Kuzhambus - Gravies of South India!

Whole moong (green) - ½ cup

Beans, chopped 1”long - 1 cup or more

Onions, chopped - ½ cup or more

Tomatoes, chopped - ½ cup

Green chillies - 2,3 slit

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - ½ tsp

Saunf - ¼ tsp (optional)

To add raw before switching off:

Crushed garlic - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Soak for 4-6 hrs whole moong & cook with more watr, than usual, till soft.

Starin & take the water.

To the water add, beans, onions, tomatoes, green chillies, red chilli & dhaniya powders & haldi.

Cook for 2 whistles.

Cool, open, add tamarind paste & cooked dhal.

Temper & boil the mixture to simmer for few mts.

Just before switching off the stove, add crushed garlic & curry leaves.

Keep it closed for sometime to allow the garlic to get cooked in the heat of the dish.

Serve with rice, idli, dosai etc.

Serve this with hot rice & ghee or with rotis.
This is generally made slightly thick.

Cook the following in a pressure cooker till soft:

Tur dhal - 4 tbsp

Gram dhal - 1 tbsp

Moong dhal - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped green chillies - 1-2 tbsp

Haldi

Water - 1 ½ cups

Cool open and lightly mash.

Temper as follows:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Red chillies - 2,3

Hing - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Finally add:

Lime juice - 2 tsp (or to taste)

Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbsp
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Pepper - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - ½ cup

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp ( to taste)

Oil -- 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Salt.

In I tsp oil, fry pepper, jeera & curry leaves.

Grind fine with tamarind paste, salt & enough water.

Heat 1 tsp oil, temper mustard seeds & add the ground paste with 1 cup of water.

When it starts boiling, simmer & cook till thick.

Mix with hot rice & serve.

Goes with any green vegetable curry & kootu.

For besan squares:

Besan - 1 cup

Jeera - 1 tsp

Melted ghee or hot oil - 1 tbsp

Salt

Sodabicarb - 1/8 tsp

Oil - to deep fry

Mince together:

Coriander leaves - 1 cup

Copped onions - ½ cup

Green chillies - 3, 4

Knead all the above ingredients, without adding water.

Make a stiff dough & roll to 1/8 “ thick.

Cut into small squares or circles & deep fry in hot oil to golden brown.

Gravy:

Onions - 2 big, chopped

Tomatoes - 3, large, chopped

Chilli powder - 1-2 tsp

Salt, haldi, garam masala powder

Fry chopped onions & tomatoes in 2 tsp oil. & grind to a paste.

Fry the paste on a kadai, over low fire, adding spices halfway through..

Then add 2 cups of water.

When it comes to a rolling boil, reduce heat & simmer gently for 5 mts.

Put in the fried besan pieces & simmer for 5 mts.

Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.

Originally Posted by Chitvish

Hi Meenaprakash,
I have just started on varieties of sambar & as soon as they are ready I shall post them. Yes, I will remember vathakuzhambu as well , in fact I have made some modifications on traditional vathakuzhambu -I liked them & I have passed on the recipes to a close friend for a feedback & her opinion, before posting them !
You are welcome to ask me, anyother traditional recipes.
Regards,
chithra.

Do you have a recipe for mendia kuzhambu.

Dear lmani,
I have already given venthaya kuzambu. Please refer to the second post in recipe index for kuzambus.
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by Chitvish

This dish is sweet & sour. This goes well with rice and rotis. Small whole mangoes can be used or diced mangoes can be used.
If using small mangoes, peel first. Add a little water to the peel & squeeze.

Mango pieces - 1 cups

Salt

Jaggery - optional.

Dear Chitra Mami, Should we use raw mangoes or ripe mangoes for this? Since it is a mango season now, I was browsing your recipes for raw mango recipes.
Thanks.

Dear Vase,
Please use fairly ripe mangoes to impart a little sweet taste to the dish.
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by vase

Dear Chitra Mami, Should we use raw mangoes or ripe mangoes for this? Since it is a mango season now, I was browsing your recipes for raw mango recipes.
Thanks.

This goes best with hot rice and ghee, ofcourse with parathas as well.

One can add finely chopped onions & garlic in the paodi batter, if preferred.

Pakodis:

Make a thick batter with:

Besan - ½ cup

Green chillies - 1, finely chopped

Jeera - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves, finely chopped - 1 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Cooking soda - a tiny pinch

Salt, haldi

Heat oil & deep fry the pakoris, dropping spoonfuls of batter in hot oil.

Deep-fry till golden brow & drain on kitchen tissues.

For the kadhi:

Beaten fresh curds - 1 cup

Besan - 1 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Salt, Haldi

Mix all the above ingredients together till free from lumps.

Bring to a boil.

Tempering:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Clove - 1

Red chilli - 1

Dhaniya seeds & jeera - ¼ tsp, each

Methi seeds - a tiny pinch

Grated ginger - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Heat oil & temper for 1 mte.

Pour over the simmering kadhi, lower thr flame & cook on low flame for 7-8 mts.

To serve:

Heat the kadhi on a low flame to boil.

Drop the pakodis & switch off.

Let them soak for a few mts.

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Split black urad dhal - ½ cup

Minced ginger+green chillies - 2 tsp

Chopped onions - ½ cup

Low fat milk - ½ cup

Cornflour - ½ - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

Oil - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Wash & soak dhal for 5-6 hrs.

Pressurise with little salt, haldi & minced green chillies-ginger.

Cool, open & whisk.

Heat oil, add jeera.

Saute onions in that for 5 mts.

Add dhal, little more salt & boil.

Add cornflour mixed with milk .

Simmer to boil for a few mts.

Remove & garnish with coriander leaves.
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