Meen Kuzhambu / Fish gravy

Ingredients:

• Fish- Salmon - 1/2 lb
• Onion - chopped - 1 large
• Pearl onions - 4-5
• Green chillies- 2 split lengthwise.
• Tamarind - 1 lemon size
• Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
• Chili powder - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Black Peppercorns - 4-5
• Coconut - 1/4 grated
• Salt
• Oil
• Mustard,Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

Preparation:

• Clean the fish and slice it into medium size pieces(too small pieces will break while cooking).
• In a pan,heat oil and add mustard,fenugreek seeds and wait until splutter.
• Then add entire onion(both large and pearl onions) and green chillies and saute until golden brown.
• Then add tomato to it and saute for 3 mins.
• Take the tamarind extract and add to it and allow to boil for 5 mins.
• Now add coriander,chili ,turmeric powder and cumin powder to it and mix well.
• In the meanwhile,grind coconut and peppercorns until smooth paste with water.
• Add the coconut paste to the gravy and allow to boil for 2-3 mins.
• Then add the fish pieces and salt and close the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 mins.
• Serve hot with rice,dosa,idli etc..and enjoy.

Chettinad Tomato kuruma

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 4
• Onion diced - 1 medium
• Coconut (grated) - 1/2 coconut
• Garlic cloves - 1 or 2
• Green chillies - 3
• Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon stick - 1
• Salt
• Oil
• Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Preparation:

• Grind garlic,coconut,chilies,fennel,poppy seeds and cinnamon along with a little amount of the diced onion.
• In a pan, heat oil and add mustard allowing it to splutter.
• Then add the remaining onion and saute.
• Once golden brown,add the finely diced tomatoes.
• After 2 minutes, add the ground mixture to it along with 1 cup of water and salt and allow it to cook in medium heat.
• Serve hot with idly,dosa,puri,roti etc and enjoy!

Pitlai kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - lemon size
• Salt
• Coconut oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard -1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Curry leaves -3-4
• Brinjal(small) -2 , cut lengthwise
• Drumstick -2
• Toor dal - 25 gms

For frying:

• Coconut - 1/2 grated
• Cilantro leaves - 3 tsps
• Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
• Gram dal -1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
• Rice - 1/2 tsp
• Peppercorns -4-5
• Red chillies- 6-7

Preparation:

• Fry all the ingredients listed above.
• Grind it nicely.
• In a deep pan,add coconut oil,mustard seeds,curry leaves, asafoetida and season it.
• Then add brinjal to it and saute until tender.
• Now add tamarind juice to it .
• Then add the ground powder.
• Add salt,drumsticks to it and allow it to cook.
• In the meanwhile pressure cook toor dal and add to the pan and mix well.
• Allow the kulambu to become a little thick and turn of the heat.
• Serve hot with rice.

Oinion Theeyal

Ingredients

• Onions-1 chopped
• Tamarind paste -1 1/2 tbsp
• Grated coconut 1/2 cup
• Red chillies -8
• Coriander seeds 1 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves -5
• Black peppercorns -1 tsp
• Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
• Sugar -1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida
• Water
• Oil
• Salt

Preparation :

• Heat oil in a small pan and saute coconut till it is light brown.
• Add the 6 red chillies, coriander seeds, pepper ,cumin seeds and fry.
• Add the turmeric powder to the above.
• Turn of the heat and cool it and grind it.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and the remaining red chillies. When it starts to splutter, add asafoetida and onions.
• Saute for 5 minutes .
• Now add the ground powder to the above and saute.
• Add water, tamarind extract, salt and sugar to it and keep it on medium heat (the theeyal should not be too watery).
• Serve hot with rice.

Rajma Curry

Ingredients

• Rajma 1 cup
• Onion Chopped 2
• Tomatoes 3
• Garam Masala 1 tsp
• Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp
• Cloves 2-3
• Giner garlic paste - 1tsp
• Green Chillies 3-sliced vertically
• Few Curry Leaves
• Oil
• Salt

Preparation

• Cook Rajma in a pressure cooker.
• In a pan,heat oil and add the green chillies ,cloves and curry leaves.
• Add oinion and saute until the oinion turns golden brown.
• Add garlic ginger paste to it and heat for 1 min.
• Add diced tomatoes to it and saute until it leaves oil.
• Now,add the coriander powder, garam masala ,chilli powder and salt to it.
• Drain the Rajma and mix it in the pan.
• Pour 1/2 cup water to the pan and allow it to boil.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Vegetable kuruma

Ingredients:

• Peas
• Carrot
• Potato
• Onion-chopped-1
• Chilli powder
• Coriander powder
• Garam masala
• Cloves
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Oil
• Mustard
• Red chillies-2
• Curry leaves
• Water-1 1/2 cup

For the mix: Grind the ingredients listed below

• Coconut-1/4 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Kasakasa - 1 tsp
• Sombu(Fennel) - 1tsp
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Ginger - equivalent to garlic

Preparation:

• In a deep pan,heat oil and season,mustard,curry leaves,cloves and red chillies.
• Add onion and saute until golden brown.
• Add tomato and saute for few mins.
• Now add chilli powder,coriander powder,garam masala ,turmeric powder and mix.
• Add the ground mixture to the pan and saute for 2 mins until the oil starts to separate
• Now add all these to a cooker and add a cup and a half , of water.
• Add the cut vegetables and salt to it and cook for 5 mins.
• Serve hot with rotis, dosa, Idli.

Sodhi kulambu

This is another favourite of mine and a popular recipe from Tirunelveli.This is also very good for health as it cools the body and increases digestion.

Ingredients:

• Coconut milk - 400 ml
• Coconut grated-2 tbsp
• Moong dal - 100 gm
• Coconut oil- 1/2 tsp
• Ginger paste - 2 tsp
• Carrot
• Potato
• Salt
• Drumstick
• Lemon juice-1tsp
• Green chillies-2-3 cut lenghtwise
• Cumin Powder-1/2 tsp

Preparation:

• Heat the pan and saute chillies in coconut oil .
• Add ginger paste to it.
• Dilute half of the coconut milk with 1 cup of water and add it to the pan on medium heat.
• Cook the moong dal and add to the pan.
• Add all the vegetables(cut into pieces),cumin powder and grated coconut to the pan and let it cook for 5 minutes ,until the vegetables are boiled.
• Bring the heat to low and add the other half of coconut milk(concentrated) and stir .
• Turn off the heat and add salt and lemon juice.
• Serve with rice and inji pachadi (excellent combination with sodhi)