Archive for the ‘KUZHAMBU’ Category

VARUTHU ARACHA KUZHAMBU is one of the delights of Nellai or Thirunelveli.

It can be taken along with raw rice and it is also one of the best side dishes for Ven Pongal.

Ingredients

Tamarind – 1 big lemon size

vegetables – 2 cups

In general we don’t use onion for this kuzhambu. The other vegetables used for this preparation are ash gourd (pooshanikai), parangikai or chakarai pooshinikai, carrot, plantain, ladies finger , colocasia (Sepan Kizhangu) etc.. Sepan Kizhangu has to be pressure cooked. The remaining vegetables can be precooked by adding salt.

To Fry and grind

Thoor Dhal, Chenna Dhal, Urud Dhal – 1 tsp each,Grated Coconut – 4 table spoon

Sesame or ellu – 1 table spoon,Raw rice -1 tsp, Red Chillies – 10 -12 Nos

For seasoning

mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 10-15 nos
oil – 1 table spoon ( coconut oil is optional)

Procedure

-Stain the tamarind with 2 cups of water.

-Pre- cook the vegetables by adding salt and turmeric powder and when it is half cooked add the tamarind water to it and let it cook.

- In the mean time in a dry kadai first fry the sesame and rice till the fried flavour of sesame comes. Apply 1/2 tbl spoon oil to the pan and fry all the three dhals till they are golden brown along with the red chillies. Also fry the coconut in the same kadai without applying oil till it is golden brown.

-Allow the ingredients to cool and grind them into a smooth paste by adding required amount of water.

- Once all the vegetables are cooked add the paste and a small bit of jaggery. Mix them well and once the mixture starts to froth at sides turn the stove off.

-Season it with mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves with the remaining oil.

A very tasty varuthu aracha kuzhambu is ready. It is wholesome kuzhambu. Its preparation involves dhal and lots of vegetables.

Adding jaggery to any tamarind preparation will enhance its taste.

It is the easiest of all the kuzhambu varieties. There are different varieties of more kuzhambu.

Method I

Ingredients

Thoor dhal or chenna dhal – 1 tsp ( soak it in water for 1/2 an hour)

Jeera – 1 tsp

Dhaniya – 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies – 4 to 5 Nos

Red Chillies – 4 Nos

Methi seeds & split urud dhal -1/4 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbl spoon

Fresh butter milk – 2 cups

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil – 1tbl spoon

Asafoetida – 1/ 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp

Procedure

-Apply 1/2 spoon of coconut oil fry the methi seeds and urad dhal. Once it is golden brown in colour add the red chillies and fry them . Switch of the stove and add the green chillies and just fry it for 30 seconds so that the raw smell vanishes.

-Allow the ingredients to cool and grind it along with the soaked thoor or chenna dhal, jeera, dhaniya, asafoetida and fresh grated coconut into a smooth paste.

-In case you use the vegetables white pumpkin, ladies finger, potato, carrot, green tomato etc will serve well.

- Precook the vegetables with salt. Allow them to cool and then add to the butter milk. Ladies Finger has to be cooked in tamarind water.

-Season the mustard and fresh curry leaves in 1/2 tbl spoon of coconut oil and add to the butter milk.

-Finally add the paste and turmeric powder simmer it on the low flame and when it starts to froth at the sides turn the stove off.

Method II

Even if the butter milk is little short of quantity we can prepare more kuzhambu using the below mentioned method. This is also called irrupuli kuzhambu.

Ingredients

Chenna Dhal – 1 tsp

Methi Seeds – 1 /2 tsp

Red chillies – 8 to10 nos

Tamarind – size of 1 big goose berry

butter milk – 1 cup

Grated coconut – 2 tbl spoon

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil – 1tbl spoon

Asafoetida – 1/ 2 tsp

Procedure

-Apply1/2 tbl spoon of oil in the pan and fry the chenna dhal, methi seeds and red chillies till they are golden brown. Allow the ingredients to cool and grind it along with fresh grated coconut and asafoetida into a smooth paste.

- Strain the tamarind with 1 and 1/2 cup of water .

- Precook the vegetables with salt and turmeric powder in the tamarind water . Allow them to cool and then add to the butter milk.

-Season the mustard and fresh curry leaves in 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil and add to the butter milk.

-Finally add the paste to the tamarind- butter milk mixture, simmer it on the low flame and when it starts to froth at the sides turn the stove off.

Method III

This is an readymade mixture of more kuzhambu and it takes few minutes to prepare the kuzhambu once the mix is ready. Shall we name it as bachelor’s more kuzhambu?

Ingredients for preparign the more kuzhambu powder

Thoor Dhal – 1 cup

Chenna Dahl – 1/4 cup

Red Chillies – 1/2 cup

Dhaniya, Mustard, Methiseeds,Raw rice, Poppy seeds (optional), Jeera(raw)each – 1 tbl spoon

Procedure to make the powder

Fry all spices except jeera till thy turn reddish in color.

Allow it to cool. Add jeera and grind into a smooth powder.

Add 3 tsp salt, 2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp asafoetida powder and mix well.

Preserve it in an airtight container. It will last for a long time.

Procedure to make kuzhambu

-Add the precooked vegetables , 2 tsp of the above powder, salt to taste to 2 cups of butter milk. Mix it well.

-Season the mustard and fresh curry leaves in 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil and add to the butter milk.

-Simmer it on the low flame and when it starts to froth at the sides turn the stove off.