MAMPAZHA MORE KUZHAMBU (RIPE MANGO BUTTERMILK GRAVY)

Since this is the season for making and enjoying all Mango dishes, I am making use of it to the maximum, , though this kuzahmbu can be made with tinned mango puree also. I used the Banganapalli variety. Tinned puree comes handy , when mango is not in season. 

Ingredients

Banganapalli mango - 1, sliced

Fresh curds - 2 cups

Salt to taste

Curry leaves

2 tbsp Coconut oil for seasoning

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp for seasoning

Roasting & Grinding ingredients

Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbsps

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

Split urad dhal - 11/2 tsps

Methi seeds /Fenugreek - 3/4 tsp

Red chillies - 3

Cooking oil - 1 tsp for roasting

Serves 3

Take 2 cups curds in a cooking pan, and whisk without lumps.

Pressure cook the sliced mangoes, allow to cool.

Remove the skin, take out the pulp and make a  puree in the blender .The beautiful puree down below

Pour the puree on top of the whisked curds and mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste

In a pan, add oil, and roast the ingredients mentioned above.

                                 Remove the above ingredients, then roast the coconut separately to golden                                            colour.

                           
                                                                    Blend both together

and add to the mango-curd mixture

Whisk well, top up with fresh curry leaves.

                              Season mustard seeds in coconut oil and pour on top of the curry leaves, and keep on slow flames for 5-10 minutes, till the mixture becomes frothy, please take care, stand nearby itself, lest the Kuzhambu may curdle.

                          Serve with  Potato roast  and  hot rice. This curry is the perfect combination for this Kuzhambu.

Variations

*You can add chopped, cooked mango pieces also to the Kuzhambu.

*If you use tinned mango puree, it will have some sweetness.So, if I  use fresh mango, I normally add 1 tsp sugar, which gives a perfect taste to the More Kuzhambu. If you need more sweetness, you can add one more tsp of sugar. If you do not like sweetness, then no need to add sugar.

EASY TIFFIN SAMBAR

This is definitely a nice change for our usual Sambar. This is very light, you can literally drink any amount, you will not feel heavy. Especially if you make tiffin sambar for dinner, it is very light and goes very well with any kind of tiffin variety.

This sambar tends to get thick, when it is used for next day....in that case, please add some hot water to it, and make it thinner.

Ingredients

Split moong dhal - 3/4 cup, soaked in hot water, with a pinch of turmeric powder

Carrots - cubed 1/2 cup

White radish - cubed, 1/2 cup

Green bell pepper - cubed, 1/2 cup

Tomatoes chopped - 2

Small onions chopped - 10-12

Curry leaves

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Sambar powder - 21/2  - 3  tsps

Salt to taste

In 1 tsp oil roast and powder 

Channa dhal - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Red chillies - 2

For seasoning

Gingely oil - 3 tsps

Hing - 1 small piece

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Breakfast

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 15mts

Serves 6

I dry roasted these in the microwave and powdered after it cooled down.

In the pressure pan, add gingely oil, add the ingredients for seasoning,along with some turmeric powder too, and saute for 2-3 minutes....

                      Add onions, tomatoes, carrots , radish, bell peppers and curry leaves.

Pour water to the required level, add tamarind paste, sambar powder and salt.

Add the soaked mung dhal also. Cook for 3 whistles. My cooker gives long whistles. If yours gives short ones, then cook for 4-5 whistles.

                           

Sambar is ready, topped with the flavorful powder. Mix well, if the consistency seems to be thick, add some hot water and stir  well.

The tasty, flavourful sambar complimenting idlis, or the soft, fluffy idlis complimenting the Sambar???

Notes

*We can add tur dhal half the quantity  too. In that case too, we can soak  both the dhals ,  pressure cook  this separately, then add the pressure cooked dhals.

*If the Dhal is cooked separately, definitely it will have a nice mashed look

* moong or tur dhal can be cooked separately for 1 whistle and added along too

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

RAVA PONGAL

This Pongal is best for those, who are tired of Ven Pongal and also for diabetics, who want to shun rice. The roasted rava, along with the flavours of ginger and black pepper, is a superb breakfast dish, when it turns out to be a soft, pongal, with the nutritious split moong dhal, added.

                                                                  Ingredients
                                                                  Rava - 1 cup
                                                          Split moong - 1/4 cup
                                                          Water - 3 1/2 cups
                                                               Ghee - 6 tbsps
                                                               Cashews - 10
                                                   Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp
                                         Coarsely powdered black pepper - 1 tbsp
                                            Coarsely powdered Jeera - 1 tbsp
                                                           Curry leaves
                                                           Salt to taste

                                        Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Breakfast
                                        Prep time: 10mts; Cooking time: 15mts

                                                                      Serves 4


                                                Pressure cook moong dhal till done.

Roast the rava to a golden colour in 2 tsps ghee and keep aside.

                                                       In 2 tsps ghee, roast the cashews.

                                                                 

Coarsely powdered black pepper, jeera, finely chopped ginger and curry leaves added to the roasted cashews

Keep the measured water in pan, and add 2 tsps ghee, and .......................

when the water starts boiling, add the cooked mung dhal

                                                   

Then add the rava, keep on low flames, keep on stirring, otherwise, rava will form small lumps. Add salt at this point. Add the seasoned curry leaves, ginger, jeera and pepper too.

Add the cooked mung dhal too

Drizzle some more ghee, now Pongal will leave the sides of the vessel. 

Hot  Rava Pongal is ready!

Serve with simple coconut chutney or tiffin sambar

PALAK RAITA

This raita is loaded with nutrients, and is made with Palak aka Spinach, which belongs to the Amaranthus  family. I have used Delhi Palak, in which the stems are very thin.Spinach acts as a great anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agent, it reduces many health disorders, stimulates bone protein, low in calorie but high in nutrients. To this, pearl onions and pomogranates, which are considered to be the "Fruit of Paradise" are added too. Pomegranate prevents heart disease, lowers blood pressure, can help and prevent cancer and is a good source of dietary fibres.

Ingredients

Curds - 5 cups

Palak - 1 bunch

Small onions/Shallots - 6-7

Garlic - 3 pods, chopped fine

Pomegranate arils - 1/2 cup

Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

Hing powder - a pinch

Salt to taste

Cooking oil - 2 tsps

Jeera - 1/2 tsp to season

Recipe Cuisine: South/North Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner

Prep time: 10mts;  Mixing time: 5mts

Serves 6

Add cooking oil in a pan, season jeera, then add hing powder, finely chopped onions,chopped garlic and chilli powder.

 Saute for a while, then add the chopped, cleaned palak leaves, add salt. 

Keep sauteeing, it will be cooked and shrunk in no time. 

Whisk the curds well.

Cool down the sauteed and shrunk palak and add it to the whisked curds

Mix well, and decorate with pomegranate arils.

Variations

                             

                                                 * Grated carrots also can be added.

SMALL POTATO /BABY ALOO ROAST

This potato curry is a treat for the eyes and mouth. Roasted to golden colour, firm, but soft inside, this curry is a real delicacy, if made in the right way.

Ingredients

Small potatoes - 1 Kg (2.2 Lbs)

Chilli  powder - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Cooking oil - 5-6 tbsps

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Fresh curry leaves, - handful

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Dry Curry

Prep time: 15mts to cook, 2 hours to refrigerate; Cooking time: 30 mts

Serves 6

Pressure cook the potatoes, without water, and keep aside for cooling.

Put them in a colander, run cold water over them, and leave them aside. After they cool down completely, you can peel them, cut into halves(I never roast them as whole, because the chilli and salt will not get into them), and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, so that they will solidify well, and become firm.

In a broad, flat bottomed pan, keep oil, season hing powder, mustard seeds and curry leaves, after they splutter, add the refrigerated potatoes.

 Then add the chilli powder and salt, and gently toss them. Then, keep on low flames, and you can walk here and there,do your other work, but not forgetting the potatoes, having them in mind, going to toss and turn them once in 10 minutes......., you have to have the patience  roast them, atleast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours..

                                                                    Half done

                                                       Roasted beautifully.

This is a favourite of all in my family, and my children say, nobody makes potato curry like this!

What more compliments a Mom needs????

Tips

* I have seen many people, hurriedly cooking the potatoes, and dropping them when they are hot, into the pan. This will make the potatoes soft and soggy.

*Infact, for the next day's lunch, the previous evening itself, I boil the potatoes, peel them, and shove  into the fridge, and it gives me amazing results.

BAGALA BAATH/CURD RICE

People always think, oh, what is in a curd rice? Mix some rice and curds, and there you get it!!! That is a wrong notion. To get a nice, creamy textured curd rice, you definitely have to follow certain rules. In many marriages, the caterers serve hot curd rice, which is not at all good. First of all, adding curd to the hot rice will have bad effects on our health. My mom used to say, it will cause jaundice. So, I always make sure to cool down the rice completely.
This is definitely the comfort food for many.....they call it "thayir saadham", 'thachi mammam", "morunjaadham"  etc.....it is ultimate dish, which provides great comfort. Sometimes, even in a 5 star restaurant, after a heavy buffet, we end up with at least 2 spoons of curd rice....we feel, that will keep all the other food eaten, digested!

Ingredients
Raw rice - 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Chilled milk - 1 cup
Fresh curds, as is required
Salt to taste

For seasoning
Ghee - 2 tsps
Hing powder - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly - 1(for decoration purpose)
Very finely chopped or grated ginger - 1 tsp
Fresh curry leaves - 1/4 cup


Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch
Prep time: 5mts; Cooking time: 15-20 mts

Serves 6


Pressure cook rice (soaked for 1/2 hour) with enough salt. Cooking with salt, aids in softening  it up nicely. Then mash it up with a masher.

Allow it to cool down completely, add chilled milk. Again mash it nicely. By now, rice would have cooled down, so, even if you mash it with a spatula or masher, it will be lumpy. The best masher is............. a clean,washed and wiped hand. That's what I do always, mix it up nicely. Add curds too and mix well.

In ghee, season all the ingredients mentioned above, refrigerate, and serve chilled with pickle of your choice, or curd chillies.(more milagai)

Tips

* Some may need a tinge of spice in curd rice, those people can add 1 or 2 slit green chillies while seasoning. Some add chopped green chillies, I don't prefer it, because when children eat, they get it while munching, then they create a racket.

* Grated carrots can be garnished.

*Pomegranate arils can be kept as border to the curd rice. Not only does it look good, it gives a crunchy texture, while eating curd rice.