Arachuvitta Sambar

I learnt this type of sambar from a tamil friend of mine. She told me that the literal meaning of "arachuvitta" is freshly ground spices added to the recipe.
I tried it and I liked it.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Water - as needed to pressure cook the dal.
• Tamarind Extract - Big gooseberry size
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Shallots/Small Onions ( Sambar Onions ) - 10-12
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Oil/Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Cilantro - 2 springs 

For Roasting and Grinding ( masala ):

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Chana Dal - 2 tbsp
• Whole Red Chilies - 5-6 or to taste
• Grated Coconut( fresh of dessicated )- 2 tbsp

For Tempering:

• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing ( Asafoetida ) -  1/8 tsp

Directions: 

• Pressure cook the dal for about 3 whistles.
• Roast and grind all the ingredients under " For roasting and grinding masala". While roasting keep stirring making sure it doesn't burn. Nice aroma will be emitted. Grind and keep aside
• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee/oil and splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Add curry leaves and hing. 
• Add small onions and saute them. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till done. Tomatoes are optional, you can omit it if you want.
• Add tamarind extract and turmeric and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add cooked dal and some water. Add salt . Add the freshly ground masala. Mix well without lumps. 
• Let it boil for about 10 minutes. Add more water if the sambar thickens a lot. 
• Add chopped cilantro. 
• Serve with plain steamed rice or idli or dosa or vada or pongal.

Carrot Rasam

Add carrot puree to the simple rasam and make it more healthy.

Ingredients:

• Chopped Carrots - 1 cup
• Tamarind - small lime sized
• Rasam Powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt -to taste
• Cilantro - 2 springs

For Tadka :

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida- a pinch
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Red whole chili - 1-2

Directions: 

• Boil the chopped carrots and puree it after cooling a bit. Do not throw the water in which you boiled carrots. Use the same water for making rasam.
• Soak tamarind for 10 minutes and extract the juice.
• Heat the water you saved earlier, add tamarind extract, turmeric powder, rasam powder and pureed carrot. Bring it to boil. Add salt.
• For tadka, heat ghee in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, then cumin seeds, add asafoetida, curry leaves, chili. Pour it over the rasam. Add chopped cilantro and turn off the heat.

Variation:  You could add tomatoes to the rasam. You could also add half a cup of boiled toor dal to it.

Gummadikaya Pulusu ( Pumpkin Stew )

Month of halloween and it's pumpkins all around. Yesterday I made this pumpkin pulusu. This is sweet in nature and this blend of sweet and spice makes it excellent.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin - 1/2 of the medium sized pumpkin ( cubed, you can leave the skin on)
• Onions - 1 ( cubed )
• Tomatoes - 2 medium ( Cubed )
• Tamarind Pulp - 2 tbsp
• Jaggery - 1/4 -1/2 cup
• Salt -to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish
• Water - 3-4 cups

For Tempering :

• Oil / Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Chana Dal - 2 tbsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing - a pinch
• Red whole Chillies - 1-2

Directions: 

• In a heavy bottom deep pot, heat water and add cubed pumpkins and onions. Let them boil till pumpkins are slightly tender.
• Now add cubed tomatoes , salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Cook covered for 3-5 minutes.
• Add tamarind pulp and jaggery. mix well. Cook covered for another 2 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix rice flour with few tbsp of water and make a thin batter. Pour this mixture into the    pot slowly while mixing.  This mixture would help the pulusu ( stew ) thicken. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• For tempering, heat oil or ghee in a small pan, and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal, red chili, curry leaves, hing. Pour this tadka over the pulusu and mix well. Adjust salt.
• You can garnish with a little chopped cilantro.

This pulusu is supposed to be sweet so a little more jaggery would not harm.

Serve this pulusu with mudda pappu ( plain toor dal ) and ghee over white steamed rice.  Did I just hear someone say " ummm heavenly " haha.. 

Enjoy !!

Pumpkin Kootu

Pumpkin kootu, which can be made of white, green or yellow pumpkin is very easy to make, healthy and tasty too.
I made this with the green one.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin - Half of the small one ( peeled , seeded and cubed )
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt -to taste
• Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 4-5
• Peppercorn - 1 tsp
• Raw rice - 1 tsp

For Tempering: 

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves- 1 spring
• Hing - 1/8 tsp
• Red Whole Chillies - 2 ( optional )

Directions: 

• In a pan, boil pumpkin cubes in 2 cups of water. Also add turmeric powder and salt in it. Boil till 3/4th cooked.
• In the meanwhile, grind coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, peppercorns, raw rice into a smooth paste using a little water.
• Add this paste into the pan with pumpkins. Cook till pumpkins are done and the gravy thickens.
• To add tadka to the curry, heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, red chillies, urad dal, hing. Pour this tadka over the kootu and mix well. Adjust salt.
• Serve with steaming white rice and ghee.

Cabbage in Yogurt

Cabbage in yogurt gravy or Cabbage Perugu Pachhadi ( in telugu )
This dish is originally from Tamil Nadu and is called Cabbage Mor Kootu in Tamil.
This is traditionally made with the usual green cabbage, however, I experimented with the red cabbage and that tasted good too. You can try both.

Cabbage Mor Kootu with red cabbage

Ingredients:

• Cabbage ( red or green ) - 1/2 a head
• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green Chillies - 2-3 or to taste
• Cumin Seeds  -1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing -  a pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Salt -to taste
• Water - 1/2 cup

Cabbage Mor Kootu with green cabbage 

Directions: 

• Shred the cabbage into thin strips. 
• In a pan, cook the cabbage in little water and salt till tender. Do not overcook , We don't want it mushy.
• In the meanwhile, grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds into a fine paste.
• Add this ground mixture to the cooked cabbage and heat for another couple of minutes.
• Now for tempering, heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves and hing. Pour this tempering in the cabbage kootu. Mix well. Let it cool.
• Beat the yogurt. Mix the cabbage kootu with yogurt. Adjust salt.
• Serve with any rice item.

Potlakaya Perugu Pachadi ( Snake Gourd in Yogurt )

Potlakaya or snake gourd curry mixed in yogurt makes a very tasty side dish. It can be eaten by mixing iwith plain white rice or as side to dal rice. You can find snake guard in Indian grocery stores either fresh or in the frozen section.

Ingredients :

• Potlakaya (snake gourd) -1 ( or 1 packet frozen )
• Yogurt - 2 cups
• Ginger-1 inch
• Green Chillies-3 or to taste
• Salt -to taste
• Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds ( methi ) - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring

Directions: 

• Chop the snake gourd and keep aside. If using frozen, then thaw them.
• Grind chillies and ginger intoa fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Add urad dal and methi seeds and fry till slightly reddish. Add hing and curry leaves.
• Add the chopped snake gourd, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well and cook till the snake gourd is tender and well cooked. Let it cool.
• Beat the curds and add the ginger-chilli paste to it. Mix well.
• Now add the fried snake gourd to the curd and give it a good mix. Adjust salt. 
• Serve with rice.

Tomato Perugu Pachadi

Ingredients:

• Yogurt - 2 cups
• Tomatoes - 4-5
• Red or Green Chillies - 2
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - 1/8 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Turmeric Powder - a pinch
• Red Chili Powder - to taste ( optional )
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Cilantro - for garnish
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• Beat the yogurd and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add chillies, hing, curry leaves.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they are totally mashed up.
• Add turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Cook till the oil starts to separate.
• Add this paste to the beaten curd. Mix well. Adjust salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve with dal rice or plain rice.

Alternatively, if you want to cook the curds, you can add beaten curd to the tomato paste in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Both ways work just fine.

Palak Pulusu

This healthy and easy palak pulusu goes very well with plain dal and rice.

Ingredients:

• Chopped Spinach - 3-4 cups
• Onion - 1 small ( optional )
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Tamarind Juice - 3 tbsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 inch
• Rice Flour - 1 tsp
• Besan ( Chickpea Flour ) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Sambar Powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste (optional )
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 3 cups

For Tempering:  

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Methi Seeds - 4-5 seeds
• Whole Red Chili- 1-2
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Directions: 

• In a pan or pot, heat oil and saute finely chopped onions till translucent.
• Throw in the chopped spinach and cook till spinach wilts.
• Add tamarind juice, grated jaggery, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and sambar powder. 
• In a separate small bowl mix rice flour and besan with a little water without lumps and add this paste to the gravy. 
• Add water and mix well. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes.
• In a separate small pan , heat ghee for tempering. Splutter mustard seeds. Add torn red Chillies, methi seeds, hing and heat for just half a minute.
• Pour this tadka over the pulusu and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Serve steaming hot with dal and rice.

Pineapple Rasam

Ripe pineapple added to spicy rasam brings out the excellent flavours of sweet and tangy rasam.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal ( Red Gram Dal ) - 1/2 cup
• Tomato - 1
• Pineapple Puree - 1/4 cup
• Pineapple Chunks or cubes - 4-5
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Rasam Powder - 1 tsp
• Jaggery - 1 inch cube Or Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 4 cups
• Chopped Cilantro - 1 tbsp

For Tempering:

• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida ( Hing ) - a pinch
• Red Whole chillies - 1 or 2
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Directions :

• Cook dal , mash it up with a whisk , keep aside.
• In a pot, add water, dal, chopped tomato, pineapple cubes, turmeric powder, jaggery and rasam powder and bring it to boil.  Cook till pineapple cubes are soft and tender.
• Add pineapple puree, salt and cook for another 5 minutes.
• For tempering, heat ghee in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Then add torn red chillies, hing, curry leaves. Pour it over the rasam and mix well.
• Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Vankaya Pulusu ( Eggplant in Tamarind Gravy )

Ingredients:

• Eggplants - 1 lb
• Onion - 1 Large
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Tamarind - lime sized
• Green Chillies - 2
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Jaggery - 1 tbsp
• Salt -to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
• Chana Dal - 1/4 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Crushed Garlic - 3
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions :

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, hing, curry leaves, crushed garlic and saute for a minute till the dals turn reddish.
• Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes and extract the pulp. Keep aside.
• Add sliced onions, and green chillies, saute till translucent.
• Add chopped eggplants and diced tomatoes and cook covered on medium heat for around 8-10 minutes.
• Add salt, turmeric powder and chili powder.
• Add the tamarind extract along with 1 cup of water and jaggery.
• Cook covered for another 10-12 minutes, stirring ocassionally.
• Add more water if you think the curry is too dry.
• Cook till the gravy thickens.
• Add chopped cilantro and mix .

Serve with plain rice or plain dal rice or even chapati.

Pappu Charu ( Lentil Rasam )

Pappu Charu or Lentil Rasam is a cousin of sambar. This is more diluted then sambar. Also, I do not add vegetables in this as I do in Sambar. You can, if you wish.
It is somewhere between the regular tomato rasam and sambar.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups ( or as needed )
• Tamarind extract - 2 tbsp
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery - 1 inch cube
• Rasam Powder - 2 tsp
• Salt -to taste
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Mustasrd Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Whole Red Chillies - 2
• Garlic Pods -3 ( optional )
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions:

• Pressure cook the dal along with some water till the dal is totally soft.
• Mash it up with a whisk. Keep aside.
• Heat 2-3 cups of water in a heavy bottom pan.
• To this water add turmeric powder, Diced tomatoes, salt and jaggery. Bring it to boil.
• Once the tomatoes are cooked half, add tamarind juice.
• Add boiled and mashed dal and rasam powder to it and bring it to boil.
• Let it cook till you reach the required consistency and turn off the heat.
• The consistency of pappu charu is thinner than sambar and thicker than regular tomato rasam. Adjust water accordingly.
• We now need to temper the rasam, heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, let them splutter.
• Add curry leaves, hing, broken red chillies and garlic pods. Fry till garlic starts to change color.
• Pour this tempering over the rasam and boil it one more time.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve hot with rice.

Variation : You can add boiled vegetables and onions also in the recipe. Typical vegetables include okra, brinjal, carrots etc.

Sambar

Sambar is a lentil based vegetable stew widely made in South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and karnataka. Each state prepares it with a typical variation and has their own adaptations. This slight variation in the cooking process brings the distinction in their flavour. So, there are no set rules as such. I shall share the recipe I know.




Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Tamarind - lemon sized ball
• Shallots - 1/2 cup or Onion - 1 medium
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
• Whole Red Chillies - 2
• Water - 4-5 cups
• Salt -to taste
• Jaggery - 1 inch cube
• Sambar Powder - 1 tbsp ( Store bought or home made)
• Ghee (Clarified Butter )- 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida ( Hing ) - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Vegetables of your choice - 1 cup

Note :

• Sambar powder can be bought ready made from any Indian store or can be made at home. Click here for Home Made Sambar Powder Recipe .
• A wide variety of vegetables can be added to sambar. Typical vegetables include carrot, okra, white raddish, pumpkin, brinjal , squash (bottle gurad), drumsticks. Some people also like to add beans, plaintain or cauliflower. You can use any of these which are available with you .

Directions:

• Pressure cook toor dal till it is soft. Beat it with the help of a whisk so that it is like smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water for 15 minutes. Squeeze and extract the pulp and keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottom deep pot. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds .Let them splutter.
• Add red chillies, hing, curry leaves.
• Add shallots. If you do not have shallots, you can substitute them with diced onions. . Add turmeric powder and saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are slightly translucent. Do not brown them.
• Add all the diced vegetables and drumsticks. Saute them for 3 mintes. Keep Stirring.
• Now add diced tomatoes and the tamarid juice into the pot.
• Add water , salt , jaggery and sambar powder.
• Cover it and let it cook till the vegetables are 3/4th cooked.
• Now add the toor dal to it and again cook it covered in slow-medium flame.
• You can check with the help of a fork if the vegetables are tender and cooked well.
• In the end, add chopped coriander leaves and turn off the flame.

Variation : As I said before, each state has its own variation, in the states of TN and Kerala, they use coconut in the sambar preparation.

If you like to use coconut then , in a small pan, heat oil, fry whole red chillies, coriander seeds , fenugreek seeds and fresh grated coconut for just 2 minutes and grind in into a wet paste using very little water, say, 2 tbsp. and add this paste to the sambar and cook.

Egg Pulusu ( Egg-Tamarind Curry )

Egg Pulusu (Telugu) or Egg Puli (Tamil) is a curry made of boiled eggs cooked in the tamarind gravy.

Ingerdients:

• Boiled Eggs - 4
• Finely Chopped Onions - 1
• Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Tamarind Extract - 1/2 cup
• Jaggery - 1 small cube
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Red Whole Chili - 1
• Hing - 1 pinch
• Curry Leaves - few
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp or to taste
• Fenugreek Seeds (methi seeds )- 6-8
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Water - as needed
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions :

• Boil the eggs, peel them and keep aside.
• Soak tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind juice out of it. Keep aside.
• In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, let them splutter, then add fenugreek seeds ,whole chili, hing, curry leaves. Let it saute for 30 seconds.
• Add Chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Cook till onions turn brownish.
• If the onion paste is getting too dry, add little water to it .
• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add tamarind juice and a cup of water. Add salt to taste
• Add jaggery. If you do not have jaggery, it can be replaced with 1 tsp of sugar. ( In south Indian recipes, wherever we use tamarind, we also use jaggery , they both usually go hand in hand )
• Make 2-3 cuts on the boiled eggs and add them into this gravy. We make those cuts so that eggs can absorb the masala .
• Cover it and let it cook on low-medium flame, for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve hot with any kind of rice.

Tomato Rasam

Tomato Rasam , also known as tomato charu, is a part of a daily meal in South India. This sour and spicy dish goes very well with dal and rice .
This recipe is the basic and simple one without any dal in it. Rasam can also be made with dal, which is called Pappu Charu, which I shall blog soon.


Ingredients :

• Ripe tomatoes - 4
• Water - 5 - 7 cups
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red whole Chilies - 3
• Hing - a pinch
• Whole Pepper - 5-7
• Curry leaves - one spring
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Rasam Powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery - 1 inch
• Tamarind Pulp - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions :

• Blanch tomatoes in hot water, peel the skin , mash or grind the pulp.
• Add water to the pulp, salt, rasam powder, turmeric powder, tamarind pulp, jaggery, whole peppers ( or can be powdered coarsely) and boil the misture.
• For tempering : In a separate small pan, take oil, add mustard seeds, after they crackle, add cumin seeds, red whole chillies, curry leaves and hing.
• Add the tempering to the rasam, boil for another 8 - 10 minutes.
• Add chopped cilantro at the end.