Paruppu Urundai Kozambu / Lentil Dumplings in Tamarind Sauce

This recipe is one of the oldest South Indian recipe being passed on for generations.
When you deeply concentrate on this recipe it tells me a story hidden behind it.
Story might be a family might not have been able to buy any vegetables for the day and thus the kozambu happened or.... it can also be the other way round...as we Indians were so happy to serve the mighty kings. May be one day a king wanted a different dish without vegetables as he was bored of having them and thus happened the recipe... ;)))) well well many stories can be made to preserve the authenticity of the dish.

Serves 6

• 25 gms - Pigeon pea/Toor dal/ Thuvram parupu
• 25 gms - Channa Dal/Kadala parupu
• 6 - Whole dry red chilly
• 1 tbs - Turmeric powder
• 1 tbs - Dry red chilly powder
• 1 1/2tbs - Sambar powder
• 15 gms - Tamarind /Imli/Puli
• 1/2tbs - Asafatida / Hing / Perunkayam
• 2 arc - Green Curry leaves
• 1tbs - Mustard seeds / Sarason/Kadugu
• 1/4tbs - Fenugreek/Methi/Vendayam seeds
• 2 tbs - Oil
• 500 ml - Water to soak tamarind
• 500 ml - Water to steam dal
• 250 ml - Water to soak dal
• 1/2 tbs - Salt for the dumplings
• 1 tbs - Salt for the kozambu / Sauce

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Wash the dals and soak them in 250 ml water for 1hour.
2. Soak tamarind in 500ml water.
3. After an hour drain the water and grind them in a mixer along with 4 whole dry red chillies.
4. Grind them coarsely. Do not make them into paste.
5. Add 1/2 tbs to them.
6. Make cylindrical shaped balls or medium sized balls.
7. Now place them on the idlli plate or any plate that are greased with oil that has holes so that the balls can be steamed.
8. Steam them for approx 20 mins.
9. Make sure that the dals are done well.
10. Once they are done cool them and keep them aside.
11. Take the tamarind water. Mix the tamarind with hand thoroughly.
12. Mash the tamarind in water well. Squeeze the tamarind well so that the pulp comes out.
13. Throw away the squeezed tamarind. Extract the pulp.
14. In a heavy bottom vessel add oil.
15. Once it gets heated add mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,asafatida,curry leaves,whole dry red chilly.
16. Add the tamarind pulp to it.
17. Add in the turmeric powder,dry red chilly powder.
18. Boil the pulp till the metallic smell and taste fades away.
19. Now add sambar powder.
20. Add salt to taste. Remember the dumplings also have the salt in them.
21. Add the urundais / lentil dumplings into the boiling kozambu.
22. Stir occasionally.. and boil them for 10 mins.

Serve hot with rice. The original taste enhances when the urundais gets soaked and becomes juicy after few hours.

Quick Carrot Pulav

I have always tried to make things that are easier, less time consuming and tastier too.. this recipe is a sure shot for the mothers who pack the lunch boxes for kids. Well suited for singles who their own stuffs :)

• 5                           - Medium sized orange carrots
• 1                           - Red medium sized tomato
• 1                           - Green chilly
• 1 inch                    - Ginger  ( Not mandatory)
• 2 pods                   - Garlic (Not mandatory)
• 3                           - Cloves/Kramb/loung
• 1                           - Cinnamon/Dalchini/Pattai
• 1                           - Bay leaf/Tej patha/Brinji elai
• 1 tbs                      - Fennel/Saunf/Sompu
• 1/2 tbs                   - Cumin/Jeera/Seeragam seeds
• 1 tbs                      - Clarified butter/Ghee/Nai
• 1/2 tbs                   - Garam Masala powder
• 1 tbs                      - Refined oil (Do not use any strong fragrant oil)
• 2 cup                     - Basmati Rice
• 1 to 1 1/2 cup        - Water (Depends upon which mode you are cooking)
• 2 cups                    - Water to wash and soak rice
• Salt to taste
• Green coriander to garnish

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Wash the carrots thoroughly. Cut of the ends of the carrots.

2. Roughly chop them roughly and put them into the blender.

3. Wash the tomato and roughly chop. Put it along with carrot into blender.

4. At this stage itself if you prefer ginger and garlic pods add them.

5. I preferred out of garlic and ginger.

6. Grind them into a fine paste.

7. The water in tomato is enough for the carrot to get blended but, if you feel its not getting down add some water.

8. Remember, you are making a rice dish and not a liquid juice so add water very little.

9. Meanwhile, wash the Basmati rice in 1 cup of water and soak them in another 1 cup of water for 5 mins.

10. I made it in a pressure cooker so my measurements are different when compared with electric rice cooker or open pan cooking.

11. For other modes scroll down for measurements of water and rice.

12. Pressure cooker  - 2 cup rice - 1 cup water.

      Electric cooker   - 2 cup rice - 1 to 1 1/2 cup water

      Open pan cooking - 2 cup rice  - 2 cup water

13. In the pressure cooker add ghee and oil. Heat them.

14. Add cloves,cinnamon,bay leaf,cumin,fennel and saute well.

15. Do not burn them. Once the cloves splutter add the carrot paste to it.

16. Saute well till the 3/4th of water in it evaporates.

17. Add salt and garam masala to it mix well.

18. Now drain the water from the rice and add it to the carrot paste.

19. Mix well and add water to it.

20. Close the lid and give one whistle.

21. Do not open immediately let it cool for 10 mins.

22. Slowly with soft ladle transfer into a bowl and serve hot.

23. Do not keep mixing as the rice tend to break and get mashed.

Baby Corn Manchurian Dry

Well i know i know it's festive season and you may be wondering as to why am i posting something which is out of sync ;) This was a long time pending recipe which had stored in my folder.. thought why not post non traditional.

Serves 4

• 10        - Baby Corn
• 2 tbs    - Maidha
• 2 tbs    - Cornflour
• 3 tbs    - Soya Sauce
• 1 tbs    - Red chilly/Green chilly Sauce
• 5 tbs    - Tomato sauce
• 1 tbs    - Red chilly flakes
• 4 pods - Garlic
• 1 inch  - Ginger
• 1         - Green chilly
• 3         - Spring onion with strands
• 2         - Big red tomatoes
• 1         - Green capsicum
• 2tbs     - Oil to saute
• Oil to deep fry
• Salt ( for both the batter and gravy)
• 200 ml - Water

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Finely chop spring onion green separately and onions separately.
2. Also finely chop off tomatoes,garlic,ginger. green chilly, green capsicum.
3. Peel off the outer husks and hair of the baby corn.
4. Take the baby corn slit them into two halves and cut them into two to three parts.
5. Grind 1 tbs of garlic,ginger and green chilly sauce in a blender to make a paste.
6. In a bowl add maidha,cornflour, paste that was ground, salt needed for the batter, 1 tbs soya sauce.
7. Add enough water to make a thick consistency batter.
8. Meanwhile, heat oil in a fry pan so as to fry the corns.
9. Dip each portion of baby corn into batter slide in one by one into the hot oil.
10. Remember do not drop in the coated baby corn before the oil gets heated up well otherwise it would get soggy and oily.
11. Fry all the baby corns after coating into the batter. Drain them and put on a tissue paper.
12. For the gravy : Add the 2 tbs of hot oil in a pan.
13. Add in the remaining garlic chopped, only onions and saute well.
14. Once the onion turns transparent add in the green chilly, capsicum and tomato.
15. Saute well and add the remaining soya sauce.
16. Add in the tomato sauce and salt.
17. Add in the greens of spring onions and saute again for a minute.
18. Pour in sufficient amount water. remember this is a dry gravy and not liquid
19. If, you have the remaining batter add 1 tbs of it into the gravy.
20. Lower the flame and stir well and add in the deep fried baby corns.
21. Coat them well in the gravy.
Garnish with green coriander.
Serve hot as a starter or as an side dish for any bread variety.

Adhirasam - South Indian Jaggery Pancake

Happy Navarathri to all.. Sorry that i really not able to put any of Navarathri recipes. Thought sundal recipes are all over and why not i start on pre- planning posting for Diwali. And here it goes people.

ADHIRASAMS - One of the oldest sweet delicacy. Have seen my grad mother being perfect on it. Its a art to make this sweet. Each time you make it you tend to learn new nuances of this recipe. It's one of the important sweet during "Diwali" down south. The first Diwali or called the "Thallai Diwali" is unfinished without this sweet being offered by the brides parents :)

So here it goes the step by step process.

• 300 gms - Rice flour
• 200 gms - Jaggery/Vellam/Gudd
• 250 ml - Water
• 2 pods - Cardamom/Elaichi/Elakai
• 2 tbs - Clarified butter/Ghee
• 2 tbs - Oil
• 1/2 lt - Refined oil
• 2 - Banana leaf / Plastic sheets

Vidhiee/Method:

Making of rice flour

1. Rice flour as such you can buy from any store or i make it by soaking it for 1/2 hr in water.

2. Drain water and dry them on a muslin cloth.

3. Dry it for at least an hour.

4. Powder them and sieve them thoroughly. Remember there should not be any lumps or water in it.

Making of the Adhirasams.

1. Dissolve the jaggery in 250 ml of water. Boil it and strain of the impurities. 

2. Powder the cardamom and add the same to the jaggery mixture.

3. Bring it to boil until it comes to string consistency.

4. Remove from heat.

5. Slowly start adding rice flour using a ladle. Mix with a ladle to make a dough.

6. Once the mixture turns bit tight use your hands to tight them.

7. Do not dip your hands when the jaggery is hot.

8. Add ghee damp and mix them well.

9. Set them aside in a plastic cover in room temperature for a day. 

10. This is done so that the mixture gets fermented and tasty.

11. More immediately you make more the chances of jaggery dissolving.

Next Day

1. Take of the plastic sheet. Knead the dough and you can feel the softness of it.

2. Make medium size balls.

3. Take the banana leaf keep the ball in center and press it flat with you palm.

4. You can grease oil into your hands and press it in order to avoid stickiness.

5. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying the Adhirasams.

6. Once the oil is hot slide in one pressed dough into oil from sideways. 

7. Do not drop from center on to oil. Oil would splutter all over your body.

8. Take out the Adhirasams once they turn golden brown.

9. Drain excess oil by having two flat heavy round medium plates ( preferably wooden)

10. Gush out excess oil.

11. Again keep them on a tissue paper.

Serve hot or cold.. 

Happy Diwali in advance.. More to come keep clicking the blog :)