Kothamalli Thokku (Corriander leaf paste)

I'm back with most comfort and excited dish which plays more prominant role in my kitchen every lazy days.  Fresh corriander leaves are used for this preparation and grinded along with the spices.  This can be refrigerated for a week or more.  Add a proportionate measure of kothamalli thokku to the rice and mix well- It taste simply delicious.  Can serve with dosai and idly too.

Ingredients :

1. Corriander leaves - 1 bunch
2. Tamarind - lime sized
3. Black gram (urad dal) - 1 tbsp
4. Jaggery - 1 tsp
5. Chilly powder to spice
6. Salt to taste
7. Gingilli oil

Direction to cook :

1.   Dry roast the urad dal.  Keep aside.

2.   Heat oil in the pan, add corriander leaves and salt to taste.  Allow to cool.

3.   Grind together the corriander leaves and urad dal together to smooth paste.

4.   Heat oil in the pan, add the grounded paste, tamarind juice, red chilly powder,  filtered jaggery water & cook over the low heat till oil seperates.

Serve it with rice, idly and dosai.

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Vangibath (Brinjal Rice)

Happy valentines day to all my viewers. This is my most comfort & tasty rice variety, which I cook very often for my DH lunch box.  I always prepare the vangibath powder & store it in the freezer for a week or more.  It makes my cooking very simple & easy.  Best way to serve this rice is with papads or with raitas as well.  

Ingredients :

1. Green / purple Brinjal - 100 gms (or eggplant - 1 medium sized)
2. Basmati rice - 1 cup
3. Oil - 1 tbsp
4. Channa dal - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Tamarind pulp -1/2 tsp
7. A pinch of jaggery
8. Onion - 1 no
9. Potato - 1 small sized
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Vangibhath powder 
12. Dry coconut powder - 1 tsp
13. Roasted cashewnuts for garnishing
14. Salt to taste

For vangibhath powder :

1. Red chillis - 2 nos (or black pepper corns)
2. Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
3. Poppy seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
5. Channa Dal - 1 tsp
6. Dry coconut powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
8. Clove - 2 nos
9. Sesame seeds - 1/4 tsp
10. 1/4 tsp hing

Dry roast the above ingredients & grind it to smooth powder.

Direction to cook :

1.   Cook the rice & allow it to cool.

2.   Meanwhile, heat oil in the pan.   Add channa dal, mustard seeds, finely chopped onions & then cut potato slices.  Cook till tender.

3.   Slice the brinjals in lengthwise & add them to the above mixture.  Add turmeric powder & salt to taste.

4.   Add tamarind pulp & coconut powder.  Cook till brinjals are done.

5.   Now add grounded vangibath powder & a pinch of jaggery.  Add cooked rice & mix them throughly till nicely combined.

6.   Add roasted cashewnuts.

Serve with papads or raita.

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Bisibilebath

One of my favourite & comfort dish, taste great with pappads.  Healthy way of adding vegetables & simple to make.  This dish will be served in most of the south indian functions & celebrations.  I use store bought  bisibilebath powder, yet taste delicious.  

Ingredients :

1. Raw rice - 3/4 cup
2. Toor dal - 1/4 cup
3. A pinch of hing
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Oil - 2 tbsp
6. Ghee - 2 tbsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
9. Red chillies - 2 nos
10. Curry leaves - 2 tbsp
11. Vegetables (Carrot, beans, drumstick, green peas, potato) - 3/4 cup
12. Bisibilebath powder - 2 tsp
13. Tamarind extract - 1 tsp
14. Onion - 1 no
15. Tomato - 1 no
16. Dessicated coconut - 1 tbsp
17. Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp
18. Salt to taste

Direction to cook :

1.   Combine & pressure cook the rice, toor dal, hing & turmeric powder together.

2.   Heat oil in the heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds & curry leaves.

3.   Add finely chopped onions & saute.  Add tomatoes, salt & vegetables.  Cover & cook till tender.

4.   Add tamarind pulp, bisibilebath powder & dessicated coconut.  Cook for 2 more mins.

5.   Add the cooked rice & dal mixture & enough water for the desired consistency.  Adjust the salt.

6.   In a separate pan, heat the ghee add 1 tbsp of curry leaves, red chillies & broken cashewnuts.  Pour it in the rice & switch off the flame.  

Serve warm with pappads.

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Dried Sundakkai Vathakuzhambu

Vathakuzhambu is most frequently made south indian dish either with fresh / dried sundakkai or with vegetables.  Tangy dish best served with appalam (papad).  Sometimes, I like to have it with curd rice.  Amma makes it with fresh sundakkai & freshly ground vathakuzhambu powder.  Rarely, I make this dish & prefer to use sambar powder for this preparation.  It taste awesome with homemade vathakuzhambu powder.  

Ingredients :

1. Dried sundakkai - handful
2. Oil - 1 tbsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
4. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
5. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
6. Jeera - 1/4 tsp
7. Onion (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
8. Garlic - 3 pods (optional)
9. Tomato - 1 no (finely chopped)
10. Tamarind (soaked in water) -  golf sized ball
11. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
12. Chilly powder - 1 tsp (to taste)
13. Sambar powder - 1 tbsp (or vathakuzhambu powder)
14. Salt to taste
15. Jaggery - a pinch

Direction to cook :

1.   Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, jeera (cumin seeds) & curry leaves.  Add finely chopped onion & saute till tender.  Add garlic (optional).

2.   Add finely chopped tomato, turmeric powder, chilly powder & salt to taste.

3.   Add tamarind pulp & water (approx 1/2 cup).  Cook till done.

4.   Finally, add sambar powder, dried sundakkai & jaggery.  Cook for 5 more mins.

Serve with rice.

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Fish kuzhambu (Meen kuzhambu)

Fish kuzhambu is my all time favourite dish.  I like to have this with rice and rotis, sometimes with ragi kali too.  Any kind of kuzhambu variety fish can be used for this dish.  Especially sankara meen is the ideal match for this kuzhambu.  I make this a day before I serve, it taste yum :)

Ingredients :

1. Fish - 1/2 kg
2. Tamarind - golf ball sized
3. Water - 2 cups
4. Oil - 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp
5. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
9. Vadagam - 1 tbsp
10. Garlic - 3 pods
11. Onion - 2 nos (small sized)
12. Tomato - 1 big sized (riped)
13. Chilly powder - 2 tsp
14. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
15. Jaggery - 1/8 tsp (or sugar)
16. Salt to taste
17. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Directions to cook :

#   Clean the fish & set aside.  Dissolve the tamarind in the water & extract the juice. Keep aside.

#   Heat oil in the pan, add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds,cumin seeds, smashed garlic pods & curry leaves.

#   Add finely chopped onions & saute for 5 mins.

#   Add finely chopped tomatoes & saute for 5 mins.

#   Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt to taste & tamarind water.

#   Cook till the gravy becomes thick in consistency.  Finally add the fish and jaggery.  Cook for 4 min or till done.

#   Heat 1 tsp of oil in the seperate pan, add vadagam and pour it to the above kuzhambu (After switching off the flame)

Garnish with corriander leaves.

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Tamarind rice

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Tamarind rice is the south indian special & comfort food as well. Most of the southindians prefer to have this tangy & tasty dish with pickle & potato fry. Amma makes the powder specially for this dish & just mix the cooked rice and the cooked tamarind pulp. No words to say, IT TASTE AWESOME !!!

Ingredients :

1. Cooked rice - 1 cup
   
2. Red chillies - 4 nos
   
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
   
4. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
   
5. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
   
6. Tamarind - lemon sized
   
7. Peanuts - 1 tbsp
   
8. Channa dal - 1 tsp
   
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
   
10. Hing - a pinch
    
11. Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
    
12. Green chilly - 1 no (optional)
    
13. Red chilly powder ( as per ur taste - optional)
    
14. Corriander powder - 1 tsp
    
15. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
    

Directions to cook :

£ Dissolve the tamarind in the water & strain the pulp. Keep side.

£ Dry roast the sesame seeds & grind them to a fine powder.

£ Heat oil in the pan, add red chillies & mustard.

£ Add fenugreek seeds, peanuts, channa dal, hing & turmeric powder.

£ Then add chilly powder, corriander powder, salt, cumin powder & tamarind juice.

£ Finally add sesame powder & green chillies. Cook them until done ( when the oil starts separating)

£ Add & mix the cooked rice in the tamarind seasonings.

Serve them hot.

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