PORICHA KUZHAMBU

This kuzhambu is prepared slightly different way than usual kuzhambu which done using toor dhal. In this recipe, we add coconut & rice flour paste along with other ingredients. Tastes well with rice & Ghee, also suitable for Idly & dosa. I have used capsicum. Any vegetable of choice  can be used for preparing this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Capsicum/any vegetable - 1 cup
Tomato  - 1
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - gooseberry size
Sambhar powder - 2 tsp
Salt

To grind
Coconut  - 1/4 cup
Rice flour- 1 tsp
Or
Raw rice (soaked) - 1 tsp

FOR SEASONING
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek-  1/4 tsp
Small onion/ shallots - 6
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - A leaflet
Oil - 2 tsp

METHOD:
1. Pressure cook toor Dhal along with turmeric and keep aside.
2. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice.
3. Prepare coconut paste along with rice flour/ raw rice.
4. In a tawa, add little oil, chopped capsicum & tomato and cook for a while. Add Sambhar powder along with tamarind juice and cook until raw smell goes off.
5. Add toor dhal, required salt & cook for few minutes.
6. Add the paste and cook for a minute and switch off the flame and close with a lid.
7. In a pan, heat remaining oil, add mustard & cumin.
8. After it splutters, add fenugreek along with chopped small onion and cook till nice aroma comes out.
6. Add curry leaves & asafoetida and pour over the Sambhar.
7. Tasty Poricha Kuzhambu is ready.

Note:

• Vegetables like lady's finger, pumpkin, drumstick, brinjal, yam  can be used.
• The quantity of toor dhal can be reduced since the Sambhar will become  thick after adding paste.

INSTANT SAMBHAR without dal

INSTANT SAMBHAR

This Instant sambhar doesn't require any cooked dal. But it tastes like regular sambhar.

INGREDIENTS :-
Onion Sliced - 150 gms
Tomato Chopped - 50 to 70 gms
Turmeric powder -  1/2 teaspoon (tsp)
Green chillies  - 4 to 6, chopped
Salt - to taste
Besan flour (Kadalai maavu ) - 2 tablespoon
Water -  2 cups or as required

For Tampering:-
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/4tsp
Urid dal - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves chopped - 1 leaflet
Coriander leaves chopped, for garnishing

METHOD:-

In a bowl, mix besan flour with little water, in pouring consistency, and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai, add onions , green chillies and saute till the onions changes its colour.

Now, add the chopped tomato, turmeric powder and cook for two minutes. Add water and allow it to boil. Add salt.

Once the onions are cooked, add the besan flour mix and stir well to avoid lumps. Allow it to boil for 3 minutes.

Instant Sambhar is ready.....

GARLIC MANATHAKKALI VATTHAL KUZHUMBU/ GARLIC SAMBAR

INGREDIENTS:

Garlic pods - 15
Manathakkali vatthal - 3 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - goose berry size
Toor dhal - 50gm

Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Gingelly oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

METHOD:
1. Pressure cook toor dhal as we do for sambar preparation and keep aside.
2. In a pan add sambar powder, tamarind water and salt and allow to boil until raw smell goes off.
3. Take a tawa, add oil, mustard, cumin, allow to splutter, add fenugreek and curry leaves.
4. Add Garlic and cook well until it becomes golden brown and nice aroma comes out.
5. Add Manathakkali vatthal and cook well, add asafotetida and add these to the boiling sambar powder and tamarind mix. Let it cook for 5 minutes and blend well.

6. Add dhal and jaggery and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt if needed.
7. Tasty garlic manathakkali vatthal kuzhumbu is ready.
8. It goes well with hot rice with gingelly oil/ghee, idly and dosa.

Note:
Instead of adding toor dhal, half cup coconut and a teaspoon of rice flour can be grinded to smooth paste and added. It will also taste well.

TIFFIN SAMBHAR

Tiffin Sambhar is also called as Onion-Tomato Sambhar. It is a side dish for Idly, Dosa, Venpongal and Medhu Vadai.

SAMBHAR

Ingredients:

Tuvar dhal = 100 gms

Moong dhal = 30 gms

Ginger = 1 inch

Turmeric powder = 1tsp

Sambhar Podi = 1/2 tbsp ( or add as per your taste)

Topping Powder  =  5 tsp  ( Check the blog in Powder Varieties page)

Small onion ( or sambar onion) = 15 nos. ( cut into halves)

(Or Regular Big Onion = 2)

Chopped Tomato = 1

Salt to taste

Oil =  3 tsp

Curry leaves = 10 nos

Chopped coriander = 3 tsp

For Seasoning:-

Oil = 2 tsp

Mustard seeds = 2 tsp

Halved or broken Red chilly = 2 nos.

Asafoetida = 1/4 tsp


Method:

(1) Wash and soak both the dals together for 20 mins. Pressure cook the dals,( dal:water = 1:3 water) along with ginger ,1 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of turmeric powder for 3 high and 5 mins sim.

(2) Heat a Kadai with 2 tsp of oil and add onion. Let it cook for 3 mins, when the onion changes to slight colour add tomatoes and saute.

Figure 1

(3) Add salt, Sambhar podi and add water. Allow it to boil. Once the Onions are cooked (Figure 1), add the  smashed dal and mix it well. Let is boil for 3 to 5 mins. Now add the topping powder mixed in samll amount of water, to avoid lumps in sambhar.

Topping Powder mixed in small amount of water

After adding topping powder

(4) In the meantime, in another small pan, heat  oil, add halved red chillies, Mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add curry leaves and asafoetida, and pour this seasoning over sambhar which is boiling. Add some chopped coriander leaves. Switch off the flame. Cover with lid.

(5) Onion-Tomato sambhar is ready.

Note:-  By adding topping powder, it gives the taste of  restaurant style sambhar. The consistency may get thicker, as the topping power contains channa dal and badam, add water accordingly.