Monday 30 September 2013

Chettinad Karuveppilai Kuzhambu/Curry leaves Gravy


Karuveppilai Kuzhambu/Curry leaves Gravy!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Curry leaves is packed with Vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, which aids digestion, gives better eyesight, prevents premature greying of hair, helps hair growth and many more..

We should consume it more often, so I always try to find different ways of including it in our diet.  This is a traditional recipe, which is widely cooked by Achis.  I try to make it less oily.

Whenever, mom finds no vegetable, she would head straight to the garden,(yes, we had a lovely small garden in our backyard, which had curry leaves tree, lemon tree, hibiscus and few more plants) pick stalks of curry leaves and make this gravy. So it’s a ‘rare’ dish, not cooked often.  Her recipe is the most delicious one, which I feel I can never reproduce. 

 

Ingredients:

 

Curry leaves – 2 Cups

Garlic cloves (finely chopped) – 6 to 8

Small Onion (finely chopped) – 12

Large ripe Tomato (pureed) – 1
 
Tamarind Extract - 2 tbsp.


Salt – to taste


 
Karuvepeeilai/Curry leaves!





Masala:


Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp.

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp.

Black Pepper - 1 tsp. (optional)

Long grain rice – 1 tsp.

Dried red chilli – 3 to 4

Grated Coconut – 2 tsp. (optional)

Dry roast the above spices, except coconut for 1 minute, let it cool.  Grind everything together with coconut and curry leaves, with little water.  Set aside.

 
Tempering:

 

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.

Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp.

Oil – 2 tbsp.

 

Method:

 

In a Kadai or deep pan, pour oil and do the tempering.  Stir in finely chopped garlic, followed by small onion.  Sauté for few minutes, now add the tomato puree and cook for 2 more minutes. (can add finely chopped tomato as well, but sauté well). Combine the ground masala, tamarind extract and ½ a cup of water. Add enough salt and simmer for about 10 minutes until everything blends together.  The oil would start floating on the surface and the gravy would have thickened by this time.  The gravy is ready to serve with hot rice, Idli or Uthappam.  Nutritious, yet very delicious gravy is suitable even for children, since it’s less spicy. However, you can add ghee or gingelly oil before you feed the children.

 

Curry leaves gravy with Soft Idlis!
 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 26 September 2013

Karunaikizhangu Puli Kozhambu/Yam in Tamarind Gravy


 
Karunaikizhangu Puli Kozhambu/Yam in Tamarind Gravy!
 
 
 
 
Full meals! Rice with Kozhambu, Rasam, Keerai & Poriyal! 
 
 
 
This is one of the typical Chettinad gravies, which is made for lunch, usually accompanied by kootukari, which is made with vegetables and green gram/pasi paruppu. 
 
 
Ingredients:

 
Karunaikizhangu /Yam
 
 
 
 

Karunaikizhangu/Yam – 5 to 6

Small Onion (sliced) – 10

Garlic Cloves (quartered) – 6 to 8

Large Ripe Tomato (diced) – 1

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp.

Sambhar Powder – 1 to 1&1/2 tsp.

Red Chilli Powder – 1tsp.

Coriander Powder – 1tsp.

Thick Tamarind extract – 2 tbsp.

 

Tempering:

 

Oil – 1 tbsp.

Vendhayam/Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp.

Sombu/Fennel seeds – ½ tsp.

Perungayam/Asafoetida – ¼ tsp.

Curry leaves – few

Coriander leaves – to garnish

 
 

Method:

 
Cook Yam in pressure cooker, with water (just enough to soak) with skin on.  After boiling, let it cool, peel and cut into ½ inch circles. Set aside.

In a wok, add oil and do the tempering, stir in onions, followed by garlic.  Fry until its golden brown and add tomato and fry for 2 minutes.  Stir in yam and sauté for few more minutes and allow it to get mashed partially, this will blend in the gravy and give wonderful texture.

Add sambhar powder, chilli powder, coriander and turmeric. Add salt accordingly, combine well and pour in tamarind extract along with 2 to 3 cups of water.  Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the oil floats on the surface. Now, delicious yam gravy is ready to serve with rice.  It also goes well with Idli, Dosai, Uthappam and Adai.
 
 
Tips Tips Tips...
 
To make the gravy thick, take one boiled karunaikizhangu/Yam, mash it well, mix little water and add it to the gravy along with water and tamarind extract.
 
To make it tastier, you can mix well with mashed rice and a tsp. of ghee, before you feed your kids.  Ghee will not only minimise the spicy effect but also give wonderful flavour.




Mashed rice with Karunaikizhangu/Yam gravy with ghee!