Kuzhambus - Gravies of South India!

Jain Dhaba Palak Dhal - simple, yet spectacular in taste!

Goes with a pulao or roti and a spicy dry curry.

Tur dhal - ½ cup

Minced ginger & green chillies - each 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Chopped palak - 2cups

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Bay leaves - 3

Cloves - 2,3

Red chillies - 3, broken

Jeera - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Salt,haldi

Pressurise tur dhal with 1 ½ cups of water, haldi, green cillies & ginger, till soft.

Whisk well & keep ready.

Heat oil in akadai & temper as given.

Finally add the palak & saute for 5 mts, till it shrinks.

Add dhal & salt

Simmer for 5 mts & serve hot.

 

Tomato Kadhi - ideal with rice as well as rotis!

In this recipe, I have introduced tamarind paste, sambar powder and also used fried gram powder instead of besan. Only one tsp oil is used to make this a healthy dish.

Tomatoes - 4

Tamarind paste - 1-2 tsp

Sambar powder - 1 tsp

Fried gram - 1 tbsp (powder)

Salt, hing

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 1,2

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - ¼ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Green chilli - 1

Curry leaves - few

Cook chopped tomatoes with 1 cup of water & liquidize.

In a kadai, heat oil & temper as given.

Add tomato pulp, tamarind paste, sambar powder & salt.

When it starts boiling, mix half the powdered fried gram with ½ cup of water & add.

Boil to see the consistency.

If it is not sauce-like, add the remaining fried gram powder mixed with little water.

Simmer the mixture & remove.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

Marundu Milaku Kuzambu - make this once a fortnigt!

Roast each of the following separately in 1 tsp oil:

Pepper - 2 tsp

Jeera - 2 tsp

Garlic peeled - 1 cup

And grind to a paste, adding water.

Tamarind paste - 4-5 tsps (or to taste)

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (or less)

Salt

To temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 sp

Chopped small onion - ½ cup

Mix the ground paste with tamarind paste, 1 cup of water, salt & chilli powder.

Heat oil & temper mustard seeds.

Then add onions & curry leaves.

When the onions turn glossy, add the mixture.

Simmer to boil & remove.

Serve with hot white rice & ghee.

 

Re: Kuzhambus- the gravies of South India.

Dear Friends,
Karuvadam vatha kuzambu is prepared exactly like
Papad Kuzambu
that is, appala kuzambu.
Karuvadams can be deep fried, or MWed with oil smeared lightly. That is what I do now.
Love,
Chithra.