Karuveppilai Kuzhambu

Karuvepilai Kuzhambu suits for Rice, Idli, Dosa, Chapathi, Puri. With Rice Vathal this kuzhambu will be a feast for lunch. This can be redefined as Marundhu Kuzhambu as it as healthy ingredients like Curry leaves, Gingelly oil, Garlic, Peppercorns, Cumin seeds, Onion Shallots, Turmeric powder, Fenugreek seeds all has medical values.

About Karuvepilai:

   Its really good for hair growth and for eyes, five items very good for health, 1. Mint, 2. Curry leaves,  3. Cumin seeds, 4. Coriander leaves 5. Fenugreek seeds. Among this curry leaves is the queen and mandatory to take it, just remembered my mom says to chew curry leaves along with the food instead of wasting it. In US, curry leaves is highly demanded product, whenever I get a lot, I don't waste it, rather I make a chutney or kuzhambu. Like Tulasi plant, if we have Karuvepilai plant at home, it's a authentic plant, it's really good....

Ingredients:

Onion Shallots - 7 to 8 no's

Tomato (small) - 1 no

Garlic pods - 10 no's
Salt - required

Turmeric Powder - 2 Tea spoon
Tamarind - An Amla size

To Grind:

Curry leaves - 2 cup
Peppercorns  - 1 Table spoon

Cumin seeds - 2 Tea spoons

Red Chilli - 3 no's
Grated Coconut - 2 Table spoon

To Temper:

Gingelly/Sesame Oil - 5 Table spoons

Fennel seeds - 1 Tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tea spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 Tea Spoon

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind with less water till the tamarind got soaked. Tamarind extract should be thick. Chop the veggies required for this dish. Add Garlic bit more, as it gives nice flavor, Grind the items which is given in "To Grind" list.

Tip: Onions and Garlic as to be chopped as lengthier ones, so it will be crunchy while tasting it.
2. Place a pan and add oil, Gingelly oil tastes good for Pulli Kuzhambu, once oil is hot, add the ingredients mentioned in "To Temper" list, one by one. Fennel and Fenugreek seeds if u dry roast, powder, try by adding it while temper, it gives nice aroma.

3. Then add garlic. Once garlic turns golden brown, add onion.

4. Once onion turns to translucent color, add tomatoes with required salt and turmeric powder, close the lid to get cooked.

5. Tomatoes will be smashed, add grounded paste, just saute it nicely, once the raw smell is gone, squeeze the tamarind, extract the juice add it with required water, have a taste check for salt and spicy and close the lid.

6. Once the kuzhambu gets its consistency, oil will get ooze out. Switch off the fire.

Tips:

1. Kara Kuzhambu should not be cooked in high flame after adding tamarind, keep it in medium fire and Tamarind extract has to be thick. Rather in our native they say "Kuzhambu Kaduthu Poidum"

Pasi parrupu Kotchu

This Kotchu suits for Idli, Dosa and Idiyappam.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time:  25 minutes
No. of servings: 4

Ingredients:

Yellow split gram (Moong dhal) - 1/4 cup
Onion Shallots - 5 to 6 numbers while the size is medium

Tomato - 2 no's in medium size

Green Chilly - 4 no's
Salt - required

Turmeric Powder - 2 Tea spoon
Coriander leaves - few
Potatoes, Eggplant - Each 3 to 4 no's.

To Temper:

Oil - 5 Table spoons

Mustard - 1 Tea spoon
Urad dhal - 1 Tea spoon
Red chilly - 1 no.
Asafoetida - 2 Tea spoons

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Take a pressure cooker and dry roast the dhal for few minutes without burning it, you have to stir it continuously, you will get nice aroma, once the dhal slightly changes its color, add 3 cups of water with turmeric and a Tea spoon of Oil, close the lid and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles.

Chop the required veggies in the list and soak the chopped Egg plant and Potatoes as it color changes.

3. Add Onion, Tomato, Green chilly to the Cooker, once the pressure is completely released. Drain the water from Eggplant and Potato add the same to the Cooker. Add a cup of water, close the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

4.  Open the lid, once pressure is released, add required water, allow it to boil for few minutes, Add required salt too.

9. Place a pan and add ingredients mentioned in "To Temper" list, one by one. Garnish with Coriander leaves finally.

Urundai Kuzhambu

This Kuzhambu suits for Rice, Idli, Dosa, Chapathi, Puri. With Rice Vathal this kuzhambu will be a feast for lunch.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time:  15 minutes
No. of servings: 4

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 1/2 no. big in size

Tomato - 3 no's

Garlic pods - 5 no's
Salt - required

Sambar Powder - 1 Table spoon
Kashmiri Chili Powder - 1 Tea spoon
Turmeric Powder - 2 Tea spoon
Fennel seeds Powder -  1 Tea spoon
Tamarind - An Amla size
Coriander leaves - few

To Grind:

Coconut Grated  - 5 Table spoons

Cumin seeds - 2 Tea spoons

Tour Dhal & Chana Dhal combo- 1/4 cup each

To Temper:

Oil - 5 Table spoons

Fennel seeds - 1 Tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tea spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 Tea Spoon

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak the Dhal for an hour, Coarsely grind it, Add finely chopped half onion, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, fennel seeds powder, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Mix it gently, make it as balls, steam the Urundai's in a steamer for 10 to 15 minutes, once the Urundai's get cooked, keep it aside. Chop the veggies required for this dish.

Tip: Onions and Garlic as to be chopped as lengthier ones, so it will be crunchy while tasting it.2. Place a pan and add oil, once oil is hot, add the ingredients mentioned in "To Temper" list, one by one. 

3. Then add garlic. Once garlic turns golden brown, add onion.

4. Once onion turns to translucent color, add tomatoes with required salt and turmeric powder, close the lid to get cooked.

5. Tomatoes will be smashed, add Sambar powder & red chilly powder, squeeze the tamarind, extract the juice add it with required water, close the lid.

6. While waiting the kuzhambu gets boiled, Grind the Coconut and Cumin seeds, so that fine paste is ready.

7. Once kuzhambu in the pan boiled, add the Urundai's one by one gently and reduce the flame bit.
Let us wait for the Kuzhambu consistency and let the Urundai's  taste get settled in the Kuzhambu.
8. Now its time to add the paste, once it start boiling it again, switch off the stove, don't leave it for longer duration. This will change the taste of coconut paste.
9. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

This Kuzhambu will be so good after few hours, once the Urundai's taste gets settled in Kuzhambu.

Tips:

1. You can grind tomatoes as a puree instead of chopped ones to get different taste.
2. Fennel seeds and Fenugreek seeds in the "To Temper" list can be added as powder once its finely roasted, gives a better flavor.

Kavuni Arisi

Kavuni Arisi is a traditional sweet in Chettinadu. Usually this will be the sweet in weddings for the breakfast. And will be served in special occasions like Son-in-law visits his Mother-in-law house. Rice used in this sweet is healthier to have it that too for breakfast. I usually prepare this sweet on my family members birthday by soaking the rice at over night. Always will be in my packing list from Devakottai to Florida.
Let’s check this sweet’s history. Our Patta Aiya's had trade to Rangoon - former capital city of Burma, Malaysia. They brought back a lot of things like black rice. It must have found its way into Chettiar households through these routes.

Now let’s look on health benefits of this rice, reduces blood Cholestral level, good fiber content helps for digestion, Can be added as a part with Idli rice while making Idli/Dosa batter with same method. Tried many times, Idli tastes good and soft, color attracts kids as Idli looks new.

Let me give you the recipe of making this sweet KAVUNI ARISI.  

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
No. of servings: 4

Ingredients:

Kavuni Arisi  - 1 cup
Water - 5 cups

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Shredded Coconut - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 Tea spoons
Ghee - 3 Table spoons

Method:

1. Take a cup of Kavuni rice, Will get special rice in Chettinadu, we do get pure quality in Singapore and Malaysia. Soak this rice overnight for 10 hours.
2. Pressure cook this rice by adding water 1:5 ratio.
3. Leave around 5 whistles as this rice is bit tough. Pressure has to be released naturally. Now rice will be soft and mushy.

4. If rice is not cooked and u feel there is an excess water, u can cook some more time by smashing the rice by laddle.
5. Add Sugar, Shredded coconut, Cardamom powder, Ghee in the same cooker pan and mix well, u can feel good aroma while mixing it.Then serve it to the dish.

Tips:

1. Rice has to be soaked not less than 10 hours and cooked for 5 whistles, else this rice will not be cooked properly.

Kandharappam

Kandharappam is a traditional sweet in Chettinadu, this dish occupies first place under Paniaram family, recipe similar to Vellaipaniaram, only difference is adding Jaggery. Usually this will be the predominant  sweet in marriages for the breakfast. Usually this sweet is offered to Lord Muruga, name to resembles the same "Kandar + Appam" - Kandanku aana Appam.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
No. of servings: 4

Ingredients:

Raw Rice or Paniarathu arisi - 1 cup
Urad Dal - quantity that sits on a cup top

Jaggery - 3/4 cup

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Take a cup of raw rice, Will get special rice for this dish in chettinad called Paniarathu arisi, Kandarappam will be so good by using this rice. After taking a cup of rice just flatten the quantity. In our place they mention that "Thalaya thatti podarathu"
2. On top of the cup with rice, add Urad dal, quantity of Dal will be which sits on a cup top.
3. Soak the Rice and Dal for 2-3 hours.

4. Finely grind the batter, While started grinding add Jaggery little by little, at the end of grinding add grated Coconut, batter consistency should be similar to Dosa batter, don't add water while grinding it, as Jaggery will loose out water. 

5. Once the batter is ready, add a pinch of Elaichi powder.

6.  Take a deep Pan with round Ladle, have more concern about this, as Paniaram shape depends on the Pan & Ladle, Border of the Paniaram will be perfect if you chose correct one.

7. Mix the batter once with ladle before pouring it, repeat the same for every Paniaram, Important note is at a time u can cook only one Paniaram not more than that.
8. Pour the batter in same space, when it's get puffy, pour oil with ladle on top of the Paniaram, Serve it to the dish.

Tips:

1. Check first one whether it's cooked properly, if it's not cooked properly add bit water to the batter and try next one. Mostly Kandharappam will not goes on toss like Vellaipaniaram as it has Jaggery in it, so shape will be perfect. 

2. If the Paniaram turns size as so broader one not puffy like Pappad then u can add few spoons of Raw rice flour to the batter for consistency and try next one.

Keerai Mandi

This Mandi goes very well with hot rice. We will be using water, drained after washing the rice called as Mandi, This dish helps to reduce body heat and mouth ulcer. You can use any type of Greens even Spinach too. I have used Drumstick greens in this recipe.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
No. of servings: 4

Ingredients:

Drumstick greens - 1 cup
Onion shallots - 8 no's

Garlic pods - 5 no's

Green chilly - 1 no.

Salt - required

Water drained after washing rice - 2 cups (this water is called as Mandi)
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1 Table spoon

To Temper:

Oil - 2 Table spoons

Cumin seeds - 2 Tea spoons

Red chilly - 1 no.

Method:

1. First will do MEEZ-ahn-plahs. The term is used to keep the ingredients ready before cooking.
Clean, wash and then chop the greens if required. But before chopping, wash the greens, don't do it in reverse, else nutrients in greens will go away in water if u do chopping first and then washing the greens.
2. Chop the shallots, green chilly and garlic pods.
3. Keep it aside of 2 cups of water drained after washing the rice.
4. Get it ready of 1/2 a cup of coconut milk, mixed with 1 table spoon of rice flour.

5. Place a pan and add oil, once oil is hot, add the ingredients mentioned in "To Temper" list, one by one.

6. Then add garlic,green chilly once garlic turns golden brown, add shallots. Shallots takes very less time to cook, don't leave it for a long, else it will be burnt.

7. Once shallots turns to translucent color, add greens, don't add salt now, else greens color will be changed. Just leave it for two minutes.
8. Now add the 2 cups of rice water, add required salt and close the lid.

9. Let the greens get cooked in water, add the coconut milk mixed with rice flour.
10. Switch off the stove once stew starts boiling again after adding coconut milk. Don't leave it for a long else coconut flavor will be changed, now the dish is ready to serve.

This Mandi will goes very well with hot rice.

Tips:

1. Dish will be delicious depends on the water which you have drained after washing rice. Usually I store the water(Mandi) while I grind rice for Idli/ Dosa. As you will get good quantity of concentrated rice water(Mandi).

Thakkali Kurma

This Kurma suits for Idli, Dosa, Chapathi, Poori.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
No. of servings: 4

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 no. big in size

Tomato - 3 no's

Garlic pods - 5 no's
Potato - 2 no's

Green chilly - 1 no

Salt - required

Red chilly powder (Kashmiri) - 1 Table spoon

Coriander leaves - few

To Grind:

Coconut Grated  - 5 Table spoons

Cumin seeds - 2 Tea spoons

Roasted Split Gram - 3 Table spoons

To Temper:

Oil - 5 Table spoons

Fennel seeds - 2 Tea spoons

Bay leaf - 1/2

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Chop the veggies required for this dish.
Tip: If Potatoes are chopped finely, it helps to cook faster in Kurma as we are preparing it in pan. Onions and Garlic as to be chopped as lengthier ones, so it will be crunchy while tasting it.

2. Place a pan and add oil, once oil is hot, add the ingredients mentioned in "To Temper" list, one by one.

3. Then add garlic, green chilly. Once garlic turns golden brown, add onion.

4. Once onion turns to translucent color, add tomatoes with required salt, close the lid to get cooked.

5. Tomatoes will be smashed, add potatoes then add chilly powder with required water, close the lid.

6. While waiting the kurma gets boiled, Grind the items required mentioned in "To Grind" list.

7. Once kurma in the pan boiled, add the paste, once it start boiling it again, switch off the stove, don't leave it for longer duration. This will change the taste of coconut paste.

This kurma suits for Idli, Dosa, Chapathi, Puri.

Tips:

1. You can grind tomatoes as a puree instead of chopped ones to get different taste. For that you need to cook the tomatoes in hot water, peal the skin, dice and grind it.