VENDHAYAM ARAITHU VITTA KUZUMBU

This kuzumbu can be prepared quickly in no time, as you need not cook dhal seperately for this.
This kuzumbu rice tastes very good. Makes a good menu with curry and rasam.

Cut Vegetable pieces 100gms
(lady's finger, brinjal, drumstick,
mulangi,white pumpkin any of the above)
Tamarind lime size

fry and powder:

Thuwar dal 5 tsp
chena dal 2 tsp
Methi seeds 1 tsp
Red chilli 4 to 5
Lg little
curry leaves
Grated coconut 3 tsp
Salt
Haldi

For Tempering :
Mustard seeds, red chilli,curry leaves

METHOD
cut vegetable and soak tamarind in one glass of water and keep.cook veg in little water and when half done add haldi then salt.when vegetable is fully cooked pour the extract of tamarind andbring to boil. Add few curry leaves.Fry the ingredients given under "fry and powder" in little oilCoconut can be added last in kadai after frying dals etc.Make powder and add this powder after diluting with water to kulumbuand bring to boil. keep on low fire and stir. See that it does notstick to bottom. remove and do tempering.If you are using bendi or brinjal first season then add cut vegetables fryfor sometime, add water (little) and also little salt justenough for veg. when done add tamarind extract and followthe remaining method.A little jagree can be added in the end.Adjust consistency by adding water in the end if it is very thick.

PARUPPU PULI VECHA THUVAIAL

PARUPPU PULI VECCHA THUVAILAL
TUWAR DAL 2 (KAI PIDI OR KUZU KARANDI FULL)
RAI 1/2 TSP
METHI SEEDS 2 TSP
RED CHILLIES 5 TO 6
TAMARIND 1/2 LIME SIZE
SALT
LG POWDER 1/2 TSP OR WATER OF KATTI LG 1/2 TSP
HEAT OIL (3 TSP). ADD THE ABOVE INGREDIENTS EXCEPT TAMARINDAND SALT.FRY TILL DAL IS GOLDEN COLOUR AND GIVES GOOD SMELL.ADD LG POWDER LAST.SOAK TAMARIND IN LITTLE WATER.GRIND TOGETHER WITH SALT USING LITTLE WATER TO A COARSE PASTE. TO THE SAME RECIPE U CAN ADD TOMATOES. FOLLOW THE SAME METHOD AS ABOVE. IN THE SAME KADAIAFTER REMOVING DALS HEAT OIL (2 TSP) ADD CUT TOMATOES(3 TO 4),AND TAMARIND(INSTEAD OF SOAKING),SAUTE- CLOSE AND COOK ON MEDIUM FLAME TILL IT IS DONE.PUT OFFSTOVE. KEEP KADAI COVERED FOR SOME TIME, COOL AND GRINDALONG WITH ALREADY COARSELY POWDERED DALADDING SALT.FOR THIS RECIPE U CAN REDUCE TUWAR DAL QUANTITY.THIS IS BEST ACCOMPANIMENT TO KOOTTU.

PORICHA KOOTTU

KOOTTU-MANY OF US KNOW THE NAME OF THIS RECIPE.THIS ITEM FINDS PLACE IN ALL THE SOUTH INDIAN MENU ALONG WITH CURRY SAMBAR AND RASAM.IN MOST OF THE HOUSES IT IS HAD AS MAIN ITEM WITH KULUMBU.SINCE THEY USE DAL FOR KOOTTU THEY DONT MAKE KULUMBU WITH DAL AGAIN -BUT WILL GO FOR PLAIN KULUMBU WITHOUT DAL. IT IS BEST CHOSEN FOR THE NIGHT MENU IN MY HOUSE WITH THUVIAL WHICH HAS TAMARIND IN IT. THE USUAL COMBINATION IS IF ONE HAS SOUR TASTE THE OTHER SHOULD BE WITHOUT SOURNESS. SO THEY RIGHTLY NAMED 'PORICCHU' AND 'PULIPPU'.THAT IS WHY THIS KOOTTU IS CALLED PORICHA KOOTTU. IT TASTES GOOD ONLY WITH MOONG DHAL AND GIVES GOOD TASTE WHEN IT IS DONE AS 'ARAITHU VITTU'.THOUGH THE RECIPE IS SIMPLE TO MAKE WHEN SOME INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED IT COMES OUT AUTHENTICALLY.THE VEGETABLES YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS ENHANCES THE TASTE. IN ORDER OF PRIORITY WE CAN SAY --BRINJAL CLUSTER BEANS(KOTTUVARANGAI),AVARAIKAI,BEANS,SNAKE GOURD,CULIFLOWER AND CABBAGE.IF YOU CHOOSE TO PRESSURE COOK THE DHAL AND VEGETABLE THEN JUST ONE WHISTLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED. IT CAN BE DONE DIRECTLY IN A VESSEL.AND WHEN DONE SO THE DHAL WILL NOT COME STICKY.DEPENDING ON THE VEGETABLE YOU USE THE TIME TAKEN TO COOK IT ALSO DIFFERS.BEAN TYPE VEGETABLES CAN BE COOKED SEPERATELY TO AVOID DHAL BECOMING TOO SMOOTH WHEN COOKED TO GETHER.EVEN THE QUANTITY OF VEGETABLE REQUIRED TO COOK THIS RECIPE IS LESS. IF YOU REQUIRE HALF KG FOR CURRY YOU REQUIRE ONLY 1/4 KG FOR THIS. THAT IS THE REASON OUR ELDERS USED TOCHOOSE THIS TO MAKE IN NIGHT WITH THE VEGETABLE WHICH IS LEFT AFTER USING IT FOR MAKING CURRY.I REMEMBER THE ITEMS PREPARED IN THE MORNING WERE NEVER CARRIED FORWARD FOR USE IN THE NIGHT. THEY PREPARE THIS FRESH FOR THE NIGTH MENU WITH PULI-VECCHA THUVAIL. RASAM PREPARED IN THE MORNING WILL DEFINETLY BE ENOUGH FOR NIGHT TOO.THIS KOOTTU GOES VERY WELL WITH ROTI/CHAPATHI TOO.
PORICHU-KOOTTU
MOONG DHAL 1CUP
VEGETABLE(BRINJAL/BEANS/CAULIFLOWER) 250GMS
HALDI 1/4 TSP
SALT
LG
JEERA 1/2 TSP
CURRY LEAVES
FRY AND POWDER :
UDITH DHAL 2 TSP
RED CHILLIES 2
PEPPER CORNS 1/2 TSP
GRATED COCONUT OR DRY COCONUT POWDER 3TSP
FOR TEMPERING
MUSTARD 1 TSP
UDITH DAL 1TSP
LG
RED CHILLIES 1
CUT VEGETABLES OF YOUR CHOICE, CLEAN DHAL. IN A VESSEL COOK DHAL WITH
ENOUGH WATER. ADD HALDI. WHEN DAL IS HALF DONE ADD VEGETABLES.
ADD SALT CURRY LEAVES AND LITTLE LG.FRY UDITH DHAL, RED CHILLIES,
PEPPER AND IN THE END ADD COCONUT AND PUT OFF STOVE. GRIND TO SMOOTH
PASTE ADDING JEERA. ADD THIS TO COOKED DHAL AND VEGETABLE AND BRING
TO BOIL. HEAT OIL ADD MUSTARD, UDITH DHAL,RED CHILLIES AND REMOVE.
THE MEASURE OF RED CHILLIES AND PEPPER CAN BE ADJUSTED AS PER TASTE.
THE PEPPER AROMA AND TASTE WILL BE PROMINENT IN THIS RECIPE.
WE USE SOLID FORM OF LG IN PLACE OF POWDER. POWDER WILL BE USED FOR
TEMPERING ALONE. THERE IS A BEST WAY TO USE THE KATTI LG - BREAK THE
BIG PEICE INTO SMALL PEICES. USE A SMALL COMTAINER WITH LID TO PUT ONE PEICE
AT A TIME. ADD 2 TSP OF WATER N SOAK BEFORE YOU START COOKING. CAN USE FEW DROPS AT A TIME FOR EACH ITEM.CAN ADD 2 TSP WATER AGAIN FOR NEXT
USE TILL THE PEICE DISOLVES FULLY.
THE INGREDIENTS USED TO FRY AND POWDER CAN BE MADE IN MORE PROPORTIONS
AND STORED. THE SAME POWDER CAN BE USED FOR IYENGAR VATHAKULUMBU.
AND ALSO FOR PORICHA KOOTTU WHEN DONE AGAIN.

SAMAYAL PURANAM

I am thrilled to cook here in Moscow with the available vegetables. And go to get our indian ingredients available only in one indian store here.It is really nice to have our indian food with olive oil.How delicious it is to have our milagu rasam when the temperature is minus 10 and snowing on and off. Daily i browse and watch all the blogspots and do a different item.I feel proud to be a vegetarian and enjoy cooking.Get satisfied by just seeing the recipes and the photos in some blogs-- and nice to read the comments and to know that all the friends are in the same state of mind with the naustalgic feeling and always think of our THAI NAADU which they visit once in a while. But at the same time try to bridge the gap-- by hosting parties regularly and feedingthe bachelors and newly married couple.Parents ARUMAI thalli vandadaan theriyum enbadai thelivva parka mudigiradhu. I decided to be at home taking voluntary retirement from government service.My daughter by then grew up to marriageable age. Thought i will teach her cooking --atleast basic ones. Forgot that we are in net world_would-be grooms staying abroad chat with their fiances and mentally train them. And to my surprise she learnt one or two items of her choice in short period.But was struggling to know the names of the pulses and their uses. If she tells correctly in tamil wl make mistake in English --becos you need to pickup seeing the label in super market.Some vegetables english names were very difficult to understand without seeing them.She went with a couple of gifts of cookery books. I was prepared to help her on chat. But she gave me surprises and gave me sites to browse.Started hosting parties with starters followed by 7 to 8 items trying them all for the first time. Then i understood kalyana seer for girls now-a days is computer--and ofcourse internet connection is common in U.S.A.For the 1st one year i used to send her recipes through mails -which we follow in our tradition. I travelled to stay with my son who is pursuing his studies in Tucson,but failed to teach him cooking.He is happy with the food he gets in his Universityfoodcourts.Now came7th time to Moscow to be with my husband, who is also a good cook.I wish all my co-borns, their children who are all scattered in different part of this globe go through these recipes in my blog - and surely will remember those days when these were our regular items andbest prepared by mom.And my brother who keeps telling my little niecesthe benefit of curd rice to make them eat,was correct totell he will show it to the world bya site named"thachimommu.com".We are five children to our parentsand all are good cooks.Thanks to dad and his native place which isknown for its hospitality and good food and have to their creditsome signatures recipes. Shall continue putting them in my blog.

KEERAI-PULIPPU

KEERAI PULIPPU

KEERAI 3 KATTU

TAMARIND EXTRACT 1CUP

GREEN CHILLIES 2

JEERA 1 TSP

SALT

HALDI 1/2TSP

FOR TAMPERING

MUSTARD 1TSP

TOOR DHAL 4 TABLESPOON

DRY RED CHILLIES 3

METHI SEEDS 1TSP

LG 1/2 TSP

METHOD

CLEAN AND CUT GREENS. THIS CAN BE MADE WITH ANY VARIETY OF KEERAI. BUT
BEST TASTES WHEN PREPARED WITH ARAKEERAI.IN PLACES WHERE YOU GET ONLY
AMARANTH LEAVES AND PALAK YOU CAN MAKE WITH THAT.USE ONE LIME SIZE TAMARIND OR ACCORDING TO YOUR TASTE TO MAKE ONE CUP EXTRACT

ALTERNATIVELY USE 3 TSP PASTE DILUTED TO ONE CUP EXTRACT.SLIT GREEN CHILLIES AND KEEP. HEAT OIL IN PAN OR COOKER OUTER,ADD MUSTARD WHEN IT SPLUTTERS ADD TOOR DHAL, RED CHILLES,METHI SEEDS AND FRY TILL GOOD AROMA COMES AND DHAL TURNS GOLDEN. ADD LG THEN KEERAI,SLIT GREEN CHILLIES, JEERA AND SAUTE. ADD ONE CUP OF WATER ,HALDI AND SALT AND COOK TILL DONE. WHEN USING (SMALL) PRESSURE COOKER ALLOW FOR 3 WHISLES AND REMOVE LID ADD TAMARIND EXTRACT AND BRING TO BOIL TILL THE REQUIRED
CONSISTENCY IS GOT. THIS GOES WELL WITH SUTTA APPALAM.

ENJOY THE DISH!

PARUPPU THUVAIL

hi...This parruppu thuvail will go very well with the vatha kuzumbu.
It is usually a combination of quick menu when you are running out
of vegetables at home.
Fry these ingredients in little oil
chena dal 1 cup
dry red chillies 3
pepper corns 1/2 tsp
Grind to smooth paste with salt.
Should be had with hot rice n ghee.
Thottukka sollanuma iyengar vatha kuzumbu
irruke.

Iyyengar Vatha Kuzhambu

Hi i am a new blogger...Hema...
I am from Hyderabad (now camp at Moscow). Iyengar vatha kuzhambu is
different--varuthu araithu saivadhu.
Uluthamparuppu,varamilagai,milagu
perungayam and little grated coconut---fry in little oil and powder.
Do the same as you do for vathakuzumbu-1st fry vathal(manatakkali/sundiakai/pavakai vathal)along wiht mustard n curryleaves, then add pulikaraital
salt when it boils add the powder
and boil. This will not be thick
kuzumbu or oil floats in layer on the top of the kuzumbu. It looks glazy
but tastes superb. Can add jaggery
for sweet toothers.Perungayam katti
varthu araithal tastes koodum.Panni
saapittu dhaan parungalen.