Poondu Kulambu / Garlic Gravy

Friends ,I am happy to share with u that Akheela from Toreview Toronto  has selected my dish keerai kadayal as the winner of the Food Palette series - Green.I am so honoured Akheela.Thanks for the herb pack,which will be very useful for me dear.Here is the entry and the recipe is here.

Garlic has so many healing natures.It is very good for nurturing mothers .My mom used to give me a lot of garlic in any form ,when rohith born.My H loves it a lot.when I saw this bulk at sam's club,grabbed it immediately.My mil will make it differently.This recipe is from my friend sheena.She is a wonderful cook and we will njoy her food ,when she was here in dallas last year.Missing her a lot.

Ingredients:
1.Garlic pods                -         30
2.Onion                         -          1/2
3.Pepper corns              -          1/2 tbsp
4.Chilli pwdr                -          1 tbsp
5.Turmeric pwdr           -          1/4 tsp
6.Tamarind juice           -           1 cup
7.Jaggery                        -           2 tbsp


For tempering:
1.Mustard seeds            -            1/4 tsp
2.Jeera                           -            1/4 tsp
3.Fenu greek seeds        -             14 tsp
4.Curry leaves               -           few

Method;
* Take a pan,add oil and saute chopped onion,garlic pods and pepper.
* Once it is sauteed well, remove 15 garlic pods and grind other ingredients in a blender.
* Now in another pan,add gingely oil ,temper with the tempering ingredients.
* Pour the grinded mixture into the pan.
* Bring it to boil, add turmeric pwdr and chilli pwdr.
* When the raw smell is eliminated,pour the tamrind juice and allow to cook completely.
* Now add the sauteed garlic pods, jaggery and mix it well.
*  Garnish with cilantro.
* Serve with hot piping rice.


Sending this to Sara's Healing foods - Ginger and garlic event

Mochai kuzhambu / Val Beans Curry and my son's Project

Basically, I am legume friendly girl.My mom used to give us ,lots of  legumes ,in the forms of sundal,gravies ..etc.Having legumes a week will make ur digestive system to have a new head start for the week.Rohith ,was cranky and cudnt go out for play,bcoz of the weather.When I started to take pics,he came forward and helped me with arranging the beans and curry leaves.When we r done,he ran and got his camera and started taking pics.Telling me,"mom dont touch anything" ( I used to tell him ,when I was taking pics:).I cudnt control my laughter.He  kept the arrangements,till his dad came for lunch.When my 'H',entered,he rushed said,"Surprise".My H was happy.Hmm atleast I was able to keep him engaged ,while I am working..

Ingredients:
1.Mochai or Val beans                   -         1 cup
2.Green Plantain                             -         1 medium sized
3.Onion                                           -          1
4.Tomato                                         -          1 1/2
5.Garlic pods                                   -          4
6.Turmeric pwdr                              -           1/4 tsp
7.Chilli pwdr                                    -          1 tbsp
8.Coriander pwdr                             -           1 tbsp
9.Tamarind juice                              -            1/2 cup

For Seasoning:
1.Oil                                                -              1 tbsp
2.Mustard seeds                               -              1 tsp
3.Cumin seeds                                  -               1 tsp
4.Methi seeds                                   -               1/2 tsp
5.Curry leaves                                  -                1 spring

Method:
* Soak val beans overnight and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
* Chop onion,tomato ,peel - cube, the green plantain and peel the garlic.
* Take a pan,add oil, spluter the seasonings.
* Saute onion with garlic pods and some salt.
* when it becomes translucent,add chopped tomatoes.
* Cover and cook with little more salt.
* Now add cubed green plantain and cook it well.
* When tomatoes becomes mashy, add turmeric,chilli and coriander pwdrs and mix it well.
* Let it loose its raw smell,now add the tamarind juice and bring it to a boil.
* When the gravy is thick,add the cooked val beans and cover and cook for 2 more mins.
* Adjust salt to taste and garnish with cilantro.

Note:
To make it flavorful,we can also add coconut milk .



sending this to MLLA #31 hosted by Simona and started by Susan

Araithu vitta Meen Kuzhambu / Fish curry with freshly ground spices

Fish curries are my families favourite.Shanvi's arachi vitta meen kuzhambu inspired me a lot.So I prepared her curry this week.It was heavenly,with freshly ground spices.....It tasted ,in the same way,where we used to prepare it in villages..But little spicy.We can alter the spice level according to our taste..I used here tilapia fillets.

I dont want to waste time in typing the methods....just chk shanavi's post.it will do all magic to ur curry,with freshly ground spices...For her recipe go here

For more seafood varieties go here......

Chick Pea Brinjal Curry (Kadalai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu)

This is an authentic south indian dish.I got this recipe from my Anni.She has master's in this dish (ha ha ha).It tastes like ,our granny's one pot dish.We can add all starchy vegetables,like green  plantain,yam,potato,along with brinjal.I have used potato yam with brinjal and chick peas.



Chick Pea Brinjal Curry!!!!




Ingredients:
1.Chick peas            -   1 cup
2.Brinjal                  -    3
3.Potato                   -    1
4.Yam                      -     1
5.Onion                    -     1
6.Tomato                  -     1
7.Chilli pwdr           -      1 tbsp
8.Turmeric pwdr      -      1 tsp
9.Tamarind juice      -      1/2 cup
10.Coconut paste      -       1/2 cup
11.Curry leaves
12.Cilantro

Method:
* Pressure cook the chick pea and keep it aside.
* Chop the onions,tomato,yam,potato.
* Slit the brinjal into 4 pieces.
* Take a pan pour some oil and splutter with mustard seeds,cumin seeds,methi seeds,curry leaves.
* Add all the ingredients from 2 thru 8 into the pan and bring it to a boil.



Boiling in pan......


* Cover it and cook until all the vegetables are cooked properly.
* Add the boiled chick pea into the pan and mix it well.
* Pour  tamarind juice and mix it well.Let it blend into the gravy nicely.
*  Adjust salt to taste and add the coconut paste.
* Give it a stir and turn off the stove.
* Garnish with cilantro.



All Vegetables in a blend.......


We can have this dish with steamed rice.It is very healthy as it has mixed veges and chick peas.
It just tastes like the dishes,where we wud have had in our grandma's house during vacation.
Note:
We can also add ginger to this dish,which will enhance the flavor.
Quick & Healthy Indian Chickpea Stew

Mor Kuzhambu ( Buttermilk Curry)

Mor Kuzhambu , is a spicy buttermilk curry, which is very famous in south India.Any watery vegetable ,is apt for this dish.I had some bottle gourd remainings, so i decided to do with that.




Mor Kuzhambu !!!

 Ingredients:

For Grinding:
1.Rice                    -   1/2 tsp
2.Toor dal              -   1/2 tsp
3.Cumin seeds        -   1/2 tsp
4.Coriander seeds   -   1/2 tsp
5.Green chillies      -    4
6.Coconut                -   1 piece   ( optional)

Tempering:
1.Mustard seeds       -     1 tsp
2.Red chillies           -     2
3.Onion                     -    1/2
4.Tomato                   -   1/2
5.Curry leaves
6.Cilantro
7.hing                         -  1 pinch
Method:
* Soak all the ingredients under the heading " For grinding" for half an hour.
* Grind all the mixture under the heading " For Grinding", with green chillies, into a fine paste .
* In the same jar add curd and turmeric pwdr and blend it as shown.


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Buttermilk with a blend..

 * Cut the botle gourd into a cubes and chop the onions and tomatoes.
* In a pan,add oil and splutter with mustard seeds and red chillies.
* Add hing and mix it well.
* Saute onion and tomato with some salt.
* When the tomatos get mashed up, add the bottle gourd pieces.
* Make sure that the bottle gourd is cooked well and add the grinded mixture into the pan.



Butter milk added to the curry..

 * Bring it to a boil and garnish with cilantro.




 Buttermilk Masala

Vatha Kuzhambu

Vatha Kuzhambu is an authentic Brahmin dish. Where it has fried sundakkai or manathakkali vathal , hence has the name. It is delicious and it has mixed flavors like , sweetness,sourness  and bitterness . All mixed at right proportion.There is a famous saying that 'vatha kuzhambu goes well with sutta appalam or roasted appalam'.

Ingredients:

1.Shallots                    -  10 to 15
2.Vathal ( any)             - 1/2 cup
3.Garlic                       - 5 to 6 pods
4.Multi purpose pwdr  -  2 tbsp
5.Tamarind juice          -  1 cup
6. Mustard                    -  1 tsp
7.Cumin                        -  1 tsp
8.Methi seeds               -   1 tsp
9.Jaggery                      -    1 tbsp
10.Curry leaves



Method:
* Check my multi purpose pwdr in my previous post. Take the basic one, with no coconut or sesame.
* Take a pan and pour sesame oil and cooking oil in equal proportion.
* Temper with cumin seeds,mustard ,methi and curry leaves.
* Add the sundakkai vathal and let it fry for some time.
* When it looses it color, add the onions. ( Dont chop the shallots).Sprinkle salt and turmeric pwdr.
* Add the garlic into the mixture and saute it well.
* When the onion oozes oil, pour the tamarind extract .
* Bring it to a boil and add the multipurpose pwder.

* People who needs their dish to be spicy, u can add plain chilli pwdr along with the multi purpose pwdr.This will give a  rich color to the dish.
* Add the jaggery, this gives the dish a unique  taste. ( Dont add too much) .
* Turn off the stove when it oozes out oil.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice and sutta appalam.

Ennai kathirikkai kuzhambu

Ennai kathirikkai is a chettinad special , where brinjals are stuffed ,fried and led into the curry.This is a tangy, mouth watering dish in which , my mother has a master's degree .. I hav a long lasting relationship with this dish. The famous vellore 'mullu kathirikkai' is the apt one for cooking this dish.
Ingredients:
I have taken 6 to 7 small brinjals. It can either be purple or green. 1 medium sized onion, 1 small tomato, 6 to 7 garlic pods, 1 lemon sized tamarind ,curry leaves and cilantro. For stuffing , take 1 tbsp of chana dal, 1 1/2 tbsp of peanut, 1/2 tbsp of cumin seeds. And as usual tampering ingredients mustard seeds,cumin seeds and fenu greek seeds or methi seeds.

Method:

Chop the onions ,tomato and take juice from tamarind. Dry roast the stuffing ingredients and grind it with onion and make a fine paste. Add turmeric pwdr, chilli pwdr and salt into the mixture as shown below.


Wash and cut the brinjals into 4 pieces. Dont cut them fully , let it be a partial cut so that the stuffing does not come out. Take half of the grinded mixture and stuff it into the brinjal.

Take a pan add some oil and tamper with mustard , cumin and methi seeds. Add curry leaves and add the stuffed brinjals into the mixture. cook the brinjals untill they are half cooked , as shown in the picture.

Once the brinjals turn into slight brown color, add the tomatoes and garlic into the pan. Saute the tomatoes until they get smashed into the dish .

Now add the remaining stuffing mixture into the pan and saute untill the raw smell is gone.Now add the tamarind juice and salt to the pan and let it come to a boil. The oil will ooze out from the curry , its the time to turn it off. And serve with hot rice after garnishing.

Note:

U can also add sesame oil to the curry . This gives the dish a unique flavor .