Ingredients:

Curry leaves – 2 hand full

Urad dhal – 3 tsp

Pepper – 1 tsp

Dry Red Chili – 2-3 based on taste

Tamarind – 1 lemon size

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Salt – to taste

Gingelly Oil – 3-4 tbspn

Mustard – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Take a tawa, add 2 tsp oil and fry urad dhal, dry chilli, pepper and curry leaves.

2. Fry until fresh aroma spreads from the urad and curry leaves (leave until the leaves dry do not over heat)

3. Ground the fried items to a fine paste adding a little water.

4. Prepare a thick tamarind extract and add asafoetida, turmeric and the ground paste and mix well.

5. Keep a thick bottomed vessel and add 3 tbspn oil and let mustard splutter.

6. Now add the tamarind and curry leaves mixture.

7. Finally add salt and let it boil until oil suspends and the gravy becomes thick.

Store the karuveppilai milagu kuzhambu in a dry container. Add it to hot rice, add some gingelly oil and a pinch of salt and eat with a vathal or papadam.

This is a best dish especially during winter and rainy season

Ingredients:

Toor dhal – 2 cups

Any vegetable suitable for sambar–I have taken ladysfinger

Tamarind – small lemon size

Salt – to taste

Spicy Masala Sambar

Masala Items:

Channa dhal or kadalai parupu – 2 tsp

Dhaniya or coriander seeds – 3 tsp

Dry Red chili – 4-5

Toor dhal – 1/2 tsp

Pepper – 3-4 nos

Fenugreek – 1/4 tsp

Tomato – 1 medium size

Onion – 1 medium size

Grated Coconut – 5 tsp

Oil – 2 tsp

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 2 tsp

Curry leaves

Method:

1. Cook and keep aside the toor dhal.

2. Fry all the masala items (excluding coconut) together for few mins in low flame allowing the onions to turn pink and the dhal to turn golden brown.

3. Allow the fried items to cool down and get them grinded along with coconut to a fine paste.

4. Extract tamarind juice and add the masala paste and add required salt.

5. Since i have taken ladysfinger, I have fried it in little oil and added it to the tamarind masala gravy.

6. Allow the mixture to boil well.

7. Keep the cooked toor dhal ready and add it when the mixture starts thickening.

8. Allow it to boil and season it with the seasoning ingredients.

9. If you like, you can add a small piece of jaggery for enhancing the taste.

Spicy and tasty masala sambar is a nice combination with rice.

Thanks for the recipe contributed by my friend Sumathi.

Ingredients:

Prawns – 100 gm

Onion sliced – 1 no

Tomato – 1/2 piece

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves and curry leaves – to garnish

Mustard seed – 1 tsp

salt – to taste

To grind:

Coconut – 1 1/2 cup

Red chillies – 10

Sombu ( Big jeera) – 2 tsp

Grind the above with little water

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds allow it to splatter.

2. Add the onions and curry leaves and let onion fry for about 2- 4 minutes until they are pale pink.

3. Then add the tomatoes and the grounded coconut paste along with little water.

4. Let the paste cook for about 10 minutes in low flame, add 1 tsp of turmeric powder and add salt.

5. Cook until oil suspends on top of the gravy.

6. Then add the prawns and cook for 5 – 6 minutes. Do not over cook.

7. Remove from the stove and garnish with coriander leaves.

Do not over cook the prawns as their texture and taste will change.

Ingredients:

Carrot, beans, potato, peas – 3 cups

Coconut – 2 tablespoon

Channa Dhal – 1 tablespoon

Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon

Dry Red Chilli – 5 nos.

Pepper – 5 -6 nos

Curry leaves -  to garnish

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Coconut Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Fry channa dhal, coriander seeds, pepper and little curry leaves in 1 tsp oil. Fry until golden brown.

2. Get it grinded along with coconut into a fine paste.

3. Chop all the vegetables, add turmeric powder and cook them adding water.

4. Once the vegetables are cooked add the grounded paste and add the required salt and allow it to boil for few mins in low flame.

5. Season it with mustard and curry leaves.

This sambar does not need tamarind or toor/moong dhal. This sambar will be an alternative if bored to cook the usual ones.

Tasty and simple sambar ready to be served with rice.

Ingredients:

Meal maker or soya chunks – 100 gms

Small onion – 20

Garlic – 5-10

Tomato – 1

Ginger – small piece

Coriander powder – 11/2 table spoon

Chilli powder – 1 table spoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Lime juice – 2 tsp

Salt – to taste

For seasoning:

Cardomom – 2

Cinnamom – 2 small pieces

Clove – 2

Brinji leaf – small piece

Curry leaf – little

Sombu or fennel seed – 1 tsp

To grind:

Coconut grated – 3 to 4 table spoons

Sombu – 1 tsp

Small jeera-1 teaspoon

Cashews – 10 ( or pottukadalai 1 table spoon)

Method:

1. Boil 4 cups of water and soak the meal maker balls in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the water. Wash in cold water. Squeeze out the extra water and cut to 4 pieces.

2. Keep a pressure pan in the stove and heat one tablespoon of oil. Season the gravy with the items given under ‘for seasoning’.

3. Now add chopped onion, crushed garlic and chopped tomato and sauté for few mins.

4. Add coriander, chilli and turmeric powder and mix well in low fire.

5. Now add the meal maker pieces and mix well.

6. Add 3 cups of water and add required salt. Close the pan and leave them to cook for 6 to 7 mins in medium flame.

7. Keep grinded the items given in ‘to grind’ to a fine paste.

8. After pressure subsides, open the cooker and add the grinded masala. As the curry boils, the gravy will start thickening.

Note: If gravy is too thick you can add a cup of water. Also check for the salt and add if required.

9. Add lemon juice at the end after turning off the stove.

Soya Gravy