1. parupu kuzhambu

Parupu kuzhambu is the simplest gravy.
Vegetables that can be used - Brinjal, ash guard, carrot, raddish, drumstick, lady's finger,capsicum etc
Ingredients:
Thur dhal - 1cup
Tamrind - 1 big lemon size
Salt - 1tbs
Hinge - apinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Sambar/ kuzhambu podi - 2 and 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
coriander leaves
Green chilli - 3

For seasoning:
Mustartd seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hinge - a pinch
Red chilli -1
Curry leaves
Gingely oil/ ghee - 1tsp

Method:

1. Soak thur dhal and tamrind in separate vessels in hot water.
2. Pressure cook thur dhal adding hinge and turmeric powder.
3. Add salt to the soaked tamarind and extract the juice. (you can use two cups of water to squeeze the tamarind)
4. Cook the vegetable in tamarind water adding turmeric powder.
5. Fry the sambar powder adding very little gingely oil and add to the tamarind juice.
6. Mash the cooked thur dhal and add to the tamarind, sambar powder gravy.
7. Add green chillies (choped lenght wise) and boil the mixture for 2 mins.
8. Season it using the items given under seasoning.

9. Avial

8.       Avial

Ingredients

Ash guard - 200gm
Snake guard - 100gm
yam - 100gm
potato - 1(big)
Drumstick - 1
Brinjal - 50gm
Arvi/colacasia -5
Raw banana -1
Carrot - 2 
Brinjal - 2
Beans - 50gm
Kothavarangai/cluster beans -50gm
Avaraikai - 50gm
Salt - 2tbs
Optional
Fresh Green peas - 50gm
Sweet potato -1
 For grinding
 Coconut - 1/2 shell(big size)
Jeera - 1tsp
Green chilli -10
Red chilli -1

For tempering
Coconut oil - 2tbs
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Curry leaves
For spreading
Grated Coconut - 2tsp
Coconut oil - 2tbs
Curd - 2tbs

Method:

1.       Peel the skin of yam, raw banana and yam. Wash all the vegetables and cut length wise (1 ½ inch approx).

2.       Pressure cook arvi separately and peel off the skin and keep aside.

3.       Cook all the vegetables in a non stick container adding salt.

4.       Meanwhile grind all the ingredients given under grinding coarsely.

5.       Once the vegetables are cooked, peel the skin of arvi and add.

6.       Add the ground coconut to the vegetables and mix thoroughly.

7.       Allow it  to boil for 2 seconds.

8.       Heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. Add curry leaves after mustard seeds splutters.

9.       Spread grated coconut and coconut oil.

10.   After it is cool add curd and mix well.

Note: You can even add curd to the quantity which you are going to use immediately. Adding to the whole lot may turn sour after sometime. So it is to be refrigerated. 

Kosmari or carrot salad

Ingredients:

Fresh carrot - ¼ Kg
Green chili - 1
Ginger - a small piece

curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Salt - ½ tsp
Lemon - ½

Sugar - a pinch (optional)

Grated coconut - 1tsp (optional)

For seasoning 

Urid dal - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Oil - 1 tsp 

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp 

Method:

• Wash and remove black spots from carrot as it may have mud particles and bacteria and grate it using carrot grater.
• Add salt, sugar, grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. 
• Squeeze lemon.
• Heat oil on the pan and add mustard seeds. After it splutters, add the rest of the ingredients we have for seasoning. Finally add the curry leaves. Add to the grated carrot mix. Stir well.