Egg Kuzhambu (உடைத்த முட்டை குழம்பு)

I am quiet bored of the egg gravies and curries I usually prepare with boiled eggs. This is one of the variations I tasted in my Chennai Grandma's house and grabbed the recipe from her. The first time I tried it almost a year back, this became my husband's favorite too. This is really very simple to make and also can be served as a side dish with Idlis/dosas/chapathis or with rice.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1. Eggs - 4
2. Onion -1 big thinly chopped
3. Tomatoes - 2 medium sized finely chopped
4. Green chillies - 2 vertically split
5. Curry leaves - 2 to 3
6. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
7. Urad dhal - 1/2 tablespoon
8. Oil - 3 tablespoon
9. Salt to Taste
10. Coriander leaves for garnishing.

For Masala

1. Grated coconut -
2. Pepper - 1/2 tablespoon
3. Red chilly powder - 1 tablespoon
4. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
5. Turmeric powder - a pinch
6. Fennel Seeds - 1 tablespoon
7. Ginger - a small piece (about 1/2 inch)
8. Garlic - 2
9. Curry leaves - 3 to 4
10. Mint leaves - 4 to 5
11. Cloves - 2
12. Cinnamon - a small stick(abount 1/2 inch)

Preparation:
1. Prepare a wet paste with all ingredients given for masala.
2. Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds, urad dhal, green chillies, curry leaves and onions by adding one by one.
3. When the onion turns transparent, add tomatos and cook well for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the paste made in step 1, salt and mix it well. Add around 1 1/2 cups of water and cook the mixture for 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Break the eggs one by one (they should be separate and not touching each other) into the boiling mixture.
6. Cook for 10 minutes in medium low by covering with a lid. Turn the eggs without breaking at half time.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice/idli/dosa/chapathi.

Tips:

1. Try using a wide pan for the eggs to cook without mixing with each other.

Pepper Curry Leaves Gravy (மிளகு கருவேப்பிலை குழம்பு)

This is one of my very favorite preparation. Thanks to SanthaKumari aunty (a family friend, such a lovely and dear person to me and our family) for giving this recipe that I always love. This is a variation to the normal Tamarind Kuzhambu and more rich in taste and aroma.

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Onion - 2 medium sized finely chopped

2. Tamarind extract - 200 ml

3. Garlic - 10 pods

4. Curry leaves - 5 for seasoning

5. Oil - 1-2 tablespoon

6. Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon

7. Urad dal - 1 tablespoon

8. Butter - 1/2 tablespoon (optional)

To Powder

1. Pepper - 1 tablespoon

2. Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon

3. Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tablespoon (make sure not to over fry as it will turn bitter)

4. Curry leaves - 30 - 35

Preparation:
1. Cook the garlic in little water and smash it into coarse pieces.
2. Add red chilly powder and salt to the tamarind extract and keep it aside.
3. Dry fry the ingredients given for powder, cool and grind it into fine powder.
4. Heat oil in a pan and season with Mustard seeds, urud dhal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and fry for 1-2 minutes.

5. Add chopped onions and cooked garlic and saute until onion turns transparent. Pour the tamarind extract and one cup of water, cook in medium flame for 20-25 minutes until the raw tamarind smell goes off and the mixture reduces into half.

6. Now add the grounded masala powder. Set it in low flame and continue cooking for another 5 mins and switch off the stove. Finally add one tablespoon of butter (this is optional)

Appalam/Paruppu or thengai thuvayal with this rice will make an excellent meal.

Kathirikai MochaiKottai Kuzhambu (Brinjal and Val bean Gravy)

This is a gravy recipe with Brinjal and white Val bean (mochai) in tamarind juice and coconut paste. Freshly prepared coconut paste adds a rich flavor to this dish. 

Preparation Time: 1 hour


Ingredients:
1. Brinjal - 3
2. White dried Mochai - 1/2 cup
3. Onion - 2 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Tamarind juice - extracted from small lemon sized tamarind.
5. Sambhar Powder - 2 tablespoon (you can vary this per your spice level)
6. Salt to taste
7. Oil - 3 tablespoon
8. Mustard seeds - 2 teaspoon
9. Methi seeds - 1/2 tablespoon
10. Vadagam - 1 tablespoon
11. Curry leaves - 5 to 6
12. Garlic - 10- 15 pods


To make paste:
1. Coconut - 1/2 cup
2. Poppy seeds - 2 teaspoon

Preparation:
1. Soak mochai in water overnight and boil them in the cooker for 2 - 3 whistles.
2. Cut the stem of brinjal and slit it into 4 to 5 pieces, do not cut them separately. Chop onions into fine vertical pieces and tomatoes into fine pieces.
3. Make a paste with coconut and poppy seeds.
4. Heat oil in a pan, and when hot add mustard seeds, vadagam and methi seeds.
5. Add onions and fry until it turns transparent. Add garlic, tomatoes and curry leaves and fry well for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add the brinjal, boiled mochai, sambhar powder, salt and mix it well and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Now add the tamarind juice bring it to boil and cok until the raw smell of tamarind goes off. This would take atleast 15 to 20 minues.
8. Add the ground paste of coconut to the boiling mixture. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.


Spicy, yummy kuzhambu is ready to serve. This can be served with rice/idly or dosas.


Tips:
1. You can roast the beans a little before cooking. This will give an additional flavor.

Quick MorKuzhambu (மோர்குழம்பு)

This is a simple version of Morkuzhambu (a gravy made of curd/butter milk). Though this is not an authentic preparation, this can help you prepare a different recipe in a very lesser time.

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
1. Onion - 1 medium sized
2. Tomato - 2 medium sized
3. Green chillies - 2 split vertically
4. Buttermilk - 300 ml
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
6. Salt - to taste
7. Curry leaves - 3 to 4
8. Oil - 2 tablespoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
10. Urud dhal - 2 teaspoon



Preparation:
1. Add turmeric powder in butter milk and churn it well.
2. Heat oil in a pan, and add mustard seeds when it is hot. Add urud dhal and curry leaves, when mustard splutters.
3. Now add finely chopped onions and fry well untilit becomes golden brown.
4. Add green chillies and tomatoes and cook well.
5. Add required salt.
6. Now bring it to low flame and add the butter milk to the pan. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes and switch off the stove.

Enjoy the quick recipe with Rice :)
PS:
1. DO NOT BRING IT TO BOIL as boiling curd/butter milk would make it separate and watery.
2. If you wish, you could also use any vegetable like Pumpkin/Okra to make the same recipe.

Vendhaya Kuzhambu 2

This is another version of Vendhaya kuzhambu, different compared to the previous one as we just grind only coconut and use all other ingredients as whole. It can be prepared in 20 minutes and this quantity would serve 5.

Ingredients:
1. Onion - 1 big
2. Tomato - 2 medium sized
3. Garlic - 15 pods
4. Mustard Seeds - 1 tablespoon
5. Cumin Seeds - 1 tablespoon
6. Channa dhal - 1 tablespoon
7. Urud dhal - 1 tablespoon
8. Curry leaves - 5
9. Fenugreek/methi seeds (Vendhayam) - 1 tablespoon
10. Oil - 3 tablespoon
11. Salt to taste
12. Red chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
13. Coriander powder - 2 tablespoon
14. Tamarind - 1/2 cup of tamarind extract or 2 teaspoon of tamarind paste
15. Grated coconut - 3 tablespoon



Preparation:
1. Heat oil in pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add cumin seeds, fry for a while and them add channa dhal and urud dhal and curry leaves and fry well.
2. Add methi seeds and fry well. Dont over fry it as the dish will taste bitter.
3. Add onions and garlics and cook until onion turns golden brown and garlics become translucent. Add tomatoes and mix well.
4. Now add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, salt and cook it for another 1 - 2 minutes.
5. Add the tamarind paste and 2 cups of water and bring it to boil in low flame for 10 minutes and stir the mixture occasionally.
6. Grind the grated coconut to paste and add it to the boiling mixture and cook for another 5 minutes in low flame and the dish is ready to serve.

This dish goes well with rice/idli/dosa

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.

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.

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.

Kara kuzhambu (காரக்குழம்பு)

This is a spicy tamilnadu dish made with tamarind juice that goes well with rice, idli or dosa. Vegetables like Drumstick, Ladies finger, Brinjal can be used in the preparation.


Ingredients:
1. Ladies finger - 200 gms
2. Tamarind juice - 350 ml
3. Turmeric powder - a pinch
4. Garlic - 15 to 20 pods ( You can add more garlic if you like the taste of it)
5. Onion - 2 to 3 (Use small onions to make your dish taste better)
6. Tomato - 2
7. Oil - 6 to 7 tablespoon
8. Vadagam (This is a seasoning ball made of onions,garlic,curry leaves, mustard. If you dont have this ingredient, alternatively season with mustard, curry leaves, urud dhal, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds).
9. sambhar powder - 2 teaspoon
10. Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and when it is heated, add vadagam (or alternatives).

2. When it splutters, add onions, garlic, tomatoes and turmeric and fry well.

3. When it is half cooked, add the ladies finger and fry. Add required amount of salt and sambhar powder.

4. As the ladies finger gets cooked, add the tamarind juice and bring it to boil.

5. Let it boil in a low flame for atleast 15 to 20 minutes till it becomes semi solid and oil separates and floats on top. Kara kuzhambu is ready.

Mushroom Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Mushroom - 250 gms
Small onions - 4 to 6
Onions - 2
Garlic - 3
Red chillies - 3 to 4
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 2
Fennel seeds - 2 teaspoon
Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves -
Corainder leaves - to garnish
Salt - to taste
Oil

Preparation:

1. Heat little oil in a pan and fry all spices along with red chillies, small onions, garlic and curry leaves(6 to 7) till you get a nice flavor.
2. Grind this with the grated coconut with water to get a semi-solid paste.



Heat oil in pan and add the chopped onions and remaining curry leaves. When it turns golden brown, add the mushrooms and little salt and cook the mushroom. When it is half-cooked add the ground paste and cook well. Add water if you like it to be more liquid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with Coriander leaves.
This is a good combination with rice, chapathi, dosa, idli

Vadai Morkuzhambu

Ingredients:

For Vadai:
1. Urud dhal - 200 gms (soaked for 30 to 45 minutes)
2. Onion - 2 finely chopped
3. Green chillies - 3 finely chopped
4. Oil
5. Salt to taste

For morkozhambu
1. Curd/butter milk - 250 to 300 ml
2. Tomato - 2 finely chopped
3. Salt to taste
4. Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

To grind:
1. Coconut - 1 cup
2. Rice - 2 table spoon (soaked in water for 15 mins)
3. Toor dhal - 2 table spoon (soaked in water for 15 mins)
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 table spoon
5. Asafoetida - little
6. Cumin seeds - 2 table spoon
7. Green chillies - 3 or 4 (based on your spice level).


Preparation:

For Vadai:
1. Grind urud dhal without water and add required salt , chopped onions, green chillies and mix well.
2. Heat oil and make round shape vadas and fry them in oil till it turns golden brown on both sides.



For Morkozhambu.
1.Grind all the given ingredients with little water.
2. Add turmeric and the ground mixture to the curd and beat it well.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when it splutters add urud dhal to turn gold brown.
4. Add tomatoes and fry well.
5. Now add the curd mixture and bring it to simmer for 5 minutes (do not boil it too much).
6. Now add the vadas and leave it in heat for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Now your vadai morkozhambu is ready.





PS: You can alternatively use other vegetables like ladies finger or pumpkin instead of vadai for morkozhambu.