Wednesday 25 February 2015

Chettinad Mandi/Rice Water vegetable Gravy






'Mandi' is very famous in Chettinad; it's one of the ‘must’ items in the lunch menu during festivals. Mandi along with Curd Rice is a very common picnic/travel food those days.  I still fondly remember those days, when my mother would narrate, how they use to carry Congee/Porridge with Mandi for travel. It's surely a mouth-watering dish. It goes very well with Plain hot rice, Curd rice, Idli and Uthappam.

Mandi is my mother's specialty, inexplicably it   comes out very well every time she makes it, I think it's her love which turns the dishes delicious :)
It can be done in many ways,

-  just with Chinna Vengayam/Small onions and Green/Dry Red Chillies.,

-  with Small Onions, Chillies and Ladies Finger.,

-  with mixed Vegetables, like Chow-Chow/Choyate, Brinjal, Drumstick/Murungaikkai, Carrot, French Beans, Unripe Mango/Maangai( for me Maangai is a must ingredient), Potato, Avarakkai/Indian Broad beans, kothavaranggai/Cluster beans, etc.,

My M-I-L also makes very delicious Vegetable Mandi, also known as 'Pala Kai Mandi'.

Benefits of Rice Water:

Mandi in Tamil means 'rice water', which is nothing but the water used to wash the uncooked rice.
 
 
Rice Water!



Rice water or Mandi has been used in Asia for generations as a therapeutic ingredient for diarrhea and symptoms of stomach upset. It's been used for cosmetic purposes too, as face washing liquid and even as a toner. In Chettinad, Mandi or rice water has been used for making gravy for ages.

To prepare Rice water/Mandi, wash the rice in half cup of water briefly, to remove dirt from the rice.  Soak 1 to 2 cups of rice in 1 and 1/2 to 3 cups of water for few minutes. (The ratio of rice to water is roughly about, 1:1 and ½) Drain and save the water to use for gravy.



Perungayam/Asafetida and Kadugu/Mustard seeds!








Unripe Mango/Maangai!






Rice Water mixed with Tamarind








Ingredients: (For Mixed Vegetable Mandi)


Chow Chow - 1/4 Cup (diced)

Carrot - 1 (diced)

French Beans - few

Indian Broad beans/Avarakkai  - few

Drumstick/Murungaikkai - 1

Maangai/ Unripe mango - few pieces

(reduce the amount of Tamarind, if using Maangai, to avoid excess sourness)

Potato - 1 to 2 according to the size (diced)

Small Onions/Chinna Vengayam - 12 to 15 (halved or quartered according to size)

Green Chillies - 12

Or Red Chilles - 10 to 12 ( I prefer Green Chilies though)

Kothavaranggai/ Cluster Beans - 10 to 12

Brinjal - 3 to 4 (diced)

Tamarind - a small ball (about the size of a gooseberry) - soak & extract juice from it.

Large ripe tomatoes - 2 (diced)

Salt - to taste



Tempering Ingredients:

Kadugu/mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.,

Perungaayam/ Asafetida - 1/4 tsp. (roast well in oil)

Curry leaves - few

Dry red chili - 1 to 2

Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp. ( for all the Veggies to get coated)











Method:

Soak the tamarind in the rice water, prepare the vegetable and set aside.  In a large pan/Kadai, pour oil and add the tempering ingredients, Kadugu/mustard seeds followed by Perungaayam/asafetida, red chili and curry leaves.  As the seeds splutter add Chinna Vengayam/small onions and sauté for few minutes. Then add green chillies, Drumstick, Avarakkai, Kothavaranggai, French beans and Chow Chow. Let the Veggies cook for ten minutes, now add potato, carrot and tomato. 

We need to add the Veggies which take longer time to cook first, then after sometime you can add the Veggies which take relatively lesser time to cook, that's the idea behind it.

Allow the vegetables to cook well, add Unripe mango or Maangai little later, as it takes very little time to cook. This way we can ensure all the vegetables are cooked evenly and few don't get mashed up.

Extract tamarind juice/puli thanni from the rice water and pour it over the vegetables. Allow it to blend well for 10 to 15 minutes.
 

Delicious, aromatic Chettinad Mandi is ready to serve.
 





Tips Tips Tips:

Some people add rice powder to thicken the gravy; I always skip this part, as I feel it ruins the taste, some way or the other. I just cook for few more minutes, for the gravy to thicken.

 
I've given the ideal list of vegetables for the Mandi. Try to add all the vegetables listed above for a healthy dish, nevertheless you can cook the Mandi with whatever vegetables (from the above list preferably) available. It will turn out perfectly well.


For Vendakkai Mandi/Mandi with Ladies Finger:


Ingredients:

Ladies Finger/Vendakkai - 250 gms (diced)

Small Onions/Chinna Vengayam - (halved)

Green Chillies - 8

(Or) Dry red Chillies - 6 to 8 (according to the spice level of the chillies)

Large ripe tomato - 1 to 2 (depending on the size)

Potato - 1 (diced) - optional

Rice Water - 1 cup

Tamarind - small ball

Unripe Mango/Maangai - few pieces (optional)





 

 
 
 
 



Procedure:

It's almost the same procedure as above, using the same tempering ingredients, can use less oil.

Do the tempering, add small onions and chillies, sauté for few minutes before you add the Ladies finger/Vendakkai and potato.(if using) Cook for few more minutes, add the tomato and cook thoroughly, add Maangai little later. (If using) Pour tamarind soaked rice water, cook for 10 more minutes or until the gravy thickens a bit. Now Vendakkai Mandi is ready to serve.
 

Monday 9 February 2015

Chettinad Chinna Kathirikkai Puzhi Kuzhambu/Brinjal Gravy with Shallots & Garlic





Chinna Kathiriakkai Kuzhambu also referred to as 'Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu' is a Chettinad special variety.  It's easy to prepare, less time-consuming, as Brinjal cooks really fast.

Ingredients:


Chinna Kathirikkai/Brinjal - 1/4 kg (cut into strips of 4)

Chinna Vengayam/Shallots - 12 (halved/quartered depending upon the size)

Garlic - 6 (halved or quartered)

Large Ripe Tomato- 1 (cut into small cubes)

Salt - to taste

Puzhi thanni/ strained tamarind juice - 1/4 Cup

Sambhar Powder - 3 tsp.

Thani Milagai Thool/red Chill powder - 1 tsp.


Chinna Kathirikkai/Brinjal



Puzhi/Tamarind



Tempering ingredients:

Vendhayam/Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Sombu/Saunf/Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves -  few

Perungayam/Hing/Asafetida- 1/4 tsp., (roast well in oil)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Final touch:

Vendhayam/Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Seeragam/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

In a small pan slightly dry roast the above and grind. Save the powder for the final touch. It gives wonderful flavour to the Kuzhambu.

Vendhayam/Fenugreek seeds



Seeragam/Cumin seeds




Powdered Fenugreek & Cumin seeds



Method:











In a Kadai/ deep pan pour oil and add the seasoning ingredients, let the asafetida/Perungayam  roast well, add garlic, sauté for couple of minutes. Add the onions and sauté for few minutes, until they turn golden brown.  Add tomatoes and brinjal/Chinna Kathirikkai and turmeric powder. Cook well until half-done. Toss the sambar powder, red chili powder and salt.  Mix well and pour the tamarind juice, add enough water for the gravy. Bring to boil and reduce the heat, let it simmer for about 10 minutes. 
Now add the dry roasted ground powder, mix well and switch off.

Chinna Kathirikkai Kuzhambu is ready to serve.  It goes very well with rice/brown rice, idly and Oothappam. While taking with plain rice, add a dash of ghee!





Full meals!