Brinjal Sambar Recipe | Kathirikai (Vankaya) Sambar | Easy Sambar Recipes

Kathirikai Sambar or Brinjal sambar is easy sambar recipe where brinjal is used and normal sambar procedure followed. I like brinjal sambar a lot and specially with vankaya I like when sambar is made too, this sambar recipe we can serve with rice and also with idli/dosa, tiffin variety. Goes perfectly with rice and we don't really required any side dish just fryums or papad makes comforting lunch or we can pair along simple potato fry, okra fry etc.

Mochakottai Parangikai Kuzhambu | Mochaikottai Kara Kuzhuambu Recipe

Mochakottai Parangikai Kuzhambu or Field Beans Pumpkin Kulambu or mochaikottai kara kuzhuambu is one of the best kuzhambu recipes hands down. It's one of my most favorite and this wonderful kuzhambu is introduced to me by my dear friend Dharani, when she used to stay near me she will share this mochaikottai kulambu whenever she makes, this recipe special this mochaikottai kuzhambu is made during Temple festival in Erode.

Beetroot Sambar | Beetroot Sambar Recipe | Cukandar Sambar

Beetroot Sambar, or cukandar sambar is healthy sambar recipe where beetroot is used as main vegetable, made in Tamil style sambar. Beetroot is not only colorful but healthy vegetable and it's tasty too. As beetroot itself is little sweet in taste making sambar with beetroot is great idea and tamarind adds good sourness to this sambar making it sweet and sour. We can serve this sambar with rice, dosa, pongal, upma too.

Varagu Arisi Sambar Sadam | Varadu Sambar Rice | Kodo Millet Sambar Rice

Varagu Arisi Sambar Sadam, Varagu Sambar Rice, Kodo Millet Sambar Rice is healthy, gluten-free, vegan sambar rice recipe which we can make in jiffy without much of hassle and it taste delicious. Kodo millet also known as varagu in tamil, kodra in hindi/marathi/punjabi/gujarati, arikelu in telugu, harka in kannda, koovaragu in malayalam, kodo in bengali and kodua in oriya.

Avarakkai Sambar Recipe | Broad Beans Sambar Recipe

Avarakkai Sambar or broad beans sambar is easy sambar recipe where avaraikai is used and normal sambar procedure followed. If you like broad beans or semphalli then you will like this sambar too. Goes perfectly with rice and we don't really required any side dish just fryums or papad makes comforting lunch or we can pair along simple potato fry, okra fry etc.

Shevgyachya Bhaji Recipe | Maharashtrian Drumstick Curry Recipe

Shevgyachya Bhaji is Maharashtrian style Drumstick Curry recipe made with simple ingredients and there is no onion, no garlic, no tomato in this recipe just minimal things makes this curry so delicious. I have tried Shevgyachya Bhaji last year for the first time and from then on this simple curry is very regular at home as it's goes well with both rice and roti. Though the curry may not be very appealing in look but you will love it once you taste this.

Bharli Vangi | Bharli Vangi Recipe | Stuffed Brinjals

Bharli Vangi or stuffed baby brinjals (eggplant) curry is popular Maharashtrian recipe where vangi means brinjal/eggplant. This recipe is very easy with limited ingredients and taste fabulous if made correctly which isn't complicated either we just have to cook the masala well and use oil little on generous side for this curry. Best goes with roti, paratha but we can serve with rice too.

Parangikai Kara Kondakadalai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe | Pumpkin Black Chickpeas Kulambu

Parangikai Kara Kondakadalai Puli Kuzhambu or Pumpkin black chickpeas kulambu or curry is delicious kuzhambu recipe with sweetness of pumpkin, chickpeas crunchiness and tangy it's a real treat for kuzhambu lovers. I made this kuzhambu couple of weeks black while I was trying to clear my pantry and fridge before the India trip and with a large pumpkin sitting in my fridge I tried various different recipe instead of usual pumpkin dry curry or pumkin taro curry.

Mint Chutney | Pudina Chutney Recipe (without coconut)

Mint Chutney or Pudina Chutney is my most favorite chutney recipe, it's flavorful, aromatic, refreshing and a total bliss every mouthful according to me. Made with simple and minimal ingredients pudina chatni makes good side dish with idli, dosa, upma, pongal, adai, paniyaram or even with paratha, any variety rice (I like to eat with plain rice too) and also we can also use this base for any sandwich or serve with any starter.

Vendakkai Sambar | Okra Sambar Recipe

Vendakkai Sambar, Ladies Finger Sambar or Okra Sambar whatever we may like to call this vendakkai sambar is one of my favorite and I actually like this more than murungakkai (drumstick) sambar.  Okra goes so well with tangy flavored sambar making it perfect side dish with steamed rice and I do try this make this regularly. If you like sambar and ladies finger (bhindi) then you will love this sambar too, it's easy to prepare and taste just yum.

Sweet Chutney | Imli Ki Meethi Chutney | Chaat Chutney Recipes

Imli Ki Meethi Chutney, Sweet Chutney or Sweet Chaat Chutney, tamarind sweet chutney is easy chaat chutney made with tamarind, raisins, jaggery as main ingredients. I have already posted sweet chutney recipe in which is made from tamarind and dates and in this sweet chutney no dates are used. If I run out of dates stock (which is like rare( and need to prepare some sweet chutney then this is recipe I follow, it's easy and quick and makes real good chaat sweet chutney.

Tomato Rasam | Thakkali Rasam | Easy Rasam Recipes

Tomato Rasam or Thakkali rasam (saaru) is easy and simple rasam recipe made with tomato, little of tamarind and spices. Tomato rasam goes well with rice normally pair along poriyal (stirfry) some pappad or fryums it makes a complete meal on any day and also good for lunch box recipes. There are many ways of making tomato rasam and this is one of the easy method with little of tamarind and no lentil or dal is used. If you wish you can skip tamarind totally in that case try to use sour tomatoes.

Carrot Chutney Recipe | Gajar Chatni (for Idli, Dosa)

Carrot Chutney or gajar chatni is one of the easy and healthy and no coconut chutney recipe for idli, dosa, pongal, vada or any tiffin items. I used to make this carrot chutney a lot some time back and along with few variations.  This carrot chutney is easy and a good change from normal coconut, onion or tomato chutney plus a good way to include carrot in our diet and specially for kids if they don't eat carrot, this is also no onion no garlic chutney recipe.

Drumstick Leaves Rasam | Rasam Recipes

Drumstick Leaves Rasam or Murungai Keerai Rasam is popular rasam variety made with drumstick leaves which makes this rasam extra healthy and delicious.  If you had enough of usual drumstick leaves poriyal or kootu or dal then this rasam comes as good option though the only thing is plucking the leaves which is time consuming task but the effect gets really paid off.  We can also have this rasam as soup specially when feeling unwell it's works like magic.

Allam Pachadi Recipe | Ginger Chutney (for Idli, Dosa)

Allam Pachadi is one of the most famous recipe from Andhra, it can be served as a chutney as pickle.  Allam pachadi is synonyms with Pesarattu another Andhra delicacy but it also goes well with idli, dosa, paratha, pakoda etc.  Allam means ginger and pachadi means chutney in Telugu so this chutney is made with ginger, tamarind, red chilli as main ingredients and it's taste really delicious even people tasting it for first time will like this pachadi (chutney).

Drumstick Sambar | Murungakkai Sambar Recipe

Sambar is something that used to be very rare at my parents place and it's still the same in our house too and the classic drumstick sambar is what I make most of the time if sambar is on menu. Steamed rice, hot sambar, some ghee along itself is great comfort food for me, add a potato fry and some papad on side and it's becomes a grand affair to me. Sambar is one versatile recipe we can use any vegetable or combination of vegetables of our choice and following the same basic recipe.  Other popular vegetables used in sambar are brinjal (eggplant), raddish, okra, potato etc.  

Chettinad Karamani Kara Kuzhambu Recipe

I have already mentioned I like Chettinad food and whenever possible I try to make Chettinad recipes and most of the time end up doing the Chettinad Prawn or Fish Curry.  This time I wanted to do any veg recipe chettinad style and I had soaked lobia along so made this Karamani Kara Kuzhambu Chettinad style, it's just got few extra ingredients from regular kara kulambu.  Kara means spicy so it's kuzhambu is spicy as Chettinad food suppose to be.

Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe

I like Vatha Kuzhambu or Vatha Kulambu as I call it but these days I almost stop cooking these things thanks to DH dislikes for tamarind :( and one thing I wanted to try for long was Vatha Kuzhambu recipe, I always thought it's a complicated process until I tried it.  Thanks to Prema for giving me a vathal packet to try, I followed her recipe exactly just add little jaggery to enhance & balance sharp tamarind taste and simply loved the kulambu, boy it was just too good and from there I made it multiple times just for myself.  

This is one of the most easy way of making kuzhambu - no onion, no garlic & no tomato ie nothing to chop, what a relief.  Have it with steamed rice and papad or vathal.  I also made potato fry only to realize later it's actually not needed at all, the kulambu is just good enough by itself.  

Ingredients for Vatha Kuzhambu [Serves 2-3] 

Recipe Source - Prema's Culinary

Dry Mixed Vathal - 1/2 Cup
Tamarind - A small lemon size ball
Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp [I used Saffola]
Asafetida/Hing - A pinch
Mustard Seeds - 1/2
Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Sambar Powder - 1 tbsp
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp [optional]
Salt - To Taste

Method

1. Soak tamarind in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water for 10-15 minutes and extract thick pulp.  Below is also picture of dried vathal for those whom doesn't know about vathal.

2. Heat oil in a wok, add asafetida/hing, mustard seeds, methi seeds, urad dal and allow mustard to splutter.  Add vathal and fry them till golden brown.

3. Add tamarind extract, turmeric & sambar powders, salt.  Give a good Stir.

4. Bring it to boil, add jaggery (if using) and cook until kuzhambu/kulambu becomes thick, off flame.

Serve with rice, potato fry, fryums and enjoy the meal.

Have a nice day ~~

Sweet Chutney Recipe | Imli Khajur Ki Mithi Chutney

Sweet chutney or Imli ki chutney is one that I absolutely love after green chutney, it’s used for all most all the chat times, dahi bhallas, samoas, kachori, pani puri and the list goes on.  Some time I will just scoop out little chutney and relish it as it is, ya that’s me.  Even use this some times as spread for sandwich that’s delicious too.  But then don’t use this sweet chutney for the vegetable sandwich, it doesn’t do justice to the wonderful sandwich that tomato sauce does, this is from my experience, the best thing about this chutney is it can be store for up to a month or may be more than that but then I never use it more than a month if store properly.  So here is the simple recipe. 

Ingredients:

Tamarind/Imli - 1 small lemon size ball
Dates - 15-16
Jaggery - 1 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Rock Salt/Kala Namak -1/2 tsp [optional]
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Water - as needed

Method:

1.  Chop pitted dates, pressure cook dates and tamarind for 2 whistles with drizzle some water around 1 tbsp of each.  You can pressure cook both together or separately, normally I keep them separate.

2. Once cooker release pressure grind dates into smooth paste, use little water if required.  Extract juice from cooked tamarind.



3. In a pan add tamarind extra, dates paste and 1/2 cup water and mix well.  Add jaggery and bring it to boil.  Now add cumin, red chilli powder, rock salt, salt and mix everything well.



4. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the thick consistency reached, it will be thick like sauce.  It’s up to you how you like the chutney to be very thick or little runny.  Adjust spice and salt if required.



5.  Allow it to cool completely, store in air tight container and you can refrigerator it up to a month.  Just remember to use every time clean, dry spoon and scoop out always from one corner and move further rather then using the chutney from all over the bottle/box. 

Variations:

~ You can use sugar instead of jaggery.

~ Add 1 tbsp of raisins for that extra kick.

~ Instead of rock salt you can use chat masala.

~ You can extract tamarind juice as you normally do, let it boil and then add finely chopped dates and cook until it becomes soft and mash while it’s cooking and then follow the remaining steps.  I make this chutney this way too. 

~ I normally make my chutney thick like you see in the pictures and store.  If I need to dilute I just add little water every time I use the chutney. 

~ If you don't want to pressure cook then microwave tamarind and dates for 2 minutes in high and extra juice and cook as above.

Have a nice day ~~

Kathrikkai Rasavangi | Eggplant in Tangy Gravy

 Wishing Everyone Happy Tamil New Year

There was a time I didn't use to like eggplant but that was then, now a days mostly I eat eggplant once a week.  I never knew when I fell in love with eggplant, so when I see some interesting eggplant recipe in blogs I try and most of time loves it.    

 Ingredients:

Eggplant - 5-6 [I used one long Japanese eggplant]

Pigeon Pea/Toor Dal - 1 cup [Cooked]
Tamarind Water - 1/2 cup

Sambhar Powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Jaggery - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Water - 1 Cup

Curry Leaves - few

For Spice Powder 

Channa Dal - 1/2 tbsp

Urad Dal - 1 tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp

Dry Red Chillies -2 [if using long one, 4 if using round variety]

Coconut - 2tbsp grated

Method:

1. Wash and cut the eggplant in long/lengthwise and soak in water.

2. Soak tamarind in little water for 10-15 minutes and extract the juice, keep aside.

3. In a wok or pan heat 1tsp of oil and roast channa, urad dal, red chili and coriander seeds until golden brown.  Once all the ingredient gets cool grind with coconut into fine powder.

4. In the same pan heat remaining oil add asafoetida, mustard seeds and let it crack.  Add eggplant and sauté for 2 minutes.

5. Add sambhar and turmeric powder mix well, add tamarind water, salt and cook for 7-8 minutes or until eggplant gets cooked.  

6. Now add cooked dal and grounded spice powder, mix well.   Add 1/2 or 1 cup of water and bring it boil. [Add water depending on how you like your rasavangi to be, I added 1 cup of water.]

7.   Now add jaggery and mix well.  Adjust salt if required and off the flame.  Add curry leaves and let the rasavangi sit for 5-10 minutes.

Serve warm with rice, I also made broccoli stir fry. 

Note:
~ Try not to skip jaggery, that's add good taste.
~ You can use leftover dal, it saves time and great way to use leftover.
~ Eat while rasavangi it's hot/warm.

 Have good day ~~