests that it’s main base is puli, or tamarind.This can be prepared in combination with vegetables like brinjals, drumsticks, ladies finger (okra) or even muli (radish) and onions. I made it with a combination of radish and brinjals in an earthern pot today.

Ingredients:

1. Tamarind- quantity of a medium sized lemon.
2. 1/4 k.g of any one or two of the above mentioned vegetables cut into 1 ” sized cubes.
3. Turmeric powder- 1 tea spoon.
4. Curry leaves -2 to 3 twigs.
5. Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon.
6. Salt -to taste.
7. Water needed- 5or 6 cups.

Ingredients for Masala:

1. Thuvar dhal- 3/4 tablespoon.
2. Bengal gram dhal- 3/4 tablespoon.
3. Dhania- 2 tablespoons.
4. Red chillies-5to6 or as per taste.
5. Asafoetida-1 small piece of the size of a peanut, or 1/4 tea spoonful, if powdered
6. Fenugreek (methi/vendayam) seeds- about a teaspoon.
7. Coconut gratings- 2 to 3 tablespoonful.
8. Cooking oil -1 tablespoon.

Preparation:

1. Heat the frying pan and pour 1teaspoon of oil.
2. When hot, add the masala ingredients from 1 to6 mentioned above, starting from hing followed by dhals one by one and fry till the dhals turn golden brown and emit a nice aroma.
3. Allow to cool for some time and grind these items in a mixer for 1 minute without water and then add the coconut gratings and grind after adding water to a chutney consistency and keep aside.
4. Wash and soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water. Cook the cut vegetables in a vessel with two cups of water and turmeric powder.
5. Extract tamarind juice by adding 1/2 cup of extra water and add the juice to the ground paste and mix thoroughly.
6. Add salt to the vegetables now, and continue to cook. Pour the ground paste (with tamarind juice) mixture. Add  few curry leaves and continue to  cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Heat the frying pan, pour the remaining oil and when hot,  add the mustard seeds. When they splutter add one red chilly and few curry leaves and saute for one minute . Pour into the boiling vegetable and  remove from fire.

Note: The vegetable should not be cooked  for too long after adding the ground mixture, lest  the flavour will be lost. Tamarind paste can also be used in place of juice in case a very limited quantity is needed.

Can be served with hot rice and ghee or gingelly oil when fresh. Can be preserved  for two days at least  and  goes very well with curd  rice.