Thengai kuzhambu

Thengai kuzhambu is a simple side easy to do and very tasty with any vegetable curry. Vegetables like lady's finger, brinjal, capsicum, drum stick and ash guard can be used.

Ingredients:
Vegetable pieces - 1 cup.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Rice flour - 1tbs
Salt - 1tbs

For grinding:
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cumin seeds(jeera) - 1/2tsp
Daniya seeds (coriander seeds) - 1/2tsp
Red chilli - 7
Tamarind - 1 lemon size
Hinge - a pinch

For seasoning:
Oil - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hinge - a pinch
Curry leaves

Method:

1. Cook the vegetable in one cup of water adding salt, turmeric powder and hinge.
2. Soak tamarind in hot water. Remove the seeds and seed coats if any.
3. Grind coconut, cleaned tamarind, jeera, red chilli, daniya and hinge into a thick paste.
4. Add the paste to the cooked vegetable and mix well. Add 2 cups of water.
5. Boil it for 3 minutes. Add rice flour paste and mix well. Boil again for a minute.
6. Season with the given ingredients.

Note: If the consistency is thin add some more rice flour paste.

12. Keerai kuzhambu

Keerai kuzhambu

It is a simple side dish for lunch that goes with any fried vegetable curry like brinjal, kovaikai, sepangkhangu, lady's finger, potato and carrot. Mulai keerai/ arai keerai/ siru keerai can be used. Lettuce can also be used.

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup 

Tamarind - 1 big lemon size.

Green chilli - 7

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Hinge - a pinch

Salt - 1tbs

Keerai - 1 bunch (kattu)

Seasoning:

Sesame oil - 1tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Channa dal -1/2 tsp

Urid dal - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli - 4

Methi seeds - 1tsp

Hinge - a pinch

Method:

1. Clean the greens and soak in water for 10 minutes and rinse twice and cut into small pieces.

   

   
   
   
   
   
2. Pressure cook toor dal with turmeric powder and hinge. Smash well and keep aside.
3. Soak Tamarind in hot water and extract the syrup.
4. Season all the ingredients add tamrind water and greens (keerai).
5. Cut the green chillies in length wise and add to the tamarind water. Allow it boil till the leaves are cooked.
   
   
   
6. Add smashed toor dal and allow it boil. If the consistency is watery add rice flour paste to thicken.

9. parupilla araitha kuzhambu/ mangotai kuzhambu

Parupu illa kuzhambu      

Any vegetable that are used for making sambar like drumstick raddish etc can be used for this kuzhambu. Sour mangoes that are cut and dried in hot sun can be used instead of the vegetable. Even the mango seed (kottai) can also be used.

Ingredients:

Tamraind - 1 lemon size

Salt - 1tb

Turmeric powder - a pinch

For grinding:

Channa dal - 2tsb

Daniya seed - 2tbs

Red chilli - 8/9

Methi sedd- 1/4 tsp

Coconut (grated) - 2tbs

Hinge - a pinch

Oil - 1tsp

Seasoning:

Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp

Hinge - a pinch

curry leaves

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water. Extract 4 cups of juice.
2. Cook the vegetable in tamrind extract adding salt and turmuric powder.
3. Heat the pan add the oil and roast all the ingredients mentioned for grinding except coconut till the dal turns brown
4. Grind roasted items and coconut into fine paste.
5. Mix with tamarind extract and allow it to boil for a minute.
6. Season the kzuhambu.

Note: If dried sour mangoes and thier seeds are used, size of the tamrind should be as that of a small lemon. Use more mango pieces. The seed coat can be broken to eat the seed inside. But the seed will be different taste like that of a betal nut.

7. Milagu kuzhambu

Milagu kuzhambu is the best dish during the winter season.

Ingredients: 
Tamarind - A large lemon size
salt - 1tb
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Fresh curry leaves - 1/2 cup

For frying
Gingely oil - 1tbs
channa dal/ kadalai parupu -1/4 tsp
Thur dal - 1tbs
Daniya - 1bs
Red chilli -4
Pepper -1/2 tbp
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Hinge - a pinch
For seasoning
Gingely oil- 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Hinge - a pinch
curry leaves
optional - Sundaikai vathal/ brinjal
Method:

1. Soak tamrind in hot water for half an hour and remove the seeds or seed coat if any.
2. Fry all the items given under frying till the dhal turnd into golden brown with a good aroma.
3. Grind all the fried items along with tamrind and salt into a fine paste.
4. Heat the oil and add mustard seeds. Add turmeric powder after the seeds splutter. Add hinge and curry leaves. 
5. Add the paste and saute for two minutes.

Tips: You can make a large quantity and preserve it by making it into a thick paste adding more gingely oil. It lasts for 6 months if refrigerated and handled carefully with dry hands and spoon.

If you are doing for 1 day, you can have a the consistency as that of other kuzhambu adding sufficient water. For this either you can fry sundaikai before seasoning and keep aside and do the rest of the method then finally add the sundaikai after switching off the stove(This leaves sundaikai cripsy when you eat). Or you can use brinjal after cooking in tamarind water.