Chettinadu style Poondu - chinna vengaya kara kozhambhu (Garlic and Shallots in a tangy gravy)

Ingredients

Set -1

Chillis - 2 nos.
Black pepper - 1 spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Channa dhal - 1 spoon
Corriander seeds - 1 spoon
2-3 pods of garlic

Set - 2

Coconut - 2 tablespoons
Tomato - 1 medium sized

Set - 3

Garlic - 10-15 pods ( depending on the pungency)
Shallots - 10-15
Tamarind - lemon sized
Sambhar powder - 2 tea spoons
Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
Mustard Seeds
Channa dhal
Curry leaves
Asafoetida
Gingely oil
Handful of groundnuts (optional)
Jaggery - a small spoon
Salt to taste

Method

Gently fry the ingredients in set 1 . Add a little water grind them into a paste. Grind the ingredients in set - 2 without frying into a paste and keep both these aside. Soak the tamarind in water and make a thick extract out of it.

In a pan add some oil and crackle the mustard seeds . Add cury leaves, Channa dhal and the groundnuts and fry them for a bit. Add the garlic , small onions and fry them for a bit. Add some water for the garlic to get cooked. Once the garlic is cooked, add the tamarind water, sambhar powder, turmeric powder, salt,asafoetida and cook till the raw smell of tamarind goes. Now add both the pastes , required salt and let it cook together till the raw smell of the tomato, coconut and the paste goes. If the consistency is too thin, mix a tablespoon of rice floor in a couple of spoons of water and add to the gravy. This thickens it a bit. Bring everything to a boil and this is ready to be served with hot rice or dhosas!

Rasavaangi

Rasavangi

This is a nice and simple variation of the normal tamarind based gravy that finds its way in a everyday South Indian cooking. It goes well with rice . And tastes the best with fresh hot dosas.

Ingredients

Chickpeas - Channa - 1 cup. Soaked overnight and pressure cooked.

Brinjal - 2 chopped into medium sized cubes.

Asafoetida

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

Tamarind.

Gingely oil

Salt to taste.

Shallots (small onions) - Optional

To grind

Channa dhal

Corriander seeds

Red chillies

Coconut ( optional )

Method

In a pan, with a little oil fry the corriander seeds, chillies and channa dhal till they turn brown .Make sure you keep stirring them continuosly lest they get burnt. Cool it , Grind and keep aside.

Add some oil in the pan, crack the mustard seeds, and add the curry leaves, asafetedia. Add the onions at this stage if you are adding them and fry till they are golden brown. Add the brinjal and fry them till they are cooked i.e the color of the skin changes. Add the tamarind water and bring it to a boil till the kacha smell of tamarind goes off. Now add the ground mixture and bring it to a boil. In the end add the boiled chickpeas and bring the whole thing to a boil. Garnish with corriander leaves and it is ready to be served.

P.S -

• You can add freshly grated coconut to it if you like the taste. This method is healthier than using coconut as a ground paste.
• It is a fairly thick dish and be careful with the water. You can mix a spoon of any flour ( corn or rice) in water and mix with the gravy. This thickens it.
• The brinjal can be replaced with any other vegetable like bitter guard.

Bon Appetit !

Receipe 23: Murukku / Mullu Murukku / Magizhamboo

Thanks to my chitti for passing on this receipe.. I am planning to try it this weekend!

What you need?

Kadalai paruppu - 1 cup
Payaththam paruppu - 1 cup
Rice flour - 2 cups (store-bought will do)

Salt

Chilli powder
Asafoetida
Butter about 60 grams, or, if you buy quarter-kg packet, take one-fourth of it.
Oil to fry
Seeragam seeds - a couple of tsps (optional)

Frying pan
Murukku kozhal with star-shaped hole(s).

Le Method:

Roast the kadalai paruppu and payaththam paruppu separately till light brown.
Kadalai paruppu takes longer to roast and that is why it needs to be roasted separately.

Grind them into fine powder. Can be ground separately or together.

Mix 2 cups of rice flour with 1 cup of this paruppu flour.

Add butter to this mix. Don't melt the butter, the heat from our hands is enough to soften it and to get it to mix with the flour.

Add seeragam seeds if you like the taste and flavour of fried seeragam. It is also good for digestion.

Dissolve salt, chilli powder and asafoetida in about half a cup of water.

Heat oil in the frying pan.

As the oil is getting heated, add the spiced-up water to the flour and make it into dough. More fresh water can be added as needed to make the dough.

If you are making in large quantity, dough should be made in instalments so that the flour doesn't sit soaked in water for a long time. Murukku will come out darker in colour if the dough is let sitting for a long time.

Everything is ready to start the frying. Put the dough into the murukku press and press it into the hot oil, deep fry it and enjoy!

NOTE:

There are many variantions that can be attempted depending on individual preferences.

1. Instead of frying and grinding the paruppus, kadalai maavu (store-bought) can be used. This will come in handy if time is a constraint. Fresh-ground paruppu flour always tastes better.

2. Kadalai paruppu can be completely eliminated and replaced with payaththam paruppu.

3. Instead of using equal quantities of the 2 paruppus, you can reduce or increase one of them and adjust the other.

4. If butter is not readily available, ghee can be used, but, butter provides the softness to murukku especially for aging teeth. Ghee doesn't do this.
5. Adding more or less of butter determines how soft the murukku will be. Too much butter will make the dough to dissolve in oil and murukku will loose it's crispiness.