Tag: rice and curry

Vatha Kozhumbu

Vegetarian

A traditional tamil brahmin style curry using sundakkai (dried Turkey berry/black nightshade seeds). When I run out of vegetables at home or feel like having a tangy curry, Vatha Kozhumbu comes to my rescue always.

Ingredients for curry
For grinding
Add pepper, urad dal, curry leaves and saute
Add red chillies
Transfer to a mixie jar
Grind to a smooth paste
In the same pan, add mustard
Then add, curry leaves
Add jeera and fenugreek seeds
Add the sundakkai
Add the ground paste
Tamarind soaked in water
Add the tamarind extract and boil

Ingredients:

For Seasoning

Sesame oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 3/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds/Methi – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 6 – 7

Tamarind – lemon sized ball

For curry

Dried Sundakkai (Dried Turkey berry or black nighshade berries) – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Jaggery powdered – 1 tsp

Water – 1 cup

Sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Rice powder – 1 tsp

To grind:

Sesame oil- 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1 3/4 tbsp

Whole Pepper – 1 tsp

Whole Red chillies – 7

Curry leaves – 4

Preparation:

Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes. Then, squeeze it well and keep the juice aside.

Heat a pan and add 1 tsp of oil. Add the pepper, udad dal and saute and then add red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Fry till it becomes slightly brown in colour.Transfer to a mixer when it cools down. Grind it to a smooth paste.

In the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and the sundakkai and saute till it becomes slightlly brown. Add curry leaves and the ground paste to it and saute tll the raw smell disappears. Add the tamarind extract and let it boil for about 10 minutes on low flame. Add 1 cup of water, rice powder and the jaggery and boil until it starts to thicken. Stir it in between. When it is slightly thickened, take it off the flame.

Serve it with rice and any vegetable kootu.

Moringa Stalk Rasam/Drumstick Stalk Rasam

Vegetarian

A Rasam bursting with flavours! The moringa stalk adds a punch to this healthy rasam and whenever I buy Moringa leaves at home, the leaves are removed and the stalk always goes into preparing this rasam. I also add curry leaf sprigs (whenever I have stock of it) to this rasam for added flavours.


Ingredients

Tomatoes – 2 big
Drumstick Stalks – 7-8 stalks
Tamarind – a lime sized ball
Rasam Powder – 2 tsp (any store bought)
Roasted jeera powder – 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves – 2 stalks (chopped)
Salt – to taste

For Seasoning:

Oil/ghee – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 stalk
Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
Garlic – 1 cut into pieces (optional)
Jeera/Cumin seeds – 3/4 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Red chillie – 1

Preparation

Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Squeeze it well and strain the residue, using a sieve. Keep the tamarind water aside for use in the rasam.

Wash and chop the drumstick stalks . Take a pan and add 3 cups of water and the drumstick stalk into it. Add tomatoes chopped into big pieces and let it boil until it is cooked well. Remove the stalks using a tong and mash the tomatoes well. Or alternatively, you may pressure cook the stalks and tomato in a cooker for 5-6 minutes on medium flame. Remove the stalks and mash the tomatoes.

When they are cooked well, add the rasam powder, tamarind paste, jeera powder, pepper powder and salt. I use MTR or Priya brand rasam powder for this rasam. Boil it for 3-4 minutes on medium flame and put off the flame.

Meanwhile, heat a small tempering pan. Add oil/ghee and crackle mustard seeds. Add chopped garlic, jeera, curry leaves, red chillie, asafoetida and fry for a couple of seconds. Add this tempering to the rasam and cover it immediately. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.