Vendhaya Kuzhambu 1

Fenugreek (வெந்தயம்) is very good for digestion and helps reducing fatty tissue in the body. This also plays a role in controlling diabetics and reduces high blood sugar. The best way to reduce the high blood sugar is to soak a teaspoonful of fenugreek in water overnight and drink the water in empty stomach. It is always good to have fenugreek in one way or the other in our daily cooking.
There are few other versions of vendhaya kuzhambu and I will soon try out the other versions to publish. The texture of this version is more similar to other varieties of Kuzhambu,but has a special taste.

Ingredients:
Onions - 2 medium size
Tomato - 2 medium size
Tamarind juice - 2 cups (made from a small lemon size tamarind)
Drumstick - 10 to 15 pieces (you can alternatively use Brinjal)
Garlic - 20 pods
Oil -3 tablespoon
Salt - to tatse
Curry leaves - 5 to 6
Mustard - 1/2 tablespoon

For Masala:
Fenugreek (Methi or Vendhayam) - 1 tablespoon
Toor dhal - 2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - handful
Red Chillies - 4 (you can vary it according to your spice level)
Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon



Preparation:
1. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil and fry the ingredients given for masala till you get a good smell.
2. Cool the ingredients and grind it to a paste with little water.
3. Heat oil and add mustard seeds when oil is hot.
4. When mustard splutters, add onions and garlic and fry well till it turns golden brown.
5. Add finely chopped tomatoes and curry leaves and cook well.
6. Add drumstick and salt and cook in a low flame.
7. Pour the tamarind juice and bring it to boil for next 10 minutes till the raw smell goes off.
8. Add the ground paste ad mix it well and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes and you would get a very good aroma and it is ready to serve.
This dish goes very well with Rice, Dosa and Idli.

Pav Bhaji

This is one of my favorite recipes. Prepartion of this recipe is made easy by the readily available 'Pav bhaji masala' available in any indian grocery store. I use Burger buns as substitute for Pav.

Ingredients:
Pav - 8
Butter - 4 tablespoon

For Bhaji:
Potato - 1 medium
Carrot - 1 cup finely chopped
Beans - 1 cup finely chopped
Peas - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Tomato - 1 medium finely chopped
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Pav Bhaji masala - 2 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Butter - 2 tablespoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
lemon juice - 1/2 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - finely chopped for garnishing
Onions - 1 medium finely chopped for garnishing

Preparation:
1. Boil all vegetables (potato,carrot,beans) in little water with little salt and drain water completely.
2. Heat oil in pan and add onions and fry till it turns golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes and fry well. Add chilli powder and salt and mix well.
4. Add the boiled vegetables and smash the mixture well.
5. Add pav bhaji masala to the mixture and mix thoroughly and add little water and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes till the water evaporates and the bhaji is perfectly cooked.
6. Add lemon juice and mix well.
7. Garnish it with chopped onions and coriander leaves.
8. Heat a tava and spread butter and toast Pav on both sides.
9. Serve it hot with Bhaji.

Yummy yummy pav bhaji is delicious to taste.

Vadaikari (வடைகறி)

This is one of the famous breakfast dish of tamilnadu which is a very good combination with Idli and dosa.
Ingredients:
For Vadai: (10 numbers)
Channa Dhal - 200 gms
Onions - 2 medium (finely chopped)
Green Chillies - 4 (finely chopped)
Fennel Seeds - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Oil - to fry
Coraiander leaves
Curry leaves
For Gravy:
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 2 small pieces
Onions - 3 medium (finely chopped lengthwise)
Tomato - 2 medium (finely chopped)
Green Chillies - 3 (split lengthwise)
Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - to garnish


Preparation:
Vadai:
1. Soak Channa dhal in water for 1 hour
2. Grind dhal with fennel seeds coarsely with little water.
3. Mix chopped onions, green chillies, required chillies, finely chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves and required salts with the ground dhal.
4. Heat oil in pan and deep fry vadais till it gets good texture and flavor.
Gravy:
1. Heat oil in pan and add spices when it oil is heat.
2. Add onions and green chillies and fry till onions turn golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes, salt and chilli powder and fry it well till it becomes a good paste.
4. Break the vadas into small pieces and add it to the pan.
5. Add very little water and cook the mixture in low flame for next 5 to 7 minutes till the water evaporates and the gravy is ready.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and ready to serve.

Tomato Thokku (தக்காளி தொக்கு)

Ingredients:
Tomoato -4
Turmeric powder - 1 Teaspoon
Chilli powder - 2 Tablespoon
Asafoetida - 1/2 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Fenugreek powder (methi) (fry dry methi seeds and powder it) - 2 Teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 Tablespoon

Preparation:
1. Boil tomatoes and peel the skin and make a puree.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and asafoetida.
3. Add the tomato puree and turmeric powder and salt and stir well.
4. Add chilli powder and fenugreek powder and mix well and close it with lid and cook till the raw tomato smell goes away oil floats.

Tomato thokku is good combination for Idly/Dosa/Rice. Especially this is a lovely combination for curd rice/lemon rice. You can also stock this in an air tight container in refrigerator for 1 week.

Ellu (Sesame) Rice

Sesame seeds are very rich in Iron, magnesium and calcium. Nutrients of these seeds are better absorbed if they are ground before consumption. This is a very easy to make recipe and can be prepared in lesser than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 Cup

Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoon

To fry and grind
Black Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup

Red chillies - 5 t0 6 (If your chilly is more spicy, you can reduce the number).
Asafoetida - pinch
Urud dhal -1 teaspoon
Channa dhal - 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Preparation:

1. Heat pan and fry sesame seeds in a low flame without oil till it pops and comes out with a good smell. Donot over fry it. Fry all the other ingredients with little oil and allow it to cool.

2. Grind the mixture to a coarse powder

3. Cook rice by adding little salt to it.

4. Spread 2 tablespoon of oil over hot rice and add the powder and add salt as required and mix it well.
5. You can add fried groundnuts or cashewnuts to make it more tastier.

Paruppu Urundai (lentil dumplings) Kuzhambu

This is an authentic South Indian recipe made of lentils (channa dhal). This lentil is good for people with diabetes and helps them control their glucose levels.


Ingredients:
Dumplings:
Channa Dhal - 150 gms
Onion - 2 (medium sized)
Green chillies - 3
Salt - to taste
Gravy:
Vadavam - 1 tablespoon (Alternatively you can use 2 teaspoon of mustards)
Onion - 1 (medium sized)
Tomato - 2 (medium sized)
Garlic - 15 pods
Tamarind water- 2 cups
Coconut - 1 cup
Sambhar Powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Salt -to taste

Preparation:
To Make Dumplings:
1. Soak dhal in water for 1 hour.
2. Chop 2 onions and green chillies into fine pieces.
3. Grind it in mixer (little coarsely) and mix onions and chillies with required salt.
4. Add required salt and make small balls with this mixture.
5. Steam these balls in pressure cooker for approximately 10 minutes till they cook. You can steam them in the idly plates by spreading a little oil on the plates.


To make Gravy:
1. Chop onions length wise and tomatoes into fine pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan and when oil is hot add vadavam.
3. Add onions and garlic and fry niely. When this is almost cooked, add tomatoes and fry.
4. Now add sambhar powder and salt and mix well.
5. Add the tamarind juice and bring it to boil in low flame.
6. Grind coconut into a fine paste.
7. When the gravy cooks well and the raw tamarind smell is gone, add the coconut paste and cook the mixture in low flame for another 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Now gently prick the dumplings with the fork and drop them into the boiling gravy.

9. Boil the mixture well for another 10 minutes and the tasty urundai kuzhambu is ready.

Urundai kuzhambu can be served with rice or idli or dosai.

Ladies Finger (Okra) Raita (Pachadi)

Okra is an ideal vegetable for weight loss and it has to be always cooked over low flame to retain its properties. The fibre of okra has many superior qualities in maintaining health of the gastro-intestinal tract. A very simple yet tasty and healthy dish. Ladies Finger (Okra) is a very

Ingredients:

Ladies Finger - 200 gms

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Urud dhal - 2 teaspoon

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Oil - 3 tablespoon

Curd - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Cut Ladies finger into pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.

3. When it splutters, add urud dhal and asafoetida and when it turns golden brown, add ladies finger.

4. Add little salt and cook ladies finger well without adding water.

5. Remove this from heat and cool the mixture.

6. Add curd and salt if required and mix it thorougly.

Pachadi is ready to be served.

Carrot Raita (Pachadi)

Carrot as we all know is very nutritious vegetable highly rich in Vitamin A. Especially raw carrots are very good for health. This preparation with Carrot also uses raw carrot with few other basic ingredients and is a yummy dish that will tempt you by its color and taste. This dish can be prepared in 15 to 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

Carrot - 3 to 4

Onion - 2 small

Green Chillies -2

Curd - 1 cup

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

Oil - 3 tablespoon

Mustard - 1 tablespoon

Urud dhal - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 3 to 4

Preparation:

1. Finely grate the carrots and transfer it to a bowl.

2. Chop the onions to fine pieces.

3. Split the green chillies into halves.

4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds when hot. When it splutters add urud dhal and asafoetida and fry till it becomes golden brown.

5. Add curry leaves and green chillies and fry for 1 minute.

6. Now add finely chopped onions and fry till it becomes golden brown.

7. When done, add this to the grated carrot and wait till it cools down.

8. Add curd and salt to taste and mix thoroughly.

9. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Carrot Pachadi is ready to eat.

Note:

1. You can add little grated coconut finally to get an additional flavor.

2. If you are prefer sweet to salt, you can add sugar instead of salt.

Mixed Dhal Vadai (Aama Vadai)

Ingredients:

1. Toor dhal - 3 cups

2. Channa dhal - 1 cup

3. Urud dhal - 1/2 cup

4. Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

5. Red chillies - 5 to 7 (can add more if you like it spicy)

6. Grated coconut - 1 cup

7. Coriander leaves - finely chopped

8. Oil to fry

9. Salt to taste

10. Onion 2 (optional)

Preparation:

1. Soak all dhal in water for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Grind dhal, red chillies and grated coconut coarsely with little water.

3. Add required salt and finely chopped coriander leaves. You can also add finely chopped onions if you prefer it.

4. Heat oil in a pan and make round vadas and fry them 4 to 5 at a time turning the sides till it becomes golden brown.

5. Crispy hot vadai is ready to serve. This is very tasty snack that can be served separately or with coconut/kara chutney.

Sakkarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal)

A very famous sweet of TamilNadu made of rice, moong dhal and jaggery. This is a must to have sweet on Harvest Festival - known as Pongal in TamilNadu which is celebrated the same day as 'Sankaranthi' in Andhra.


Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 cup

2. Moong dhal - 1 cup

3. Milk - 1 cup

4. Jaggery - 1 cup grated (you can vary the quantity based on the sweetness of the jaggery you use)

5. Ghee

6. Cashew

7. Dry grapes

8. Cardamom - 2

Preparation:

1. Cook rice and moong dhal in 2 cups of water.

2. When it is half cooked, add milk and continue cooking.

3. When this is cooked completely, add the grated jaggery and mix well. Make sure to add jaggery only after rice is cooked. otherwise rice will not get cooked after adding jaggery.

4. Mix them well and cook in low flame for another 10 minutes. You can add cardamom powder or crushed cardamom.

5. Now heat ghee and fry cashews and dry grapes and add it to the cooked mix.

Sweet and tasty 'Sakkarai Pongal' is ready to serve.

Vegetable puff

Vegetable puff is one of my favorite snack. But it had been a long time since I ate it and recently I found that the preparation of the puff is very simpler with the frozen pastry strip available in most of the grocery stores in US. I managed to get the pastry puff strip from Wal-mart ( found it in the frozen section) and tried this for the first time. Active preparation of the snack is around 30 minutes but make sure you bring the pastry strip to room temperature before you could use it(which generally takes 45 minutes to 1 hour). My husband and myself enjoyed the taste of the hot vegetable puff on a friday evening.



Ingredients:
1. Pastry puff strip
2. Vegetables - 2 cup This can be a mixture of vegetable of your choice finely chopped. I prefer to have carrot, beans,potato,onion, peas
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
4. Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon
5. Red chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
6. Coriander powder - 2 tablespoon
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
8. Garam masala - 2 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil
11. Coriander leaves




Preparation:
1. Finely chop the vegetables and half cook them in a pan by sprinkling handful of water and closing the lid.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala and saute well.
3. Add the boiled vegetables and saute for 5 mins and allow it to cool.
4. You can make the puff in any shape you like, but i prefer rectangles. Cut the strip into rectangular pieces in length of your desire.
5. Take a little vegetable mixture and place it on one half of the strip and close it with the other side. Use water to seal the edges so that it doesnt open when baked in oven.
6. Bake this in oven at 450 degrees for 6 minutes.
Hot and fluffy vegetable puff is ready to eat.

Note:

I am yet to explore the alternative when the puff strip is not available. I will post it after I try it. Also variations can be made in the stuff with chicken or some sweet mixture with coconut and sugar.

Kadappa (கடப்பா)

Kadappa - For most of them, the name of this dish would make you think about the place in Andhra Pradesh or granite in tamil (even my husband used to tease the name of the dish when he heard for the first time). But for people who are bored with the routine chutneys and sambhar with idli or dosa this dish will surely be a good alternative. It is a kind of kurma with a variation by adding dhal and is mostly served around thanjavur district in tamilnadu. I learnt this preparation my grandma.

Ingredients:
1. Moong dhal - 1 cup
2. Onion - 2 finely chopped(big onions)
3. Tomato - 1 finely chopped
4. Potato - 2 (small)
5. Garlic - 10 pods
6. Ginger garlic paste -1 teaspoon
7. Green chillies - 4
8. Cloves - 6
9. Cinnamon - 3 small pieces
10. Fennel Seeds - 2 teaspoon
11. Bay leaves - 1
12. Coconut - 1/4 cup
13. Oil
14. Salt to taste
15. Coriander leaves - for garnish


Preparation:
1. Boil potatoes and cut into small pieces.
2. Boil Moong dhal separately and smash it well.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry half the amount of onions along with green chillies and ginger garlic paste till onion turns golden brown.
4. Grind the fried ingredients along with coconut, fennel seeds, 1 cinnamon piece and 3 cloves to a thick paste.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a vessel and add the remaining spices when the oil becomes hot.
6. Add the remaining onions and garlic saute them well.
7. Add tomatoes and when it is almost cooked add the boiled potatoes and mix well.
8. Add the smashed moong dhal and bring it to boil. You can add some water if it is very thick. Cook for 5 minutes.
9. Add the ground mixture and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves

Karuvepilai Poondu Kuzhambu (Curry Leaves, Garlic Kuzhambu)

Curry leaves which is mostly used for seasoning and garnishing in most of the tamilnadu recipes, is the main ingredient for this recipe. Curry leaves is very good for health and also is used as herb in ayurvedic medicine. Garlic on the other hand is known well to help preventing heart disease and cancer. This recipe is made with these two great ingredients and goes well with rice, idli or dosa.


Ingredients:
Curry Leaves - 2 cups
Garlic - 25 pods
Onion - 1 finely chopped
tomato - 1 finely chopped

Tamarind juice- 1 cup
Red Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 2 teaspoon
Red chillies - 4
Mustard seeds - 2 teaspoon
Methi seeds - 2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation:
1. Heat 100ml of oil in a pan, fry curry leaves and remove it from oil.
2. Fry 10 pods of garlic in the same oil till it turns golden brown and remove from oil.
3. Grind the curry leaves along with garlic into a fine paste.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil and when it is heated, add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add red chillies, methi and cumin seeds and fry well.
5. Add onions and saute it to golden brown and add remaining garlic and tomatoes.
6. Saute it well and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and mix it well.
7. Add the tamarind juice and bring it to boil.
8. After 5 minutes, add the ground paste and mix it well and cook well for next 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.


Tips:
- If you wish to use less oil, fry curry leaves in a dry pan without using oil.