Pavakai ( Bitter Gourd ) Pitlai

Ingredients:

• Bitter gourd - 1 cup ( chopped )
• Cooked black channa - 5 tblspn
• Toor dal - 1/4 cup
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Sambar powder - 2 tspn
• Salt - to taste

To roast and grind:

• Oil - 1/2 tspn
• Channa dal - 1/2 tblspn
• Urad dal - 1/2 tblspn
• Coriander seeds - 1 tblspn
• Dry red chilli - 3 nos
• Coconut grated - 2 tblspn
• Raw rice - 1 tspn

For Temper :

• Oil - 2 tspn
• Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
• Curry leaves - few nos
• Dry red chilli - 1 or 2 
• Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tspn

Method:

• Wash and soak channa dal over night and cook along with toor dal in pressure cooker for 4 whistle or until it becomes soft
• Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes and take juice from it
• In a cooking vessel take tamarind juice, bitter gourd, salt,sambar powder and boil it 
• Meanwhile roast and grind the ingredients given under the heading To roast and grind and keep it ready
• After bitter gourd cooked add channa and keep in low flame for a minute or two
• Then add the grinded paste along with dal and mix well
• When you get the desired consistency ( either thick or thin ) switch off the stove 
• Heat oil in a kadai add the ingredients given under For temper and add to the pitlai
• Serve the tasty bitter gourd pitlai along with plain rice 

Note:

• While roasting the ingredients switch off the stove and then add the coconut gratings
• Small amount of  jaggery can also add at the end

White Pumpkin Methi Sambar

Ingredients:

• White pumpkin - 2 cups
• Methi leaves - 1/4 cup
• Tamarind - small gooseberry size
• Toor dal - 1/4 cup plus 1 tblspn
• Sambar powder - 2 tspn
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tspn ( optional )
• Salt - to taste

For seasonings:

• Oil - 1 tspn
• Mustard - 3/4 tspn
• Dry red chilli - 1 no
• Asafoetida powder - a pinch
• Curry leaves - few nos

Method:

• Wash peel the skin take out the seeds from the white pumpkin and chop in to little bit big pieces
• Wash and chop the methi leaves
• Soak the tamarind in warm water, cook the toor dal along with methi seeds and keep aside
• In a cooking vessel take tamarind juice, white pumpkin, methi leaves, salt , add required water and cook it
• After 2 mins add sambar powder and cook till the pumpkin becomes transparent and tender at this stage add the dal and mix it well
• Keep in low flame for 2 mins and switch off the stove
• Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard after it pops out add red chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida powder and switch off the stove and pour this on to the sambar
• Serve the healthy, tasty white pumpkin methi sambar along with plain rice 

Kasuri Methi Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Kasuri Methi - 1 tblspn
• Small onion - 12 nos
• Garlic pods - 6 nos
• Tomato - 2 small
• Tamarind juice (thick) - 2 to 3 tblspn
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard - 1 tspn
• Methi seeds - a pinch
• Jeera - 1/2 tspn
• Coconut paste - 2 tspn
• Gingelly oil - 3 tblspn
• Dry red chilli - 2 nos
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Chilli powder - 2 to 3 tspn
• Coriander powder - 1 tspn
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - 2 pinch (optional )

Method:

• Peel the skin of the onion and garlic and keep aside
• Chop the tomato and keep aside
• Heat oil in a kadai , add mustard after it pops out add jeera and methi seeds followed by curry leaves
• Then add small onion along with garlic saute for few minutes, now add kasuri methi 
• Saute it for few seconds then add chopped tomato and a pinch of salt (for tomato to cook)
• Keep it in low flame till tomato cooks after that add turmeric, chilli and coriander powder mix it well
• Now add tamarind juice , water ( add water according to your need ) and salt 
• After 5 to 7 mins when the raw smell of the tamarind goes add coconut paste mix them well 
• Switch off the stove ( if using jaggery add at this stage) after a minute and garnish with curry leaves
• Serve the tasty kasuri methi kara kuzhambu along with white rice, ghee and potato curry as side dish

Note:

Since kasuri methi is used the kuzhambu will be little bit bitter , but this will give a new taste along with tamarind , jaggery and chilli powder

Hotel Sambar

Ingredients:

• Moong dal - 3/4 cup ( my cup measures 240 ml)
• Yellow pumpkin chopped - 3 tblspn
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Small onion chopped - 1 cup
• Tomato chopped - 1 no
• Sambar powder - 2  - 2 1/2 tblspn
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - 1/4 tspn (optional )

For seasonings:

• Oil - 3 tblspn
• Mustard - 1 1/2 tspn
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Dry red chilli - 2 nos
• Curry leaves - few nos

For roast and grind:

• Coriander seeds - 2 tblspn
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Dry red chilli - 1 no ( large )
• Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tspn
• Green chilli - 1 no
• Tomato - 1 no
• Grated coconut - 2 tblspn

Method:

• In a empty pan roast the moong dal till smell comes ( dal smell ) switch off  the stove 
• In a vessel add the roasted dal, yellow pumpkin and add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 5 whistle
• After steam goes take out the vessel and smash the dal nicely with the ladle
• Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 mins and take thick juice from it
• In a empty pan dry roast all the ingredients given under For roast and grind heading except tomato and coconut
• Cool the mixture and grind it to paste along with coconut and tomato if want add water
• Heat  3 tblspn of oil in a kadai, add the ingredients given under For seasonings then add onion saute it till it turns pink
• Now add tomato add little salt for tomato to cook, after tomato cooks add tamarind juice along with some water, add sambar powder and mix well
• Keep in low flame for 5 mins then add grinded  paste 
• After the raw smell goes add the smashed dal mixture , water and some water
• Keep in low flame for 3 to 5 mins, if sambar becomes thick add some water inbetween because idli sambar should be little watery not so thick ( add jaggery in this stage )
• Switch off the stove after 3 to 5 mins and serve the tasty hotel sambar along with idli or dosai
• This quantity will come for 5 to 6 servings

Vegetable Kuruma

Ingredients:

• Carrot - 1 large size
• Beans - 6 nos
• Peas - 2 tblspn
• Tomato (without pulp) - 1 small
• Onion - 1 large size
• Capsicum - half (optional)
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 to 3 tblspn
• Coriander and curry leaves - few no (for garnishing)
• Curd - 1 tblspn

For making paste:

• Coconut paste - 2 tblspn'
• Fried grams (pottu kadalai) - 3 tblspn
• Kus kus (kasa kasa ) - 1 tspn
• Saunf (sombu) - 2 tspn
• Garlic pods - 5 nos
• Green chilli - 3 nos 

Dry powders :

• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1 to 2 tspn
• For seasonings:
• Cinnamon stick - 2 inch 
• Bay leaf - 1 nos
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Cardamon - 1 no

Method:

• Chop all the vegetables in same shape either cubes or vertical (julian) cook the peas and keep it aside
• Grind all the ingredients given in the making paste heading and keep it aside
• Heat 2 tblspn oil in a kadai, add the seasonings after it burst out add onion, garlic saute it for few mins
• Then add tomato after it becomes tender add turmeric and chilli powder keep in low flame for 2 mins for eradication of raw smell
• Then add all the vegetable except peas  along with some water for cooking the vegetables, close the lid till it cooks
• After the vegetables becomes tender add the grinded paste,peas along with salt and water keep it in low flame for 3 to 5 mins
• Since it has fried grams the gravy will become thick so add water while adding  paste
• After 5 mins switch off the stove add curd and  garnish with coriander,curry leaves
•  Serve hot the vegetable kuruma

Murungai Keerai ( drum stick leaf ) Sambar

Ingredients:

• Drum stick leaf - 1 to 1 1/2 cup
• Toor dal ( cooked ) - 1 cup (240 ml)
• Tamarind juice(thick) - 1/2 cup
• Sambar powder - 2 to 3 tspn
• Salt -  to taste

For seasonings:

• Oil - 2 tspn
• Mustard  - 1/2 tspn
• Asafoetida powder - a pinch
• Dry red chilli - 2 nos

Method:

• Take only the leaf of the drum stick wash it thoroughly and keep it aside
• To 1/2 cup of thick tamarind juice add water according to your need
• Then add salt, sambar powder to the tamarind juice and allow to boil 
• After 5 mins add the drum stick leaf mix well and keep in low flame till the leaf cooks
• Cook the toor dal in pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistle (till the dal softens and can be smashed)
• When the leaves becomes soft add the dal and mix it nicely, check for salt 
• Then switch off the stove, heat oil in kadai, add all the seasonings and pour it on to the sambar
• Serve the tasty murungai keerai sambar  with plain rice and fried papad along with ghee

Healthy Curry Leaves Kuzhambu

Ingredientts:

• Curry leaves - 3/4 cup
• Channa dal ( kadalai paruppu) - 1 tblspn
• Urad dal - 1 tblspn
• Coriander seeds - 1 tblspn
• Pepper - 1 tspn
• Dry red chilli - 1 to 2 no
• Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
• Salt - to taste

For seasonings:

• Sesame oil - 4 tblspn
• Mustard - 1 tspn
• Asafoetida powder - a pinch or 1/4 tspn

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in warm water, squeeze it and take tamarind juice
• Heat 1 tspn of oil in a kadai and roast channa, urad dal, coriander seeds, pepper and red chilli when dal turns golden brown switch off the stove and in that heat put curry leaves and saute it 
• Cool this mixture and powdered it in mixie add water and make it as paste
• Heat remaining oil in a kadai, add the seasonings then add tamarind juice , salt and the curry leaves masala
• Add water according to you need, because when it starts boils kuzhambu becomes thick ( due to channa dal) so add water as you required
• Let it be in low flame for 10 mts, when oil starts to seperates switch off the stove 
• Serve this tasty curry leaves kuzhambu with plain rice , ghee and fried pappad
• This quantity will come for 4  servings

Ananya's Five Spices (Medicinal) Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup
• Onion - 1 big size
• Tomato - 2 small size
• crushed pepper - 1 tspn
• Jeera - 1/2 tspn
• Garlic - 8 pods
• Dry ginger powder - 1 tspn
• methi seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Dhania powder - 1 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1 tspn
• mustard - 1/2 tspn
• Dry chilli - 1 nos
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - to taste
• Sesame oil - 4 tblspn

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard, curry leaves and dry chilli and saute
• Then add pepper, jeera, methi, garlic and dry ginger powder saute it for 2 mins
• To this add onion and mix saute it till onion turns golden brown
• Then add tomato and saute it till tomato cooks finely and smashed
• Then add turmeric, chilli, dhania powder and add some water
• When it starts boil add tamarind juice little (since it is a medical kuzhambu we need not add more tamarind juice)
• After 5 mins add 1 tspn sesame oil and switch off the stove
• Serve the five spices ( medicinal ) kara kuzhambu with rice

Ananya's Spicy Green Chilli ( Pachai Milagai ) Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Green Chilli - 8 to 10 ( according to spicyness )
• Small Onion - Same amount as green chilli
• Tamarind - lemon size
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 Cup
• Roasted Split Bengal Gram (Pottukadalai) - 1-1/2 tblspn
• Cashew - 5 nos
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspn 
• Coriander - 1 tblspn
• Methi  Powder - 1/2 tspn
• Jeera Powder - 1 tspn
• Garlic - 6 to 7 pods (optional )
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - a pinch or a eye ball size
• Sesame Oil  - 1/2 Cup or 5 tblspn
• Mustard - 1/2 tspn
• Curry Leaves - few no

Method:

• In 1 tspn oil fry the green chilli ( make in to 2 halves ) first followed by onion and garlic slightly
• Fry the coriander seeds in a empty pan
• Grind grated coconut, cashew, pottukadalai  in to fine paste
• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 20 mins then grind in to paste
• Grind the fried green chilli, onion, garlic, turmeric powder and coriander in to fine paste
• Heat 3 tblspn oil in a kadai , add mustard when it pops out add curry leaves followed by green chilli paste
• Saute it nicely until raw smell goes, then add tamarind paste along with jeera , methi powder and  1/4 to 1/2 cup water and allow it to boil
• After 10 to 15 mins that is when content level is lowered add coconut paste and mix well
• Keep the stove in low flame for 5 mins after that add  remaining oil,salt and jaggery 
• Switch off the stove after 3 mins and serve the Spicy Green Chilli Kuzhambu with plain rice, idli or dosai   

Ananya's Spicy Manathakkali Vathakuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
• Sambar Powder - 2 to 3 tspn
• Manathakkali - 1 to 11/2tblspn
• Dry red chilli - 2 no
• Mustard - 1 tspn
• Methi Seeds - 1/4 tspn
• Channa Dhall - 1/2 tspn
• Asafoedita Powder - 1/4 tspn
• Curry leaf - few nos
• Gingelly Oil - 2 to 3 tblspn
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 3 Cups

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for few mins until it becomes soft
• Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard after it burst add methi, channa dhal and dry red chillies
• When the dhall turn golden brown add manathakkali vathal along with asafoetida powder and curry leaves and saute for few mins
• Then add sambar powder 2 to 3 tblspn according to the spicyness and fry nicely
• Meanwhile smash the tamarind nicely in water and filtered it  to get thick juice
• Add this juice to the kadai along with 2 or 3 more cups of water and salt
• Allow it to boil, inbetween taste the kuzhambu and add water or salt according to taste
• When the kuzhambu comes to 3/4 level switch off the stove 
• Serve this spicy manathakkali vathakuzhambu with plain rice along with paruppu usili http://ananya-kitchens.blogspot.com/2011/12/ananyas-tasty-and-crunchy-paruppu-usili.html and enjoy

Your feedback/comments would be appreciated.

Ananya's Quick Raddish Onion Sambar

Ingredients:

• Raddish - 1 big size or 2 small size
• Onion - 1 big
• Tamarind Pulp - 1 cup
• Toor Dhal - 1/2 cup
• Sambar Powder - 2 to 3 tspn
• Salt - 11/2 tspn ( according to taste )

For Seasonings:

• Oil - 2 tspn
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Asafoetida Powder - 1/4 tspn
• Curry leaves - Few

Method:

• Clean well and cut the raddish in round shape
• Chop the onion as thin slice
• Cook the Toor Dhal in pressure cooker with 11/2 cup water for 3 to 4 whistle 
• To 1/2 cup tamarind pulp add 11/2 cup water and boil it 
• To this add raddish and onion, salt and 2 to 3 tspn Sambar Powder and boil it until raw smell goes
• When raddish becomes tender add the cooked dhal and leave it for 2 mts ( dont cook more than 2mts after dhal added )
• Heat oil in the pan and add seasonings , then mix it with the sambar
• Serve the tasty Raddish Onion Sambar with rice

Variance:

• Fry 11/2 tspn Coriander Seeds, 1 tspn Channa Dhal, 1 Dried Red Chilli, 1 tspn Toor Dhal in oil powder it   and add this masala in the sambar.
• Along with the above masala powder add 3 tspn Grated Coconut grind it in mixi with little water and add in the sambar.

Your feedback/comments would be appreciated.

More kuzhambu

Ingredients:


Thick curd - 11/2 cup
Water - 11/2 cup
Coriander seeds - 1 tspn
Toor dhal ( thuvaram paruppu )- 1 tspn
Grated ginger - 1small tinge
Jeera - 11/2 tspn
Green chilli - 6 nos
Grated coconut - 1cup
Ladies finger/ brinjal/ any vegetable - 1/2 cup
Coconut oil  - 2tspn
Salt - 2 tspn ( According to taste )

For Seasonings : 


Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tspn
Dried red chilli - 2 nos ( for seasonings )
Asafoetida - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves - 8 to 10 leaves


Method:


Precook the vegetable with salt
Soak the toor dhall, coriander seeds and kept aside for 10 mts, then grind these two along with ginger, jeera, grated coconut and water
To 11/2 cup of thick curd add 11/2 cup water ,to this add the grinded mixture.
keep in stove until it boils well.
Heat coconut oil and add the seasonings
Mix the seasonings with the more kuzhambu and serve.

Tasty Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Thick Tamarind juice - 1 cup
Sliced Tomato - 3/4 cup
Onion - 1/2 Cup
Brinjal / drumstick / ladies finger - 1/2 cup
Garlic Flakes - 3 nos
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Sambar Powder - 3 tspn
Gingelly oil - 6 tspn ( if want more also can add )
Salt - 2 tspn ( According to taste )

For Seasonings:

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tspn
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspn
Channa dhal - 1/4 tspn
Dried red chilli - 3 nos
Curry leaves- 8 leaves

Paste:


To make paste grind grated coconut, garlic flakes, 2tspn tomato and onion



Method:


In a kadai add oil and above seasonings
Then saute onion and tomato nicely and add any vegetable, sambar powder and required salt
Add 1 cup tamarind juice and 1 1/2 (one and half)cup water
After 2 mins add the grinded paste and allow it to boil
when it comes 3/4th switch off the stove
Tasty Kara kuzhambu ready.