Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Thakkali kuruma (Type 2)

Meaning: Thakkali -  tomato, Kuruma - a kind of Indian stew served with rice, breakfast or roti.

Earlier I posted another version for tomato kuruma (type 1) long back and that was quite different from my usual. The kuruma recipe which I am narrating now is a common one in Tirunelveli and its kind of a quickie too. Whenever we got bored of the usual coconut chutney for idly , mom used to make this tomato kuruma. But nowadays idlies are becoming obsolete in most of our houses as we all want to wake up in front of that oats bowl or bread-omelet:) Lunch is the only time to have some rice and writing them and recording is the best way to remember my native kulambu names in these years:) Hubby dear prefers only veggie foods for his lunch box and for me this recipe comes handy only after my sambar:)


Ingredients:
Ripe tomato - 4 (250 gm)
Red onion- 1/2 cup
green chilly - 2
red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
coriander powder - 2 tbsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
oil - 2 tbsp
fennel - 1 tsp
cinnamon - a small piece
Bay leaves - 2
curry leaf - 1 sprig

To grind:
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
cumin - 1/2 tsp
fennel - 1 tsp

Method:
Choose country tomato (vine tomato, the juicier ones).
Finely chop the tomatoes and put in a lidded vessel.
Cook the tomato with required salt, 2 cups water, red chilly powder, coriander powder.
After the tomato gets cooked (15 minutes), mash with a ladle.
Heat another wok with a tsp of oil and fry the fennel, bay leaf and cinnamon for 10 seconds. Then add the chopped onion , green chillies, curry leaf till the onion gets golden brown. Then put the ginger garlic paste and stir well. Pour over the cooked tomato. Add the ground masala and bring it to a boil. Switch off.

Tomato kuruma is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Makes 4 cups of Thakkali kuruma.
Serve as a side dish for rice, Idly ,dosai or chapathi.
If served with rice, beans fry, appalam or omelet can be made as side dish.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Kozhi Rasam

Kozhi(koli) - Chicken ; Rasam - Indian soup.

Rasam made of non veg items is not a common one. But this kind of rasam is prepared in Tamilnadu villages. They generally use a small chicken weighing 1/4 kg for a big family. But for a small family, just use the ribs or the drumsticks in the regular chicken. I prepared this during last winter and it was so good with piping hot rice.
It is a good remedy for body aches, cold, cough and for convalescent period.

Ingredients:
Chicken (with bones)- 100 gm
water - 5 cups
Tomato - 3 (200 gm)
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
salt - to taste
curry leaf - 1 sprig
cilantro - few leaves
dry red chilly - 2
mustard - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
asafoetida / hing - 1 pinch

To coarsely grind:
garlic - 5 pieces
black pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1 tbsp

Method:
Choose a very tender small chicken portion with bones.Wash it with water. Cut it into small pieces and smash the bones with the back side of the butcher's knife.
(Generally they used to crush the pieces in a big mortar).

Put the chicken, salt in a large vessel. Add enough water (5 cups) to cover it. Add the finely chopped tomato, turmeric and cook covered till done. (We can pressure cook it too).

Heat a wok with a tbsp of oil. Add methi, mustard seeds and let the mustard crackle. Put a pinch of hing and curry leaves, dry red chillies. Then add the crushed garlic,pepper, cumin and stir well for 20 seconds.

Pour the cooked chicken along with that soup and bring it to a boil. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and switch off. Close tightly and let all the flavor remains intact.

Chicken rasam is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve with piping hot rice and fried chicken or egg.
It can also be served as soup.

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