KARUVEPPILAI (CURRY LEAVES)KUZHAMBU - TWO VERSIONS

This is very good for digestion. This recipe is a "pathiya samayal" given to ladies after child birth. This kozhambu can be mixed with rice and best with curd rice also. I have given here two methods of preparing this kozhambu.

The best combination for this is Daangar pachadi and sutta appalam.

INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Pepper - 3/4 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 1 or 2
Urad dhal - 2 tsp.
Toor dhal - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - 1 cup (tightly packed)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Gingelly oil - 3 tablespoons
Hing - a pinch
Salt - as per taste

VERSION 1:

METHOD:

Soak tamarind in lukewarm water and extract thick pulp.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat a spoon of oil and fry pepper, chillies, hing, urad dhal and toor dhal till golden brown. Now add, curry leaves and saute well till it changes its colour. When cool grind everything in a mixie to a paste.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, pour in the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for five minutes. Now add the ground paste and let it boil till it thickens.

VERSION 2:

INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Pepper - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 1 or 2
Curry leaves - 1 cup (tightly packed)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Gingelly oil - 3 tablespoons
Hing - a pinch
Salt - as per taste

METHOD:

Heat a spoon of oil in a pan and fry pepper and chillies. When pepper splutters, add cumin seeds and saute for 5 seconds. When cool, grind this in a mixie, alongwith curry leaves, hing , tamarind and salt. Add a cup of water and grind again to a fine paste.

Heat the remaining oil, temper with mustard seeds and add the ground paste. Pour one more cup of water and mix well. Allow it to boil in a medium heat, till it reduces to half and thick.

CHOW CHOW KOOTU

INGREDIENTS:

Chow chow - 1/2 kg
Moong dal - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Pepper - 1/4 tsp.
Dry red chilly - 1
Urad dhal (split) - 1 tsp.
Coconut(scraped) - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Hing
Salt
Oil - 1 tsp.

METHOD:

Pressure cook moong dhal with turmeric powder and mash it well. Keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil and fry pepper, chillies, and urad dhal till golden brown. Grind it in a mixie to a paste alongwith scraped coconut.

Peel and dice chow chow to cubes. Cook it with a pinch of turmeric powder, required amount of salt and hing. When done, add the mashed dhal and ground paste and bring it to a boil till thick.

Season it with mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Goes well with South Indian meals, rice, pooris and chappatis.

KARUVEPPILAI THOGAYAL

INGREDIENTS:

Curry leaves - 1 cup (tightly packed)
Dry red chillies - 4
Pepper - 1/2 tsp.Urad dhal - 3 tsp.
Tamarind- 1/2 lemon size
Hing
Salt
Oil

METHOD:

In a kadai, heat a spoon of oil and fry the curry leaves till crisp. Keep aside. In the same kadai, fry urad dhal , pepper, chillies and hing till golden brown. In a mixie, first dry grind the curry leaves, chillies, pepper and tamarind with salt. Add water little by little and grind to a thick paste. Finally, add urad dhal and give it a whip. Mix it with rice alongwith a little bit of ghee and gingelly oil added to it.

PORICHA SATHAMUDHU / PORICHCHAATHUMUDHU / PORICHA RASAM

"Vaikunta Ekadashi" is an important festival of Hindus. Lord Vishnu says in 'Padma Purana' that whoever worships HIM on this day will reach His abode 'VAIKUNTAM'. People fast on 'Vaikunta Ekadashi' day and have 'Dwadashi Paranai' (special food or thali) on the next day which levels the acidity and the menu by itself is fantastically medicated. We don't use tamarind for this thaligai(samayal). The menu is as under:
1. Rice
2. More kozhambu
3. Agathi keerai kariamudhu (poriyal)
4. Poricha kootu
5. Poricha sathumudhu(Poricha rasam)
6. Nellikkai pachadi or Nellikai thogayal
7. Akkaraadisil or any kannamudhu (payasam)
8. Sundakkai vathal fried in ghee
9. Curd

NOW THE PORICHCHAATHUMUDHU(PORICHA RASAM):
Tomatoes - 3
Green chilli - 1
Salt - as per taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Jeera - 1 tsp.
Toor dhal - 1 tsp.
Pepper - 1/4 tsp.
Coconut scraped - 1 tsp.
Dry red chilly - 1
Ghee - 2 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Coriander leaves - few

METHOD:

Roast, toor dhal, pepper, jeera, red chilli& hing in a spoon of ghee and grind it in a mixie alongwith scraped coconut to a powder or paste.

In a vessel, add 1 cup of water, salt, slit green chilli, and finely cut tomatoes. Allow it to boil for sometime. Add the ground powder and 1 more cup of water and bring it to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and season it with mustard seeds.

Variation: You can add rasam powder instead of dry roasted powder.

SNAKEGOURD FRY

INGREDIENTS:

Snakegourd - 1/2 kg.
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Urad dhal - 1 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.

Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp.
Oil - 2 tablespoons

METHOD:

Cut snakegourd into thin 1" long pieces. Mix salt, and turmeric powder and marinate it for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water completely using your hand.

In a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds and urad dhal and when golden brown, add the marinated snakegourd and chilli powder. Add 1/4 tsp.sambar powder if you want it more spicy (optional). Mix well. Stir in between and fry in medium low flame until it is cooked crispy.

MOLAGU KUZHAMBU / MILAGU KUZHAMBU

Generally for molagu kozhambu, we do not use any vegetables. It has its own taste. A slight variation is, karuveppilai kozhambu, in which we use a handful of curry leaves whereas for molagu kozhambu we use few curry leaves. The preparation is same for molagu kozhambu and karuveppilai kozhambu. This is very good for digestion. This recipe is a "pathiya samayal" given to ladies after child birth. This kozhambu can be mixed with rice and best with curd rice also.

The best combination for this is Daangar pachadi and sutta appalam.INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Pepper - 3/4 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 1 or 2
Urad dhal - 2 tsp.
Toor dhal - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - a handful
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Gingelly oil - 3 tablespoons
Hing
Salt

METHOD:

Soak tamarind in lukewarm water and extract thick pulp.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat a spoon of oil and fry pepper, chillies, hing, urad dhal and toor dhal till golden brown. Now add, curry leaves and saute well till it changes its colour. When cool grind it in a mixie to a paste.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, pour in the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for five minutes. Now add the ground paste and let it boil till it thickens. Molagu kozhambu is ready.

JEERA RASAM-TYPE 1

JEERA SATTUMUDHU

Sometimes, you do not feel like eating (Anna dwesham), OR you"ll not have a taste in your tongue due to some illness, OR morning sickness when pregnant OR may be a stomach upset, OR want to eat something light after a party or function, a tumbler of this rasam will help you. You can mix it with rice also.



INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind - half the size of a lemon
Dry red chillies - 1 or 2
Jeera - 2 tsp.
Hing
Salt
Ghee - 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.

METHOD:

Grind together jeera and chillies using little water to a paste or powder jeera and chillies coarsely.(DO NOT SAUTE IN OIL)

In a vessel, pour a cup of water, add tamarind, salt and hing and let it boil for a while till it reduces to half. Now add the coarsely ground powder or paste and allow it to boil for sometime. You can smell a nice aroma. Now pour in 3 cups of water and when frothy, remove from fire. Keep aside. In a pan, heat ghee, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour over the rasam.

MILAGU RASAM

(MOLAGU SATHAMUDHU)
INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind - half the size of a lemon
Pepper - 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 1
Toor dhal - 1 tsp.
Jeera - 1 tsp.
Hing
Salt
Ghee - 1/2 tsp.
Oil - 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.

METHOD:

In a kadai, heat oil, and fry pepper, chillies, toor dhal till golden brown, and at last add jeera and saute for 5 seconds.. When cool, coarsely grind it to a powder or paste using little water. Keep aside.

In a vessel, pour a cup of water, add tamarind, salt and hing and let it boil for a while till it reduces to half. Now add the coarsely ground powder or paste and bring it to a boil. You can smell a nice aroma. Now pour in 3 cups of water and when frothy, remove from fire. Keep aside. In a pan, heat ghee, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour over the rasam.

BAHALA BHATH / CURD RICE

Dhadhiyonnam(Thayir saadam) is another special perumal koil prasadam. Everything when taken as prasadam has an exclusive taste. Its always comfortable to end up a meal with curd rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Curd - 2 cups
• Milk - 1 cup
• Salt
• Ghee - 1 tsp.
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chillies - 1 tsp.(finely cut)
• Ginger - 1 tsp.(finely cut)
• Cucumber 
• Raw mango 
• Pomegranate seeds- 2 tsp.
• Raisins - 1 tsp.

METHOD:

Cut cucumber and mango into small pieces. 2 tablespoons of each is enough.

Pressure cook rice . Mash well. Add salt, curd and milk and mix well without any lumps.

In a kadai, heat ghee, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, and raisins and stir fry. Add it to the rice. Add pomegranate seeds and finely cut cucumber and mangoes. Mix well and serve.

PAYATHAMPARUPPU MASIYAL

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Tomatoes - 3 to 4
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp.
Green chillies or dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Hing - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds = 1/2 tsp.
Lime - 1
Oil
Salt - as per taste

METHOD:

Pressure cook moong dal with tomatoes, turmeric powder, hing and sambhar powder.

In a pan, heat oil, temper with mustard seeds, jeera, and chillies. Add curry leaves, stir fry and add pressure cooked items with salt. Let it come to a boil. Switch off the stove, transfer it to a bowl and squeeze a lime and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

This will go well with rice and phulka.