Cabbage Molagootal

Molagootal is a vegetable lentil curry that is cooked in parts of Kerala belonging to Tamil Brahmin's Cuisine, who has settled in Kerala for generations.

A no onion, no garlic, sathvic recipe.

Sharing with you the recipe of Molagootal using Cabbage.

The use of Urad in this recipe varies in every home. Some roast and add it to the coconut masala, some add in temepering and some doesnt use it for vegetable molagootal like me but only to Keerai Molagootal using greens. I have already shared the keerai molagootal recipe. The link is here :- https://my-hobby-lounge.blogspot.com/2012/06/keerai-molakootal-greens-gravy-for-rice.html

Video recipe for this Cabbage Molagootal is available here:-

Arachu Vitta Sambar - (freshly ground coconut masala)

Sambar - through this Sambar with Idli or dosa and the ash smeared on forhead, this is how rest of India recognise South India.

The southern states are unique with it's cuisine and culture. Sambar definitely will not smell and taste the same in every home. Not even in it's home town Thanjavur. The ingredients and their quantity varies. Some add jaggery (only a little to get a tinge of sweet and some don't). Some use mix vegetables. Some use only one vegetable.... thus the sambar avatar goes on....

History of Sambar :-

Sambar originated in the Maratha's kitchen in Thanjavur says the historians based on the scripts available at Thanjavur Saraswathi Mahal Library.

Thanjavur was ruled by Chozhas, Pandiyas, Vijayanagar dynasty and then by Naikars. The Naikar killed the King of Thanjavur and captured it. The Son of the King, approached the Sultan of Bijapur for help to regain the Kingdom. Sultan of Bijapur, sent his force, which was commanded by "Venkoji" - a Maratha. Venkoji captured Thanjavur but he proclaimed himself as the king. History says, Venkoji is half brother of Chatrapati Shivaji. Marathi's make a dish called "Amti" which is a mix of Lentil and Kokum (a native souring agent, tastes sour like tamarind). In Thanjavur when kokum went out of stock, it was replaced by tamarind and in went various vegetables along with tuvar dal. There are various versions of sambar story. One story says that it was made by a cook in the Maratha's Fort when the store ran out of kokum hence the cook managed it with tamarind. Another version says that it was Shambaji (Chatrapati's Son) who made it when the royal chef was away. Yet another version says that this was served to Shambaji, he liked it very much, thus named after him. Whatever the story may be, this prepration has won millions of hearts around the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are two types of Sambar

1. Prepared with Sambar Powder

2. Prepared with freshly ground coconut masala

Sharing the "Arachu Vitta" version (i.e.) Freshly ground coconut masala based.

Vegetables that are used (you use any one or a mix of vegetables) :- Ashgourd, Pumpkin, Drum stick, Onion, Shallots, Tomato, Carrot, Beetroot, Ladies Finger, greens (yes greens!) etc..

Onion sambar itself is a separate variety. Which I will share in the coming posts....

Sambar Making video is here :-

Ingredients :-

1. Tamarind - 1 lemon size
2. Ashgourd cubes - 1 cup
3. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Jaggery (grated) 1 spoon
6. Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig (for garnishing)
8. Tuvar dal - 1/4 cup

For masala :-

1. Channa dal - 1 tsp
2. Dried Red Chillies - 2-3 nos.
3. Coriander seeds - 1 spoon
4. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Curry leaves - 7 nos.
6. Grated coconut - 3 spoons

For tempering :-

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Procedure :-

• Cook Tamarind and Extract 3 cups of tamarind water.

• In a vessel add the tamarind water, vegetable cubes, turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida, jaggery and bring to boil

• Roast the items 1 to 5 and along with coconut grind it to a paste.

• Cook Tuvar Dal, mash it lightly and keep it ready.

• When the vegetable is cooked, add the dal to it. 

• When it starts boiling, add the ground masala and let it cook till foam forms on top.

• Now make the tempering and add it to the prepared sambar.

• Put some curry leaves and leave it closed for sometime, so that the curry leaves flavour will get infused into the sambar nicely.

• Aromatic Arachu Vitta Sambar is Ready!

Pulingari | Pulinkari | Uppadam

Today I am sharing a super recipe from our kitchen treasure..  "Pulungari" - a tamarind based curry to be had with white rice. A tangy & spicy curry with a tinge of sweetness from jaggery.''

There are many traditional recipes that are fading away from our kitchens, as they are cooked less frequently.  

This Pulungari is a dish from Palakkad and uses vegetables viz., Ladies Finger, Ashgourd, Pumpkin.

Two methods of making pulungari. One is with coconut and the other without. Hence without coconut, you follow the same recipe except that the dry roasted masalas are powdered finely, dissolved in water and then added slowly while stirring to avoid lumps formation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ingredients :-

1. Ladies Finger - sliced into little big pieces - 1/2 cup
2. Tamarind - Gooseberry size (little more than what you take for sambar)
3. Turmeric Powder - a pinch (less than 1/4 tsp)
4. Salt to taste
5. Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
6. Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp (or as preferred)

For dry roasting 

1. Raw rice - 3 spoons
2. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Dried Red Chillies - 2 Nos. (or as preferred)

Tempering :-

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 8 nos.

Procedure :-

• Boil the tamarind till it becomes soft. Extract water from it.

• Heat a wok and roast the ingredients given for dry roasting.

• Let the roasted ingredients cool down to room temperature. Grind them along with coconut and little water to a fine paste.

• In a wok, add oil when it is hot, add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the chopped ladies finger (Bhindi / Vendaikai) and fry it till the stickiness goes.

• Add the tamarind water, Turmeric powder, salt and jaggery. Mix well and let it come to boil,

• Add the ground masala (wet / dry) while stirring to avoid forming lumps. (Rice paste tend to form lumps quickly if not stirred. so you can switch off the stove, add the masala, give it a mix and then again switch on the gas.). Cook on medium flame.

• Boil till it thickens and foam forms on top. 

Lipsmacking Pulungari is ready to be served with white rice!

Art of eating :- On the hot rice, pour a tsp of clarified butter (Ghee) and then add the pulungari and mix. Enjoy eating!

Cucumber Curry / Vellarikai Kootu / Madrasi Kakdi Dal / Dal Keera

A traditional dish with easily digestible protein from the lentil used.  Simple to prepare. Being a traditional dish, coconut oil is used which enhance the flavour. Adding grated coconut will enhance the taste. If you want to avoid coconut, just skip that part of the process.

You will Need :-

1. Cucumber diced - 1 Cup (madrasi kakdi / kheera)
2. Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
3. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Green Chilli - 1 No.

For tempering :-

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Whole urad - 1 tsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
4. Asafoetida - a pinch
5. Dried red chillies - 2 nos. (broken)
6. Curry Leaves - 8 Nos.  (avoid this for curry made using greens)

Procedure :-

• In a vessel put Moong dal,  Cucumber cubes, add turmeric powder, salt, slit green chilli,  cook on stove top or pressure cook till done.

• Heat a wok, add oil, Mustard seeds. When it start crackling, add the urad, asafoetida, dried red chilli and curry leaves.

• Fry till the dal turns nice golden brown in color. Add the cooked vegetable dal to it.

• Add grated coconut and bring to boil.

• Cucumber curry / Kootu is ready!

Rasam - simple version - without regular masala

No elaborate dining in a southindian home especially of Brahmin's go without Rasam. It is a 3 course meal practised even now in some homes.  If you enter such a home, the flavour of rasam will be lingering in the air and make the home more inviting!

Rasam prepared at every home has its own flavour & taste, hence differs from home to home.

Normally many use rasam powder (rasa podi) for making rasam. Some buy the ready ones from the Market and some prefers home-made ones, with their own ingredients.

Sharing with you a simple rasam that is passed on from generations back. The recipe that needs no rasam masala powder. This is always a favourite one in our family and children just love to have additional helpings of rice, just for this Rasam.

 

Ingredients :-

1. Tomato - 1 No. (big)
2. Tamarind water - 3 cups
3. Dal water - 1/2 cup
4. Water - 1 cup
5. Asafoetida - a pinch
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Red chilli powder - a pinch (or as per your taste)
8. Salt to taste
9. Jaggery shredded - 1.5 tsp
10. Curry leaves - 8 nos.
11. Coriander leaves - 2tsp
12. Ghee, mustard seeds for tempering

Procedure :-

• Boil or soak tamarind in hot water and extract water. 

•  Cook dal with little more water than usual and extract the water only . Cooked dal can be used for regualr sambar or dal making.

•  Dice the tomato

• In a vessel add diced tomato, tamarind water, dal water, normal water, asafoetida, turmeric powder,  red chilli powder, bring to boil.

• when the raw smell of tamarind & asafoetida goes, add the dal water and cook it in slow flame.

• When foam forms on top (do not let boil after this stage as the rasam may lose its taste), remove from the stove.

• Add Shredded jaggery, mix it. 

• Give a tempering of mustard seeds in ghee

• Add curry leaves and coriander leaves to it.

• Close it with a lid and let it rest for a while. (Before serving you can lightly heat it up)

• Simple yet yummy rasam is ready!

• On hot cooked rice, add a tsp of melted ghee, mix, pour some rasam over it, mix well and have with veggies of your choice or paruppu thogayal (dal chuntey). If nothing is available, the southindian udid papad fried in oil will make a good accompaniment.  It will taste divine!

Kadala curry / Brown channa masala / brown chick pea curry

A simple recipe using brown channa (chickpea) which can go well with rice, Chapathi as well as the famous breakfast from God's own coutnry - the 'puttu'.

Brown chickpea is used in this traditional recipe.

I have earlier posted a recipe using coconut. This version is without coconut beautifully infused with the flavour of coriander seeds, roasted cumin and curry leaves.

Things you will need :-

1. Brown chick pea - 2 Cups
2. Onion - 1 No. big
3. Tomato - 1 No. Medium
4. Ginger - 1" piece 
5. Curry leaves - 7 nos.
6. Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp
7. Roasted cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (or as per preference)
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Oil - 2 tbsp (I used coconut oil as it is a traditional recipe flavoured by it)
12. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

 Procedure :

• Soak chickpeas overnight or for 6 hours. Pressure cook adding salt till done
• Finely chop Onions, tomatoes, Ginger
• Heat a oil in a wok, add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add curry leaves.
• Add onions and ginger. Fry till onions turn translucent.
• Add tomato and fry till it turn mushy
• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder and fry for 30 seconds.
• Add the water from the cooked channa and add little more water if required.
• Bring to boil
• Now add the cooked channa and let it boil for 5 minutes on low flame (keep it covered with a lid) to let the masal infuse into it. Switch off.
• Check and adjust salt.
• Yummy and simple kadala curry / brown channa masala / brown chickpea curry is ready!

 

Kurukku Kaalan

A tongue tickling recipe from God's Own Country which will make you crave for more and  more. This is one of the items served during a Onam Feast. Sour curd is used and it is boiled and reduced till thick. Hence the name kurukku  kaalan (kurukku - reduced). Whether it is milk or curd / buttermilk, when reduced they make the dish even more aromatic and interesting in taste.

In the olden days, left over curd is collected in a separate vessel which turns sour and then used for this recipe.  Kachchati (veseel made out of stone) is used to prepare it. The love & care our mothers & grandmas took in preparing it gives it a heavenly taste. That taste is unbeatable and is missing in today's kaalan made on stove top using stainless steel vessels mm....................Mira going nostalgic!

The way the Kaalan making process was described by the elders in the family always make my mouth water and crave to have some immediately right from my childhood days!

Let's get into kaalan making!

Vegetables that can be used for this recipe :- Raw Banana, Elephant Yam, Ashgourd (Kachcha kela / suran / white bhopla) [Vazhakka, Chenai, Elavan] . You may use any one or combo of all. I used Elephant yam for this recipe.

Ingredients :-

1. Elephant Yam - 1 cup
2. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
3. Sour Beaten curd - 2.5 cup
4. Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. Peppercorn - 1 tsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
8. Green chillies - 2 nos (or as preferred)
9. Dried Red Chillies - 2 Nos.
10. Curry Leaves - two sprigs
11. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
12. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Procedure :

• Peel and cut the yam into cubes

•  Wash well to remove any sand particle that may remain 

• Transfer to a thick bottomed cooking vessel

•  Beat the sour curd well and keep ready

• Dry roast fenugreek seeds tilll they release nice aroma. 

• Cut the dry red chillies into two (or you may retain it whole)

•  Grind together Grated Coconut, roasted fenugreek seeds, Green Chillies, Black Peppercorns and 6-7 nos. curry leaves together into a nice & thick paste adding little water. 

• Use medium to slow flame in the cooking process which will give good taste to the dish.

• To the yam, add turmeric powder, salt and water that is enough to submerge the yam cubes and cook till the water dries up.

• Now add the beaten curd and cook on low flame and keep stirring in between. Cook till the curd level is reduced and the gravy becomes thick.

• At this stage, add the ground coconut masala, adjust the salt and mix well. Bring to boil till foam forms on top.

• Remove from heat.

• Tempering :- Heat coconut oil, add Mustard seeds. When the seeds starts spluttering, add dried red chillies, 8 nos. curry leaves and add this to the prepared kurukku kaalan.

 Yummy kurkku Kaalan is ready!

This is served as a side dish for feasts (sadhya) but can also be mixed with plain rice and had. I enjoy it even with dosai and chapathis. So why wait for special feast time, make and enjoy it at any time of the year like me :-)

No season or reason for a foodie to enjoy good food!

Milagu Kuzhambu / Pepper Sambar

Milagu Kuzhambu / Pepper Sambar or Pepper Gravy.

As the Name Suggest it is ofcourse a spicy dish that is also Tangy with a tinge of sweet & salt as well thus making it an Yummilicious dish that will make you crave for more.

This is a traditional recipe which is also given in "Kattu Chadham" - (for Food Parcels) given to the Bride & Groom's family and their relatives when they travel back to their place after the marriage Ceremonies are over.  They Food is put on a banana leaf and parcelled nicely so that it lasts during the travel!

In Olden days, the transport facilities were very minimal or almost none when people walk or travel in a Bullock Cart or by Train driven by Coal Engine / Steam Engine. It takes time for them to reach their place.

Hungry Stomachs eagerly look into the bag of food parcels.... Opening the food parcel itself is a nice experience. A Foodie always opens it with his / her mouth watering.... the yummy food on the green banana leaf.... what a bliss!

So, 'Kattu Chadham' i.e. food parcels are given to them to eat on the way till they reach their destination. This Milagu Kuzhambu is also made and packed with the food parcel.

If it has to be used for long journeys, then More Oil is used and the gravy is boiled till it is reduced to a thick paste. 

The Recipe video is now available in Youtube Channel : Mira's Akshaya Patram. Added below :-

Milagu Kuzhambu

A good accompaniment with hot cooked white rice. It can also be taken as a side dish with Dosa, Chapathi too. 

Ingredients :-

1. Black Peppercorns - 1 tsp
2. Red Chillies - 2 Nos. (or as preferred)
3. Black Gram - 1 tsp (urad/ulundu)
4. Split Red Gram - 1 tsp (tuvar/arhar)
5. Curry Leaves - 8 Nos.
6. Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Asafoetida powder -1/4 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Sesame Oil - 3 tbsp + 1tsp for roasting
12. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
13. Rice flour - 1 tbsp (Added at the end for thickening)

Procedure :-

• Cook Tamarind till it is soft. Once it is cooled, Adding 2 cups of water, extract tamarind water from it. 

•  For Roasting masala :- 

• Heat a wok, add 1tsp of Sesame oil. When it is hot, add Urad and Tuvar dal and fry till they start changing color. Add the dried Red Chillies, Curry Leaves and the Black peppercorn and fry till the dals turn golden in color. Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool.

• Once the roasted items cools down, grind it to a nice paste adding little water. Mix this paste to the Tamarind Extract.

• Heat a wok, add 3 tbsp Sesame oil. Add the Mustard Seeds. Once they complete spluttering, add the Tamarind Extract + Paste mix.

• Add turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, Jaggery and Salt. Bring to boil

• Dissolve 1 tbsp of rice flour in little water and add it to the boiling gravy by stirring it simultaneously to avoid lumps formation.

• In slow flame cook this mixture for 10 minutes stirring in between. Then switch off the flame.

•  Yummy & spicy pepper sambar / milagu kuzhambu  is ready to be had with hot rice or as an accompaniment to tiffin item like dosa / upma or with chapathis.

Morkuzhambu / Morkootaan

Morkootan / morkozhambu is a southindian curry (sounds like khadi) which goes well with plain cooked rice as a main dish and as a tastiest side dish for Dosai / Dosa (indian pancake), rotis etc

Those days there were no refrigerator hence the balance buttermilk of every day is collected in a kachchatti (vessel made out of stone) which gave way to invent this dish. Nothing is wasted!

I normally make curd specially for this and leave it for some extra hours so that it attain the right amount of sour taste.

The dish will be little sour. If you don't like sour taste you can even use fresh buttermilk.

Vegetables that can go into making this dish :-

Elephant yam, Cucumber, Ashgourd,Raw banana, yam (colaccia)

Ingredients :-

1. Sour curd - 1 cup (churn & keep ready)
2. Cucumber - 1 cup (diced) [Madrasi kakdi]
3. Grated coconut - 1 cup
4. Green chillies - 2 nos
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp (dry roasted)
7. Water - 2 cups
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Rice - 2 tsp (soak for 30 minutes) or use rice flour (optional)

For tempering :-

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
4. Red chilli - 1 No. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes :-

• If the buttermilk is very sour then it will not precipitate when boiled.
• To prevent such reaction, it is advisable to use some rice flour or add soaked rice to the masala for grinding and cook the dish in slow flame after adding buttermilk.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Procedure :-

• Churn the buttermilk
• Dry roast the Fenugreek seeds / methi seeds 
• Put the diced vegetable into a vessel, add tumeric powder, salt and boil till the vegetable is tender & crisp. 
• Grind grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and roasted fenugreek seeds to a nice paste adding little water
• Add the ground masala to the cooked vegetable and bring it to boil.
• Now lower the flame and add the buttermilk, mixing slowly
• Let it be on slow fire till foam forms on top (mix at regular intervals)
• Remove from fire
• Heat little oil for tempering, add mustard seeds when they start to splutter, add red chilli, curry leaves and add this to the curry.
• Toungue tickling aromatic Morkootan / Morkozhambu is ready!

Side dish suggestion :- This traditional dish goes well with another dry dish called "mezhukupiratti". I will make a post on this tomorrow. papad is also makes another good combo.

Keerai Molagootal / Greens Gravy for Rice

Green leafy vegetables are packed with vital nutrients. They have dietary fibre, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals. Helps building immunity, improves vision, lower blood pressure, etc

Tamil Nadu is famous for the green leafy vegetables boasting proudly the varitey of them in its Nature's basket. My bird's brain could remember only 21 of them now. The part of India I am in now has only palak & methi are found in abundant. But this season luckily i could find some molakeerai so making the traidional dish called 'molagootal' & 'masiyal' as much as possible as palak & methi will not suit this purpose. Arai keerai, molakeerai, siru keerai are the main varities which suits the dish best, however you can use palak too for it. But folks, I am forced to make you dependant on google search engine to get their names in different languages. (some food for brain!) :-)

Molagootal is a preparation without tamarind & strong masalas. So a sathvik food. It uses coconut & lentil which adds to its nutritional value. Goes well with white rice. Since it is a mild gravy, usually the accompaniment dish would be a Pachadi or Arachukalaki which are either tamarind or curd based dishes.

Video Recipe is available in Mira's Akshaya Patram

Arachukalaki video recipe is here :-

How to clean & use the leaves? :-

Clean the spinach & wash them (if you wash after cutting, it looses its nutrients) cut till the stem turns out to be tender. discard hard stem portion.

chop them into two & keep ready. This dish uses coconut.

Ingredients :-

1. Green leafy vegetable - 1 bundle
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
3. White urad - 1 tbsp
4. Red chillies - 3 to 4 nos (or as you prefer)
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Toor dal - 1/4 cup
7. salt to taste
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
9. oil for tempering
10. mustard seeds

Turmeric powder : Why I had mentioned it optional is because some don't add it as they want the gravy to be in lovely green colour. Turmeric will leave an yellowish tinge. So if you want you can add else omit it.

Procedure :-

• Prepare the leaves as mentioned above

• In a vessel put the leaves, add 3 cups water & when starts boiling, cook for 15 minutes in low flame.See to that you retain the green colour.

• In the meantime, pressure cook the lentil (toor dal)

• Filter the water & preserve it.

• The leaves, spread on a plate & let it cool

• Roast the white urad & red chilli applying few drops of oil till they turn golden in colour

• In a mixer add the grated coconut, cumin seeds, red chillies, white urad & adding little water, make a nice paste.

• Grind the boiled leaves & stems coarsely.

• To the ground paste, add dal & the filtered water you preserved (in which the leaves are boiled) and bring to boil in a low flame by stirring in between.

• To this add the ground coconut masala, salt to taste, Turmeric powder , required water - check the gravy consistency & bring to boil. When the foam forms on stop, remove from flame.

• Heat oil for tempering, add mustard seeds. after they crackle, add it to the gravy, mix.

• Greens gravy AKA keerai Molagootal - our main dish is ready. 

Side dish suggestions :-

For this gravy, the side dish that suits best are puli inji / pulikachal (or) Puli / Thayir Pachadi (or) Pickle (or) salad (or. ) raitas / Vazhathandu pachadi (a variety of spicy sweet sour and salty gravy)

Now comes the most important part of serving :

To the hot white rice, add 1/4 tsp melted ghee, serve the molagootal on top........ and enjoy with the side dish of your choice.