Kadamba Sambar

Most of the festivals call for a sambar in their menu and making this sambar without Onion is the trend. Mostly this sambar is made with all the veggies though at times just onion and tomato alone are added. 

Ingredients:

Drum stick - 1 no

Brinjal - 2 no

Carrot - 1 no

Potato - 1 no

Broad beans - 8 nos

Chow Chow - 1 small

Thuvar Dal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind Paste - 4 tbsp

Sambar Powder - 2 tsp

Hing powder - 1/2 tsp

Chopped coriander leaves - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 1/4 cup

For seasoning:

Gingely oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp

Red Chilly - 1 no.

Method:

Pressure cook thuvar dal, mash and let it cool. Chop all the vegetables into reasonably big size. Cook all of them with required salt and turmeric powder in a Pressure cooker. (To save fuel, keep dal and the veggies on top of each and can be cooked at one time). In a hard bottom vessel add 2 cups of water and add tamarind paste and mix well. Add salt, hing and bring it to boil till the raw smell is gone. Add the cooked veggies, sambar powder, 1/2 of the curry leaves and bring it to boil. When it starts boiling add the dal and add required water so that it is not lumpy but in liquid form. When it bubbles, remove from flame, add the chopped coriander leaves.

Heat seasoning laddle, add gingely oil and when it is hot reduce the flame and add the mustard seeds when it splutters add red chilly. Spread the remaining curry leaves on the cooked sambar and pour the seasoning on top. 

Serve hot with rice and ghee or can be had with Pongal too. 

Carrot Sambar for idly and dosa

Vareity is the spice of life. Not only kids even adults want different kind of side dish for the regular idly and dosas. Here is one such dish that have a different taste and aroma. Though the cooking method of this is similar to Sambar, this will not be that good to mix with rice and eat.

Ingredients:
Carrot - 2 nos
Shallowts or Small Onion - 8 nos
Tomato - 1 nos
Coriander seeds - 1 spoon
Broken fried bengal gram dal - 2 spoons
Coconut - 6 spoons grated.
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Masoor dal or Moong Dal or Thoor Dal - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Methi seeds - 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves a few
Coriander leaves a few
Red Chilly - 2 nos
Green Chilly - 1 no

Method:
Pressure cook the dal and mash it thoroughly. Cut carrot in round shape and pressure cook it too separately.

Grind Coriander seeds, Broken Fried Bengal Gram dal and coconut to a fine paste. In a shallow bottom pan add one spoon of oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters add the methi seeds, Green chillies. Peel and cut the onions into halves add it to the pan and saute for a while. Finely chop the tomato and add it too and mix well. Now add the cooked carrot. Mix tamarind paste to 1 cup of water and add it to the pan. Bring it to a boil and when it boils add the ground paste.

Reduce the flame and bring it to a boil and when it starts bubbling add the mashed dal. If the sambar is thick add another 1 cup of water. Remove from flame and add finely chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.

Heat oil in a seasoning laddle and add asafodeita and red chillies to it. Pour it on top of the sambar. Mix thoroughly before serving.

Serves a great side dish for idly and dosa.

Hotel Sambar- A good side dish for Idli,Dosa and Pongal

Ingredients :

Toor Dhal, Moong Dhal, Cumin Seeds, Mustard,Salt, Broken Dhal,Coriander seeds,Red Chilies.Tamarind paste.1 spoon of oil(any oil which u like)

Onion, Tomato, yellow pumpkin, capsicum, carrot, green chillies.

Method:

Take equal amount of Toor dhal and Moong Dhal and add the cut vegetables , add salt and steam it all in the cooker.

Add a spoon of oil in t he pan then add mustard and cumin seeds, Mix tamarind water with the boiled contents and add them in the pan .

Ready mix powder :

Fry in a pan separately a spoon of broken dhal, coriander seeds, red chillies without oil and powder them when cool.

Add a spoon of Sambar powder which you use normally and allow the contents to cook for sometime. Then Add the Ready Mix powder which you made and simmer it.

Garnish it with curry leaves and the sambar is ready to taste.

Araithu vitta sambar or Araichu Vitta Sambar

 Any Vegetable like White pumpkin, Drum stick, Raddish, Lady's finger, carrot, Small Onions (avoid this if it is made for festivls) can be used to make this Araichu vitta Sambar. 

Vengaya Sambar

Mullangi Sambar

Ingredients:

Thuvar Dal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind Paste - 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch

For Grinding:

Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup

Thuvar Dal - 2 tbsp

Bengal Gram Dal - 2 tbsp

Red Chilly - 6 to 8 nos

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Black Pepper - 6 nos

Curry Leaves - a few

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Rice - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

For seasoning:

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafodeita Powder - 1 pinch

Curry Leaves - a few

Method:

Cut the vegetables into bigger pieces. Fry coriander seeds, Thuvar dal, Bengal gram dal, cumin seeds, black pepper, rice and red chilly till they become brown in colour. Reduce the flame and add the grated coconut and fry it till becomes brown. Grind everything along with curry leaves to a fine paste.

Pressure cook the thuvar dal with a pinch of turmeric powder and mash it finely.

In a hard bottom vessel, add 2 cups of water, tamarind paste, vegetable and salt and bring it to a boil. Add the ground paste and mix well. Reduce the flame and bring it to boil. Add the mashed thuvar dal and mix well. If the sambar is thick add water.

Remove from flame. In a seasoning laddle, add ghee and oil and when hot add the mustard seeds and wait till it splutters. Add the asafodeita. Chop the curry leaves finely and sprinkle it on the sambar. Pour the seasoning on top of the curry leaves to enhance the flavour. Can also add a few coriander leaves.

7 Kari Kuzhambu

This is normally made on Thiruvadirai or on Pongal. As the name suggests, this Kuzhambu is made using minimum 7 different vegetables. More number of vegetables is used normally.

Ingredients:
Mochai Paruppu (Field Beans) - 1 cup
Pumpkin - 1/2 kg
Red Pumpkin - 1/4 kg
Sweet Potato - 1/4 kg
Raw Banana - 1 no.
Brinjal - 1/4 kg
Snake Gourd - 1/2 kg
Yam (Senai Kizhangu) - 1/4 kg
Beans - 1/4 kg
Cluster Beans (Kothavarangaai) - 1/4 kg
Chayote (chow chow) - 1 no
Carrot - 2 nos
Taro root or Colacasia (Cheppankizhangu) - 1/4 kg
Potato - 1/4 kg
Green chillies - 8 nos
Thuvar Dal - 1 cup
Red chillies - 12 nos
Coriander Seeds (Dhaniya) - 1/4 cup
Bengal gram dal - 1/5 cup
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Tamarind Paste - 4 tbsp
Oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Methi seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Solid Asafodeita - 1 inch piece
Asafodeita powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
In a pan add 2 tbsp of oil and fry coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, red chillies and grated coconut. Grind them to a very fine paste.

Wash peel and dice yam into big pieces. Peel potatoes and cut it into bigger pieces. Pressure cook yam, potatoes, Sweet potato and Taro root. Peel the Taro root, Sweet Potato and cut it into 2 pieces. Peel white and red pumpin and cut it into bigger pieces. Peel the carrot, chayote and cut them too into bigger pieces. Destring the beans and cut them to reasonably sized pieces. Cut the cluster beans into two.

Heat oil in a pan and add cluster beans and saute them for a while. Add field beans to it, and cook it in 1/2 cup of water for some time. Add all the other vegetables (except potato, yam etc), turmeric powder and rock salt (just for vegetables) and cook for about 5 mins keeping the vessel closed. Turn the vegetables without mashing them. Add the potato, yam etc along with 4 slit green chillies. Cook till all the vegetables become 1/2 cooked.

Add 1 cup of water to the tamarind paste and add it to the boiling vegetables. When it boils add the ground paste. In the mean time pressure cook Thuvar Dal and mash well. Add that too to the boiling liquid. When it boils well remove from flame and add finely chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a seasoning laddle add mustard seeds, bengal gram dal, urad dal and 4 red chillies and add it to the sambar.

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

Ingredients:
Thuvar Dal - 1 cup
Red chillies - 8 nos
Asafodeita (solid) - 1/2 inch piece
Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Green chilly - 2 nos
Cooking Oil - 4 tbsp
Gingely Oil - 4 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 2 .5 tbsp
Vathakuzhambu Powder
            or
Sambar Powder
Salt to taste.

Method:
Wash and soak thuvar dal for about 1 hour. Drain it completely. Grind it along with red chillies, asafodeita, curry leaves and salt coarsely. In a pan add cooking oil and when hot add mustard seeds. When it splutters add slit green chilles and saute for a few mins. Add the ground paste, curry leaves and finely chopped coriander  to the pan and keep turning it till it changes to a golden brown in colour. Make small balls out of it. (1 cup thuvar dal will make about 8 balls).

In another shallow bottom vessel, heat gingely oil and when hot add mustard seeds. Leave it to splutter and add asafodeita, remaining curry leaves. Add vathal kuzhambu powder or sambar powder and fry it in oil for a min or two. Add 3 cups of water to tamarind paste and add it to the pan and let it boil and reduce to almost 3/4th of the original quantity. Add 4 balls to the pan and let it boil again. When it reduced to half add the remaining balls and reduce the flame, cook for about 5 mins. Remove from flame and add finely chopped coriander leaves.

Sambar using Sambar Powder (பொடி போட்ட சாம்பார்)

Ingredients:
Thuvar dal - 1 cup
Lady's finger - 10 to 12 nos
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - a small piece
Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
Red Chilly - 2 nos
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Gingely Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Method:
Pressure cook thuvar dal. Cut the lady's finger to 3/4th inch pieces. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when it splutters add jeera to it. Add lady's finger to it and fry it till it becomes crispy. Add 2 cups of water to the tamarind paste and add it to the pan. Add sambar powder, salt, asafodeita and jaggery.  Bring it to boil. Mash the thuvar dal and add a cup of water to it. Add this to the pan and bring it to boil again.

Chop the curry leaves and coriander leaves finely and add it to the sambar. Serve hot with rice and also idly and dosa.

Puliyitta Keerai

Ingredients:
Greens - 1 bunch
Green Chilli - 3 nos
Tamarind paste - 3 tbsp
Jaggery - small piece (optional)
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Broken Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli - 3 nos
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste.

Method:
Cut greens into small pieces. Wash and clean them thoroughly. Slit the green chillies into 2. In a hard bottom pan add one cup of water and add turmeric powder, green chillies and greens. Boil and cook the greens well. Add tamarind juice, jaggery and salt and mix well and mash well. Cover and cook till the raw smell and taste of the tamarind juice goes off.

In a seasoning laddle heat oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters add the urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves. Serve it with hot rice.

Mixed vegetables poricha kuzhambu

Ingredients:
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Drumstick - 1
Brinjal - 2
Chow chow - 1/2
Yam - small piece
Potato - 2 nos
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Poricha Kulzhambu powder - 4 tbsp
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chilly - 1 no
Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Broken Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Cut into cubes all the vegetables. Cut the drumsticks into 1 inch pieces. Pressure cook yam and potatoes. Pressure cook moong dal separately. Cook other vegetables in 1 cup of water along with turmeric powder and little salt. Mix the poricha kootu powder in 1 cup of water and make it a fine paste.

In a pan add oil and when hot add the mustard seeds, urad dal and half of the curry leaves. Once the urad dal turns pink in colour add the cooked vegetables, yam and potatoes. Add the powder paste to it and bring it to boil. Grind coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies to a fine paste. Add it to the vegetables and reduce the flame. After 5 minutes add the cooked moong dal and mix it thoroughly. If the kuzhambu is thick add enough water (one cup).

Recipe for Simple and Easy Sambar

Ingredients:

Thuvar Dal - 1 cup

Onions - 2 nos

Tomato - 2 nos

Green Chilly - 1 or 2 depending upon the size

Garlic - 2 cloves (optional)

Turmeric Powder - 1 tspn

Tamarind - a lemon size

              or

Tamarind Paste - 2 tbsp

Sambar Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup

Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Bengal Gram - 2 tbsp

Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Chop onions and tomatoes finely. Slit the green chillies into 2 (care to be taken not to cut them into two vertical halves, simple sliting is enough). Pressure cook the thuvar dal along with garlic, green chillies, tomato and onion and mash it thoroughly. Extract thick juice out of tamarind or add 1 cup of water to the tamarind paste to make thick juice.

In a pan add 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds when it is hot. When the seeds splutter add bengal gram and saute till it becomes golden brown in colour. Add half of  the curry leaves and fry them too for a while. Add the tamarind juice and mix chilly powder, coriander powder, sambar powder, asafodeita and salt. Add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil till the smell of the raw tamarind and sambar powder is gone. (This will normally take 10 to 15 mins). Add mashed dal and cook for a few more minutes till it thickens. 

Cut the remaining curry leaves finely and garnish it on top of the sambar along with coriander leaves. 

Makes a great side dish for idlies and dosas. 

Note: If the same is to be had with rice, vegetables like Lady's finger, Brinjal or Drumstick can be added along with tamarind water and cooked in it so that the taste of tamarind, spiciness of sambar and the taste of salt gets into the vegetables in the right proportion.

Vendaikkai Mandi|Lady's finger Mandi

Ingredients:
Green okra - 20 to 25 nos.
Onion - 1 big
Garlic flakes - 10 nos
Green Chillies - 6 nos
Tamrind paste - 3 to 4 tbsp
Raw rice water - 1/2 cup
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander Leaves - finely chopped 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp
Gingely Oil - 6 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Bengal gram - 2 tbsp

How to make Raw Rice Water:
Wash and soak 1/2 cup of raw rice in 3/4 cup of water for about 1 hour. This water can be used to make Mandi.

Method:
Add 1 cup of water to tamrind paste. Add turmeric powder, salt and hing to the tamrind water. Wash the lady's fingers and cut them to 3/4th inch pieces. Chop the onions and garlic into fine pieces. Slit the green chillies into half without cutting them into two.

In a shallow vessel, heat 4 tbsp of oil and fry the lady's fingers and keep them aside. Heat oil again and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add the bengal gram and curry leaves. Add the garlic, onion, green chillies and fried Lady's finger pieces. Mix them thoroughly.

Add the tamrind water and mix well. When it starts bubbling add the raw rice water. Boil till the whole mixture turns thick in texture.

Lady's finger Mandi, Vendaikkai mandi is ready.

How to make Instant Sambar

When there are guests at home, or when there is a need to make Sambar fast and instantly, then the following can be done with easily.

Ingredients:
Moong Dal - 1 cup
Green Cillies - 2 nos
Tomatoes - 2 nos
Salt - To taste
Tamarind Paste - 1 tsp

To Temper
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Hing - one pinch

Method:
  Pressure cook moong dal and mash it thoroughly. Add salt, diced tomatoes, and green chillies to tamarind water and boil it for a few mins. Add the cooked dal and mix well.

   Remove from flame and temper.

Tomato Gojju (Kothsu or Gothsu) - Yummy side dish recipe

Whenever I make Idly or Dosa or Pongal, I end up making up either Tomato Gojju or Kathrikai Gojju, which goes well with any of the tiffin items.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 2 ripe (chopped finely)
Onions - 2 big (chopped finely)
Green Chilly - 1 no.
Sambar Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bengal gram - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Curry Leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped for decoration

Method: 
Pressure cook moong dal and keep it separately.

In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds to it when it splutters add bengal gram, turmeric powder and hing to it. Whe the Bengal gram turns golden, add onions and when they turn glassy add the tomatoes to it. Saute everything till the tomatoes become soft. Add 2 cups of water and cooked moong dal. Add salt and let everything boil. When all blend well remove from flame and add curry leaves and coriander leaves to it.

Recipe for Tomato Kuzhambu - An easy side dish

Ingredients:
Tamrind Paste - 2 tsp
Small Onions - 8 nos 

Tomatoes - 3 Big
Sambar Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 2 or 3
Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup

Method:
Mix tamrind paste in 1 1/2 cups of water. In a kadai add oil and add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the urad dal, red chillies, methi seeds, jeera and half of the curry leaves. Add small onions and when it turns transparent, add the tamrind water, finely chopped tomatoes, sambar powder, turmeric powder, salt and let it boil. Remove from fire and add the remaining curry leaves on top.

கத்திரிக்காய் கொத்சு (வேறு முறையில்)

பொடியாக நறுக்கிய கத்தரிக்காய் - ஒரு கப்
ஒன்றிரண்டாக நறுக்கிய சின்ன வெங்காயம் - அரை கப்
தனியா - மூன்று ஸ்பூன்
காய்ந்த மிளகாய் - ஆறு
வெந்தயம் - கால் ஸ்பூன்
மஞ்சள் தூள் - சிட்டிகை
பச்சை மிளகாய் - இரண்டு (கீறியது)
புளி கொட்டை பாக்களவு - நன்கு கரைத்து கொள்ளவும்
சிறிதளவு கறிவேப்பிலை கொத்தமல்லி
உப்பு, எண்ணை - சிறிதளவு

தனியா, மிளகாய், வெந்தயம் இவற்றை சேர்த்து சிறிதளவு எண்ணை ஊற்றி வறுத்து, தண்ணீர் விடாமல் நைசாக அரைத்து வைத்து கொள்ளவும்.

அடி கனமான பாத்திரம் அல்லது கடையில் எண்ணை விட்டு, கத்திரிக்காய் லேசாக பொறித்த மாதிரி வறுத்து தனியே வைத்து கொள்ளவும். பின்னர் அந்த எண்ணையில், வெங்காயம், பச்சை மிளகாய், மஞ்சள் தூள் சேர்த்து வெங்காயம் சுருள வந்தங்கும் வரை வதக்கி பின்னர் அதில் புளியை கரைத்து விட்டு, உப்பு, பொடித்து வைத்திருக்கும் பொடி கத்திரிக்காய் சேர்த்து ஒரே ஒரு கொதி விட்டு, கறிவேப்பிலை, கொத்தமல்லி சேர்த்து இறக்கி விடவும்.

இது சாடத்தில் கலந்து சாப்பிடவும் சுவையாய் இருக்கும்.

கத்திரிக்காய் கொத்சு

சூடாக பொங்கலோ அல்லது இட்லியோ செய்து அதன் தலையில் உருக்கின நெய் ஊற்றி தொட்டு கொள்ள இந்த கத்திரிக்காய் கொத்சு செய்து வைத்தால் நன்கு சுவைத்து உண்பார்கள். கத்தரிக்கை பிடிகதவர்கள்/ ஒத்துகொள்ளதவர்கள், தக்காளி வெங்காயம் மட்டும் சேர்த்து கொள்ளவும்.

கத்திரிக்காய் (வெள்ளை கத்திரிக்காய் நல்லது) சதுர துண்டங்களாக போட்டது - ஒரு கப்
பொடியாக நறுக்கிய தக்காளி - அரை கப்
பொடியாக நறுக்கிய வெங்காயம் - அரை கப்
பாசிபருப்பு - அரை கப்
பச்சை மிளகாய் - மூன்று
புளி - கொட்டை பாக்களவு
உப்பு - தேவையான அளவு
என்னை - இரண்டு ஸ்பூன்
மஞ்சள் போடி - ஒரு சிட்டிகை
பெருங்கயதுள் - ஒரு சிட்டிகை
கடுகு - கால் ஸ்பூன்
காய்ந்த மிளகாய் - இரண்டு
கறிவேப்பிலை, கொத்தமல்லி - சிறிதளவு

பாசிபருப்பை குழைய வேக விடவும். கடாயில் என்னை ஊற்றி கடுகு, கிந்த மிளகாய் தாளிதி, பச்சை மிளகாய், வெங்காயம் சிறிதளவு உப்பு சேர்த்து நன்கு வதக்கவும். வெங்காயம் கண்ணாடி போல் ஆனதும், தக்காளி, கத்திரிக்காய் சேர்த்து வதக்கவும். கத்திரிக்காய் சிறிதளவு வதங்கியதும், புளியை கரைத்து ஊற்றி கொதிக்க விடவும். பச்சை வாசனை போன பின்னர் பருப்பு சேர்த்து, உப்பு சரி பார்த்து, தேவையானால் இன்னும் சிறிதளவு சேர்த்து, அடுப்பை சிம்மில் வைத்து கொதிக்க விடவும். கொத்தமல்லி கறிவேப்பிலை சேர்த்து இறக்கவும்.