Kuzhambus- the gravies of South India.

Tur dhal - ½ cup

Raw peanuts - ½ cup (or less, by choice)

Tomatoes - 3, chopped

Green chillies - 4-5 slit

Tamarind - 1 tsp ( cocum, if available can be substituted, 3-4)

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Methi seeds & jeera - ½ tsp, each

Curry leaves & hing

To garnish - chopped criander leaves

Soak peanuts for 3-4 hrs (optional if you want them soft)

Pressurise dhal, peanut, haldi & green chillies till doft.

Cool & lightly mash.

Heat oil in a kadai & temper as given.

Add tomatoes & fry till soft.

Add masala powders, fry for a few secs & add dhals & tamarind paste or cocum.

Simmer for a few mtes & remove.

You can add lime juice instead of & tamarind paste or cocum.

Garnish & serve with rice or roti.
peanutdhal.jpg

After Deepavali over-eating, this kuzambu with just a paruppu thogayal is so light on our digestive system.

Tamarind paste - 4-5 tsp

Salt

Rice flour - 1/2 - 1 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

red chillies - 5,6 (broken)

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - 1/2-1 tsp

Gram dhal 2-3 tsp

Hing - 1/2 tsp

curry leaves - few

Heat oil & temper as given.

Add tamaind paste with 1 1/2 cups of water & boil for a few mtes.

Mix rice flour with 1 tbsp of water, add& simmer for the kuzambu to thicken.

Remove & serve hot with white rice.
puli venda saar.jpg

Dill is Suva Bhaji or sapsige soppu or Sombu keerai in tamil. They are very flavourful.

Masoor dhal - ½ cup

Chopped dill leaves - 1 cup

To mince together:

Garlic - 5,6 pieces

Green chillies - 2-3

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Onion - 2 tbsp, chopped (optional)

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt & little sugar.

Pressurise massor dhal with twice the volume of water & haldi.

Heat oil & temper as given, adding the minced ingredients & the chopped greens,.

Saute for a few mtes till the greens cook & shrink.

Add the dhal, salt, little sugar & simmer till well blended.

Serve with rotis or hot rice & ghee.

dill dhal-1.jpg

dill dhal-2.jpg

dill dhal-3.jpg

This is a very spicy kuzambu which can be refrigerated & used for a week. Mix just 1 tbsp with a cup of cooked rice + gingelly oil or ghee! It is very tasty. Goes very well with curd rice. The unique feature is, there is no oil & there is no cooking!! Use raw tamarind & not paste.

Tamarind - 50 gms - soak in 1 ½ cups of water for 2 hrs, squeeze well with hand & blend using a hand blender. Strain & use the pulp.

Roast DRY in a kadai:

Red chillies - 2

Tur dhal - 1 tbsp

Pepper & Jeera - 1 tsp, each

Methi seeds - ½ tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Cool, powder with salt, add to the tamarind water & mix well.

Temper thus - in a dry kadai, roast

Sundakkai vathal - 2 tbsp

Manathakkali vathal - 2 tbsp

Add the above & separately dry roast 1 tsp mustard seeds till they splutter & add to the kuzambu.
pachai VK-1.jpg

pachai VK-2.jpg

.

This is a post-pregnancy kuzambuand can be made with any 'allowed' vegetables.

I tried this with snake gourd.

Moong dhal - ½ cup

Diced snake gourd - 3 cups

Pepper powder - 2-3 tsp (powdered fresh – this is a must)

Salt

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Cook dhal till soft & steam the vegetable.

Mix both in a vessel, add salt & freshly ground pepper & just enough water to get the desired consistency.

Simmer for 7-8 mts till the raw flavour of pepper is lost.

Temper as given.

This goes best with amla raitha & a roast curry.
milaku PK-1.jpg

Milaku PK-2.jpg

This also involves nocooking-no oil! Keeps for a week in the fridge!Use tamarind & not paste.

Tamarind - 50 gms ( soak in 1 1/2 cups of water for 1-2 hrs, liquidise & strain).

To that add salt and the following:

Roast in a dry kadai:

Red chillies - 3-4

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Tur dhal - 1 tbsp

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - 1 tsp

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Sambar powder - 2 tbsp (or to taste)

Mix well. It is like a thick paste.
pachai vathakuzambu.jpg

pachai vathakuzmbu-2.jpg