Arachu Vitta Sambar

Ingredients:

Toor dal (cooked and mashed) – 1 cup.
Drumsticks (cut) – ½ cup.
Onion (chopped) – 2.
Tomatoes (chopped) – 2.
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp.
Tamarind extract – ½ cup (lemon size tamarind pulp).
Oil - 4 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp.
Curry Leaves - 5 or 6.

For Grinding:

Bengal gram dal (channa dal) – 2 tbsp.
Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
Coriander seeds (dhania) – 2 tbsp.
Red chillies – 3.
Fenugreek seeds (methi) – 1 tbsp.
Coconut (shredded) – 3 tbsp.
Asafoetida powder - one pinch.

Method:

1. Pressure cook the Toor dal with a pinch of Turmeric powder in it. Keep it aside.
2. In a small pan, pour a drop of oil and fry, the ingredients under "For Grinding" to golden brown.
3. Turn off the stove and now add the coconut to the above ingredients.
4. Grind it into a fine paste and keep it aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions. Fry till the onions turn brown and then add tomatoes and drumstick.
6. Once the tomatoes turn mushy add the pressure cooked dal and the ground paste. Mix well for 3 mins.
7. Add the tamarind extract and two cups of water and let it cook for 15-20 mins on medium heat.
8. Heat oil in another pan, add mustard, curry leaves and once the mustard starts to splutter add to the sambar mixture.
Switch off the stove and serve with rice.

Notes:

Coconut will give nice taste to sambar. But it is optional. If you don't want it you can avoid that.

Lemon Rasam

Special about this rasam is, we dont need tamarind or any rasam powder to prepare this.

Ingredients:

Boiled Toor dal - 4 tbsp.
Tomato - 1.
Green Chillies - 3 (cut length wise).
Ginger - finely cut one small piece (optional).
Salt - as required.
Hing -as required.
Turmeric Powder - ¼ tbsp.
Lime juice - 2 ½ to 3 tbsp.
Water - 2 glasses.
Coriander leaves - 4 to 5 leaves.

For Seasoning:

Oil - 1tbsp.
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp.
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves.
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp.

Method:

1. In a vessel put Cooked Toor dal, Slit green chillies, Chopped ginger, salt, Hing, Turmeric powder and 1 glass of water, mix well.
2. Allow it to boil, when it starts boiling add cut tomatoes and boil till the green chillies cooked (colour of green chillies will change.)
3. Now, add remaining water and boil till foamy.
4. Switch off, squeeze lemon juice.
5. Garnish with Coriander leaves.
6. Season the ingredients with oil.
Serve with hot rice.

Sundal kuzhambu or kadalai kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Channa (chick peas) - ¾ cup.
Onions - 2 (if large or 3 if medium) chopped finely.
Tomatoes - 1 ½ chopped finely.
Green chillies -1 split into two.
Oil - 4 tbsp.
Tamarind - small lemon size.
Mustard seeds - ¼ tbsp.
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves.
Fenugreek Seeds - ¼ tbsp.
Chilli powder - ½ tbsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp.
Salt - as required.

To grind:

Coconut - 1/4 cup.
Pearl onions - 5.
Cumin Seeds - ½ tbsp.
Pepper - ¼ tbsp.
Tomato - ½.
Sambar powder - ½ tbsp.

Method:

1. Soak the channa for atleast 2 hrs.
2. Pressure cook and keep it aside.
3. Soak the tamarind in water and squeeze the juice out of it. Keep aside.
4. Grind the ingredients under “To Grind” to a fine paste.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, onions and green chillies. Saute for some time till the onions become brown and then add the tomatoes.
5. Saute for some time till the tomatoes become mushy.
6. Add the channa, chilli powder and coriander powder and saute for 1 min.
7. Then add tamarind water and salt to taste and saute it.
8. Then add the ground paste and add 1 cup of water to it. Cover it partly with a lid and keep in a medium flame.
9. After 5 mins, Remove from fire when oil floats on top. Then garnish will coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice.

Appala Kuzhambu or Pappad Curry

Good recipe for both Chapathi's and Rice.

Ingredients:

Appalams - 6.

Big Onion - 1.

Tomato - 1.

Pressuer Cooked Channa dal - 3 fistfuls.

Urad Dal - 1 tbsp.

Chilli Powder - 2 tbsp.

Turmeric Powder - A pinch.

Dhaniya Powder - 2 tbsp.

Salt - as required.

Oil - 1 tbsp.

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp.

Curry Leaves - 5 to 6.

Coriander Leaves - as required.

For Grinding:

Big Onion - 1.

Tomato - 1.

Garlic - 3 to 4.

Ginger - 1 inch piece.

Pressure Cooked Channa dal - 1 fistfuls.

Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp.

Method:

1. Soak channa dal in water for some time and pressure cook till soft. 

2. Fry appalams and keep aside.

3. Grind the ingredients under "For Grinding" and keep it aside.

4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. 

5. Add onion, tomato, chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhaniya powder and salt. 

6. Add the pressuer cooked channa dal and ground paste and cook on a medium heat till a semi liquid consistency is reached. 

7. Add litlte water and boil for 5 mins.

8. Break each appalam into 3 or 4 pieces and add to the curry. Simmer on a low heat for 3 or 4 minutes. 

9. Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Any One vegetable of your choice (lady’s finger, brinjal, bitter guard or drumstick).
Small Onion - 6 to 7 sliced.
Tomato - 1 chopped finely.
Garlic - 4 to 5.
Tamarind - One lemon size. (To dilute in ¾ cup).
Hing - a little.
Red Chilli Powder - 1 ½ tbsp.
Coriander Powder - 1 ½ tbsp.
Sambar Powder - ½ tbsp.
Turmeric powder - ½ tbsp.

For grinding:

Coconut - 1/4 cup. (This takes out the extra hot and extra sour out of the dish.)
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tbsp.

For seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - ½ tbsp.
Cumin seeds - ¼ tbsp.
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tbsp.
Fennel seeds - ¼ tbsp.
Urad dal and Channa dal - ½ tbsp.
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai and season with the above ingredients under "For Seasoning" and fry onion and garlic till Golden brown.
2. Now add chopped tomato and fry till it becomes pulp and add the vegetables for few minutes (4-5 mins).
3. Add all powders, mix well with the tamarind diluted water and add this to kadai.
4. Let it boil, till Oil floats on top.
5. Now add the grinded Coconut and bring it to a boil for few minutes.

Tasty and Spicy Kulambu is ready.

Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Vendakkai - 8 to 9.
Small onion - 10 nos or large onion - 1.
Tomato - 1.
Red chillies - 2.
Mustard seeds - 1/ 2 tbsp.
Fenugreek seeds (methi) - 1/2 tbsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp.
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Curry leaves - 5 to 6.
Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size (Soak in water. Squeeze and extract the pulp).
Grated coconut- 1/4 cup.
Salt to taste.

Method:
1. Wash and thoroughly dry the vendakkai with a kitchen towel.
2. Cut the top and the end of the vendakkai, and chop into 1 inch pieces.
3. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and add methi seeds, curry leaves.
4. After that add onion, red chillies and garlic and saute them 5 minutes. Now add tomato and cook it 3 minutes.
5. Then add coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and vendakkai pieces.
6. Mix well and cook them 5 minutes.
7. Grind the coconut to paste.
8. Now add tamarind water and coconut paste, bring to boil, reduce the flame and simmer covered for about 10-15 minutes till the raw smell of tamarind goes away.

Sundakai Vatral Kuzhambu

This is very tasty recipe, easy to prepare.

Ingredients:




Sundakkai Vatral - 15-20 numbers.
Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp.
Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp.
Hing - a pinch.
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tbsp.
Tamarind - use one small lemon size (Soak in water. Squeeze and extract the pulp).
Big Onion - 1 or small onions - 10.
Tomato - 1.
Garlic - 6 to 8.
Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp.
Coconut Grated - 1/4 cup.
Curry leaves - 5 to 6.
Salt - as required.

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the sundakai vatral till it reaches brown color and keep aside.
2. In the same pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and add cumin seeds, hing and pearl onions and fry till it turns transparent and add coconut and fry until it reaches golden brown color.
3. Remove from fire. When cooled grind this into a fine paste. (Note: Grind sundakai vatral with this if anyone dont like to eat it as it is, it is good for health).
4. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and when it is hot add curry leaves, onions and tomato and fry for sometime and then add the tamarind juice.
5. When it boils add the ground paste. (Add the roasted sundakai vatral now if you didnt grind it).
6. Add ½ cup of water and salt, simmer the flame and partly close it with a lid. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes till the oil separates on top.

Your sundakai vatral kulambu is ready, Have it with pappadam's or with any paruppu kootu.

Poondu Kuzhambu / Garlic Gravy

Poondu Kuzhambu / Garlic Gravy is one of the tastiest curry in tamil nadu, more spicy.

Ingredients:

Garlic pods (peeled) - 12 to 15.
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp.
Hing - a pinch.
Curry leaves -5 to 6.
Tamarind - use one small lemon size. (Soak in water. Squeeze and extract the pulp)
Water - 2 cups.
Salt - as required. 

To Grind:

Ginger - 2 inch piece.
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp or use Coriander powder - 1 tbsp.
Dry chillies - 5.
Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp.
Pepper - 1/2 tbsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbsp.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the ingredients under "To Grind" items one by one. (Take extra care while frying fenugreek. If they are burnt, it spoils the dish. You can avoid fenugreek, if you are not confident.)
2. Grind the fried spices to a fine paste.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds and urad dal.
4. Add curry leaves, garlic and onion. Fry till the onion turns transparent.
5. Add tomato, salt and turmeric powder and fry till all juice comes out.
6. Add the grind paste, saute a little and pour water.
7. When the raw smell leaves, add the tamarind extract and let it cook on low heat for sometime.
8. Turn off the heat when oil starts floating on the top.

Now your poondu kuzhambu is ready. :-)