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Showing posts with label KUZHAMBU VARIETIES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KUZHAMBU VARIETIES. Show all posts

December 27, 2017

Orange Skin Kuzhambu – Orange Peel Kulambu Recipe

Orange skin kuzhambu
Orange skin/peel kuzhambu has become my most favorite dish among all the orange skin recipes I had tried so far. Yes, for the last 2 weekends I shared recipes using kamala orange skin like orange peel sweet pachadi and orange peel spicy pachadi. Today I thought of sharing this yummy vatha kuzhambu recipe with orange skin.  I am yet to post orange skin pickle and orange juice rasam recipes. I will try to do it in this weekend. The method of preparation of orange skin kuzhambu is very similar to Brahmin style vatha kulambu without onion and garlic. 

When I tried this kulambu, I was doubtful whether it will taste bitter. But to my surprise, it came out really tasty without much bitterness. I loved it a lot with plain rice topped with sesame oil. My MIL also liked it very much and told that she will be making it regularly at home. 

Friends, do try this orange peel kuzhambu next time when you buy oranges. I hope you all know about the amazing health benefits of orange skin. So do not discard the skin. Try this orange peel kuzhambu, you will love it for sure. So lets see how to make kuzhambu using orange skin with step by step pictures.
Check out my other orange recipes below :

Orange peel kuzhambu

Orange peel / Orange Skin kuzhambu for rice


Orange peel kuzhambu How to make gravy with orange skin
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Orange peel recipes
Serves: 4
Prep time:5 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 15 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Orange skin – 1/4 cup
  • Tamarind – a big gooseberry size
  • Sambar powder – 1 tbsp
  • Jaggery – 2 tsp
  • Salt - as needed
  • Water – as required ( I used 1 cup)
To temper
  • Sesame Oil  / gingely oil – 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Methi seeds - 1/8 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Green chilli - 1 no
  • Red chilli - 1 no
  • Curry leaves - Few
HOW TO MAKE ORANGE SKIN KUZHAMBU
  1. Wash and chop orange skin into small pieces.
  2. Heat oil in a kadai. Temper all the ingredients given under “To Temper”.
  3. Saute orange skin for a minute. Add sambar powder and mix well in low flame.
  4. Add tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and boil till gravy thickens & oil floats on top.
  5. Serve hot with plain rice adding sesame oil.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Wash and chop orange skin into small pieces. Set aside. Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and take the extract with 1 cup of water. Keep it ready.
    Orange peel kuzhambu
  • Heat oil in a kadai.Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, urad dal, pinched red chilli, slit green chilli, curry leaves. Add the orange pieces. Saute for a minute till it becomes soft.( Actually I forgot to add orange pieces along with seasoning.So I sautéed it separately and added to tamarind extract.Hence the stepwise pictures distract from the instructions).
    Orange peel kuzhambu
  • Add sambar powder, saute in very low flame for few seconds.Quickly add 1 cup of tamarind extract, turmeric powder, salt and jaggery. Mix well, check for taste. Add more water, sambar powder if needed. Roll boil the kuzhambu till  orange pieces cook and oil starts to float on top. Remember, this kuzhambu thickens once it cool down completely. So do not boil till too thick. Remove when its semi gravy.
    Orange peel kuzhambu
  • Transfer the kuzhambu to a bowl and serve hot with plain rice. Top with sesame oil for more flavor and taste.
    Orange peel kuzhambu


    Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of sambar powder as per the tanginess of tamarind.
  • Do not add more orange pieces, it may make the gravy bitter in taste.
  • Adjust the quantity of water based on the consistency you like.

Try this easy, yummy Orange skin kuzhambu just for a change and enjoy with plain rice topped with sesame oil. Serve with any kootu and papad !
Orange peel recipes

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November 9, 2017

Kondakadalai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe – Brown Channa Kulambu For Rice

Kondakadalai puli kuzhambu
This is an easy Kondakadalai puli kuzhambu recipe without coconut / Brown chana gravy for rice in my MIL’s method. Some people also call this as Sundal kulambu. But we call it as karuppu kondakadalai vatha kuzhambu. This kuzhambu can be prepared easily without grinding any masala or coconut. 

So bachelors, working women and even housewives can complete their cooking very quickly during busy morning hours. We make this brown chana kulambu at least once in a month to include pulses in our daily diet. Sometime my MIL adds brinjal/kathirikai or drumstick/murungakai in addition to brown chana. 

Recently I made this gravy with little soaked green gram. It came out very well and tasty. I have shared nearly 40+ kuzhambu recipes in my website but I haven’t posted any kuzhambu varieties adding pulses like kondakadalai/ chickpeas, lobia/karamani, green gram/pacha payaru, dried peas/pattani etc.

 Recently a reader asked me to share these type of kuzhambu varieties as they get a satisfaction of eating pulses during lunch instead of making them as sundal. Yes, its true. Even I love to consume pulses either for breakfast or lunch as it takes more time to digest and keeps the tummy full for long time. Lets see how to make kondakadalai kuzhambu with step by step pictures !

Check out my poondu kuzhambu,  sundakkai vatha kuzhambu and no onion no garlic manathakkali vatha kuzhambu too.

Chana kuzhambu

Kondakadalai kuzhambu Recipe - Chana gravy for rice


Kondakadalai kuzhambu Recipe - Chana gravy for rice

Kondakadalai kulambu without coconut - Channa gravy for rice


Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Kuzhambu Recipes
Serves: 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Brown chana / Kondakadalai - 1 cup
  • Tamarind - Small lemon size
  • Sambar powder - 1.5 to 2 tbsp
  • Jaggery – 1 tsp
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Rice flour - 1 tsp (optional)
To Temper
  • Gingely oil or cooking oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Toor dal - 1 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
  • Small onion or big onion - 10 nos/ 1 no ( finely chopped)
  • Garlic cloves - 15 nos (Finely chop 5 nos)
  • Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE KONDAKADALAI KUZHAMBU

  1. Wash and soak brown chana/kondakadalai overnight or for 8 hours.
  2. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles.
  3. Heat oil and temper. Saute onion, garlic and curry leaves.
  4. Add the tamarind extract, sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt.
  5. Add cooked channa and boil the gravy till raw smell goes off. Add little jaggery while it boils.
  6. Optionally you can add 1 tsp rice flour diluted in 1/4 cup water. Add to kuzhambu. Boil till thick and then remove. 
  7. Serve hot with rice !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and soak brown chana overnight or 8 hours in enough water. Drain the water and add to pressure cooker. Cook in very low flame for 2 whistles adding required water and salt. ( I had some soaked green gram.So I added it along with chana).  Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water and keep aside.
    Kondakadalai puli kuzhambu
  • Wash and chop onion finely. Chop 5 garlic cloves and keep the remaining as whole garlic cloves. Chop curry leaves finely. Keep aside. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, toor dal and saute for a minute in medium flame.
  •  Add finely chopped onion, garlic, curry leaves and whole garlic cloves. Saute till onion turns transparent, garlic turns light golden in color and leaves a nice aroma.
    Kondakadalai puli kuzhambu
  • Take 2 cups of tamarind extract and add to the kuzhambu.This kuzhambu has to be slightly watery than the usual vatha kuzhambu because chana will absorb all the water and gravy becomes less in quantity. So its advised to make more in quantity. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt. Check for taste and add more sambar powder if needed. 
  • Drain cooked brown chana. Mix well and boil for 5 minutes till raw smell goes off. Add more water if needed. Take 1 tsp of rice flour, add 1/4 cup water and dilute it without lumps. Add to the kuzhambu while it boils. Roll boil for few minutes till slightly thick. Switch off the flame.
    Kondakadalai puli kuzhambu
    Kondakadalai puli kuzhambu
  • Serve with rice and kootu / poriyal.

    Kondakadalai puli kuzhambu

  • Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of sambar powder as per the taste. You can also use kuzhambu milagai thool.
  • You should make more gravy else chana will absorb the gravy as time proceeds and you won’t get enough quantity to serve.
  • For variations, you can add 2 tbsp of ground coconut paste.
Try this yummy brown chana kuzhambu for rice and enjoy with kootu/poriyal and papad !
Kondakadalai kuzhambu

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September 14, 2017

Parangikai Puli Kuzhambu – Pumpkin Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe

Parangikai puli kulambu/ Manjal poosanikai kuzhambu/ Yellow Pumpkin Vatha kuzhambu is a yummy South Indian kuzhambu recipe I learnt from my MIL. Whenever my MIL visits my place, I try to learn some new & traditional dish from her. When we were discussing about yellow pumpkin recipes, she suggested me to make this vatha kuzhambu adding pumpkin(Parangikai/Manjal poosanikai in Tamil). She also told me as easy method of doing this kulambu directly in a pressure cooker. I found it interesting and tried it for our lunch on the same day.
Parangikai vatha kuzhambu
I prepared this gravy along with mixed vegetable kootu as side dish. It was a nice combination. Everybody loved its taste. As we are doing in a pressure cooker directly, time taken to cook this gravy is just 15 minutes. So bachelors and working women can  The taste of pumpkin gives a natural sweetness to the gravy. So we don’t have to add jaggery to this puli kuzhambu unlike other vatha kuzhambu recipes. You can make this gravy thick or thin as you wish. It tastes good either ways. Adding Homemade sambar powder or Vatha kuzhambu powder gives the best taste. I don’t think you can make this puli kuzhambu with white pumpkin because it absorbs all the tanginess of the gravy. So friends, do try this yummy, easy, no grind parangikai puli kuzhambu and share your feedback with me. Lets see how to make Parangikai puli kuzhambu/Pumpkin vatha kuzhambu with step by step pictures.

Do check out my 40+ South Indian Kuzhambu recipes , Pumpkin gravy/Parangikai chutney for rice, Pumpkin sambar.

Parangikai puli kulambu


Parangikai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe

Parangikai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe

How to make Parangikai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe

South Indian
Main Course
3-4

Ingredients (1 cup - 250ml)

  • Yellow pumpkin/Parangikai- 12 cubes
  • Small onion or Big onion - 12 nos/1 no
  • Garlic cloves - 12 nos
  • Tamarind - Big gooseberry size
  • Sambar powder - 1.5 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few(Finely chopped)
  • Cooking oil or Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Toor dal - 1.5 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Methi seeds - 1/8 tsp
  • Salt - as needed
  • Water - as needed

How to make the recipe

  1. Wash and chop pumpkin into big cubes.
  2. Heat oil in a cooker base.
  3. Temper mustard, dals.Saute the onion,garlic,curry leaves adding salt.
  4. Add tamarind extract, spice powders and pumpkin cubes.
  5. Pressure cook for 2 whistles in low flame.
  6. Remove and boil if needed.Serve hot with rice.

Parangikai Puli Kuzhambu - Step by step photos

  • Wash and chop pumpkin into big cubes as shown the picture below.Finely chop 2 small onions or quarter big onion and 2 garlic cloves, curry leaves and set aside.
  • Heat oil in a cooker base.Splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds,urad dal, toor dal, cumin seeds, finely chopped onion, garlic and curry leaves. After it turns golden, add the remaining onion and whole garlic cloves. Saute till onion becomes transparent.
    Tomato rava upma recipe
  • Add 1 cup of tamarind extract, turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.Then add pumpkin cubes.
    Parangikai puli kuzhambu
  • Pressure cook for 2 whistles in low flame. Remove after the steam is released. Boil the gravy if thin and watery else mix well and serve with rice.
    Parangikai puli kuzhambu

Notes

  • Adjust the quantity of sambar powder as per the tanginess of tamarind.
  • For variations, you can add 1tbsp red chilli powder and 1tbsp coriander powder instead of sambar powder.
  • No need to use jaggery
  • As we are cooking directly in a pressure cooker, we don't need to add more water.
  • Chop pumpkin into big cubes else it will get mashed in the gravy.
I served Parangikai puli kulambu with mixed veg kootu and koozh vadam !

Pumpkin vatha kuzhambu
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September 2, 2017

Kerala Sambar Recipe Without Coconut – Easy Onam Sadya Sambar in Pressure Cooker

Kerala sambar recipe without coconut
Last year I shared traditional Kerala Varutharacha sambar recipe during Onam. Recently I came across this easy Onam sadya sambar without coconut using a pressure cooker in Anu’s kitchen YouTube Video. Its the simplified version of varutharacha sambar using Kerala sambar powder. I loved the idea and tried it with some modifications to make it even more easy. As I don’t have Kerala sambar powder, I used my homemade sambar powder, red chilli powder and coriander seeds powder. Still it tasted great with a nice flavor.

For Onam sadya, you may need to cook so many recipes for the feast. I am sure this easy sambar recipe will help you save lots of time when compared with varutharacha sambar with spices and coconut. 
Ofcourse taste may not be equal to the traditional Kerala sambar still you can give a try. This sambar would be useful especially for bachelors and working women to make a quick & healthy recipe with the goodness of all the vegetables. You don’t need to make any side dish like thoran or mezhukupuratti if you add lots of vegetables. 

Friends, do try this easy Kerala style Onam sadya sambar and share your feedback with me. Lets see how to make Onam sadya sambar recipe without coconut easily in a pressure cooker with step by step pictures and video !

Do check out my Kerala Ulli Sambar For Idli, Dosa.



Onam sadya sambar recipe


Kerala Sambar Recipe - Onam Sadya Sambar recipe

Kerala Sambar Recipe

How to make Kerala style sambar recipe

South Indian
Kerala recipes
4-5

Ingredients (1 cup - 250ml)

To Pressure Cook

  • Toor dal - 1/2 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Cooking oil - 1/4 tsp
  • Water - 2 cups
  • Small onions/Big onion - 12 nos/1 no
  • Green chilli - 1 no(slit)
  • **Mixed vegetables - 1 cup (Refer method)
  • Ripe tomato - 1 no (chop finely)

To Boil With Dal

  • Tamarind - Big gooseberry size
  • Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
  • Curry leaves - few

To Temper

  • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli - 1 no(pinched into two)
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
  • Red chilli powder- 1 tsp(I used Kashmiri chilli pwd)
  • Dhania powder/coriander seeds powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Methi seeds powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
  • Hing - 1/4 tsp
  • Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (to garnish)

How to make Kerala sambar

  1. Wash and chop all the veggies into small cubes.Keep in a small box.
  2. In a cooker base, take dal,small onion and chilli. Keep the veggies box inside cooker.
  3. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Remove the veggies bowl. Mash the dal.
  4. Add tamarind extract, cooked vegetables, sambar powder, salt.
  5. Boil for 5 minutes till nice smell arises.
  6. Temper mustard, red chilli, spice powders in low flame.
  7. Add to sambar, boil for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Kerala sambar recipe - Step by step photos

  • Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and take the extract. Take 1/2 cup of toor dal, small onion and slit green chilli in a cooker base. Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp cooking oil in water.
    Kerala Moru curry recipe
  • Wash and chop the vegetables( I used yam, raw banana, carrot, ash gourd, broad beans, cluster beans, beans, lady's finger, drumstick - 5 pieces each). Chop tomato finely. Transfer the vegetables and tomato to a small bowl that fit inside the cooker. Add 1/4 cup water to it.
    Kerala Sambar Recipe
  • Place the bowl with vegetables inside the pressure cooker. Close and cook for 2 whistles in low flame.
    Kerala Sambar Recipe
  • Open the lid after the steam is released. Dal and vegetables would be cooked soft. Remove the veggies bowl and mash the dal nicely.
  • Add the cooked vegetables, tamarind extract, sambar powder, salt. Check for thickness and add 1/2 to 1 cup water if needed. Boil well for 5 minutes till nice aroma arises.
    Kerala Sambar Recipe
  • Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a kadai. Temper mustard seeds, red chilli, curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, lower the flame completely. Add sambar powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder, methi powder and hing. Mix quickly without burning. Add to the boiling sambar. Boil for a minute and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with plain rice adding ghee. You can also have with idli,dosa if you like.
    Kerala Sambar Recipe

Notes

  • Adjust the quantity of chillies as per your taste.
  • For variations, you can saute finely chopped onion, tomato and add to vegetables inside the cooker.
  • Sambar powder gives nice aroma to this sambar. To replace it, you should use 1 tbsp dhania powder, 1/4 tsp methi powder and 1.5 tbsp red chilli powder.
  • You can use any number of vegetables or you can make this sambar only with onions.
Easy Onam Sadya Sambar is ready ! I had with nendran chips !
Kerala onam sadya sambar

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August 31, 2017

Kerala Moru Curry Recipe With Kumbalanga, Coconut

Kerala style Kumbalanga moru curry recipe also known as Kachiya moru/ moru kachiyathu/moru kootan is nothing but buttermilk seasoned and cooked with vegetables and ground coconut paste. It is commonly prepared in most of the Kerala houses. Many people include this moru curry in Vishu and Onam sadya menu as it helps in digestion. In Tamil nadu, we call it as Mor kuzhambu. This Kerala moru curry can be prepared in various ways. I found recipes with & without coconut, recipes with onion and without vegetables too.

Moru curry recipe with kumbalanga
Today I have shared a version of kachiya moru tastes with vegetable. I used Kumbalanga ( ash gourd). We can also use veggies like Cucumber(Vellarika), Winter melon, Lady’s finger(Vendakka) or green papaya. Today I have shared this moru curry recipe with kumbalanga(Vellai poosanikai in Tamil) and coconut. I referred Kothiyavunu for the recipe.  It came out really well. Basically we all love mor kzuhambu so this Kerala moru kachiyathu is no exception to that. Try this easy and yummy moru curry for this Onam festival menu and enjoy ! Lets see how to make Kerala moru curry with step by step pictures.
You can also check my other Onam recipes like Sadya sambar, Tomato rasam
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August 27, 2017

Poosanikai Rasavangi Recipe – White Pumpkin Kootu For Rice

Vellai poosanikai rasavangi
Poosanikai rasavangi / pumpkin kootu for rice is a healthy and tasty side dish for rice. I learnt this vellai poosanikai rasavangi also known as poosanikai kootu from my MIL. Usually we make Kathirikai rasavangi and very rarely vellai poosanikai rasavangi. Whenever we buy white pumpkin, we make juice with it. But this time I wanted to try some other interesting recipes with it. So I asked my MIL for this rasavangi recipe and prepared for our lunch along with coriander leaves thogayal.

Tamil brahmins also make rasavangi but slightly in a different way. They add toor dal or chana dal along with pumpkin. But we add dals only for making rasavangi powder. My MIL makes this gravy in an open pan and cook the pumpkin in tamarind extract. But I make it directly in a pressure cooker. Its an easy one pot kuzhambu for me. This method helps me to cook faster during busy mornings. 

When I make this pumpkin gravy, I don’t make any specific side dish. I just make some thogayal or podi to accompany this dish. We mix this gravy with rice adding ghee. Tastes great with simple roasted papad as side dish. We do make a gravy with yellow pumpkin for rice. We call it as Parangikai chutney. Its procedure is completely different from this. I have given the link below. Ok, Lets see how to make white pumpkin kootu/ Vellai poosanikai rasavangi with step by step pictures. Do try this easy poosanikai rasavangi in a pressure cooker. Share your feedback with me.

Pumpkin kootu


Poosanikai Rasavangi Recipe

Poosanikai rasavangi

How to make vellai poosankai rasavangi - White pumpkin kootu for rice

South Indian
Kuzhambu recipes
3

Ingredients (1 cup - 250ml)

  • White pumpkin/Vellai poosanikai - 15 cubes
  • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • Tamarind - Medium gooseberry size
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Water - as needed
  • Salt - as needed

To roast & grind

  • Chana dal - 1.5 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1.5 tsp
  • Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
  • Red chillies - 3 to 5 nos
  • Cooking oil - 2 tsp
  • Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
  • Hing/Asafetida - 1/4 tsp

How to make Poosanikai rasavangi

  1. Wash and cut the pumpkin into big cubes.
  2. Heat oil in a cooker base.
  3. Splutter mustard, urad dal, curry leaves.Add pumpkin pieces and saute it.
  4. Add turmeric powder, tamarind extract, salt and mix well.
  5. In a kadai,heat oil, roast the ingredients except coconut given under"roast & grind".
  6. Add coconut and grind to smooth powder.
  7. Add this powder to the cooker. Mix well.
  8. Cook in low flame for 2 whistles.
  9. Remove and garnish with coriander leaves.Serve with rice.

Poosanikai rasavangi- Step by step photos

  • Wash and cut the pumpkin into two halves. Slice them into big pieces and remove the seeds in the middle. Chop into big cubes and slice the skin. Set aside. Soak tamarind in water, take 1 cup extract and keep aside.
    Poosanikai rasavangi
  • In a small kadai, heat oil and roast the dhania, urad dal, chana dal, red chillies, hing and roast till golden. Remove and grind with coconut to a smooth powder.
    Poosanikai rasavangi
  • Heat coconut oil in a cooker base. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves. Add chopped pumpkin pieces, turmeric powder & saute for a minute.
    Poosanikai rasavangi
  • Add tamarind extract, salt and 1 cup of water. Add the ground powder. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
    Poosanikai rasavangi
  • Open the cooker after steam is released. Garnish with coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot with rice.
    Poosanikai rasavangi

Notes

  • Adjust the quantity of red chillies as per your taste.
  • Do not add more tamarind because pumpkin will absorb all the tangy taste.
  • Usually my MIL cooks the pumpkin separately and add to the gravy. But I make everything in a cooker for ease.
  • Adding chana dal, urad dal, coconut gives thickness to the gravy.
  • We usually mix this gravy with rice. You can make it thick and serve as kootu for vathakuzhambu rice.

Try this easy, vellai poosanikai rasavangi recipe for rice and enjoy !
Poosanikai rasavangi recipe
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April 30, 2017

Vazhaithandu Kuzhambu Recipe – Banana Stem Gravy–Valaithandu Recipes

Vazhaithandu kuzhambu
I try to include vazhaithandu recipes in my cooking at least once in a month as it has lots of health benefits. Whenever I go to Salem, my FIL buys me banana stem and banana flower because finding these vegetables in my place is very rare. Mostly I make Vazhaithandu juice ( Salt version) Or valaithandu thayir pachadi and sometimes poriyal or thogayal. I haven’t tried any gravies/ kulambu or kootu with it. So this time, I wanted to try some kuzhambu with banana stem. I got the recipe from HERE. I made some changes and tried it. It tasted good when mixed with plain rice adding ghee. Banana stem is a bland vegetable. It doesn’t absorb any flavor or taste within it. So in this gravy, the masala gives the taste more than the vegetable. Original recipe called for using black chana along with banana stem. But I had used only vazhaithandu as I wanted to consume more quantity of this vegetable.If you are looking for some different vazhaithandu recipe, try this one. You may like it Happy. Lets see how to make banana stem gravy for rice with step by step pictures !
Vazhaithandu kuzhambu

Banana stem gravy / Vazhaithandu Kuzhambu


Banana stem gravy / Vazhaithandu Kuzhambu How to make vazhaithandu kuzhambu/ Banana stem gravy for rice
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Side dish for rice
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
To grind
  • Methi seeds/ fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 2 tsp
  • Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
  • Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
  • Red chilli - 3 nos
  • Water - as needed to grind
  • Tamarind - Gooseberry size ( soak in water)
To Temper
  • Cooking oil or coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • Hing/asafetida - a pinch
METHOD

  • Soak tamarind in little water. Grind all the ingredients given under “To grind” adding tamarind to a smooth paste.  Set aside.
    Vazhaithandu kuzhambu
  • Wash and chop raw banana stem into small pieces. Keep them immersed in water or buttermilk till use to avoid discoloration.  In a pressure cooker base, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves.
    Vazhaithandu kuzhambu
  • Add the ground paste, 1/4 cup water and saute for a minute. Add 1 tsp sambar powder. Mix well. Squeeze the banana stem and add it to the cooker. Add 1 cup of water, required salt and mix well.
    Vazhaithandu kuzhambu
    Vazhaithandu kuzhambu
  • Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mix well and check for taste. Add more salt if needed and more water if the gravy is too thick. Mix well and serve with plain rice adding ghee. Tastes the best when mixed with rice & ghee. Ghee helps to enhance the flavor of this gravy.Do add it !
    Vazhaithandu kuzhambu
  • Enjoy !
Note

  • Sambar powder is not mentioned in the original recipe.But I used it.
  • Adjust the consistency of the gravy as you like. I made it semi thick.
  • This gravy thickens as it cools down. So add more water whenever needed.

Try this healthy vazhaithandu gravy for a change. You may love it !
Banana stem gravy
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