Ash Gourd Mor Kulambu / Poosanikai Mor Kuzhambu

Morkulambu is mildly spiced, tasty  yogurt based curry and also one of the popular & traditional dish of Tamilnadu. In this gravy, I have used Ash gourd ; but you can also try using lady's finger, chow chow, arbi, medu vada, pakora's and sometimes without veggies also!

Let's check the recipe now,

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME 

30 mins

                                                                                                                                                         

Recipe for Ash gourd / Poosanikai Mor Kulambu
Recipe type: Main course

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 to 4(approximately)

Ingredients:

Ashgourd / Vellai Poosanikkai - 1½ to 2 cups
Thick buttermilk  - 2 cups (yogurt / thick curd - 1 cup + water 1 cup)

(mix it using a mixier or beater)
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste

To Grind:

Corriander Seeds - 1 tbsp

Toor dhal / channa dhal - 1 tsp

Rice -  ½  tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Green chillies – 2 to 3

Ginger -1 "piece
Coconut - ½ cup

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds –½ tsp
Red chilly - 1
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Directions:

Wash, peel and remove the seeds of the ashgourd and cut into bite sized cubes and keep aside.

Soak the Toordhal, corriander seeds, rice, cumin seeds in water for 20 to 30 minutes.

Grind it along with coconut, green chillies and ginger into a fine paste by adding water; keep aside.

Take a pan; add the cubed ash gourd along with little water, turmeric powder and salt.

Close the pan with the lid and allow to cook till it become soft.

Add the coconut paste into the cooked ash gourd and mix well. Close the pan with the lid and allow to cook till the raw smell goes(it will take 3 to 5 minutes only)

Reduce the flame and add the the buttermilk into the ash gourd coconut mixture and give it a mix.  Allow to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and switch off the gas.

Heat oil in a pan, season it with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilly and curry leaves. Once it crackles, pour over the Morkulambu.

Mix well and Serve!

Best accompaniment for Morkulambu: Yam Tawa Roast , Potato Peas fry, Spicy Potato Fry 

Cabbage Peas Subji / Cabbage and Peas Curry

Cabbage is a low calorie vegetable but with good amount of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It's a boon for weight watchers because of its low calorie content. 

This cabbage peas subji is easy to make, delicious, mildly spiced  veg curry / Subji which goes with Chapathi /Phulka.

Let's check the recipe now,

PREP TIME

15  mins

COOK TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME 

25 mins

                                                                                                                                                   

Recipe for  Cabbage Peas Subzi

Recipe type: Veg Accompaniment

Cuisine: Indian

Serves - 2 to 3(approximately)

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 2 to 3 cps (grated or chopped)
Green peas -  ½ cup(I have used frozen green peas)
Onion - 1 medium seized (finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Tomato - 1 (chopped)
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - ½ to ¾ tsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Salt - as required

For seasoning:
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Gutti Vankaya Kura / Stuffed Brinjal Curry - Andhra Style

This recipe is my entry to the event "Shhh!!! Cooking Secretly" challenge conducted by Mayuri Patel of Mayuri's Jikoni.   For the month of September, I have paired with Priya Suresh of "priyaeasyntastyrecipes" and the ingredient given by her is Brinjal and Peanuts.

This month we planned to try Andhra Cuisine with the given Ingredients.  So thought of trying a gravy using brinjal / eggpalnt.    When I discussed this with my friend Monisha, she taught me a recipe which turn into a  great hit in our house.  Thank you Monisha for the lip smacking recipe.

This Andhra style brinjal gravy is easy to make and also  spicy, tangy and nutty in taste.    It goes well with rice and chapathi.

Try and give your feedback!

Bottle Gourd Stir Fry/ Suraikai Poriyal - Tamilnadu Style

Bottle gourd poriyal / stir fry is an easy to make veg accompaniment, usually served with rice.

Bottle gourd / Surraikai (Tamil), Lauki (Hindi) is a healthy and low calorie vegetable which is highly recommended for people in weight loss programme and also recommended to cure many digestive disorders.  It is rich in fibre, vitamin B and vitamin C.

I have prepared this stir fry in Tamil nadu style; hope you will like this tasty and simple preparation.

Try to add this vegetable in your diet on regular basis and feel the difference in your health!

                                    

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME 

20 mins

                                                                                                                                                   

Recipe for Bottle gourd stir fry/ Suraikai Poriyal

Recipe type: Veg accompaniment

Cuisine:  South Indian

Serves: 3 to 4 (approximately)

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd - 1 ( cut into cubes)

Onion - 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder -¼ tsp
Red chilli powder - ½ tsp (optional)
Grated coconut - 1 to 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste 

For Seasoning:
Oil - 2 to 3 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - ½ tsp
Red chillies -2 to 3
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Lady's Finger Raita / Vendakkai Pachadi

Vendakkai pachadi is a delicious kerala style raita usually served as an accompaniment in sadhya menu during onam festival and vishu.

Generally, Pachadi is a favourite dish in our family and this variety is one among them. This a simple, healthy and tasty yogurt based accompaniment. 

Some would prefer this pachadi with grounded coconut paste added; but here I have excluded it. 

Try and let me know your feedback.

Also try my other pachadi / raita recipes:

Bitter gourd Raita / Pavakkai Pachadi
Kerala style Pineapple Pachadi / Raita

Beetroot Raita / Pachadi - Kerala Style

Vellari Pachadi / Yellow Indian Cucumber Raita - Kerala Style

Inji Thayir / Inji Pachadi / Ginger Pachadi / Ginger Raita

Ashgourd Raita / Poosanikai Thayir Pachadi

    

                                                                                      

                                                         

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME 

25 mins

                                                                                                                                                   

Recipe for Lady's finger Raita

Recipe type: Veg accompaniment

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 2 to 3 (approximately)

Ingredients:

Lady's finger - 20
Green chillies - 3 or 4 (finely chopped)
Yogurt / curd - ¾ to 1 cup
Salt - to taste

For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves - few
Red chilly - 1
Oil - 2 tsp

Purple Cabbage Poriyal / Purple Cabbage Stir fry - South Indian Style

Purple Cabbage is a low calorie vegetable but with good amount of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals.  It's a boon for weight watchers because of its low calorie content.  It's also high in antioxidant level than the normal cabbage.

The deep colour in purple cabbage indicates a richer supply of anthocyanins, which can help lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and many other diseases.

Despite, its health benefits, it's not a common day-to-day vegetable though to an extent used in salads.

Purple Cabbage Poriyal is a successful attempt to include it in our routine diet to reap its benefits for a healthy living and it became an instant hit in our family!

Here's the recipe to try it out in your homes for its benefits.

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

25 mins

TOTAL TIME 

35 mins

                                                                                                                                                   

Recipe for Purple Cabbage Stir fry

Recipe type: Accompaniment 

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 2 to 3 (approximately)

Ingredients:
Purple cabbage - 2 cups ( shredded / finely chopped)
Onion - 1 ( finely chopped)
Green Chilli - 2

Ginger - 1 tsp(grated)
Red chilli powder - ¼ tsp(optional)
Grated coconut - ¼ cup

For Seasoning:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Urad Dhal - ½ tsp
Cumin seeds -  ½ tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - to taste

Kovakkai Fry / Kovakkai Masala Fry / Ivy Gourd (Tindora) Fry

This spicy kovakkai fry is full of flavours that goes well with rice and chapathi.  I learnt this recipe from a friend Pradeepa akka, who is my school senior.

Kovakkai has numeral health benefits; so try to include this vegetable in your diet.  Check my another version of Kovakkai fry / Tindora fry.

        

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME 

35 mins

                                                                                                                                                         

Recipe for Kovakkai Fry / Kovakkai Masala Fry
Recipe type: veg accompaniment

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 to 4(approximately)

Ingredients:
Kovakkai / tindora - ½ kg
Salt - as required

To grind:
Grated coconut - 3 to 4 tbsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1½ tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves
Fennel seeds - ½ tsp
For seasoning:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig

Black Channa Gravy / Kondakadalai Kuzhambu / Kondakadalai Kara Kuzhambu

Try this spicy and tasty Kondakadalai Kulambu / Black Channa Gravy from South Indian cuisine. This gravy goes well with steamed rice along with any veg stir fry / poriyal or kootu!

You can also serve this as a accompaniment with idli, dosa and chapathi as well!

Black channa is a very nutritious legume; which is low in fat, high in protein & fibre and also a good source of vitamins and minerals.  Try to include in your menu for a healthy living!

Check my Black Channa Sundal recipe also!

             

PREP TIME

25 min

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME 

40 mins

                                                                                                                                                         

Recipe for Black Channa Gravy / Kondakadalai Kulambu
Recipe type: veg accompaniment

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 to 4(approximately)

Ingredients:

Black channa - 1 cup

Small onion - 10 / Big onion - 1 (chopped)

Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)

Garlic - 4 to 5(chopped)

Tamarind - small gooseberry size

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Corriander powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

For Grinding:

Coconut - ½ cup 

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp (Preferably sesame oil)

Raw Mango Pachadi / Manga Pachadi / மாங்காய் பச்சடி- Tamil New Year Special

Mango Pachadi is a traditional and popular veg accompaniment from South Indian cuisine especially of Tamilnadu.   It's an all time favourite of mine and associated with lot of my childhood memories! 

Mango Pachadi takes a compulsory part amongst the dishes prepared to celebrate the auspicious day of Tamil New Year (தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு; also known as Varusha pirappu observed on first day of Tamil month Chithirai; April 14th).

This dish is prepared using raw mangoes (sour), jaggery (sweet), neem flowers (bitter), red chillies (spicy) and salt (salty).  Different flavours in this dish symbolizes the mixed emotions & feelings in life with an ultimate goal of sweetness & happiness!

                   தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்  

                                
                        Wishing you all a very happy Tamil New Year!

              

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME 

30 mins

                                                                                                                                                         

Recipe for Raw Mango Pachadi / Manga Pachadi
Recipe type: veg accompaniment

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 to 4(approximately)

Ingredients:

Raw Mango - 1(big)
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Red chilli powder - ¼ tsp(optional)
Jaggery - ½ tsp cup(powdered)
Salt - to taste

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Red chillies - 1 or 2
Curry leaves - few leaves
Ghee or oil - 2 tsp
Fresh neem flowers - 2 tsp (special ingredient for Tamil new year festival)

Keerai Poricha Kootu / Keerai Kootu / Spinach with Moong Dhal

Spinach / Keerai Kootu is a delicious and easy to make veg accompaniment; popular among Tamilnadu cuisine!

Moong dhal and spinach makes a healthy combination; which is easily digestible and suitable for all ages.  This is one among many varieties of kootu that mom used to prepare with different combination of vegetables and dhals / lentils.  We usually like to have it with vatha kulambu / kara kulambu, rasam and sometimes with chapathi too!

Check my Chow Chow kootu / Chayote Kootu with Channa Dhal  also.

Let's go through the recipe now;

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

35 mins

                                                                                                                                                       

      
Recipe for Keerai Poricha Kootu

Recipe type: Veg Curry
Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 persons                                  

Ingredients:

Spinach - 2 bunches(big)
Moong dhal / Pasiparuppu-  ¼ cup
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste
To Roast and Grind:
Coconut - 3 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Pepper - ¼ tsp
Cumin - ½ tsp
Red chillies - 1 or 2

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 1

Snake Gourd Poriyal / Snake gourd Stir Fry / புடலங்காய் பொரியல்

Snake gourd poriyal is easy to make and tasty stir fry variety with mild seasoning prepared in South Indian style! 

This snake gourd poriyal is a best accompaniment for rice with sambar, rasam or curd. 

Snake gourd is a low calorie vegetable with many nutritional properties. It is rich in dietary fibers and also contains protein, various vitamins and minerals. 

So, try to include this stir fry often in your menu and stay healthy & fit.

Ingredients:

Snake gourd - 2, medium in length
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Split moong dhal - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp 

Salt - to taste
Grated coconut - 1 to 2 tbsp

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2 to 3 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - ½ tsp 

Red chillies - 2 to 3 (adjust according to your spice level) 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Tomato Kootu / Tomato Stir Fry - without dhal

This is a simple & tasty, easy to prepare stir fry with mild seasoning.  This is a perfect dish to prepare when you don't have any vegetable at home! 

In our house it is usually served along with rice paired with sambar / dhal, rasam or curd. 

Try this out and give your feedback.

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 medium sized(finely chopped)
Tomato - 3 to 4 (chopped)
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Redchilli powder/sambar powder - ¾ to 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 to 2 tbsp
Salt - as required

For seasoning:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - ½ tsp 

Cumin seeds - ½ tsp 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Sambar / Mixed Vegetable Sambar - Tamilnadu Style

Try this flavorful & tasty Tamilnadu style sambar, which is a best accompaniment for rice, idli / dosa. It is prepared using dhal (lentils), vegetables of your choice, sambar powder, tamarind and spices.

Normally during festival times, we used to prepare mixed vegetable sambar adding varieties of vegetables.

Do try this and give your feedback!

Ingredients: 

Toor Dahl / Tuvar Dhal / Thuvaram paruppu - ½ cup

Mixed Vegetables -  1 ½ cup ( chopped pieces)

(Drumstick, brinjal, ashgourd, carrot)
Big Onion - 1 / Small onion - 10 (Chopped)
Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
Tamarind - a small gooseberry size
Sambar Powder - 1- 1½ tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste

For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Urad dhal - ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp
Red chillies - 2
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig (optional)