The promised recipes

Ok so there were 2 recipes that were pledged to appear on MindBlogging. True to my word, here they are.

“Pudhu Vidha kozhambu”

Amma’s nomenclature. It literally means kozhambu made a new way. Don’t ask me why or how or where from. All I know is that she discovered this some place and once I tasted it, she shared the knowledge with me and now I share it with you. Here’s a shot though, in case you need some motivation.

PS: The shot doesn’t do justice to the actual flavour/taste of the kozhambu.

“Pudhu vidha kozhambu”.

Ingredients

For the grinding
1. Onion	1 large, coarsely chopped
2. Tomato	1 Medium-sized, coarsely chopped
3. Fresh grated coconut	1/2 cup – 2/3 cup
4. Dried red chillies	2 medium sized
5. Jeera	1 tsp
6. Oil (preferably gingelly oil)	1 tsp
For the rest of the kozhambu
1. Chinna vengayam (if available)	1/4kg or 2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
2. Tamarind	1 small piece, squeezed out to 1 large cup of juice
3. Oil (preferably gingelly oil)	1 tbsp
For seasoning
1. Curry leaves	10-15 well washed
2. Sambar powder	1 tbsp
3. Salt	To taste
For tempering
1. Mustard seeds / Kadugu	1 tsp
2. Cumin/ Jeera	1/2 tsp
3. Asfoetida	a pinch

How

1. Lightly roast/fry all the ingredients under the “For the grinding” heading in the teaspoon of oil on a pan and set aside to be ground. (Grind when the ingredients cool down a bit)

2. Meanwhile in a heavy-bottomed vessel allow the 1 tablespoon of oil to heat up.

3. Temper with the kadugu/jeera and asfoetida when the oil is hot.

4. Once the mustard seeds sputter, add the chinna vengayam to the oil and allow it to cook well whilst releasing it’s juices.

5. Add in the sambar powder and allow it to cook well in the oil as well.

6. Add the tamarind juice and bring to a boil.

7. When the mixture is boiling, add the ground mixture from Step 1 and bring to a boil again.

8. Season with fresh curry leaves and serve hot with steamed rice and any side dish of your choice.

Recipe 2- Kadai Subji

So here’s another look at what we’re recreating..

Steaming hot “Kadai subji” ready to be served.

Ingredients

For the gravy
Tomatoes	2 – medium sized, finely chopped
Tomato purée	1 tbsp
Onion	1 large, finely chopped (I didn’t add onions because it was Vijayadasami yesterday)
Garlic	2 cloves, finely minced (again I didn’t add any because of Vijayadasami)
Dhaniya-Jeera powder	2 tbsp
Garam masala	1/2 tsp
Turmeric	a pinch
Salt	to taste
Oil	1 tbsp
Everything else
Veggies	1 large carrot, 1 large potato and 1 large capsicum, all cut to mid-sized pieces
Cream/concentrated milk	1 tbsp
Tempering
Kadugu	1/2 tsp
Jeera	1/2 tsp
Garnishing
Fresh coriander	1 sprig, finely chopped and washed

How

1. Fry all the ingredients listed under the “For the gravy” part in this order – Heated Oil, Garlic, Onions, Tomatoes, tomato purée, turmeric, dhaniya-jeera powder, garam masala, salt, etc and make a fine gravy, adding water as required to get the desired consistency.

2. I pressure cooked the veggies in a cooker for 2 whistles so that I wouldn’t have to “fry” them. Hint: If you’re adding a dal to the meal, cook the dal in the same go.

3. Add the pressure-cooked veggies to the gravy and toss them well, coating them with the gravy well.

4. Once the gravy starts bubbling a bit, blend in the cream. This is what gives it the colour and richness of taste.

5. Check for salt, spice, etc and add whatever as required.

6. Temper with mustard seeds and jeera.

7. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve steaming hot with steamed white rice or chapathis or any other Indian bread variety.

Bon Appetit! Enjoy :)