Kuzhambus - Gravies of South India!

Morcharu - of antique value !

Sour butter milk - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2

Salt

Curry leaves - few

Chopped coriander leaves - few

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 1,2 (to taste)

Omum ( ajwain) - ¼ tsp

Fairly sour thick churned buttermilk should be used.

Mix rice flour & lightly crushed green chillies with the buttermilk.

Heat oil & temper as given.

Add the butter milk mixture & lower the flame.

Add curry leaves & chopped coriander leaves.

When it starts frothing around the edges, remove.

Add salt & keep stirring for 2,3 mts.

 

Sundakkai Pitlai - combines iron & protein !

Select sundakkai which is not the bitter variety.

It can be used in combination with

1- - another vegetable like tiny bittergourd ( called mithi pakal) or brinjal or white pumpkin or banana flower or just by itself.

2- a whole gram like raw peanuts, perumpayaru, small brown channa etc, besides tur dhal.

Slit the sundakkai into 2 or crush lightly & put in hot water for sometime.

Rinse 2,3 times changing water every time.

Vegetables - 2 cups

Whole gram - 1/3 cup

Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Salt, haldi, jaggery

To fry in 1 tsp oil & grind to a paste:

Red chillies - 5,6

Pepper - ½ tsp

Dhaniya - 3 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tsp

Coconut - ½ cup

Hing - 1 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Soak grams overnight & cook them till soft.

Cook tur dhal & keep ready.

Heat 1 tbsp oil & fry the vegetables, adding haldi.

When lightly fried, add tamarind paste mixed with water & salt.

Cook till the vegetables are soft.

Add cooked grams, cooked tur dhal & boil well.

Add the ground paste, mix well & simmer to boil.

Little jaggery can be optionally added now.

When the desired consistency is reached, remove & temper.

 

Knol Khol Poricha Kuzambu - let us use a less commonly used vegetable.

Knol khol - 250 gms ( select tender ones}

Milk - 1 cup

Pottukadalai powder or Melkootu mavu - 2 tsp

Salt, haldi

Roast in ½ tsp ghee & grind fine to a paste:

Red chillies - 4,5 ( to taste)

Pepper - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tbsp

Grated coconut - ½ cup

To temper:

Oil or ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Select very tender knol khols & cut into 4.

Pressurise for 2 whistles.

Cool, open the cooker, peel the vegetable & cut into cubes.

Or you can peel, cut into cubes & pressurise for 2 whistles.

In the vessel, take th boiled vegetables, salt & the ground paste mixed with the milk.

Avoid vigorous boiling, but simmer well for cooking everything together.

Add little water, if necessary to get the right kuzambu consistency.

The pottukadalai powder mixed in some water, may be added if the kuzambu is not thick enough.

Temper as given.

Note:
The consistency can be like a kootu or a kuzambu, as per your desire.

 

Vengaya (small onion) Sambar - Sunday Samayal !

"Vengaya sambar & potato roast " was the sunday special menu in most of the South Indian homes, till pulao made its entry !

Small onions - 1 cup ( minimum)

Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Salt, haldi

To roast in 1 tsp oil & grind to a paste:

Red chillies - 7,8

Dhaniya - 4 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tsp

Methi seeds - ½ tsp

Coconut - 2 tbsp

Hing - ½ tsp ( optional)

Curry leaves - few

3,4 of the peeled onions

To temper in the end:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Finely chopped small onions - 1 tbsp

To garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Oil - 4 tsp.

Peel the small onions.

Heat the oil in a kadai & saute the peeled onions till the colour changes.

Add tamarind paste, 2 cups of water, salt & haldi.

Boil on medium flame till the onions are cooked.

Then add cooked dhal & ground paste.

Boil & simmer till the desired consistemcy is reached, adding more water, if necessary.

When the whole mixture is homogeneous, remove & add coriander leaves.

Temper as given, frying the chopped onions till light brown.

 

Theeyal - Strictly for coconut-lovers only !

Theeyal powder:

Grated coconut - 2 cups ( select specially, ripe coconut & not tender one)

Red chillies - 8

Dhaniya - 1 tbsp

Pepper - ½ tsp

Haldi - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Roast all the above ingredients in a hot kadai on sim slowly till brown.

Grind in the mixi dry jar without adding water.

Stop the mixi, scrape the sides well & grind again.

The oil in the coconut & ingredients will get ground to a paste.

Onion theeyal:

Small onions - 1 cup – cut vertically into thin pieces.

Tamarind - 1 tbsp

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Coconut oil ( preferable) - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Heat oil & temper as given.

Add cut onions & fry well.

Add the tamarind paste, salt, 2 cups of water & the paste.

Cook till onions become soft.

Bittergourd Theeyal:

Bittergourd - 3 medium

Small onions - ½ cup

Tomatoes - 2, 3

Green chillies - 2

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Cut bittergourd into 1 “ pieces.

Chop onions into long pieces.

Chop tomatoes & green chillies.

Method is the same as above.

You can do this in a pressure pan & cook till one whistle comes.

You can make theeyal with drumstick & yam ( chenai).

 

Upppadam - a "no fuss" kuzambu, please !

Ladies” finger - ¼ kg

Green chillies - 6,7 ( to taste)

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Roast dry & powder:

Red chillies - 3,4 ( to taste)

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Rice - 4 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 1 ½ tbsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Cut ladies’ finger into 1 “ long pieces.

Slit green chillies also.

Heat oil in a vessel, splutter mustard seeds, add hing & fry ladies’ finger pieces & slit green chillies.

Fry on a medium fire well.

Then add tamarind paste mixed with water & salt. I added mixture of tamarind-tomatos.

When the vegetable is cooked soft, add the powder mixed with water.

Mix well to prevent lump formation.

When everything has boiled together, remove.

 

Vathakuzambu with Paruppu - no kuzambu podi, please !

Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup ( more or less is optional)

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp - you can use
Tomato-Tamarind Gravy For Kuzambus

Dry Vathal - 3-4 tbsp ( sundakkai or manathakkali) - in case you do not have vatrals, use vegetables like brinjal or bhendi or drumstick or avarakkai.

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Gingelly oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2,3

Methi seeds - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Hing - ½ tsp

Mix tamarind paste with 1 cup of water & keep ready.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil & temper as given.

When they are all fried, add tamarind water, half of the vathals ( raw, without frying), chilli powder, salt & haldi.

Allow to boil on a medium flame for a few mts.

When a good “ boiled flavour” comes, add cooked dhal & simmer.

When the mixture has blended well, remove.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil, fry the remaining vathals & add as a garnishing.
This has a taste, different from sambar & vathakuzambu

 

Coconut milk-Vegetable kuzambu - known as Sodhi in Thirunelveli.

Moong dhal - ¼ cup

Grated coconut - 2 cups

Carrot ( medium) - 2 – chop into ½ cm rounds

Beans - 15 - Chop 1” long

Drumstick - 2 – chop 2” long

Cauliflower - 2 cups flowerets

Peas - ½ cup

Potatoes - 3 medium – boil, peel & cut into big pieces.

Onions ( big) - 3 – chop

Small onions - 20 – cut into 2

Garlic - 15 pieces – chop ( optional)

Green chillies - 4,5 ( slit)

Tomatoes - 3 – deskin & chop

Lime juice - 2-3 tsp

Salt

Curry leaves

To temper in 1 tbsp oil:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Grind fine:

Green chillies - 7,8

Fried gram ( pottukadalai) - 3 tbsp

Boil moong dhal soft.

Grind coconut in 3 instalments with ½, 1 1/2 & 2 cups of water respectively.

Boil all vegetables ( including onions) in the 3<SUP>rd</SUP> coconut milk.

Now add the second milk to which ground paste is added.

Add chopped tomatoes, cooked dhal & boiled potato pieces.

Add salt & mix well.

When all ingredients have blended well, simmer.

Add first coconut milk & immediately remove.

Add lime juice & curry leaves.

Stir well for sometime.

 

Horsegram (kollu) Sambar - I learnt this very recently !

Vegetables – usual sambar vegetables.

Horse gram or kollu - 2 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Salt, hing

To fry in 1 tsp oil & grind to a paste:

Red chillies - 5, 6 ( or more to taste)

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Methi seeds - ½ tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Coconut - 2 tbsp.

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Roast horse gram dry in a kadai till it becomes almost red in colour.

Grind it along with the other roasted ingredients & coconut to a paste.

In a pressure pan, add the vegetables, tamarind paste, 2 cups of water, salt, haldi & the ground paste diluted with 1 cup of water.

Close the cooker & keep the weight.

When the first whistle comes, simmer the flame.

Switch off after 3 mts.

Cool, open & temper.

 

Small onion-potato-cauliflower masal kuzambu - most delicious !

This goes with plain rice as well as with idli & dosai !

Cubed potatoes - 1 cup

Same size florets of cauliflower - 1 cup

Small onions, peeled - 1 cup

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Cinnamomn - 1”

Cloves - 4

Cardamom - 4

Oil - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

To grind fine:

Sambar powder - 1 tbsp (or to taste)

Khus khus - 1-1 ½ tbsp

Adding warm water to coconut, take ½ cup thick milk & 2 cups thin milk.

In a pressure pan heat oil , temper cinnamon, cloves & cardamoms.

Fry small onions for a few mts.

Then add potato cubes & florets of cauliflower & fry a little.

Add thin coconut milk & tamarind paste mixed well.

Add salt & pressure cook for 3 mts after the first whistle, on sim.

This is to cook the potatoes soft.

Open add the ground paste & curry leaves.

Boil for a few mts on medium flame.

Add the thick milk.

Mix well & simmer till all the ingredients are well blended.

Note:

To grind khus khus fine, just heat it on a small kadai & immediately powder with sambar powder in the smallest mixi attachment. Then add very little water to get a paste.