Milagu Kulambu

We make different type of kulambu as a side dish for rice. We make Vetha kulambu atleast once a week. This weekend in our local Tamil Channel I saw a program called Aaha Enna Rusi,a cookery show . In that they showed how to make a spicy milagu kulambu.  It is a very simple recipe. This recipe needs lots of oil, so don't skimp on the oil. The original recipe had some onions and garlic. I skipped those and made it plain. Try this out if you really love spicy dish. The milagu kulambu with hot rice and parrupu thogayal is a perfect combination.

Ingredients

- 10 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp Mustard
- 1 tbsp Channa dhal
- 1/2 tbsp Uradh dhal
- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbsp Pepper
- 10 curry leaves
-  2-3 Red chillie
- 1 tbsp Red chillie powder
- 1 tbsp Pepper powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1 Big Lemon Size Tamarind (Soak in hot water)

 Method

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Once its hot add mustard seeds, chana dhal, uradh dhal, fenugreek seeds, pepper and red chillie
2 Once it splutters add the curry leaves.
3. Take the tamarind extract. Add it to the frying pan. Now add in red chillie powder, turmeric, pepper powder
3. Let this mixture boil for 15- 20 min or until the kulambu becomes thick. Turn off heat

Serve it with hot rice

This one finds its way to Think -Spice - Think Fenugreek hosted by Priya Mitharwal and originally started by Sunitha.

Microwave Kara Kulumbu

The Microwave event hosted by Srivalli of Cooking4AllSeasons inpsired me to try my Microwave for different dishes other then just heating up leftovers. The one thing I typically do is cook my rice in the microwave oven. It cooks in 30 minutes. I like this method to make rice as it is fool proof and I really need not do much. This time around I decided to try out a kulumbu recipe. The inspiration came from Malika Badrinath book. There are a few steps involved but it comes together easily.
Ingredients A:
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 small brinjal chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste.
Method:
1. Add the above ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave them at high for 6-7 minutes. Remove it every two minutes and mix them well. If you feel it does not have enough water then keep it aside.
Ingredients B:
- 1 tomatoes chopped
- 1 tbsp sambar powder
- 2 cups tamrind water
- salt to taste
Method:
1. Grid the tomatoes, sambar powder. Mix them well with tamarind water and salt. Now boil this at medium microwave setting for at least 8 minutes. Remove it and mix it every two minutes.
2. Now add the cooked vegetables to this and cook it at medium heat for 6 minutes. Remove and mix every minute.

Seasoning:
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp methi seeds
- sprig of curry leaves
- 2 tsp oil
Method:
1. In another microwave safe bowl add the oil and add the seasoning ingredients and cook for 2 minutes. You will hear the mustard start to pop. Remove and add it to the kulumbu.

This was a few steps but then it all happened in the microwave and so I did not attend to it constantly which was a nice relif. This kulumbu tastes great with rice.

Sending this to 365 days of microwave cooking hosted by Srivali of Cooking4AllSeasons and also to MEC-Favorite hosted by Seduce your taste buds and started by Cooking4AllSeasons.

Eggplant Puli kotsu

This is another recipe from my mother-in-law. We had this with Arisi Upma. This is a very easy kotsu. If you like sour and tangy taste you can try this out.

Ingredients

1 Big eggplant (not the indian eggplant)
1 big lemon sized tamarind

Seasoning

1 tsp Chana Dhal
4-5 red chili torn into small pieces
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp Oil

Method
Extract 3 cups of tamarind water from the soaked tamarind. Roast the eggplant over the gas cooktop or use the broiler to roast the eggplant. Once the eggplant has cooled down peel the skin out. You can either mash the eggplant with hand or blend it once.
In a frying pan add oil and add the seasoning items. Add tamarind water and the blended eggplant. You can switch of the stove. You do not have to boil the kotsu.

This can be served as a side dish for idli or dosa also

Tip. Here is the link to roast the eggplant in the broiler

Vendya (Methi) Kulambu

Ingredients:
- 2 tsp methi seeds soaked in water for at least 1/2 hour
- 2 cups mixed vegetables chopped to bite size pieces ( I used okra, carrots, cauliflower and tomatoes) Can also use eggplant, pumpkin or drumstick.
- lemon size tamarind softened (extract 2 cups tamarind water)
- 1.5 tbsp Sambar Powder
- 1/2 tsp jaggary or brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp hing
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 green chili slit into half
- 1 tspn cooking oil
- salt to taste

Roast in a dry pan and grid to a fine powder:
- 1 tsp methi seeds

Seasoning:
- 1 tspn mustard seeds
- curry leaves

Method:

1. In a heavy bottom vessel pour the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter add the soaked methi seeds. Make sure you drain all the water.
2. Fry until the methi seeds becomes a golden color. Drop the curry leaves, chili, hing and turmeric powder. Fry for another 30 seconds.
3. Now add the chopped vegetables salt and about 1/2 cup of water. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the tamarind water, sambar powder, and methi powder and boil for 10 minutes. Finally add the jagary (or brown sugar).

This kulumbu does not have any dhals in it so it is very light and comforting.

Serve it hot with rice.




I am sending this dish to EVENT: COOKING WITH SEEDS - FENUGREEK SEEDS hosted by DenuFood and the event is organized by Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipe

Sambar

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup toor dhal cooked (should be soft)
- lemon size tamarind - Make 2 cups tamarind water
- Eggplant, okra, tomatoes, white pumpkin (optional) cut into cubes
- 1.5 tsp sambar powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- salt to taste

Seasoning:
- 1/2 tspn oil
- 1/2 tspn methi seeds
- 1/2 tspn mustard seeds
- Curry leaves

Method:
1. Boil the vegetables except tomatoes in a heavy bottom pan with turmeric and salt.
2. Once the vegetables are half cooked add tomatoes the tamarind water and sambar powder.
3. Let it boil until the raw smell leaves (about 5-7 min)
4. Add the cooked dhal and bring the heat down to a simmer. Let it cook for another 5 minutes. Make sure you don't boil the sambar after you add the dhal.
6. In a separate pan add all the seasoning ingredients and fry till mustard seeds starts to crackle. Add it to the sambar before serving.

Serve it hot with rice or idlis

Note: If you want to add onion to the sambar make sure you start by pouring some oil and frying the onion. Then follow the same procedure.

Inji Kulumbu

Thank you spicy chilly for this dish. I used her recipe but modified it to suit our taste. Here is the original recipe

Ingredients:
- 2 tspn chopped ginger
- small lemon size tamarind softened
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp jaggary or brown sugar
- 1 tspn cooking oil
- salt to taste

Roast in 1 tspn of oil:
- 3 tblspn corriander seeds
- 1 tblspn toor dhal
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 5 red chillies
- 1/2 tsp methi seeds
- big piece of ginger pealed and chopped

Seasoning:
- 1 tspn mustard seeds
- 1/2 tspn methi seeds or powder

Method:

1. Grind the roasted spices and tamarind to a smooth paste
2. Pour oil and add mustard and methi seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter add the chopped ginger.
3. Fry until the ginger is soft and add the ground mixture.
4. Add two cups of water, salt and turmeric powder.
3. Let it boil until the kulumbu thickens.
4. Finally add jagary and curry leaves.

Serve it hot with rice.

Tomato Sambar (without tamarind)

This is an easy sambar and you can skip tamarind in this. It still tastes yummy. I use raw tomato (thakali kai) in addition to the regular tomatoes. The raw tomato adds the tangy flavor to this dish.


Ingredients:
- 2-3 tomatoes
- 2-3 raw tomatoes (tomatillo/Green tomatoes)
- salt to taste
- pinch of turmeric
- 1/2 cup boiled toor dhal
- 1 tsp jaggary

Fry in a teaspoon of oil and grind
- 5-8 dried red chillies
- 2 tblspn coriander seeds
- 2 tblspn channa dhal
- 1/2 tsp methi seeds
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Seasoning:
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp methi seeds
- few curry leaves
- 1 tspn oil

Method:
1. Chop the tomatoes and boil them in water with salt and turmeric.
2. Add the ground mixture and let it all come to boil for another 5 minutes
3.Now add the toor dhal, reduce the heat to a simmer for another 4- 5 minutes. Add jaggary to this and mix well.
4. In a seperate pan add the oil and the mustard seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter add the methi seeds and curry leaves. Mix it with sambar.

Garnish with cilantro and serve it hot with rice or idli/dosa.

Variations: For extra flavor add onions to this too. If doing this then as a first step, in the pan add one more teaspoon of oil and add the chopped onions and fry till it becomes golden brown. Now go back and follow from first step.

Mor vendasar (Buttermilk kulubu without coconut)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tspn rice flour
- salt to taste

Seasoning:
- 1/2 tspn oil
- 1/2 tspn methi seeds
- 1/2 tspn mustard seeds
- 2 red chilies

Method:
1. Mix butter milk and rice flour and salt in a bowl.
2. In a pan add all the seasoning ingredients and fry till mustard seeds starts to crackle.
3. Pour the butter milk into the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Make sure it does not boil too much because butter milk has the tendency to curdle at high heat.

Serve it hot with rice. This is a very light kulumbu

Orange Vetha kulumbu

Ingredients:
- 1-2 orange peal (just the peals will do)
- 5 orange segments
- small lime size tamarind softened (extract the juice to get 1.5 cups water)
- 2 green chillies
- 1/2 tspn turmeric powder
- 1 tblspn oil

Dry Roast and grind to a fine powder:
- 2 tblspn corriander seeds
- 1 tblspn channa dhal
- 1 tblspn toor dhal
- 1 tspn urad dhal
- 1 tspn pepper
- 1 tspn jeera
- 8 red chillies

Seasoning:
- 1 tspn mustard seeds
- 1/2 tspn methi seeds or powder
- 1 tspn jeera
- 1/2 tspn Hing
- salt to taste

Method:

1. Pour oil in a pot. Add all the seasoning ingredients. Once mustard seeds start to crackle add the chilles and orange peal.
2. After a couple of minutes add the tamarind water and the ground mixture.
3. Let it boil until the kulumbu thickens.
4. Finally add jagary and curry leaves.

Serve it hot with rice.

Erivali Moor Kulumbu

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Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of chopped mixed vegetables
(Carrots, White pumpkin, Okra, Eggplant, Capsicum)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 cups butter milk or fat free sour cream

Fry till golden brown
- 1 tbsp Channa dhal
- 1 tspn Methi Seeds
- 6-7 Red Chili
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 tsp methi seeds

Seasoning:
- 1/2 tspn Methi seeds
- 1/2 tspn Mustard seeds
- Sprig of curry leaves

Method:
1. Add the fried mixture, tamarind and grind it. Add the butter milk in the end and grind it to mix it all.
2. Boil all the vegi in a little bit of water with salt and turmeric.
3. Once the vegetables are tender add the ground mixture. Turn down the heat to medium low. It should not boil too much or the
curd will separate. This should take 10-20 minutes.
4. Finaly temper with mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves.

Variations:

While frying add 1 tbsp coriander seeds to it. Boil one tomato with other vegetables. Follow the same procedure.

Parupurandail kulambu

Ingredients

• 1 cup thoor dhal


• 3-4 red chillis


• 1 teaspoon hing


• 1 lemon sized tamarind (extract the juice in 2 cups water)


• 1-2 teaspoon Sambar powder


• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder


• salt to taste


• 2 tblspoon of oil

For thaduka


• Curry leaves, 1/4 teaspoon of Mustard seeds, Methi seeds, Hing

Method

1. Soak thoor dhal for 1 hour. Grind the dhal with red chillies and hing into a smooth paste. Do not add too much water.


2. Make small balls out of the ground thoor dhal and keep it aside. If the balls do not form properly pour a tablespoon of oil in a heavy pan and pour the ground mixture . Fry till the water evoprates.


3. Boil tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder and sambar powder in a heavy vessel. Once the raw smell is gone drop the balls and reduce the heat to medium low. If the heat is too high it might break the balls. Cook for 10 minutes.


4. Heat oil a separate pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the Methi seeds hing powder Fry till they turn brown. Add curry leaves and mix it with the kulumbu.

Tastes very good with rice

Varthericha kulambu

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Squash cut into cubes


• 1 plantain cut lenthewise


• 3 cups of vegetables cut lengthwise (potatoes, okra, chepankilangu(yam), bringal, snake gourd, carrots)

Ingredients to fry and grind

• 1 lemon sized tamarind (extract the juice in 1 cup water)


• 1 tablespoon of Jaggary or Brown Sugar


• Rice 2 tbl spoon


• Red Chillies 10 nos


• Urad dhal 1 tbl spoon


• Thoor dhal 1 tbl spoon


• Methi seeds 1/2 tsp


• Seasme seeds 1 tsp

For Thalipu

• 1 sprig of Curry leaves


• 1 tspn Mustard seeds


• 1/2 tspn Methi seeds

1. Boil all the vegetables except okra and squash for about 10 min in water. Add salt and turmeric powder.


2. Add tamarind juice. Now add okra and squash and boil for another 5 minutes


3. Now add the ground powder and jagary. Let it boil for 2 - 3 minutes.


4. Heat oil a separate pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the Methi seeds till they turn brown. Lastly add curry leaves and immediately add to the boiling kuzambu. Serve it hot

We make this kulambu during thiruvadari day. We make it with thiruvadari kali. Although kali is sweet the combination is really good.

Vetral kuzambu

Ingredients
- 1 tblspn Corriander seeds
- 2 tblspn channa dhal
- 2 tblspn urad dhal
- 5 red chillies
- 1 tblspoon peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds
- 1 teaspoon jeera
- 4-5 sprigs of curry leaves
- Tamarind (size of lemon)
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
- 3 tblspn oil
For thaduka
- Curry leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon of Mustard seeds
- Methi seeds, Hing, turmeric
Method
1. In a tablespoon of oil fry corriander seeds, channa dhal, urad dhal, red chillies, peppercorns, jeera and methi seeds. Once they are all golden brown turn off the stove and add the curry leaves.
2. Soak tamarind in hot water till it is soft
3. Grind tamarind and the fried mixture into a smooth paste
4. In a heavy bottom pan add 2 tblspoon oil and put the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds starts spluttering add methi seeds. Once it becomes brown add Hing, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Then pour the ground mixture in the pan.
5.Let it boil for 10 to 15 minutes or until the kuzhambu becomes thick.

This recipe serves four. You can double the recipe and store the excess in the refrigerator. It will taste good for about a month.Serve it hot with rice.

This one goes to Cooking with seeds originally started by Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty