BRINJAL / KATHIRIKKAI MASIYAL, how to make easy Kathirikkai masiyal

 

An out and out Thanjavur recipe, learnt from my M-i-l... But she used to cook in a vessel, but according to the changing times and to fasten work, I have made it easier by making it a Pressure Cooker Recipe

So simple and yet so tasty.....

Less ingredients but max taste.....

Can be named a Koottu...

Can be named a Kuzhambu....

Must be made with Green brinjals only. 

Ingredients

Green brinjals - 4

Green chillies - 3 , slit

Curry leaves - a few

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

To season

Cooking oil - 3 tbsps

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/main dish/side dish

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Serves 2-3

Brinjals washed and drained in a colander and chopped into small cubes

Rice flour mixed with some water and kept ready

Pressure pan heated, hing and turmeric powders, mustard seeds and slit green chillies seasoned

Then the cubed brinjals along with curry leaves added and sauteed.

Salt to taste added

Water poured to immersing level

Rice flour water added

and mixed well, cooked for 2 whistles

Let the pressure release naturally, then after opening, looks like this

Serve this simple and yummy dish with any South Indian menu..we can mix rice with it and eat, or to rasam saadham, we can eat it as a side...however you eat it, it is amazingly yummy!!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

IRU PULI KUZHAMBU/IRU VELLI KUZHAMBU, how to make a tangy yogurt based kuzhambu

This is a unique Kuzhambu, which is not made in many households. Recently my daughter sent me this recipe, which she learnt from a close family relative, and I too made it, and we liked it so much. This is a nice side dish for Sevai varieties
and also goes well with paruppu usilis
and all kinds of potato roasts , colocasia/seppamkizhangu roast or bhindi roast go well with this kuzhambu. Please check my South Indian curries

Ingredients

Thick and fresh curds - 2 cups, whisked well without lumps

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Chow chow - 1, cubed

Salt to taste

To roast in oil and grind

Tur dhal - 2 tbsps

Urad dhal - 1 tbsp

Red chillies - 4=5

Methi - 1 tsp

Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbsps

To season

Coconut oil - 2 tbsps

Hing powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 13/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves a few

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 15 mts

Serves 3-4

Pan heated with oil, urad, tur dhals, methi seeds and red chillies getting roasted

After they turn golden, switch off, then add coconut

and mix well

After the roasted ingredients cools down a bit, grind to a smooth mixture

Curds whisked and kept, chow chow cubed and pressure cooked

Chow chow taken in a cooking vessel, tamarind paste added, 

2 cups water added, , little bit turneric powder

Salt to taste

After it boils and reduces a bit, the ground mixture added, and let to boil for 5 minutes on slow flames.

Now the whisked curds added, flames on the lowest, after 3-4 minutes you can switch off too. Take care, lest curds might curdle

Perfect!!!

Above mentioned seasonings done in coconut oil

Notes

* Any vegetables like ash gourd, Okra, malabar cucumber , yellow pumpkin etc can be used.

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

NARTHANGAI PACHADI, how to make a tangy gravy out of Citron - traditional way and quick easy method

CITRON, known as "Narthangai" in Tamil and "Neeboo" in Hindi , is an aromatic Citrus fruit, which at times looks green and at times yellowish. It has a rough outer surface.
There are many impressive health benefits of CITRON....
* The anti oxidants and flavonoids present in Citrons prevent Cancer.
*The goodness of Vitamin C, Potassium and other minerals lower blood pressure,.
*Citron oil has amazing pain reducing properties, associated with head ache and arthritis.
*The peels of Citrons have strong  anti bacterial and anti viral properties to ward off E-coli and other bacterial infections.
*Best to get rid of flatulence, bloating, indigestion, nausea and constipation.
This Narthangai pachadi can be refrigerated and used for more than 2-3 weeks, and I tell you, the taste only improves day by day, and please don't scold me, if you have to cook more rice!!!
In most TamBrahm families, this pachadi is made during Shrardham.

Ingredients

Citron - 1

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Jaggery - 3-4 tbsps

Curry leaves

Rice flour - 1 tsp, diluted in 2 tbsps water

Salt to taste

To season

Gingely oil - 2-3 tsps

Turmeric powder - 1./2 tsp

Hing - 2 small balls

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 3, chopped fine

Red chillies - 3, broken

To dry roast and powder

Methi seeds - 3/4 tsp

White sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner/side

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 20 mts

Serves 2-3

One Citron/narthangai washed well, and cut into pieces, some curry leaves also kept with that

Ingredients for seasoning

Oil heated in a pan, and the seasonings added

Then the citron pieces added, and sauteed for 3-4 minutes on low flames

3 cups water poured

Tamarind paste added

jaggery added, and let to boil and cook on slow flames, you can cover the vessel with a plate, so that the rough and thick skin of Citron will soften

Everything reduced to half, raw smell of tamarind also goes, and Citron also gets cooked

Methi and sesame seeds dry roasted

to golden color, and powdered

Salt to taste added

Diluted rice flour added to thicken the kuzhambu

The methi-sesame powder too added. mix well and switch off

This flavorful pachadi is best with dhal-rice(paruppu saadham), and curd rice.

Now, the quick and easy Pressure Cooker method

Season all the ingredients in a pressure pan

Add the narthangai pieces with green and red chillies and curry leaves

Saute for 2-3 minutes

Pour water, add tamarind paste

add jaggery, salt to taste and cook for 3 whistles(because the citron skin is hard and thick)

After opening, add the dry roasted and powdered methi-sesame seeds

Pour the diluted rice flour and give it a quick boil

And lo!!! here it is! as tasty and flavorful as ever, but made effortlessly and quickly!!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com