Mocha kottai kozhumbu/Val beans gravy

Mocha kottai kozhumbu/Val beans gravy

Usually when you consider making mocha kottai kozhumbu the first thing which comes to your mind is tamarind, drum stick or brinjal and coconut milk. These are ingredients which we use for making the val beans or mocha kottai gravy. But I considered making this gravy with no such ingredients. This is a very simple gravy which goes well with plain rice, dosa or chapatti.

Ingredients:

1.       Val beans/Mocha kottai – 1 cup(soaked overnight)

2.       Red chilli powder – 5tsp

3.       Cumin powder – 1tbsp

4.       Onion – 1(medium sized and finely chopped)

5.       Oil – 3 tbsp

6.       Salt- to taste

7.       Water – 1 cup

Procedure:

1.       Pressure cook the mocha kottai with little salt for 2 to 3 whistles.

2.       In a pan dry roast red chilli powder and cumin powder for a minute and keep them aside.

3.       Heat oil in another pan and add oinions, cook them until they become transparent.

4.       Now add the dry roasted chili powder and cumin powder mixture, cook them until the raw smell goes off.

5.       Now add about a cup of water and allow them to boil, and then add the cooked mocha kottai and salt(according to your taste).

6.       Allow them to cook until the oil separates.

7.       Serve them hot with plain rice and appalam.

OATS KOZHUKATTAI

Ingredients:

1. Oats - 1/2 cup
2. water - 1/4 cup
3. Mustard seeds
4. Urad dhal - 1 tsp
5. Channa dhal - 1 tsp
6. Ginger - 1/2 piece grated
7. Green chilies - 5

 8. Salt - to taste
9. Ghee or Oil - 3 tsp

Procedure:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, wait until they crackle.
2. Add urad dhal, channa dhal, green chillies chopped and ginger. Wait until they are cooked.
3. Now add oats and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle little water to bind the ingredients together. Once they are done turn off the heat.
4. when they are warm enough to handle hold them together like you make usual kozhukattai.
5. Now steam them for 2 minutes.
6. Serve them hot with chutney..

Bisibela Bath/ Sambar rice

My long pending recipe for valars kitchen here it comes, sorry friends was not feeling well hence unable to update my recipes, hope you all enjoy this simple bisibela bath recipe.Sambar rice is one of the favorite recipe for most south Indains. When I feel lazy to cook I go for something which is simple, easy and fast to cook. One such recipe is Sambar rice/ Bisibela bath.

Ingredients:

Para Boiled rice or Ponni/Basmathi rice – 1 cup

Toor dal – ½ cup

Sambar powder – 2 tbsp

Bay leaves – 2

Cloves – 4

Cashew nut – 5-6nos

Mixed vegetables(your choice) – Carrot, beans, drumstick, green peas, radhish, potato(My choice of veggies) all cut in to chunks.

Tamarind paste - ½ cup

Asafoetida - ½ tsp

Ghee – 4 tbsp

Tomato - 1(chopped)

Pearl onions - 5-6 nos

Procedure:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in pressure cooker. To that add bay leaves, cloves and sambar powder. Cook them for few seconds. Then add Ponni rice and toor dal. Measure 2 cups of water and add them to the pressure cooker. Also add ½ cup of tamarind pulp.
2. Pressure cook them for 2 whistles. Then open the pressure cooker you could find the sambar rice partially mashed.
3. Now add the mixed veggie, chopped tomato, pearl onions and pressure cook them for 2 more whistles so that the sambar rice is completely mashed and also the veggies are cooked.
4. Heat ghee is a separate pan and fry the cashews.
5. Finally add asafoetida powder to the sambar rice and also the ghee roasted cashew nuts. Mix them well.
6. Serve them hot with another 2 tbsp of ghee on top of them.

Egg Kozhumbu/Gravy

I frequently make egg omelets at home but making a kozhumbu with egg for having them with rice is quiet rare. Egg Kozhumbu is an authentic recipe and goes well with boiled rice, dosa's and idlies. One of my favorite recipe with simple ingredients.

Ingredients:

1. Egg – 4(2 boiled,2 non-boiled ones)
2. Coconut milk – 1 ½ cups
3. Onions – 1 (Finely chopped)
4. Cumin powder – 2 tsp
5. chilli powder – 2 tsp
6. Salt – to taste
7. Oil – 1 tbsp

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and to that add finely chopped onions. Let the onions fry till they turn golden brown in color.
2. Add cumin powder, chilli powder and salt to the sauteed onions and stir them uniformly.
3. Now add the coconut milk and cook them for 10 minutes until they boil.
4. Drop in the 2 boiled egg in to the gravy and break open other 2 eggs in to the gravy/Kozhumbu.
5. Now wait until the 2 two non-boiled eggs are completely cooked.
6. Turn off the stove and close the pan with lid and wait for 5 minutes before you serve them.
7. Serve them with boiled rice, dosa's and idlies..
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Vazhaikka(Plantain) Varuval

Most of us love to eat fried food items, I have pen down one such recipe which ideally goes well with dal and rice as a yummy side dish. A very simple recipe with easily available ingredients at home.

Ingredients:

1. Plantain – 1(peeled and cut in to chunks)
2. Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
3. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
4. Ural dal – 2 tsp
5. Garlic pods – 3
6. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
7. Chilli powder – 2 tsp
8. Salt – to taste
9. Curry leaves – 6nos.
10. Oil – 1 tbsp

Direction:

1. Heat oil in a pan and to that add mustards seeds. Wait until the seeds crackle and then add cumin seeds, curry leaves, ural dal and chopped garlic pod.
2. Saute them until they turn light brown in color.
3. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt according to your taste.
4. Finally add the plantain and then mix them uniformly with the sauteed mixture.
5. Allow them to fry until they turn brown with smoky flavor.
6. Garnish them with curry leaves.
7. Serve it hot with dal rice.   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Chow Chow More Kuzhambu

I love cooking more kuzhambu as it is very simple to prepare. More kuzhambu can be prepared with any simple veggie available at home like pumpkin, chow chow or even with just more mollagai.. I have used chow chow in this recipe, hope you enjoy trying this recipe..

Ingredients:

1. chow chow – 1(peeled cut in to chunks)
2. Cumin seeds – 3 tsp
3. Coconut grated - ½ cup
4. Raw rice – 3 tsp
5. Toor dal – 3 tsp
6. Green chillies – 3 to 4
7. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
8. Curry leaves – 5-6 nos.
9. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
10. Curd - ½ cup
11. Dried red chillies – 2(broken in to halves)
12. Oil – 1 tbsp
13. urad dal - 2tsp

Directions:

1. Boil water in a pan. To the boiling water add the turmeric powder and chunks of chow chow.
2. Close the lid and allow them to cook for 10-15 minutes. Do not strain the remaining water.
3. Grind coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies, raw rice and toor dal to a paste form adding little water.
4. Now add the paste to the cooked chow chow(do not strain boiled chow chow water add the paste in them with water).
5. Allow them to cook sometime,add salt according to the taste.
6. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds wait until they crackle and then add red chillies,urad dal and curry leaves. Wait until they turn light brown in color.
7. Now transfer the sauteed mixture to the kuzhambu. Turn off the stove and finally add curd and mix them well.
8. Serve them hot with cooked rice!!

Tips:

Do not add curd when the kuzhambu is in stove as curd might get separated to liquid and whey due to heat...

Ven Pongal

Weekends are meant to do things leisurely, hence I used to start my cooking late on weekends. Here is a quick recipe for your weekend breakfast. Ven pongal is a favorite dish for most vegetarians. It takes just 15-20 minutes to prepare them. Here goes the preparation.

Ingredients:

1. Raw rice – 1 cup
2. Moong dal – ½ cup
3. Cumin seeds – 4 tsp
4. Pepper – 4 tsp(whole pepper and not ground one)
5. Cashew nuts – 7nos.
6. Ghee – 3 tbsp
7. Curry leaves – 5-6(to garnish)
8. Salt – to taste

Direction:

1. Add rice and moong dal along with 3 cups of water and pressure cook them till you get 6 whistles.
2. Now open the cooker and see whether they are mashed completely.
3. Take a non-stick frying pan and add about 1 tbsp of ghee.
4. To the heated ghee add cumin seeds, pepper, cashewnuts and fry them till they turn golden brown in color.
5. Now transfer the sauteed mixture to the mashed rice and moong dal also add salt according to your taste.
6. Stir them uniformly and then add remaining 2 tbsp of ghee for extra flavor and taste.
7. Garnish them with curry leaves.
8. Serve them hot with chutney and sambar.