Madras Kara kulambu

Madras / Chennai is one of the major cities in India.  Kaara kulambu is another version of puli kolambu, a curry made with tamarind and spices. It is a very popular curry in Madras / Chennai.

One can hear this word kaara kolambu very often in Chennai, as this is one dish prepared in most of the households there. I have seen the women cooking this kara kulambu in the evenings after coming home from their job. A typical Madarasi dinner may be a  generous ladle of this kara  kulambu over piping hot rice with any side dish of their choice. Kara kulambu is a convenient dish in many houses, as this curry can stay fresh till next day without refrigeration. So they consider making this for dinner and reserve some for next day's lunch pack. Karakulambu needs a lot of red onion, tomato and tamarind. Sometimes I have seen the prices of onion and tomato shooting up and my friends would panic how to cook their favorite curry:) I had asked them why they may need so much onion / tomato, as my puli kulambu needs lot of coconut and had suggested them my version. But they would never consider my version and I love the way they stick to their native recipe:) Yes, this simple kara kulambu recipe is addictive and I too agree on this:)

I learned this recipe from one of my neighborhood friend J akka while in Chennai. She is a native of Chennai and her recipes include very tangy and spicy foods, which I like the most. One evening she was teaching her daughter to make this simple curry. On seeing this, I too noted down her recipe and my hubby likes it very much.  I have prepared this kara kozhambu with okra (vendakkai).  We can use any native vegetable like drumstick, drumstick leaves, brinjal, raw banana, or simply without any vegetables. This recipe can serve up to 4 to 5 people.

Vendakka kara kolambu in Madras style

Ingredients:
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
red onion - 2
garlic - 10 cloves
tomato (3 crushed) - 3/4 cup
home made sambar powder - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
curry leaf - 2 sprigs
oil - 3 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
fenugreek seed  (venthayam / methi) - 1 tsp
cumin seed - 1 tsp
sea salt - 2 tsp (as per taste)
jaggery / brown sugar - 1 tbsp
okra - 15 number

Method:
Soak tamarind in warm water along with salt. Extract juice using 2 cups of water.
Put sambar powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, jaggery in the tamarind extract. Keep aside.
Some people won't add jaggery (brown sugar), but I like this version better.
Chop onion finely. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin. As soon as mustard starts crackling, add curry leaves, very finely chopped onion and saute till onion turns soft.
Clean the okra, remove top and bottom. Wipe without any moisture. Cut it into 1 inch pieces.
Saute it along with onion till we see brown spots on okra.
Then add the crushed tomato (chop them finely and squeeze with hands) and saute till the oil shows up (without breaking the okra).
Put the peeled garlic and saute for a few seconds.
Then pour the tamarind extract prepared.
Bring it to a boil.
Cook covered in low heat till curry gets little thick (10 minutes).
Madras kara kulambu is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as curry over rice. 

Vendakkai Puli kulambu

Okra / vendakkai /ladies finger in tamarind curry.

Puli kuzhambu is always Xav's first choice with rice. Also okra is his favorite vegetable and I buy it just for him. Here is a flavorful curry with okra and tamarind.

Ingredients:

Okra - 150 gm
Tamarind - 1 lemon size
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 3 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
water - 2 cups
salt - 2 tsp (to taste)

To grind:

shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
shallot onion - 10
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
sambar powder - 1 tsp

To temper:
mustard - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig
oil - 2 tbsp
asafoetida - 1 pinch

Method:

Wash the okra and wipe well using a clean kitchen towel. Let it dry in air while we prepare the other items.

Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the juice thrice with 2 cups of water.
Add the chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt to the tamarind extract and bring it to a boil. Simmer and let the raw smell go.
Grind coconut, onion, sambar powder and cumin seeds with little water. keep aside.

Remove the top and bottom of okra. Cut the okra into 1.5 inch pieces slantingly or in straight pieces.

In the same time heat oil in a separate pan.
Crackle mustard seeds , add fenugreek seeds , curry leaves and asafoetida.
Then add the okra pieces and stir fry till they turn slightly crispy (almost cooked).

Add it to the tamarind mixture and bring it to a boil. Add the coconut paste and let it boil (for 1 minute). switch off.

Vendakkai puli kuzhambu is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot with rice, appalam, greens, vegetable side dish or omelet.
Tastes good with chapati / dosa too.

Bottlegourd koottu

This is the recipe for a koottu (side dish) I make with bottlegourd. Any watery vegetable like white pumpkin, ridge gourd can also be used.

suraikkai koottu

Ingredients:

Bottlegourd (suraikkai) - 300 gms
channa dhal - 1/2 cup

To grind:

shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
green chillies - 3
cumin - 1 tsp

To temper:

Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
sesame oil - 1 tsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
onion - 2 tbsp

Method:

Wash the channa dhal and cook it with some water.
Peel the skin of the bottle gourd. Chop it into small cubes. Donot discard the seeds. Tender seeds tastes good.
Grind the items given and keep aside.
After the dhal is almost cooked add the chopped bottle gourd and cook covered. As soon as it is cooked add salt and the ground masala.
Heat oil in another wok and let the mustard splutter. Then add the curry leaf, finely chopped onion and let them wilt. Pour this over the cooked curry.
Check for salt and switch off.
Bottle gourd koottu is ready!

Serving suggesetion:

Makes more than 4 or 5 servings.
Serve as side dish with any rice or roti.

Note:

*Normally a small bottle gourd will weigh more than 1/2 kg. But we may get a lot of koottu by this recipe. So cut 3/4 th of the bottlegourd and make the koottu and use the other portion to make pachadi or sambar.
*Fresh Bottle gourd salad or semi cooked one (pachadi) has the property to reduce body fat. I am not sure of this fact, but they believe so in Tamilnadu villages.

Pattani kadalai Kuruma

It is also called kaanja pattani kuruma in Tamil (Dry peas kuruma).

It is one of the signature dishes of my mom.
Like many in India mom lived in a joint family system where we need to cook for everyone's need. But she was a happy little lady with great loving Inlaws:) who pampered her with lot of affection.
Those days reminds me of some beautiful picture portrayed in canvas.
Nevertheless to say She had to cope up with so many patch up works in the kitchen when she was not having the Fridge. One such thing is the back up plan with dry peas.
She used to do it often along with rice for lunch and the rest would be saved for the chapathi for the dinner.
Having a pack of dry peas in the pantry can save your day often:) A little soaking and some curry powder can be enough to cater a surprise guest.
We can buy the whole dry peas in any Indian Store. The peas can come in yellow and green color. Both do good but the yellow one tastes great.
Here is the recipe for the simple pattani kuruma.




Ingredients:
Dry peas (whole with skin) - 3/4 cup
tomato - 1
Red onion - 2 (medium size)
green chillies - 4
coriander leaves - a handful.
mint leaves - few
curry leaves - few
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
coriander powder - 3 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
olive oil - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
bay leaf - 1

Method:
Soak the whole dry peas in cold water overnight or in hot water for 5 hours.
Put it in a pressure cooker vessel and add enough water to immerse it (not above the peas). If the water level is above then we our peas will become mushy.
If the peas is under-soaked, then add water enough to cover the peas and it should stand 1 inch above the peas level. 

Pressure cook till we get one whistle reduce flame and keep in minimum for 5 minutes. Then switch off flame and open the lid after 10 minutes .The peas have the tendency to get over cooked if gone beyond one whistle.

Grind ginger and garlic together. Keep aside.
Then grind shredded coconut , cumin seeds and 1 onion together. keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry some fennel seeds and bay leaf.
Add the chopped onion, green chillies ,curry leaves, cilantro and mint leaves. After the onion turns golden brown , add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
Now add chopped tomatoes and saute till oil separates.

Add 2 cups of water, chilli powder, turmeric powder , curry masal powder , salt and stir well. Boil till the raw smell vanishes.

Add the coconut masala and let it come to a boil.

Then add the cooked peas along with the water.
Mix well , check for salt and let it boil for two minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Pattani kuruma is ready!


Serving suggestions:
serve hot with rice ,chapathi or naan .
Makes 4 cups of pattani kuruma .

Pachai payaru Sambar

Green gram sambar became my favorite after tasting it in a friend's house . It was yummy to the core with those soft thick dosas and from then I longed to test run it in my kitchen. However did not get a chance to make a sambar with whole green gram and end up with just a chutney. Finally one day I tried this and it came out very well. Actually I made it with venn pongal.
Pardon me for my poor picture:( My camera didn't do any justice.
Hope everyone loves a sambar loaded with tons of fiber!



Ingredients:
Whole green gram (with skin) - 3/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind- an amla size
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 2 tsp
asafoetida - a pinch
salt - to taste
Brinjal - 2
Tomato - 1
curry leaf - 1 brig
oil - 1 tsp
mustard seed - 1 tsp
cumin seed - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Soak the green gram for whole night or let it germinate.
Pressure cook it along with 2 cups of water , asafoetida , Turmeric powder, chopped onion for 5 whistles or till the green gram becomes tender.
Once the pressure gets released, mash the cooked dhal with cumin seeds gently using a ladle .keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Splutter the mustard seeds.
Add few curry leaves and fry the chopped vegetables for some time.
Then add the tamarind extract, chilli powder, coriander powder and bring it to a boil.Add salt to taste. Let the vegetables get cooked.
Add 2 cups of water.

Then add the mashed green gram and switch off once the sambar comes to a boil.

Green gram sambar is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with Venn pongal , Idly , dosai.