Kuzhambus- the gravies of South India.

Idli Sambar with besan – simplest & fastest!

In a vessel, take 1 tsp oil, add ½ cup peeled small onions, lightly fry &cook adding 1 cup water & haldi. When cooked add ½ cup chopped tomatoes(deskin, if you prefer ), 2-3 slit green chillies & salt. When tomatoes are cooked, add 2 tsp besan (or the multipurpose powder, given in Tips ) mixed with little water to the above, stirring well till cooked. Remove & temper in 1 tsp oil with mustard seeds, 1 tbsp finely chopped onions & 2-3 red chillies. Remove & garnish with chopped coriander leaves. This is easy & good for idli & dosa.

Second sambar:

Chop 2 bigonions & 3-4 tomatoes.

Powder 4-5 tsp fried gram (pottukadalai)- multipurpose powder can be used.

Fry 1 tsp dhaniya & 5-6 red chillies & powder.

Heat 2 tsp oil , temper mustard seeds, add onions & tomatoes, fry well & add 1 cup of water & haldi.

When cooked, add dhaniya-chilli powder, mixing thoroughly .

Then add the multipurpose or pottukadalai powder mixed with water.

Boil, stirring well to prevent lump formation.

Remove & garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Novel Tiffin Sambar:

You can make this sambar in 30 mts if you have precooked tur dhal-otherwise it takes a little more time, but not much.

For 4 persons: soak 2 tbsp tur dhal in just 1 cup of boiling water for ½ an hour.

In the meanwhile chop 2 onions, 3 tomatoes(sour variety, if available) & slit 2 green chillies. Dry roast 1 ½ tsp channa dhal, 1 tsp dhaniya, 1 tsp jeera, I tsp til seeds, 2-3 red chillies, 4-5 peppercorns, a pinch of methi seeds, ½ tsp hing powder,turmeric powder &curry leaves. Powder this mixture.

In a pressure pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add onions,fry a little, add tomatoes & green chillies & then the soaked tur dhal with the soaked water Add salt & the powder.

Close & cook for 10 mts on sim after the 1^st whistle comes. Cool, open & lightly mash it & add coriander leaves. Temper with mustard seeds & red chillies.

If you are using precooked dhal switch off when the 1^st whistle comes. No need to mash. Do not add too much of water because the weight vent might get clogged. Once you open, dilute it to desired consistency. Adding a little tamarind paste is your option. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Quick Moongdhal Sambar:

With precooked moong dhal this can be prepared in 15 mts flat!

Otherwise, soak 2 tbsp lightly roasted moong dhal in boiling water for 30 mts.

In a pressure pan cook the above for 2 whistles.

Cool, open & lightly mash.

Wash the above pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, temper 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2-3 red chillies, ½ cup peeled small onions ( or 2 big onions, chopped ), fry well, then add 3-4 chopped tomatoes, curry leacves & 2-3 green chillies. When everything is well fried, add cooked dhal, salt, haldi & enough water for the desired consistency. Close the cooker & cook for 1 whistle. Cool, open & add chopped coriander leaves.

Last, but not the least is a very enjoyable, different sambar!
Potato Sambar:
Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup

Coconut milk (medium ) - 1 cup

(take from 2 tbsp grated coconut & 1 cup warm water)

medium potatoes - 4 (boil, peel & lightly break )

Onions - 2 (chopped )

Sambar powder - 2 tsp

Garlic - 6 pcs (chopped )

Lightly fry dry & powder:

3 tsp khus khus & 1 tsp saunf

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Cloves - 6

Cinnamon - 1” piece

Curry leaves - few

Salt

In a kadai, heat oil, temper the given ingredients, then add chopped onions & garlic & fry well till golden. Now add sambar powder, saunf-khus khus powder & coconut milk. Add salt. When it boils for a few mts, add boiled tur dhal & potato pieces. Simmer everything on a low fire.Remove.
This photo is posted below.

Hello Chitra,

I did try ur pitlai recipe.. I couldn't find vazhaipoo so tried it with kothavarai..
It came out so well, Chitra. Could u pls suggest as to what other veggies can be used to make Pitlais???

The curry leaf thokku was also good but I added 1 1/2 cups of curry leaves as I thought the masala had a strong flavour - to lighten that I added some more curry leaves and I think it came out well. It tastes good and looks good.

thanks a lot for sharing ur recipes.

Love & regards,

Hi Meena, Thanks for the feedback. We make pitlais with brinjal & bittergourd also. But the recipes are different. I shall post them also.
Curry leaf dish- we make it spicy because then it can be used as a side dish for curd rice. You can do it as you like.
Regards,
Chithra.
I hope you made a note that I have posted sambar recipes on your request.

Hello Chitra,

Thanks for all ur replies.
I did note ur sambar recipes.I'm gonna try each and every one of them. I picked up pinaapples last evening and planning to make Pineapple rasam today......

U know Chitra, its so difficult to keep pace with ur speed, evryday there's so many new ones in each section and I'm waiting for my daughter to return fm my mom's place so I can start off. also, need to plan for Diwali.
I love cooking but am a poor eater.. my hubby doesn't like sweets.. My daughter enjoys sambar, rasam, sweets, etc. and she is my critic...

nowadays as soon as I enter Indusladies, I straight away head to ur section and check out each and every post of yours. I'm learning a lot from ur posts.
For ladies who don't have elders at home to advise, ur mails are a boon, especially the traditional recipe section.

I tried the curry leaf chutney last evening and that was an immediate hit at home. I was just finding ways to make my family eat curry leaves and thats accomplished. Bitter guord is one of my favourite veg. and I'd look forward to recipes using it.

Chitra, another idea - how about starting threads on vegetables and recipes using them........ For eg. u take bitter guord and we can post recipes using this veg... and so on. anyways, Whatever u are doing right now is great...... pls just keep writing, it really, really helps.

love & regards,

Hi Meena,
Thanks for your mail. With pineapple, you can try payasam also with atleast half of it - it is a less common & delicious payasam. I also make pineapple race (kerala)& ofcourse gojju-you must be knowing it! In Chennai, we get peeled & cut fresh pineapple so conveniently now, everyday. I find that a boon, really!
I have a few bittergourd dishes, which I shall post shortly. Pitlai will come in Kuzhambus & the rest in Shakambari. If I start more threads, I am afraid I myself will get confused, where to post what! When I take efforts to give the recipes as correctly with clear instructions as I possibly can, feed backs like your mail give me a lot of encouragement! Please keep in touch with feed backs about whatever you try. You are free to write to me if some recipe is not correct as well! I don't want only praises.
Love,
Chithra.

This is a typical recipe of South Tamil Nadu which has become very popular now.

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Onions - 3 (chop fine)

Tomatoes - 3 ( chop fine)

Garlic pieces - 7,8 (crush lightly)

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp

Methi powder - ½ tsp

Hing powder - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi, curry leaves

Gingelly oil - 3 tbsp (more is optional)

Grind to a paste:

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

Cashewnuts - 7,8

Khus khus - 2 tsp

Mix tamarind paste with 2 cups of water, add salt & haldi.

In a kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil, temper mustard seeds, hing powder, then add onions, garlic & tomtoes adding one after the previous one is well fried.

Now add red chilli, dhaniya, methi powders followed by the tamarind water.

Allow the mixture to boil on a medium flame.

Add the coconut paste towards the end, simmer & remove.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil.
The spice level is your choice.

Dear Chitra,

I request you to post the recipes of pineapple gojju and payasam also.
Your style seems to be different - so this might also be something new to everyone..

I do agree that u already have so many threads and b4 u start anything new.. I need to try out and go thru the present tips and recipes... OR I'm gonna lag behind...

Pls do share small tips here and there - between lines because those small tips might make a big diff to that recipe.

Pls don't take the praises so lightly, u really, really deserve and its not an easy task - u spend so much time on this for our benefit and we definitely appreciate ur efforts.

Thanks Chitra for ur guidance.

Hello Chitra,

I prepared the appalam karakuzhambu (it was in a link which led to sysindia.com) and I just loved the taste.
I used to eat this in my friends house when I was in college and I really enjoyed it now.
I missed the thread - not able to find it. Pls tell me where it is, I need to chk out on vatha kuzhambu also.

thank you.....

Love & regards,

My dear Meena,
The link to appalam kuzambu is
http://sysindia.com/kitchen/visitors/sambhar/95.html
My tips on vathakuzambu is in the thread "tips, tips, tips" - it is missing in the indexed list.
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Bitter gourd - 2 (medium size)

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Cooked tur dhal - ½ cup (depending on desired thickness )

Salt, haldi

To fry in 1 tsp oil & grind:

Red chillies - 4-5

Pepper - ½ tsp

Udad dhal - 1 tsp

Dhaniya - 1 tsp

Hing powder - 1 tsp

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Jaggery - little (optional)

To temper in 1 tsp oil:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Udad dhal - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 1-2 (optional)

Cut bittergourd into small pieces.

Mix tamarind paste in 2 cups of water with salt & haldi.

Roast all ingredients given above & as soon as coconut & curry leaves are added, switch off the gas.

Grind them to a paste.

In a pressure pan heat 2 tsp oil, fry the vegetable lightly, till it starts shrinking.

This frying on a low fire, reduces the bitterness to a great extent & hence this step is very important.

Then add tamaind water, cooked dhal & paste.

Cook for one whistle.

If you prefer the vegetable very soft , cook for 2 whistles.

You can make it by the conventional method also, if you do not want to use the pressure pan.

After the vegetable boils soft in tamarind water, add cooked dhal first, give a boil & finally the ground paste.

Temper as given.

It is customary to add some jaggery to offset the bitterness of bittergourd.

Variations:

You can use 1 tsp of gram dhal instead of udad dhal when frying for the paste.

3 tbsps of black channa soaked overnight, boiled separately, can be added along with cooked dhal, in which case, decrease the cooked dhal amount.

1 or 2 fried appalams lightly crushed are added just before serving to give a very nice taste.

This goes very well with a green vegetable curry & a curd raita.