Vatral Kuzhumbu
Every family has their own take on this. Here is one from food blogosphere's Shammi.
Here is how it is made in the old GM house.
Vatral Kuzhumbu | |
| 2 ladles oil | Heat |
| 1 tsp mustad seeds 1/4 tsp methi seeds 2-3 dried red chillies | Add to oil and crackle |
| 1 cup sliced onion 3 tsp sambar powder 2 tsp rasam powder | Add to oil and fry till fragrance exudes |
| 1 lime sized tamarind | Extract 3 cups of juice and add |
| 2 tsp salt | Add |
| Boil for 15-20 mins or thick consistency |
Traditionally as Shammi points out, you use dried goodies (Vatral) that you can get from the Indian stores. In their absence, you can use other vegetables (like I have) onions, brinjal, beans, okra etc, and fry them well in the cooking process. Also, keep in mind that the spices must also cook well until the raw smell is gone. In my opinion, the simplest and best accompaniment to this Kuzhumbu is simple potatoes cooked till crispy in simple seasonings like salt and turmeric. Also, Spinach is another classic accompaniment.
I however decided to cook potato's cousin brother, the plantain.
| Vazhakkai (Plantain) Curry | |
| 3 plantains | Peel, wash and chop into even bite size pieces |
| 2 tbps oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp urad dal | Heat oil and crackle seeds. Add chopped plantains |
| 2 tsp salt pinch asafetida | Scald the plantains. Cook undisturbed for 10 mins |
| 2 tsp curry powder or sambar powder | When slight browning occurs, add curry powder. Cook uncovered for 5 -10 mins more till desired crispiness obtained |
As a wise one has rightly said "Self Restraint solves all problems". I tried to practice it, and didnot harass the veggies, just let them cook in peace, and the results as promised were great.
Lemon (Juicy) Rasam
I love rasam. What a tangy and nutritious meal it makes. There are different types of rasam... my absolute fav is lemon rasam. Apparently when I was young (er), I coined the term 'juicy' rasam meaning lemon rasam. But my suspicion is that Mommie came up with this term, she is always making up cute names to make things sound appetizing. Rasams are also the easiest things in the world to make! Throw in the ingredients, and let the heat do the job. The only smarts needed is NEVER let the rasam boil. It must gently froth just below boiling point.
| Lemon Rasam | |
| 5 cups water 4-5 green chillies slit 1 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp salt 2 tsp rasam powder big pinch asafotida 1 tomato chopped roughly | Add to stockpot/vessel on medium heat. |
| 1.5 cups cooked toor dal | When rasam begins to froth, add dal. Let the mixture bubble and froth |
| juice of 1 lemon | Add |
| 1 tsp oil 1 tsp mustard seeds | Add tempering to rasam |
There you go. Don't forget to enjoy a nice helping of curd rice at the end of this meal. Here is a great recipe for curd rice by Raji of My Cuisine.
