Poondu Vatha Kuzhambu

 One of the flavourful vathakuzhambu is the one that is made with Poondu Vatha Kuzhambu. Whenever I say lets make Vatha Kuzhambu, my kids vote for Poondu Vatha Kuzhambu. One of the dishes that my brother also likes which I cook. 

Ingredients:
Garlic - the best one for this is the Malai Poondu vareity the bigger pods one. - 2 nos (you get close to 24 pods)

Vathakuzhambu Podi -  4 spoons

Curry leaves - few

Salt (use coarse rock salt) - 1 1/2 tsp

Gingely oil - 6 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 8 spoons

Water - 2 cups (200 ml)

For tempering

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

In a hard bottom pan add gingely oil and when it is hot reduce the flame and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the channa dal, methi seeds and the garlic pods. Saute them till the garlic turns golden brown. Ensure the dal and methi seeds do not char. Add the curry leaves and saute it for a few seconds.  Add the vathakuzhamby podi and  fry it in the oil. Add 1 cup of water from the sides and add the tamarind pulp to it and mix well. Add the salt and add the remaining water and bring it to a boil. Let it reduce to 1/2 and the oil start seperating from it. 

Add another 2 tbsp of oil if you want more oil to it. Remove from flame. It can be stored for 3 to 4 days. Add it to hot rice and a spoon of ghee. Serve it with Potato kara curry or some fryums. 

Demon Chutney (Chettinad Garlic Chutney)

Demon Chutney !!!!! Wondering what this is? Though I know the making of this chutney for quite some time, I have been reluctant to make it for the fear of its spiciness. But when I saw this recently in a TV serial while browsing the channel, decided it is high time, I try this. In the serial it was ground in Ammi Kuzhavi.

Honestly speaking, though I have tried grinding things in this, I was not able to do it the right way, ending up hurting my fingers. So ended up using our own modern kitchen equipment the mixie. The name Demon Chutney was given by my daughter, after she tasted it. 

Ingredients:

Garlic - 100 gms

Red Chilly - 8 nos

Tamarind - small ball 

     or 

Tamarind Paste - 1 tsp

Salt (Rock Salt) - To taste

Gingely Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:

       Grind Garlic, Red Chilly, Tamarind and Salt together to a fine paste. Heat a pan, add the gingelly oil,

heat it and add it to the ground paste. Serve it with Idly, Dosa or Chappati or even curd rice.

       Alternatively, the ground paste can be sauted in the generous portion of gingely oil in a pan. That will become a thokku form. Which also gives a very good taste

Poondu Rice- Garlic Rice

Garlic Rice is a speciality of Chettinadu Cuisine. Good for health and relieves gastric trouble too.

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Garlic Pods - 15 nos
Red chilly - 2 nos
Coriander seeds - 2 spoons
Bengal Gram Dal - 1 tspn
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Ghee -2 tsp
Gingely Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Cashew nuts - 8 to 12
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash soak and pressure cook rice with 4 cups of water. The rice should not be sticky but separate.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add the bengal gram dal, urad dal, coriander seeds and red chillies. Fry them well and when they turn golden in colour add 5 to 6 pods of garlic and saute together. Remove from flame, when cold grind it to a fine powder.

Heat 1/2 tbsp of ghee in a pan add the remaining garlic pods and fry them till they become golden brown in colour. Break the cashew nuts into pieces and fry them too till they become golden brown. Remove the pods and let them cool. Add the remaining ghee and oil to the pan, and add the mustard seeds when it splutters add curry leaves and saute it a while.
Add the cooked rice, ground powder and required salt and mix well. Add the fried garlic pods on top. Decorate it with coriander leaves and fried cashewnuts.

Garlic Pickle Chettinad style

Ingredients:

Garlic - 1/2 kg

Lemon Juice - 1 1/2 cup

Gingely Oil - 150 ml

Coriander seeks - 1/2 cup

Fenugreek powder - 1 tbsp

Red Chilli powder - 3 tbsp

Jaggery - 1 tbsp (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/4 cup 

Method:

Dry roast coriander seeds and grind it to a fine powder. Peel the garlic and cut it into two halves length wise. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the garlic pieces and saute it till the garlic becomes soft. Reduce the flame and add the lemon juice to it and allow it to cook for about 5 mins. Add coriander powder, fenu greek powder, chilli powder and salt. Keep stirring all the ingredients till the oil comes out. Add jaggery, mix well and remove it from the flame. 

When cool transfer it to a clean and air tight bottle.

Garlic Chilly Powder - side dish for idly and dosa

Ingredients:
Garlic - 1 whole
Bengal Gram Dal - 1/4 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Red Chillies - 8 nos
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Add oil to kadai and when hot fry the dals one by one. Fry red chilly too in that. Peel and remove skin of garlic and fry it in the remaining oil for  a few minutes. Let all the ingredients cool.

Grind all other ingredients except garlic to a coarse powder. Add garlic and grind it for a few seconds.

Store in an air tight container.

Serve with Idly or Dosa add gingely oil to it while serving.

Red Garlic Chutney - A spicy side dish recipe for Idly and Dosa

Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Garlic - 8 cloves
Red Chillies - 4 (round vareity)
Tamrind Paste - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
salt to taste

Method:
Heal 1 tsp of oil in a pan and saute the red chillies along with garlic for a minute. Add the coconut to the pan and fry till it turns golden brown. Let it cool and grind it to a paste along with tamrind paste and salt. Add little water, to make it a paste.

Heat oil in a seasoning laddle and add mustard seeds to it, when it splutters add asafodeita(hing) and pour it on top of the chutney.

This can be served with Idly or Dosa. (Especially for dosa that is made on the very day when the batter is prepared).

Ginger Garlic Paste - Method 2

Ingredients:
Garlic pods - 100gms (peeled)

Ginger - 100gms (peeled and finely chopped)

Salt - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
In a flat bottom pan heat oil and add garlic and ginger fry for 2 to 3 mins. Cover and remove from flame. Let it cool. In a grinder add all the ingredients along with salt and grind it to a fine paste. Store in airtight container in fridge. This can be used for almost a month as it is fried.

If it is not fried, it have to be used within a week. 

Note:

Fried or not fried, never use water to grind it.

How to make Chilly Garlic Paste at home?

Ingredients
Garlic Peeled - 100gms

Chillies - 100gms (red or green)

Salt - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Method
Heat oil in a hard bottom Kadai. Add garlic and chillies to the oil when the oil is hot. Fry all of them for 2 mins. Switch off the flame and cover it. Let it cool. Use a small grinder and grind it to a fine paste. Let it cool and store it in an air tight container. This can be kept in fridge and can be used whenever required.

Ginger Garlic Paste

This is one paste, which is very useful, while making Pulavs, fried rice, Khurmas etc. Most of the time, we grind it when we do these items or use the ready made pastes that is available in the market. While preparing such dishes only a little of the paste required. For bachelors, office goers and students, this paste is of great help, not only while making the above said items, but this can be used also in Lemon Rasam, or to make Poondu Rasam.

Ingredients
Garlic - 100 gms
Ginger - 100 gms
Salt - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method
Peel garlic, peel and wash ginger. Grind both of them together to a fine paste along with salt. In a pan add oil and add this paste, when the oil separates, remove from flame, let it cool and store in a dry jar and refrigerate.

You can also fry ginger and garlic in oil before grinding. Do not add water while grinding.

You can use the same method to make ginger paste or garlic paste separately.