Chettinad Tomato Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• Tomatoes - 5(Blanched and pureed)
• Chilli powder - 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Tamarind paste - to your taste
• For Grinding
• Coriander seeds - 1 tspn
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tspn
• cumin seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Black pepper - 1/4 tspn
• Cashews - 5 or Poppy seeds - 1 tspn
• onion -1
• Garlic - 5 pods
• Coconut - 2 pieces
• For Seasoning
• Kalpasi(Black stone flower) - 1
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
• Curry leaves
• Oil - 4 tbspn

health tip

Tomatoes are a treasure of riches when it comes to their antioxidant benefits. In terms of conventional antioxidants, tomatoes provide an excellent amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene; a very good amount of the mineral manganese; and a good amount of vitamin E.

method

1. Roast the spices given under grinding till they give out nice aroma and add the coconut, onion and garlic. When the onion and garlic turns translucent turn off the stove and let it cool.
2. If you don't have pureed tomato follow the instructions in this linklink. If you already have frozen tomato puree feel free to use it.
3. When the spices are cooled, grind it all together into a fine paste.
4. Heat some oil in a deep vessel and season it with kalpasi(Black stone flower), cinnamon and curry leaves. Add the ground spice paste along with turmeric powder and chilli powder to the seasoned oil. saute it till the oil oozes out.
5. Add the tomato puree and salt. If needed water can be added. Let it boil till the gravy condenses to a thick consistency and oil separates from the liquid. To achieve this more oil can be added at this point. Add tamarind paste to your taste and turn off the heat.
6. This gravy goes well with rice, roti and parotta.
   Kalpasi(Black stone flower in English) gives the distinct flavor to this gravy. If you can't find it, just use cinnamon.

Pongal Kuzhambu Aka Kootukai Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• Plantain - 1
• Sweet potato - 1
• Broad beans(Avaraikai)- 15
• Cooked Mochai- 2 hand full
• Eggplant - 2
• Pumpkin - 1
• Green jack fruit - 1 cup
• Cooked toor dal - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Garlic - 7
• Sambar powder - 3 tspn
• Tamarind - 2 pod

health tip

This recipe has protein and vitamins and minerals.

Kootukai Kuzhambu

method

Kootukai in tamil means mixed vegetable. Any type of vegetable except English vegetables like carrot, cabbage..can be added. This kuzhambu is made only during pongal with the vegetables available during that season. Flavor and taste intensifies a day after this kuzhambu is made. It goes well with rice, dosai and idli.

1. Wash and dice the vegetables.
2. Mix the vegetables, onion, tomato, sambar powder, salt, fennel seeds, cooked dal, garlic, some oil and water together. Cook it covered with a lid till the vegetables get tender.
3. Add the tamarind pulp and some sugar. Let it cook for 5 minutes.

Curry Leaf Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• Onion - 2 Medium size
• Garlic - 8 pods
• Tomato - 2
• Fresh Curry leaves - 4 cups
• Almond or cashews - 6
• Coconut - 4 pieces
• Poppy Seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Black Pepper - 1 tspn
• Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Tamarind - 3 pods or 1/2 tspn paste

health tip

Curry leaves improve functioning of the stomach and small intestine and promote their action. They improve the quality of digestive juices secreted during digestion. Certain ayurvedic research says that curry leaves have some role in controlling non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Curry Leaf Kuzhambu

method

1. Chop the onion, tomato and garlic.
2. Grind Curry leaves, Almond or cashews,Coconut, Poppy Seeds, Black Pepper, Chilli Powder, Cumin Seeds and tamarind pods(if using tamarind paste, no need to add it at this stage) into a fine paste.
3. Heat some oil in a pot & season it with mustard & urad dhal. Saute the onion, garlic & tomato till tomato gets mushy.
4. Add the ground paste, half a cup of water & salt to taste.
   Using sesame oil for seasoning gives a nice flavor.
   
5. Cover the pot with lid and let it cook till the oil separates. Stir it from time to time since the gravy settles down and sticks to the pot if unattended.
6. If using tamarind paste, mix in the paste and let it boil for one more minute. Consistency of this kuzhambu is little thinner than chutney.
   This Kuzhambu can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. It goes well with rice, Idli & Dosa.
   

Mor Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• Sour Yogurt - 2 cups
• Green Chillies - 2
• Channa Dal - 1/2 tspn
• Toor Dal - 1/2 tspn
• Rice - 1/2 tspn
• Coconut - 3 tspn
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Hinge - a pinch
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Curry leaves - for seasoning
• Garlic - 1 pod (or) Ginger - 1/2 inch

health tip

Yogurt is rich in Calcium, Vitamin B2, B12 & protein. Yogurt has a friendly bacteria Lactobacillus which helps to regulate the digestive system & boost the immune system. Daily consumption of 3 oz of yogurt helps to lower LDL(bad cholesterol) & increase HDL(good Cholesterol). It helps to prevent stomach ulcers & reduce the risk of colorectal(colon) cancer.

Mor Kuzhambu

method

This dish is very famous in all the southern states of India. This dish goes very well with white rice & paruppu usili. You may make this recipe simple with all the ingredients as listed above or you may enhance it further by adding any available vegetables.

1. Soak the channa dal, toor dal and rice for 30 minutes.
2. You may add veggies to this dish but if you do so you need to cook them separately by adding some salt. Refer to the tips section below for more information.
3. Whip the yogurt for few minutes and set aside.
4. Grind coconut, cumin, coriander, ginger (or garlic), green chillies and all the soaked ingredients into a fine paste.
5. Heat some oil in a pan and season it with curry leaves and hinge.

   You may create many different variations of this dish by adding different vegetables. Some of the suggested vegetables are potatoes, white pumpkin, chow chow, okra, yam and Dal koftas(urundais). Remember to fry the Okra before adding to this dish. You may also add dried vathals like manathakkali, sundakkai, okra and eggplanths to this dish but they also require prior frying.

   
   
6. Add the ground paste & turmeric powder to the pan and saute it for two minutes or until the raw smell goes off.
7. Add the whipped yogurt to the mix & heat them all for couple more minutes. Do not let it boil as the yogurt will curdle with excessive heat.

Stuffed Eggplant Curry

Ingredients

• Purple eggplant - 10
• Large onion - 1
• Garlic pods - 4
• Chilli powder - 3/4 tspn
• Coriander powder - 3/4 tspn
• Cumin powder - 1/4 tspn
• methi powder - 1/4 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Salt - 1 tspn
• Jaggery 1 tspn
• Tamarind paste - 1 tspn
• Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup

health tip

Eggplant is an excellent source of dietary fiber. It's a very good source of vitamins B1, B6 and potassium. It’s a good source of copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, and folic acid. The skin is rich in antioxidant called Nasunin which helps to nourish the brain cells.

Stuffed Eggplant Curry

method

This is a tangy & spicy dish. The eggplants are quartered, stuffed & cooked in tamarind juice. The very look of it will make you drool. This recipe is in response to the Vegetable Marathon Eggplant event. For this recipe you will need fresh baby purple eggplant with no bruises. This dish goes well with rice & Paruppu masiyal (Dal).

1. Dry roast the peanuts & let it cool.
2. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a kadai & saute the diced onion & garlic till they become tender or translucent. Let them cool. When cooled, grind into a fine paste adding roasted groundnuts, all the powders & salt.
3. Wash & cut the eggplants. Cut them from bottom halfway through top with the stem intact.
4. Stuff the eggplants with the ground paste. Keep the remaining paste aside.

Eggplant gets oxidized & turns brown when exposed to air. To prevent this soak the sliced eggplant in water till it is ready to cook.

5. In a kadai heat some oil & season it with cumin seeds & curry leaves. Add the stuffed eggplants & remaining paste with a cup of water. Cover the kadai & cook the eggplants turning from time to time not to let the bottom burn.
6. When the eggplants are 3/4th cooked add the tamarind paste & jaggery with another cup of water. Taste it & add salt if needed. Cover the pan & cook them till completely soft. Garnish it with coriander leaves & serve with rice.
   

Vathal Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• For grinding
• Coriander seeds - 1 tspns
• Toor dal - 1 tspn
• Channa dal - 1 tspn
• Urad dal - 1 tspn
• Rice - 1 tspn
• Dry red chilli - 4nos
• Methi - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper corn - 1/2 tspn
• Jeera - 1 tspn
• Onion - 5 nos small 0r 1/2 medium
• Garlic - 3 flakes
• Coconut - 3 pieces
• For Sauteing
• Small onion - 5 or 1/2 medium
• Tomato - 1
• mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• tamarind paste - 1/2 tspn
• curry leaves - 1 sprig
• salt to taste
• Sesame oil - 1/4 cup

Vathal Kuzhambu

method

1. Roast all the ingredients given for grinding.
2. Grind the roasted ingredients to a fine paste when cooled.
3. Soak Mango & Eggplant vadagams (if you have any) in water for 30 minutes. You will be adding them directly to the Kuzhambu in the last step of this recipe.
4. Fry the vathals (vadagams) like Sundakkai, Manathakkali, Vengya vadagam, Okra etc in some oil. Adding more than 5-6 sundakkai is not recommended since it gives the kuzhambu a bitter taste.
5. Heat some oil in a kadai & season it with mustard, urad dhal & curry leaves. Add the chopped onions & tomatoes & saute it with some salt.
6. When the tomato gets mushy, add the ground masala.
   

   Black eyed bean can also be used. Cook the bean & add it to the kuzhambu along with vathals.

7. Saute the masala with 1/4 tspn of turmeric powder for 3-4 mins & add some water. Add tamarind paste along with 1/4 tspn of jaggery. Mix in the soaked & fried vathals. Cover the kadai with lid & let it boil till the soaked vathals are cooked.
8. This recipe serves 4 - 6 people. This Kuzhambu recipe is little milder. You may add one more chilli or some chilli powder if you prefer it spicier.
   

Eggplant Kuzhambu (Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu)

This Kuzhambu is a variation of regular puzhi kuzhambu. The gravy is thicker than regular kuzhambu. No other type of eggplant other than Indian one will go well with this. The eggplants are slit from bottom, halfway towards top letting them hold the pieces together. Choose the smallest eggplant you can get. This is a chettinad specialty. Back in India, whenever we attend a function like marriage or 60th birthday they will either serve this kuzhambu or Pakoda kuzhambu for lunch. I love both of them so I would skip other dishes & wait for this kuzhumbu to be served. Now I guess I wouldn't wait like that. I found the recipe almost closer to original one. Here goes the recipe.......

Ingredients

Small Brinjals (Eggplant) – 6-7

Tamarind paste– 1/2 tspn

Coriander leaves
Garlic - 4

onion - 1/2 medium

Tomato - 1

Mustard,Urad dhal, Cumin seeds, asafoteida(hing), Curry leaves for seasoning

Salt – To taste

Oil

To Grind:

Dry chilli – 3-4 count

Whole pepper – 1/2 tspn

Fenugeek seeds – 1/4 tspn

Cumins seeds – 1/2 tspn

Dhania(Coriander seeds) – 1 spoon

Kasa kasa(Poppy seeds) - 1 tspn

Coconut – 3 piece

Chopped onions – 1/2 medium

Method

Roast all the ingredients given under grinding with little oil. Blend them into a fine paste when it gets cooled. Chop the onion,garlic & tomato & slit the eggplants according to instruction given in introduction. Heat 1-2 tbspn of oil preferably sesame oil in a pan & add the seasonings. Saute the onion,garlic & tomato along with some salt till tomato gets mushy. Add turmeric powder & the ground paste & keep it stirring till the oil separates. Now add the eggplants, saute it  till the eggplant turns colour a little bit. Finally add tamarind paste & some jaggery  along with some water. Let it boil till eggplants are cooked & the gravy thickens. It tastes better when the oil floats on the top. If not, add a tspn of oil at the end. Serve it with rice & poriyal.

Chettinad Fish Curry

Its been a long time since I made Fish Kuzhambu. I am not a big fan of fish kuzhambu. I could eat chicken gravy but not the fish(y) one. My hubby was browsing the net to find a good  recipe & finally found it. We made chicken salna & chettinad fish. Out of which Chettinad fish turned out really well. I got to try some other recipe for Salna.  He got this Fish recipe from Samai.in. Thanks to Komala at Samai.in.

Ingredients

• Cat fish - 1 pound (Cut into big pieces)
• Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
  
• Onion - 1 (small size) or 1/2 of a medium size onion
• Green Chili - 1
  
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tspn
  
• Tomato - 1
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Tamarind - small gooseberry size
• Sugar - less than 1/4 tspn 
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - as required (Sesame oil is preferred)

To make Paste

• Coriander seeds - 1 ½ tspn
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Peppercorn - 1/4 tspn
• Toor dal - 1/4 tspn
• Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - a pinch
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coconut - 1 tspn
• Dry red chillies - 2- 3 nos

Method

1. Roast all the ingredients given for paste in a teaspoon of oil till golden brown.Turn off the heat and let it cool. When completely cooled grind it into a very fine paste by adding little water.
2. Chop the onions, Tomatoes & green chillies. Wash & cut the fish to desired size.
3. Heat some oil in a pan & season it  with mustard & urad dhal. Add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, onion, tomato & green chillies. Add some salt & saute till tomatoes get mushy.
4. Add turmeric powder & ground masala. Mix in a cup of water along with tamarind extract. Add sugar & let it boil for some time till the gravy thickens.
5. Finally add the fish & let it cook for another 10 minutes in medium heat.  

Mutter paneer masala or Mutter tofu masala

Ingredients

Paneer or Tofu - 1 box
Red onion  - 2
Tomato sauce - 5 tbspn
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tspn
Green chilli - 1
curry powder
Chilli powder
Cashew paste - 2 tbspn
Methi leaves or coriander leaves - for garnishing

Procedure

Dice the onion & chilli finely & tofu or paneer to cubes. Fry the paneer pieces till golden brown. In a kadai heat some oil & add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, onion & chilli one by one. Saute them for sometime & add the tomato paste, chilli powder & curry powder. Add salt to taste. Let it simmer for sometime & mix the fried paneer pieces & almond paste. Add some water if needed & cook for another 10 minutes. Garnish it with methi leaves or coriander leaves.

Chettinad Chicken

Ingredients
For paste
1 tspn each of coriander seeds, cumin & fennel seeds
3 no. red chillies
1" piece of cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
2 tspn poppy seeds
4 tspn coconut
3 garlic
1" ginger
4 small onion or 1/4 chopped big onion

For Sauteeing
Curry leaves
Star Anise - 1
Kalpaasi
Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 2
Chilli powder - to adjust your taste
Turmuric powder
Chicken - 2 pounds or 1 kg



Method
Dry roast all the ingredients given above for paste until it gives out a nice aroma. Grind into paste when cool.
In a pressure cooker season the curry leaves; star anise & kalpaasi. Saute the onions &  tomatoes. Add the cleaned chicken pieces & saute them with some salt till raw smell from the chicken goes off. Now add the ground paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder & saute them for 2 more minutes. Add water according to the consistency of the gravy you desire. This dish normally has a semi gravy(not too runny) consistency.  A teaspoon or two of yogurt can also be added at this stage to soften the chicken. Pressure cook in medium for 1 whistle. Open the cooker when pressure goes off and add some lemon juice & garnish it with coriander leaves. Enjoy the chicken with rice or roti. It goes well with almost anything.

Pakoda Kuzhambu

Ingredients

For Gravy

Onion   - 1
Tomato  - 1
Red chilli - 4 nos
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Roasted channa dhal -1 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Coconut - 3 tsp

For Pakoda

Onion finely chopped - 1/2
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Besan - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves

Method
Dry roast all the ingredients for gravy except coconut. Let it cool. In the meantime make the pakoda by mixing all the ingredients from the "For Pakoda" section above with water. The mix should not be like a dough. It should be crumbly & should barely hold them together. Spread the pakoda mix over hot oil & fry them. You don't have to worry about shapes. Keep the pakodas aside.

Grind the roasted ingredients along with coconut. Heat some oil in a pan (you can use the fried oil as it gives nice flavor). Season it with hinge & curry leaves. Saute the ground paste & add salt & water to it. Add some tamarind juice & a pinch of sugar. When the gravy starts to boil, add the fried pakodas & simmer for another 5 minutes. Pakodas will absorb some of the gravy. So make the gravy little watery.