PARUPPU URUNDAIKKUZHAMBU

பருப்பு உருண்டைக்குழம்பு

This is a very famous dish in Tamilnadu. With hot rice, the paruppu urundai kuzhambu makes the meals very delicious. I have combined my mother’s and my mother in law’s recipes with a few innovative tips of mine to get a mouth watering paruppu urundai kuzhambu! This suits well with idli, curd rice and dosas also. Drumstick pieces are added to enhance the flavour of the kuzhambu. Some people fear to drop the fresh balls straightly in boiling kuzhambu. For that, one can go to a safer method. The balls can be steamed for 10 minutes before adding in the kuzhambu. But the taste of the balls will be little hard.

Ingredients:
For urundai:
Tuar dal- 1 cup
Bengal gram- half cup
Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Chilli powder- half tsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves- a handful
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Finely chopped garlic flakes- 2 tbsp
Finely sliced onion-2
For kuzhambu:
Tamarind- a small orange size
Chilli powder- 2 tbsp
Coriander powder- 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste
Drumstick-2
Finely chopped small onions-1 cup
Finely crushed tomato- 1 cup
Fenugreek powder-1 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 arc
Gingelly oil- 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder- half sp
Procedure:
For urundai:
Soak the dals in enough water for 1 hour, then drain the water and grind them to a coarse thick paste with the fennel seeds and salt.
Add onion, garlic, powders and the greens and mix well.
Make lemon sized balls and keep them away in a fridge.
For kuzhambu:
Soak the tamarind in enough water for an hour and then extract its juice.
Heat a pan and pour the oil. Add the onions and fry them to golden brown.
Then add the tomatoes with the turmeric powder and fry them until the tomatoes are mashed finely and the oil floats on top.
Add the fenugreek powder and fry it for a few seconds.
Add the powders with the tamarind juice and salt.
The kuzhambu must be watery.
Add the drumstick pieces and let it boil for some minutes.
When the drumstick pieces are half-cooked, drop the balls 5 at a time.
After 5 minutes of interval, again drop 5 balls in different places so that the balls will not stick with each other.
Thus finish all the balls and allow the kuzhambu to boil on medium fire for some minutes until the kuzhambu and the balls are cooked well.
pour 2 tsp of gingelly oil around the corners.
Keep the kuzhambu on very slow fire a few minutes and put off the fire.
Options:
Along with the balls, paruppu vadais and pieces of paruppu adai can also be added.
Paruppu vadai:

Flatten the balls in to a vadai shap and deep fry them in moderate oil to golden brown.
This can be eaten as a side dish also.
 For paruppu urundai kuzhambu, this vadai, appalam, and papads are suitable side dishes.
Paruppu adai:
Flatten thinly the balls on hot tawa and cook them as adai. Pour gingelly oil around the corners.
When cooled to golden brown, cut each adai in to 2 inches cubes and drop them when the kuzhambu is boiling.

MIXED VEGETABLE SALAD

Ingredients:
Procedure:
Onion-1[thinly sliced]
Tomato [finely chopped]-1 cup
Finely sliced cucumber-1 cup
Finely chopped green chilli-1
Finely chopped coriander-half cup
Finely chopped mint leaves-2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice-1 tsp
Curd- 2 cups
procedure:
Mix in all the vegetables in a bowl.
Add enough salt and the lime juice.
Add the curd and mix well.
More curd can be added according to the requirement.

CHICKEN PULAO

This delicious pulao is rich in taste due to the coconut milk. It is easy to prepare also.
கோழி புலவு

Ingredients:
Chicken pieces- 1 kilo
Onion-5 [thinly sliced]
Green chillies-10
Ghee- 1 cup
Chopped coriander- 2 cups
Chopped mint leaves- 1 cup
Briyani rice- 5 cups
Shredded coconut-2 cups
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Soda bi carbonate- ¼ tsp
Small garlic pearls-1/4 cup
Ginger paste- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Powder coarsely the following ingredients:
Cardamom-2
Cinnamon-2 pieces
Cloves-2
Fennel seeds-1 tsp
Procedure:
Soak the rice in water.
Extract thick milk from the coconut adding enough warm water.
Boil the chicken pieces in enough water with the chilli powder, turmeric powder, soda bi carbonate and enough salt.
Fry the green chillies in 2 tbsp of ghee softly.
When cooled, grind them to a fine paste.
Add half of this paste to the boiling chicken.
When the chicken pieces are cooked, drain the water and keep it away.
Heat a vessel and pour the ghee.
Add the sliced onion and fry them well to golden brown.
Add the garlic pearls, ginger and the remaining green chilli paste with the coarse powder.
Fry them well on slow fire for some minutes.
Add the chicken with the greens and fry for a few minutes.
Add the chicken stock, coconut milk and enough water to the measurement of 10 cups exactly.
For extra cups of water, the water in which the rice is soaked can be taken.
Add the rice and cook on medium fire.
When the rice is 3/4th cooked, add enough salt and mix well.
When all the water is evaporated, take the vessel away and keep it in ‘dhum’ in a gas oven for 20 minutes.
When it is on ‘dhum’, mix well once after 10 minutes, pour some ghee around the corners and again keep it in ‘dhum’.
The delicious chicken pulao is ready now!!

SNAKE GOURD PORIYAL

புடலங்காய் பொரியல்

Ingredients:
Finely sliced snake gourd- 3 cups
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste
Finely chopped onion- half cup
Finely chopped green chlli-1
Oil-2 tbsps
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Black gram- 1 tsp
Green gram- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- 1 arc
Chopped coriander- half cup
Shredded coconut- 3 tbsps
Asafotida- half sp
Procedure:
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
When the oil becomes hot add the mustard seeds.
When they splutter, add the black grams and the green grams with the asafetida powder and fry them to slightly brown.
Add the onion with the green chillies, curry leaves and the coriander leaves and fry them slightly with a pinch of salt.
Add the snake gourd pieces with salt.
Cook the vegetable sprinkling water in intervals.
When the vegetable is done and all the water is evaporated, sprinkle the coconut and mix well.

MUTTON KUZHAMBU:

கறிக்குழம்பு

This is one of my mother in law's recipes. In this dish, the fried powder gives a delicious taste.
Ingredients:
Finely sliced onion-2
Finely chopped tomato-3
Ginger paste- 1 tbsp
Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Chilli powder- 1 ½ tbsp
Coriander powder- 1 ½ tbsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Mutton pieces- 1 kilo
Cinnamon-2 pieces
Cloves-2
Finely chopped sambar onions-1 cup
Curry leaves- a handful
Chopped coriander leaves-half cup
Salt to taste
Oil- 4 tbsps
Grind the following ingredients in to a paste:
Shredded coconut-2 cups
Peppercorn- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Fennel seeds- 1tsp
Roast the following ingredients in a dry pan to slightly brown and powder them finely.
Raw rice- quarter cup
Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Procedure:
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the cleaned and washed mutton pieces with the turmeric powder, salt, the ginger garlic paste and 3 cups of water.
When the mutton is almost cooked, add the ground paste with the powders and let it cook for some minutes.
Heat a small pan and add the oil.
Add the cinnamon and the cloves.
When they splutter, add the sambar onions along with the greens and tomato pieces.
Fry them finely until the tomatoes are amshed and the oil floats on top.
Add them to the boiling kuzhambu.
Let the kuzhambu boil for a few minutes.
Lastly sprinkle the powder and mix well.
Cook the kuzhambu on slow fire for 5 minutes.

DRUMSTICK PULI KUZHAMBU

முருங்கைக்காய் புளிக்குழம்பு

Ingredients:

Drumstick-3
Sambar onions-1 cup
Finely crushed tomato-half cup
Tamarind- a big lime size
Kashmir Chilli powder- 1 ½ tbsp
Coriander powder-1 ½ tbsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Fenugreek powder- half sp
Gingelly oil-4 tbsp
Curry leaves-2 arc
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of warm water for half an hour and then extract its juice.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the sambar onions and fry them to golden brown.
Then add the crushed tomato with the turmeric powder and the curry leaves.
Cook them until the tomatoes are mashed and the oil floats on top.
Add the fenugreek powder and cook for a few seconds on slow fire.
Add the tamarind extract with the powders and salt.
When the kuzhambu starts boiling add the drumstick pieces.
Boil the kuzhambu on medium fire until the gravy is thickened and the drumstick pieces are cooked well.
Finally pour 1 tsp of gingelly oil around the pan and cook for a few seconds on very slow fire.

TAPIOCA CUTLET:

மரவள்ளிக்கிழங்கு கட்லட்

Tapioca always takes a special place in our kitchen. In my mother in law’s house, she used to cook the tapioca pieces in lots of water with turmeric powder, slices of garlic and salt. The garlic takes away the gas produced by the tapioca and also enhances the flavour. We still eat this as breakfast without any accompaniment. Usually we will drain all the water after the tapioca pieces are cooked. As it is rich in carbohydrate, it can be eaten in small quantities. This cutlet had been prepared with cooked tapioca.

Ingredients:
Mashed tapioca cooked without salt- 3 cups
Mashed paneer- ¾ cup
Cooked and mashed palak-half cup
Chopped coriander- 3 tbsp
Sliced onion-3
Chopped tomato-half cup
Fennel seeds-1 tsp
Curry leaves- 2 arc
Ginger garlic sauce- 1 tbsp
Shredded ginger- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Breadcrumbs-1 cup
Oil to deep fry

For the batter:

Plain flour-2 cups
Corn flour-1 tbsp
Chilli sauce-1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste- quarter sp
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour 3 tbsp of oil.
Add the fennel seeds and when it splutters, add the sliced onion and fry them to golden brown.
Add the tomato with the greens and turmeric powder and fry them until they tomatoes are well mashed.
Add the chilli garlic sauce and ginger and fry for a few seconds.
Add the mashed paneer and fry it to a few seconds.
Add the mashed tapioca with the palak and enough salt.
Mix well on slow fire until all the ingredients are combined.
Take the mixture and allow it to cool a little.
Make small balls, flatten them slightly, dip in the batter, coat with the breadcrumbs evenly and fry them in hot oil to golden brown colour.

RICE DAL SUNDAL

Ingredients:

Split green gram- ¼ cup
Raw rice- ¾ cup
Shredded coconut- half cup to ¾ cup
Salt to taste
Gingelly oil-3 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1 sp
Black gram- 2 tsp
Bengal gram- 1 tbsp
Red chillies-4
Curry leaves- 1 arc
Chopped coriander leaves- ¼ cup
asafoetida

Procedure:

Dry roast the green gram to golden brown.
Wash and cook it in plenty of water.
After some minutes, wash the rice and add it to the green gram.
Add enough salt.
Cook the rice until the rice is almost done.
The rice should not be over-cooked.
Drain the water completely.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the dals with the asafotida powder.
Fry them to golden brown.
Add the red chillies with the greens and fry for a few seconds.
Add the rice and mix well on slow fire.
Cook for a few seconds.
Put off the fire, add the coconut and mix well.

BREAD EGG UPPUMA

Ingredients:

Eggs-3
Thinly sliced onion-2
Finely chopped tomatoes-3 cups
Finely chopped green chillies-3
Finely chopped coriander leaves- ¼ cup
Shredded ginger- 1 tsp
Bread slices-10
Butter-2 tbsp
Oil- 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Cut the bread slices in to small cubes.
Heat a pan and add the butter and the oil.
Add the onions and fry it to golden brown.
Add the green chillies with the tomatoes.
Fry them until they are mashed well and the oil floats on surface.
Add the coriander leaves and fry for a few seconds.
Add the beaten eggs with enough salt and cook them until they are well scrambled.
Add the bread pieces, mix well and cook for a few minutes.

CHICKEN 65

Though I have tried so many varieties of chicken 65 in the past, I found this recipe which I have innovated more tasty and delicious than the rest. I don’t use food colour in this recipe. I have only used Kashmir chilli powder and turmeric powder for the real colour.

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken pieces-1 kilo
Lime juice-2 tsp
Kashmir chilli powder-3 tsp
Chilli sauce- 2 tsp
Egg-1
Cornflour-3 tbsp
Plain flour- 3 tsp
Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
Coarsely ground peppercorn-1 tsp
Garlic paste-1 tsp
Ginger paste- 1 ½ tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Garam masala- ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Procedure:

Wash the chicken pieces well, add all the ingredients with enough salt to the chicken and mix well. Marinate them for 2 hours. Then deep fry them in hot oil to golden brown.

BEETROOT VADAI

For vegetable vadai varieties, some add gram dal or tuar dal instead of Bengal gram as a binding agent. If you add pattaani paruppu instead of Bengal gram, then the taste will be delicious!!!

Ingredients:

Beetroot-300gms
Thinly sliced onion- 1 cup
Finely chopped green chillies-2
Turmeric powder- half sp
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- 1 arc
Salt to taste
Bengal gram- 1 cup
Chilli powder- half sp
Soda bi carbonate-a pinch
Enough oil to deep fry

Grind coarsely the following:

A small piece-cinnamon, fennel seeds-half sp, shredded ginger- half sp, garlic flakes-8[small]

Procedure:

Soak the Bengal gram in enough water for an hour. Drain the water and grind coarsely with enough salt. Shred the beetroots finely. Heat a pan and pour 2 tbsp of oil. Add the onions with the chillies and the curry leaves. Fry them to golden brown. Add the beetroot with the turmeric powder and fry for a few minutes. Add the ground paste, chilli powder and salt. Fry the beetroot until it is well cooked. Finally add the coriander leaves and toss for a few seconds. When it is cooled, add it to the ground paste of Bengal gram, add the soda bi carbonate and mix well with the fingers. Make small balls, flatten them in to thin vadais and fry them in hot oil to golden brown.

RICE KHEER

Though there are so many varieties of paal payasams, this one is very special and tasty because the rice is fried in ghee first and then pressure-cooked in milk here. This makes this kheer the most delicious dessert in your kitchen!!

Ingredients:

Raw rice- 1 cup
Ghee- half cup
Thick milk- 2 liters
Broken Cashew nuts- 2 tbsp
Raisins- 3 tbsp
Saffron- ¼ sp
Cardamom powder-1/4 sp
Sugar- 3 cups

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the ghee.
On slow fire, first fry the cashew nuts and raisins and take them away.
Add the rice and fry them to golden brown.
Heat a pressure cooker and pour the milk.
Add the fried rice with the ghee, saffron, and cardamom powder.
Mix well. Close with the lid and pressure cook the milk with the rice to one whistle on medium fire.
Then reduce the heat to very low and cook for further 25 minutes.
Open the pressure cooker, add the sugar and further cook for some minutes until you get a slight thickened consistency.

KEERAI KOOTTU

This is a very simple recipe but the taste is delicious!

Ingredients:

Thuar dal- ¾ cup
Split Green chillies-4
Finely chopped onion-1
Finely crushed tomato-2 cups
Small garlic flakes-10
Finely chopped coriander leaves- half cup
Finely chopped keerai-3 cups
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste
Oil-4 tbsp
Cumin seeds- half sp
Asafotida –half sp

Procedure:

Pressure cook the dal.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the cumin seeds and when they splutter add the onion and fry them to golden brown.
Add the tomatoes with the green chillies, asafotida, turmeric powder and the garlic flakes and fry them until the tomatoes are mashed well and the oil floats on the surface.
Add the dal and when it starts to boil add the keerai with enough salt.
Boil for some minutes until the keerai is cooked without changing its green colour.
Pour a spoon of ghee and serve.

Note:

Either palak keerai or mulaikkeerai will give great taste to this dish.

RICE FLAKES CORN UPPUMA

RICE FLAKES CORN UPPUMA
[aval cholam uppuma]

With rice flakes[aval], we can prepare tasty breakfast dishes. This one is with frozen corns which gives a very delicious taste to this dish.

Ingredients:
Finely sliced onion-1
Big tomato [finely chopped]-1
Finely chopped green chillies-2
Finely chopped coriander leaves-2 tbsp
Asafetida- half tsp
Turmeric powder-half sp
Oil- 2 tbsp
Rice flakes [aval]-1 cup
Frozen corn- 1 cup
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds- half sp
Black gram- half sp

Procedure:

Wash the rice flakes thrice, drain the water completely and keep it away.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the black gram with the asafetida powder and fry for a few seconds.
Then add the onion with the green chillies and fry them for a few minutes to golden brown.
Add the tomato with the turmeric powder and fry them until they are mashed well and the oil floats on top.
Add the corn with a little salt and cook for a few minutes.
Now add the rice flakes with salt and cook on slow fire until it is mixed well and cooked. Lastly add the coriander leaves and cook for a few seconds.