Kuzhambus - Gravies of South India!

Discussion in 'Ask ChitVish' started by Chitvish, Sep 28, 2005.

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  1. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    One Dish Dhal - goes very well with rice & roti!

    Moong dhal & masoor dhal - each ¼ cup (soak together for 30 mts)

    Choppe ginger, garlic (optional) - 1 tsp each

    Green chilli - 1, slit

    3-4 ladies’ finger - cut into 1” long

    Cluster beans - ½ cup (1: long)

    Brinjal pieces - ½ cup (1” long)

    Drumstick - (cut to 2” pieces)

    Carrot cubes - ¼ cup

    Potato cubes - ¼ cup

    Sweet corn kernels - ½ cup

    To temper:

    Oil + ghee - 1 tbsp

    Jeera - 1 tsp

    Hing, salt

    Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

    Curry leaves - few

    Pressurise dhals with haldi, ginger, garlic & green chilli till soft.

    Remove the chilli & mash.

    In a pressure pan, temper as given, add all vegetables & sauté for 5 mts.

    Add ½ cup of water, little salt & cook for one whistle.

    Cool, open & add the dhal mixture.

    Add water to get the required consistency & simmer for about 10 mts.

    This is a very tasty dhal.
    one dish dhal.jpg
     
  2. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Methiche Varan - I just fell in love with this!!

    Let me first tell you something deceptively simple but very successful.
    I plan to post this in Tips.
    Methi leaves:
    Pick clean leaves, wash thoroughly, drain & spread on a cloth for 3-4 hrs.
    They become perfectly free from moisture.
    Now take them in a shallow vessel, smear a tsp of oil on the leaves with hand & MW hi for 2-3 mts. They become absolutely crisp. If necessary MW for a mte or so more.
    Cool & crumble with your palm & preserve in the fridge. I use this for methi paratha, the following dhal etc.

    Methi leaves (if not by the above method, chop fine & use) - 1 cup

    Tur dhal - 1 cup

    Jaggery - 2 tsp

    Chilli powder - 1 tsp

    Salt, haldi

    To temper:

    Ghee - 1 tbsp

    Hing - ¼ tsp

    First wash & soak for 30 mts, then pressurise tur dhal with haldi, adding 3 cups of water till soft.

    Mash, add jaggery & chilli powder.

    Simmer for a few ts & remove.

    Temper & add hing.

    Next add methi leaes & sauté for 2 mts.

    Pour this over the cooked dhal, mix & serve hot with rice+ghee or rotis..
    methi dhal.jpg

     
  3. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Palak Tur Dhal - a slightly masala taste!

    Pressurise together till soft:

    Tur dhal - 1 cup +2 cups of water

    Minced green chillies+ginger - 2 tsp

    Chopped palak - 3-4 cups

    Haldi

    Cool & whisk well.

    Temper:

    Ghee - 1 tbsp

    Bay leaf - 1

    Cloves - 2,3

    Red chillies 2,3 broken

    Jeera - 1 tsp

    Hing - ¼ tsp

    Add tempered ingredients to dhal & simmer to blend.

    Remove & add lime juice to taste.
    palak turdhal.jpg
     
  4. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Ridgegourd-Dhal - very creamy & delicious!!

    Moong dhal - 1 cup

    Peeled & chopped Ridgegourd - 4 cups

    Minced green chilli-ginger - 2 tsp

    Finely chopped onions - 1 cup

    Salt, haldi

    To temper:

    Oil + ghee - 1=1` tsp

    Jeera - 1 tsp

    Hing - ½ tsp

    Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

    Garam masala - ½ tsp (or more)

    Pressurise dhal with haldi, & minced green chilli-ginger till soft, in a pressure cooker.

    Cool & whisk.

    Heat 1 tsp oil & sauté the onions till glossy.

    Add vegetable pieces & just ½ cup of water.

    Cover & cook till tender.

    Mix both dhal & vegs & simmer adding salt.

    Heat ghee & temper as given.

    Mix well & garnish with coriander leaves.
    ridgegourd dhal.jpg
     
  5. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Instant Morkuzambu Powder & kuzhambu - this takes exactly 5 mts!

    For SBS photos, please go to
    Instant Morkuzambu


    Jiffy morkuzambu:

    The following powder, if made & stored helps one make morkuzambu in 5 mts. If you want to add vegetables, it takes, one-whisle time or the vegetable-cooking time.

    Roast to golden brown on a dry kadai & powder:

    Gram dhal - 4 tbsp

    Red chillies - 8-10

    Jeera - 3 tsp

    Methi & pepper - ½ tsp, each

    Curry leaves - few

    Beat one cup of thick curds well, add to it 1 tbsp of the above powder & mix thoroughly.

    In a kadai, heat 1 tsp oil & temper 1 red chilli, mustard seeds, methi seeds (or powder) & curry leaves.

    Add the above mixture & switch off immediately.

    Keep stirring for 2-3 mts & add salt.

    If adding vegetables, boil them with littler salt & minimum water & then add curd-mixture. Temper last.

    jiffy MK-4.jpg
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2009
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  6. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Mooli Moong Dhal - superb with rice & ghee!!

    Yellow moong dhal - ½ cup

    White radish, grated fine - 1` cup

    Jeera - 1 tsp

    Bayleaf - 1 no:

    Cloves - 3

    Minced green chillies & ginger - 1 tsp, each (or to taste)

    Salt, haldi, hing

    Chilli powder - 1 tsp

    Ghee - 1 tbsp

    Chopped coriander leaves

    Cook dhal, radish, haldi & little salt with 2 cups of water till the dhal is tender.

    Whisk well to mash.

    Heat ghee & temper with the spices, hing, green chilli-ginger minced, chilli powder
    And sauté for 2-3 mts.

    Add the dhal mixture, a little more salt & more water, if necessary.

    Simmer to blend & remove.

    Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

    mooli dhal.jpg


     
  7. Chitvish

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    Sweet Potato Melgore - a Udupi dish!!

    This is a mild, not-spicy dish.

    Sweet potatoes (medium) - 3

    Chopped tomatoes - 3, medium

    Green chillies - 3-4, slit

    Coconut milk - 1 cup (1/3 cup fresh coconut +1 cup warm water, blended & strained)

    To temper:

    Oil - 1 tsp

    Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

    Cinnamon - 1 “

    Cloves - 3-4

    Salt

    Peel & chop sweet potato into cubes.

    Boil in 1 cup of water.

    When cooked, temper as given & add.

    Next add chopped tomatoes +green chillies.

    Cook for a few mts.

    Finally add coconut milk & salt.

    Simmer for a few mtes & remove.

    It tends to thicken on cooling; so make this slightly loose.

    Goes with rice+ghee and roti also.
    sweetpotato melgore.jpg
    melgore.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2009
  8. Chitvish

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    Dosakkai Pappu - a spicy pappu!

    Dosakkai is the cucumber variety, popular in Andhra.
    dosakkai.jpg
    Slice from both ends & test for bitterness. Peel & cut into 1 cm cubes.

    Tur dhal - ½ cup

    Dosakkai cubes - 1 cup

    Green chillies - 2 (slit long)

    Tomatoes - 2, copped

    Tamarind paste - 2 tsp (or to taste)

    Chilli powder - 1 tsp

    To temper:

    Ghee - 2 tsp

    Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

    Urad dhal - 2 tsp

    Chopped garlic - 1 tsp (optional)

    Salt, haldi, hing, curry leaves

    Chooped coriander leaves - to garnish

    Boil dhal with green chillies & haldi till soft.

    Whisk well & keep.

    In a pressure pan, heat ghee & temper as given.

    Add chilli powder & tomatoes, sauté well & add dosakkai cubes.

    Add salt, tamarind paste & just ½ cup of water & cook for a whistle.

    Cool, open, add cooked dhal & simmer.
    Adding little jaggery when simmerng enhances the taste.

    Garnish & serve with hot white rice+ghee or roti.
    dosakkai pappu.jpg
     
  9. Chitvish

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    Ripe Mango Gravy - goes very well with rice!

    This is an extremely simple kuzambu to make.

    Any variety of mango suits this dish. Peel, cut & blend.

    Pulp - 2 cups

    Ghee - 2 tsp

    Jeera - 1 tsp

    Hing - ¼ tsp

    Red chilli powder & dhaniya powder - 1 tsp, each (more, by option)

    Salt, haldi

    In a kadai, heat ghee & temper jeera & hing.

    Add masalas, fry for a few secs & add ½ cup of water + salt.

    When it starts boiling, add the pulp.

    Simmer to boil & remove.
    Ripe mango gravy.jpg
     
  10. Chitvish

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    Easy Poricha Kuzambu - ultimate dish for dieters!

    There is no tamarind; it is best made with a single vegetable, like, avarakkai, snakegourd, french beans, cabbage or brinjal.

    You can use either of the following dhal combinations -

    half tur dhal+half moong dhal,

    half moong dhal+half masoor dhal or

    plain tur dhal.

    Uncooked dhal (any combination) - ½ cup

    Cubed vegetables - 3 cups

    Sambar powder - 2 tsp

    Hing - ½ tsp

    Salt, haldi

    To temper;

    Oil - 1 tsp

    Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

    Urad dhal - 2 tsp

    Curry leaves - few

    To the cooked dhal, add vegetables, sambar powder, hing & salt& cook for 1 or 2 whistles depending on how fresh the vegetables are.

    Add less water because if the consistency is thick, it can be diluted by adding little more boiled water.

    Cool, open & temper.

    Goes best with rotis or rice, raitha, roast curry & papad.


    Tur dhal+beans
    Easy PK-beans.jpg
    moong dhal+masoor dhal
    easy pk-cabbage.jpg
    moong dhal+cabbage
    easy PK-brinjal.jpg
    tur dhal+ masoor dhal
    easy pk-pudal.jpg

    snakegourd+moong dhal
    june 27 004.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2009
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