Kathirikkai-Murungakai Sambar - Namma Sambar !!

Kathirikkai & Murungakai Sambar - My Style.

Sambar.. in my house was never like the restaurant style or like any of you would guess. It is close-to-my-heart dish. This sambar will be plain without any heavy spice. May be that is the reason why I was initially very very fond of hotel-sambar. once I learnt to make the hotel-sambar I started making it quiet often. But then

Kathirikkai Kadayal - Brinjal Gravy

Kathirikkai Kadayal - Brinjal gravy - Country Food

When I sit to write about this recipe, I am recollecting the image of my grand mother eating white rice with this brinjal gravy. She eats rice with this gravy in a peculiar way. She takes white rice in the plate. She pours this kathirikkai kadayal beside it. She takes some white rice in her hand and makes a small ball of the size of her fist. Then, she will dip it in that kuzhambu like a dumpling and eat it. She says that it is feels more satisfying than it sounds 😇. 

Potato & Peas Kurma

Potato & Peas Kurma - For Poori/Chapathi/Ildi/Dosa/Iddiyappam/Appam

This potato & peas kurma is a versatile kurma which goes well with any of the following - poori, chapathi, parotta, idli, dosai, iddiyappam, appam and even with light rice like jeera or ghee rice.

"Black night shade" Dhal / Manathakkali Keerai Kootu

Manathakkali Keerai Kootu - One Pot Dish

Manathakkali keerai  (Solanum nigrum), usually know as night shade plant has many medicinal values. It is very commonly used in south Indian cuisines. 

Garlic / Poondu Kadayal - Healthy Country Food

Poondu Kadayal - Healthy Country Food

Poondu or garlic kadayal is a thick gravy or sauteed garlic mash which is famous in my grandparents village. My grandmother used to peal lots of garlic.. for almost half a day.. half-a-kilo garlic for the next days' poondu kadayal.

Vaazhaithandu Koottu / Plantain Stem Dhal

Vaazhaithandu Koottu / Plantain Stem Dhal

Vaazhai thandu kootu or the plantain stem dhal is a tasty and easy way to consume the vaazhaithandu. It is one of the cheapest item available in any vegetable shop and yet it possesses amazing goodness.

Paruppu Keerai Kootu/Dhal

Paruppu Keerai Kootu

Paruppu keerai kootu is another simple dish with dhal and paruppu keerai. It is made in the same way as other keerai kootu. 

I always keep this kootu varieties very simple and one pot dish. Put everything in the small cooker, cook it and temper in the end.

Tiffin Sambar for Idli/Dosa - Hotel Style

Tiffin Sambar - Hotel Style

This hotel style tiffin sambar is very easy and tasty and goes very well with idli, dosai or any tiffin items. this sambar needs a little masala paste to be prepared and after that the sambar is a super hit.

Lemon Rasam - Lime and Lemony.. Rasam !

Lemon Rasam

My moms lemon tree was happy and so were we. as a result we had surplus lemons at home. as we were wondering what to do with the lemons, my mom shared with her friends, i shared few with my friends, made pickle for my mom, made lemon juice, lemon rice, again lemon juice, again lemon rice, again sharing, again lemon juice.. again and again..

Murungai Keerai / Moringa Leaves Sambar

Murungai Keerai / Moringa Leaves Sambar

Murungai keerai sambar is yet another recipe which kindles my nostalgia memories. I remember my mom making this from my childhood days. 

Kathirikkai-Mochaikaai (Lilva beans) Kuzhambu

Kathirikkai-Mochaikaai (Lilva beans) Kuzhambu

Its the season for the mochai kaai and thuvarai. these beautiful beans suddenly.. from nowhere.. occupy the shelves of the market.. during this December and January months.. all fresh and tempting us to carry a kilo of them to home.

i have actually never used this mochai kai (green lilva beans) though i have tried mochai kottai (dry lilva beans).

Thakkali Thokku / Tomato Chutney

Thakkali Thokku / Tomato Chutney - For Rice and Chapathi

This tomato thokku / chutney is my mother's recipe. I loved the way my mother makes this thokku. "Thokku" in Tamil, i guess its a gravy, thicker than thick. I never wanted to change this recipe as this recipe is complete by itself.

Araikeerai (Amaranthus) Masiyal / Kadayal - Country food

Araikeerai Masiyal / Kadayal - Country food

Arai keerai (Amaranthus dubius) masiyal (in Tamil) is another mild keerai kuzhambu made without dhal. So if you want to finish the keerai (greens) in the afternoon itself and not for dinner, then this is the ideal kuzhambu with keerai. The quantity of kuzhambu yielded is less. My mom used to name this kuzhambu as araikeerai puli pottu kadayal.

Sorakkai Kootu / Bottle Gourd Dhall

Sorakkai Kootu / Bottle Gourd Dhall

The health benefits of the sorakkai / bottle gourd or fondly called as Lagenaria siceraria by botanists.. are that it promotes weight loss, helps digestion, treats constipation, provides cooling effect, replenishes loss of water content, keeps the heart and liver healthy, blah blah.. and lot more. But the main reason I like to use sorakkai is because.. its easily available and cooks quickly. Sorakkai kootu is a one pot dish.

Sorakkai  is such a polite vegetable, it does not have any intense flavour so it compliments  any other ingredient you add with it. There is one dish which my ammamma and mom makes - sorakkai-shrimp (prawns) curry, where the sorakai takes up this shrimp flavour and the whole dish tastes shrimp-licious !

Egg Masala - Instant Dinner Delight

Egg Masala / Muttai Thokku - Instant Dinner Delight

Most of the time, it is not the recipe which makes it special, it is the memories the dish carries with it makes it special and a gets the best place in our heart. This is one such recipe..

I remember the days of my childhood when my mom makes this muttai thokku for dinner. It is an instant and fresh dish for dinner in our house.

Rasam - Completes the Meal

Rasam - Completes the Meal

The end product which you get when you make rasam depends on the rasam powder we use. And this in turn depends on the spice ingredients used in the rasam powder. Rasam is a beautiful blend of few spices which has excellent medicinal properties. Key spices used in rasam powder such as pepper and cumin enhances digestion. When we look at the ingredients.. it will prove that rasam was added in our South Indian menu to somehow incorporate all these spices in our diet. I make the rasam powder in small batches which is enough to make rasam approximately six times for three of us in the family. This is the link for the recipe of my way of Rasam Powder. My recipe for rasam is as follows..

Vegetable Khurma - South Indian Style

Vegetable Khurma - Royal Dish - South Indian Style

KHURMA - I do not want to go into the history and geography of 'khurma' or 'korma' or whether it is Shahi or Mughal. How many varities of khurma do you see on your daily basis? The person who sells parotta on road side "kaiyendhi bhavan" calls his side dish as khurma. The person who sells tiffin in push cart.. names his side dish for poori as "khurma". In restaurants, they give khurma with idiyappam. They also have seperate item as " vegetable khurma" in the menu for side dish. All are different recipe, but same base - coconut paste and garam masala.

For more sidedish/chutney recipe click  - Sidedish / chutney

The khurma which I make is an influence from my moms recipe. When I was a little girl, I was not a big fan of vegetable khurma. Other members in my family were fond of chicken/mutton khurma which again was not on my favourites list.

Ennai Kathirikkai Kara Kuzhambu

Ennai Kathirikkai Kara kuzhambu

I am very fond of this ennai kathirikkai kara kuzhambu. I love the way my mother makes it. Spicy, tangy, little sweet... I'm drooling when I talk about it 😋. My mom's kara kuzhambu is strong, thick, tangy and yummy. Especially the meen kuzhambu.. excellent the next day! 

I got this recipe from my mom. I make it in mann satti (earthen ware). When we cook it in mann satti, the kuzhambu thickens further and becomes tastier. I never miss a chance to cook in mann satti. One step close to nature, closer to healthy life style. I use sesame oil and jaggery which my mom doesn't do. Just like my mom and my ammamma, even when I make this kuzhambu, the oil separates from kuzhambu and floats on top.. adding that much oil.. this runs in my family.. 😆. Here, I am sharing with you my moms ennai kathirikkai kara kuzhambu. There are few people who find my kara kuzhambu too tangy or spicy.. so such people.. this is not for you.. this is for those who like it nice tangy and spicy. There are couple of my friends who are big fans of this kuzhambu. This is for them..

Ennai kathirikkai kara kuzhambu in mann satti