Ingredients:

• Onions – 1 (medium) chopped
• Tomatoes – 3 (small) chopped
• Garlic – 4 cloves (small) – chopped roughly
• Curry leaves – a few
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Oil – 2 tbsps
• Salt to taste

Method:

In a pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add the onions, garlic and curry leaves and saute for a while. Then, add? the tomatoes and fry for a while.? Then, add the chilli, coriander, turmeric powders and salt to the mix along with some water and bring to a boil and allow to simmer till the raw smell of the powders disappear. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients:

• Beans – 1/4 cup (cut into 1.5 inch strips)
• Carrots – 1/4 cup (cut into 1.5 inch strips)
• Vaazhakkai – 1/4 cup (cut into 1.5 inch long strips)
• Karunakezhangu – 1/4 cup (cut into 1.5 inch long strips)
• Drumstick – 8 1.5 inch pieces
• Kothavarangaai – 1/4 cup (cut into 1.5 inch long strips)
• Coconut Oil – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Yoghurt/butter milk – 1/4 cup
• Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
• Green chillies – 3 small
• Curry leaves – a few

Method:

In a broad vessel, boil water and cook the cut veggies along with some turmeric and little salt until 3/4th done.

In a pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds, add in the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Then add the cooked veggies with little water and salt. Mix well. Separately grind the coconut and green chillies to a fine to coarse paste and add to this. Stir in the buttermilk. Bring the contents to a boil. Serve hot with rice or adai.

Ingredients:

• Yoghurt/Sour Cream/Butter milk – 1 cup
• Rice flour – 2 tsp
• Toor Dal – 2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Green chillies – 2 small
• Ginger – 1/4 inch piece
• Curry leaves – a few
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Oil – 1 tbsps
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 2 tsp
• Ash gourd or Ladies finger – 1/4 lb diced (optional)

Method:

Soak the toor dal for an hour or so. Grind the soaked dal, rice flour, green chillies, ginger and coconut and cumin seeds to a coarse paste and set aside. In a bowl, blend the yoghurt with a little water, add turmeric, salt and the ground paste and mix well.

In a pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves. Add veggies if needed. Allow the veggies to cook adding a little water. Then, add in yoghurt mix to the pan and bring to a boil and remove from heat. Serve with rice and any spicy side dish.

Ingredients:

• Radish – 1 lb sliced
• Onions – 1 (medium) chopped
• Tomatoes – 1 (small) chopped
• Garlic – 4 cloves (small) – chopped roughly
• Curry leaves – a few
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind paste – 1/4 tsp
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

In a pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add the onions, garlic and curry leaves and saute for a while. Then, add? the tomatoes and fry for a while. Then, add the chilli, coriander, turmeric powders and salt to the mix along with some water and bring to a boil. Add the radish and little water and allow to cook. Then add the tamarind paste and allow to boil. Optionally, can grind the grated coconut with water to make a fine paste and add to the kozhambu for thickness.

Ingredients:

• Gram Dal – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Appalam/Papad – 3″ diameter 6-8
• Onions – 1/2 diced (optional)
• Green chillies – 1 slit (optional)
• Dry red chillies – 2
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook the gram dal adding some turmeric powder and half the required salt.

Deep fry the appalams and allow to cool.

In a pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves. Then add the onions and saute for a while. Then add the pressure cooked dal to this and bring to a boil adding the rest of the salt. Break the appalams into bite sized pieces and add to this. Bring the mixture to a boil. Top with grated coconut and mix well. Allow to cook for a minute and remove from heat. Goes well with rice or as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• Gram Dal – 3/4 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Onions – 1 diced
• Dry red chillies – 3
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Saunf – 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

Soak gram dal for a couple of hours and grind them to a very coarse mix adding the red chillies and saunf and about 1/2 tsp salt. Make small marble to lime sized balls from the mix and steam them in idli plates in a pressure cooker (Alternatively, can place them in the idli plates and cut them into bite sized pieces after they are steamed).

In a pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds. Then add the onions and saute for a while. Add turmeric powder, chilli and coriander powders and fry for a few minutes adding water. Then add the steamed dal balls into the mix and allow to cook for a few minutes. Optionally, can grind the grated coconut with some water to a fine paste and add to the kozhambu. Goes well with rice and as a side dish for idlis, dosas.

Ingredients:

• Vaazhaithandu (Banana stem) – 1/2 lb diced
• Moong Dal – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Onions – 1/2 diced
• Green chillies – 1 slit (optional)
• Dry red chillies – 2
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook the diced banana stem along with the moong dal adding some turmeric powder and half the required salt.

In a pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the dry red chillies, curry leaves. Then add the onions and saute for a while. Then add the pressure cooked contents to this and bring to a boil adding the rest of the salt. Finally top with grated coconut and mix well. Allow to cook for a minute and remove from heat. Goes well with rice or as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• Bangalore Kathirikkai (Chayote) – 1/2 lb diced
• Gram Dal – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Onions – 1/2 diced
• Green chillies – 1 slit (optional)
• Dry red chillies – 2
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook the diced veggie along with the gram dal adding some turmeric powder and half the required salt.

In a pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves. Then add the onions and saute for a while. Then add the pressure cooked contents to this and bring to a boil adding the rest of the salt. Finally top with grated coconut and mix well. Allow to cook for a minute and remove from heat.

Note: Can substitute moong dal instead of gram dal for the kootu. Goes well with rice or as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• Greens – a bunch (1/2 lb) diced
• Moong Dal – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Onions – 1/2 diced
• Green chillies – 1 slit (optional)
• Dry red chillies – 2
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup

Method:

Pressure cook the greens with the moong dal adding some turmeric powder and half the required salt.

In a pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves. Then add the onions and saute for a while. Then add the pressure cooked contents to this and bring to a boil adding the rest of the salt. Finally top with grated coconut and mix well. Allow to cook for a minute and remove from heat. Goes well with rice or as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• Cabbage – 1/2 lb diced
• Gram Dal – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Onions – 1/2 diced
• Green chillies – 1 slit (optional)
• Dry red chillies – 2
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook the cabbage along with the gram dal adding some turmeric powder and half the required salt.

In a pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves. Then add the onions and saute for a while. Then add the pressure cooked contents to this and bring to a boil adding the rest of the salt. Finally top with grated coconut and mix well. Allow to cook for a minute and remove from heat. Note: Can substitute toor dal or moong dal instead of gram dal for the kootu. Goes well with rice or as a side dish.