Many years back I wanted a cookbook written by Seetha Muthiah on chettinad food and those were the days of asking dad to get books whenever he went to Madras (Chennai). Over a period of an year, he was not able to find it. Many months went past and finally he decided to get the book from the author Seetha Muthiah herself. So he directly went to the muthiah home and managed to get a copy of the book that was out of print. I just laughed so much when he told me how he gatecrashed her home for the book. This book brings back a lot of memories.
This recipe is named as summa kuzhambu. Summa means “just like that”. Its called as summa kuzhambu or plain kuzhambu as it does not have any veggies added to it and its very easy to make and perfect for hosting surprise guests for lunch. I have slightly adapted the recipe to suit my family. Here is how to do summa kuzhambu.

Prep Work:
You will need 1/4 cup of cooked toor dal. Toor dal will definitely be part of lunch in most of South Indian homes and a very small portion of toor dal is set aside and used for making this curry. We will also need tamarind pulp. Soak a small lime size tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes. Crush between your fingers and make a pulp. Strain the liquid and set aside.

Method:
Heat sesame oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Let the seeds splutter.

Add in the chopped Indian shallots (chinna vengayam) and chopped garlic. Add in the curry leaves. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are soft. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Fry for a couple of minutes.

Add in the kuzhambu milagai thool and coriander powder. If you dont have kuzhambu milagai thool, you can use sambar powder. Add in 1/4 cup of water and let it simmer for five minutes.

Add in the tamarind pulp and the cooked toor dal. Simmer for 10 minutes more. Add in a teaspoon of jaggery in the end and switch of the flame. Serve hot with rice.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Chettinad Summa Kuzhambu

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe for chettinad style summa kuzhambu. A curry made without any veggies and can be made very quickly. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Curry

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon sesame oil (gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 12 Indian shallots (chinna vengayam)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon kuzhambu milagai thool ( or sambar powder)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• a small lime size tamarind
• ¼ cup cooked toor dal
• 1 teaspoon jaggery powder

Instructions

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan till hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Let the seeds splutter.
2. Add in the chopped Indian shallots and chopped garlic. Add in the curry leaves. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are soft. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Add in the kuzhambu milagai thool and coriander powder. If you dont have kuzhambu milagai thool, you can use sambar powder. Add in ¼ cup of water and let it simmer for five minutes.
4. Add in the tamarind pulp and the cooked toor dal. Simmer for 10 minutes more. Add in a teaspoon of jaggery in the end and switch of the flame. Serve hot with rice.

3.5.3226

The post Chettinad Summa Kuzhambu Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Chettinad style dangar chutney / daangar chutney. Traditionally served along with vellai paniyaram during festivals and special occasions.

This is a very traditional Onion and Garlic chutney prepared in chettinad and referred to as Dangar. Its also called as korada chutney in some areas. This is served in weddings along with Vellai Paniyaram. This hot, spicy and tangy chutney goes well with idli and dosa too.

Prep
There are two important ingredients that makes this chutney. Its the use of Gundu Milagai (Tamilnadu red chilly variety called Gundu) and Indian shallots (chinna vengayam). The flavor of the chutney is very much dependent on these two ingredients. There are a lot of chillies used in this recipe. If you feel that the chutney might be too spicy, deseed the chillies and use them. Most of the heat in the chillies is in the seeds.

Here is how to do it:

Heat oil in a pan (be generous with the oil) and add in the mustard seeds and the gundu chillies. Let it splutter. Add in the sliced indian shallots and sliced garlic. Saute for five minutes.

Once the shallots are nice and brown, add in a teaspoon of tamarind paste, salt, red chilli powder and 1/4 cup of water. Add in a teaspoon of jaggery too. Jaggery rounds out the tangy and spicy flavors well and gives it a nice taste. Do not skip jaggery. Simmer for 5 minutes until the chutney is thick.
Note: I have used homemade tamarind paste today. Here is the recipe. Tamarind Paste Recipe

The chutney is ready. The chutney can be stored in the fridge for upto three days.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Dangar Chutney / Chettinad Korada

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Chettinad style dangar chutney / daangar chutney. Traditionally served along with vellai paniyaram during festivals and special occasions.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoon peanut oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 10 dry red chillies (gundu)
• 20 indian shallots (chinna vengayam), sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon jaggery

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and the gundu chillies. Let it splutter. Add in the sliced indian shallots and sliced garlic. Saute for five minutes.
2. Once the shallots are nice and brown, add in a teaspoon of tamarind paste, salt, red chilli powder, jaggery and ¼ cup of water.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes until the chutney is thick.

3.5.3226

The post Dangar Chutney / Chettinad Korada appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Chettinad style saiva meen kuzhambu or vegetarian fish curry. The fish steaks are made using cowpea – thattapayir and simmered in a tamarind gravy. It looks very similar to a traditional fish curry.

There are some recipes that are so fun to make and this is one such recipe. I made this for the first time years ago. There is no fish in this recipe. The cowpea – thattapayir patties are shaped and fried like fish and added to the curry. People truly believe that it is indeed the traditional South Indian fish curry. Years ago, Vinodh truly believed that it was fish curry until he took the first bite – the first time. I totally love the facial expression people make after taking the first bite of the fish curry. The curry tastes really good and its the fun part that makes this recipe a winner when you serve them to guests for the first time. I adapted the recipe from here.

We will be using thatta payir / cowpea – brown variety for making the faux fish steaks.

Cowpea – Thattapayir paste
Soak the cowpea overnite in water. Next day, drain the water and grind the cowpea with fennel seeds, red chilli powder, salt and garlic cloves to a thick paste. Try not to add any water while grinding. Add 2 tablespoon of water if the mixie wont budge and make sure that the paste remains thick. Pulse several times if need be.

Steaming the Cowpea – Thattapayir paste
Traditionally, the paste is steamed in a local leaf called “lejjai ketta keerai“. Its also called as nanjundan keerai or lachakkottai keerai. Its widely used in cooking in the chettinad region. They even make a stir-fry with the leaves. Today I will be using banana leaves for steaming the paste. If you cant find banana leaves, you can even use parchment paper as a substitute.

Spread the paste on the banana leaf to form a rectangle. Cover the leaf gently over the paste.

Steam the leaf for 15 minutes in a steamer.

Once the paste has been fully cooked, remove the leaf from the steamer and cut the cooked paste into roughly about one inch cubes.

Frying the Thattapayir – Cowpea cubes
Heat Oil in a pan until hot. Place the cubes gently in oil and fry them for 2 minutes on each side until crisp and golden brown. Drain the fried cubes on paper towels. Set aside.
Tip: If the oil is really hot, the steamed cubes wont stick to the bottom of the skillet while shallow frying. Alternatively, one can use a non-stick pan to fry the cubes.

For the Gravy
Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the chopped onions and fry till the onions are nice and soft and starting to brown. (about 5-7 minutes on medium flame).

Add in the chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, sambar powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry till the tomatoes are well cooked and juiced down. Add in the tamarind paste and two cups of water. I have used homemade tamarind paste today. Simmer the gravy for 15 minutes.
Note: If using raw tamarind, soak a lime size tamarind in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind in the palm to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and use the tamarind pulp in the recipe. Homemade Tamarind Paste Recipe .

Add in the fried cubes and simmer for couple of minutes more.

The faux fish curry is ready. Do try it at home.

Saiva Meen Kuzhambu - Vegetarian Fish Curry

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Chettinad style saiva meen kuzhambu or vegetarian fish curry. The fish steaks are made using cowpea - thattapayir and simmered in a tamarind gravy. It looks very similar to a traditional fish curry.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Curry

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the fish steak

• ⅓ cup cowpea / thatta payir
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup sunflower oil to shallow fry

For the gravy

• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (vendhayam)
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon sambar powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon tamarind paste

Instructions

For the fish steaks

1. Soak the cowpea overnite in water. Next day, drain the water and grind the cowpea with fennel seeds, red chilli powder, salt and garlic cloves to a thick paste.
2. Spread the paste on the banana leaf to form a rectangle. Cover the leaf gently over the paste.
3. Steam the leaf for 15 minutes in a steamer.
4. Once the paste has been fully cooked, remove the leaf from the steamer and cut the cooked paste into one inch cubes.
5. Heat Oil in a pan until hot. Place the cubes gently in oil and fry them for 2 minutes on each side until crisp and golden brown. Drain the fried cubes on paper towels. Set aside.

For the Gravy

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the chopped onions and fry till the onions are nice and soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, sambar powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry till the tomatoes are well cooked and juiced down. Add in the tamarind paste and two cups of water.
3. Simmer the gravy for 15 minutes.
4. Add in the fried cubes and simmer for couple of minutes more.

3.5.3226

The post Saiva Meen Kuzhambu – Vegetarian Fish Curry appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

This is a chettinad style gravy prepared for breakfast and is usually served with idli or dosa. Its also called as Kathirikkai Therakkal or Kathirikkai Avial kuzhambu in the region. This coconut based gravy is so delicious when served with idli. Its a fairly straight forward recipe with the main flavours coming from the masala paste. Here is how to do it.

Masala Paste
Grind the fresh coconut, cashews, cumin seeds, white poppy seeds (khus khus), fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom to a fine paste. Add 1/2 cup of water while grinding. Set aside.
For the gravy
Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds. Add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are soft.

Add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and reduced.

Add in the masala paste and 2 cups of water. Add in the veggies and let it simmer on a low flame for 15 minutes with a lid on top. Stir once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom. Add little water if the gravy is getting too thick.

Once the veggies are cooked, remove from heat and add in the coriander leaves.

Serve hot with idli or dosa.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Kalla Veetu Kathirikkai - Brinjal curry for idli and dosa

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Chettinad style gravy prepared for breakfast and is usually served with idli or dosa. Its also called as Kathirikkai Therakkal or Kathirikkai Avial kuzhambu in the region.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Masala Paste

• ¼ cup fresh coconut
• 6 Cashew nut
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ inch piece cinnamon
• 2 cardamom

Other Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon gingely oil (Indian sesame oil)
• 1 onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 4 brinjals, diced
• 1 big potato, peeled and diced
• 3-4 sprigs coriander leaves

Instructions

1. Grind the fresh coconut, cashews, cumin seeds, white poppy seeds (khus khus), fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom to a fine paste. Add ½ cup of water while grinding. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds. Add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are soft.
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and reduced.
4. Add in the masala paste and 2 cups of water. Add in the veggies and let it simmer for 15 minutes with a lid on top. Stir once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.
5. Once the veggies are cooked, remove from heat and add in the coriander leaves

3.5.3226

The post Kalla Veetu Kathirikkai – Brinjal curry for idli and dosa appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Vendhaya Kuzhambu Recipe – Recipe for spicy Tamilnadu style vendhaya kuzhambu made with roasted fenugreek seeds and masala. Recipe for vendhaya kuzhambu with step by step pictures.

Vendhayam is nothing but fenugreek seeds. It has a special place in the tamil kitchen and is added to most of the tamarind based curries. It imparts a slight bitter flavour. In this vendhayam curry, the fenugreek is roasted and ground and then added to the curry. Fenugreek aids in digestion and is beneficial for people with diabetes.

Here is how to do Vendhaya Kuzhambu Recipe
Roast the Vendhayam / fenugreek seeds
Roast the fenugreek seeds on a heavy pan on a low flame until the seeds are golden and the aroma wafts the kitchen. Do not use too much fenugreek seeds as the curry will turn very bitter. I have used a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds as we like this vendhaya curry a little on the slightly bitter side. If you are trying this recipe for the first time, use only half a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds. Once the seeds are roasted, set aside on a plate to cool.
Temper the curry
Heat sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan. Gingely oil is traditionally used in Tamil cuisine for tamarind based curries. Add in the mustard seeds and asafoetida (hing). Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the curry leaves.

Let the curry leaves crisp up.

Add in the finely chopped small onions (Indian shallot). Shallots add a nice flavour to the curry. Saute the onion for five minutes.

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to release all the pulp. Discard the seeds and set aside. Add in the tamarind pulp to the pan. Along with the pulp, also add in a cup of water.

Add in the sambar powder, salt and a little piece of jaggery.
Simmer the curry
Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the curry on a low flame for about 15 minutes.
Ground paste for the curry
Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh coconut and roasted fenugreek seeds. Add a quarter cup of water and grind the mixture to a smooth paste.

Add in the ground paste and simmer the curry for just couple of minutes. Do not simmer for a long time after adding the paste.

Serve the curry hot with rice.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Vendhaya Kuzhambu Recipe

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for spicy Tamilnadu style vendhaya kuzhambu made with roasted fenugreek seeds and masala. Recipe for vendhaya kuzhambu with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 teaspoon gingely oil (Indian sesame oil)
• ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 20 Indian shallots (small onions)
• gooseberry size tamarind
• 2 teaspoon sambar powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon jaggery
• ⅓ cup fresh coconut

Instructions

1. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds until golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
2. Heat gingely oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds and asafoetida (hing). Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the curry leaves.
3. Add in the finely chopped small onions. Saute the onion for five minutes.
4. Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to release all the pulp. Discard the seeds and set aside. Add in the tamarind pulp to the pan. Along with the pulp, also add in a cup of water.
5. Add in the sambar powder, salt and a little piece of jaggery.
6. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the curry on a low flame for about 15 minutes.
7. Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh coconut and roasted fenugreek seeds. Add a quarter cup of water and grind the mixture to a smooth paste.
8. Add in the ground paste and simmer the curry for just couple of minutes. Do not simmer for a long time.
9. Serve the curry hot with rice.

3.5.3226

The post Vendhaya Kuzhambu Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Salavai Chutney – White coconut chutney made with fresh shredded coconut and dry roasted cashews. This is a chettinad style spicy coconut chutney. Recipe with step by step pictures. சலவை சட்னி!

“Salavai Chutney” – The word Salavai in Tamil loosely means “to laundry the dirty clothes so they look pristine white!” Coconut chutney is a staple in south Indian households. Coconut chutney usually is made two ways. The green one with coriander leaves and the white one that’s made with coconut and roasted lentils. This Chettinad variant takes coconut chutney one notch higher. The color of the chutney is pristine white. This Chettinad delicacy made for functions and festivals uses copious amounts of cashews and fresh shredded coconut. Fresh coconut is ground with roasted cashews and green chillies. That’s it. There is no lentils used in this chutney. Coconut chutney is never cooked. A tempering of chillies, mustard and curry leaves in sesame oil is added in the end. A perfect accompaniment for idli and dosa! This recipe has been adapted from Mrs.Seetha Muthiah!

Here is how to do it.
Take half a cup of fresh shredded coconut and remove the brown pith so the chutney when ground will be really white. Here is a video on how to shred coconut! Set aside the prepped coconut.

Next we will dry roast some cashews. Heat a pan and add in the cashews. Dry roast the coconuts for a couple of minutes until slightly golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Take a mixie jar and add in the coconut, cashews, green chillies (for the spicy heat) and salt. Add in half a cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. The chutney is done!

For the tadka / tempering
Add sesame oil in a pan. When hot, add in the mustard seeds and urad dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in a sprig of curry leaves, dry red chillies and asafoetida.

Add it to the ground chutney.

Serve with idli or plain dosa. I paired the coconut chutney today with ragi dosa.

Salavai Chutney, Chettinad Coconut Chutney with Cashews

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

2 mins

Total time

12 mins

 

Salavai Chutney – White coconut chutney made with fresh shredded coconut and dry roasted cashews. This is a chettinad style spicy coconut chutney. Recipe with step by step pictures. சலவை சட்னி!

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney / Dip

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients

For the Chutney

• ½ cup fresh shredded coconut (Brown pith removed)
• ¼ cup dry roasted cashewnut
• 2 green chillies
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the tempering

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida powder

Instructions

For the chutney

1. Take a mixie jar and add in the coconut, cashews, green chillies and salt. Add in half a cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. The chutney is done!

For the tadka / tempering

1. Add sesame oil in a pan. When hot, add in the mustard seeds and urad dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in a sprig of curry leaves, dry red chillies and asafoetida.
2. Add it to the ground chutney.

3.5.3229

The post Salavai Chutney, Chettinad Coconut Chutney with Cashews appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for chettinad style Cauliflower Milagu Pirattal, Cauliflower Pepper Fry Recipe made with homemade masala. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This is a simple everyday recipe that goes well with rice or rotis or can be even had just as is. The flavour of pepper is what makes this dish come alive.

For the masala
We will first make a home made masala powder. Get all the spices ready. The masala powder has poppy seeds (khus khus). If khus khus is not available in a place where you live, you can substitute with a little dry coconut or even skip it.

Dry roast all the masala ingredients on a low flame for 3-4 minutes. The spices will turn very aromatic and will change color to slightly golden / brown. Set aside to cool.

Once the masalas are cool, grind to a fine powder in a heavy duty mixie. Set aside.

In the mean time, cut the cauliflower into florets. If you live in India, the cauliflower we get in the market almost always has a few green worms. So wash them well in water and let it soak in a bowl filled with water mixed with a tablespoon of turmeric and couple of tablespoon of salt. Soak the cauliflower for 15 minutes. Strain the cauliflower and set aside. This will remove the worms.

Crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds, curry leaves and the crushed garlic. Fry for a few seconds. Add in the chopped onions and salt.

Saute the onions for about 3-4 minutes till soft. Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are cooked and soft, about 3 minutes.

Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the masala powder. Mix well to combine.

Add in the cauliflower and half a cup of water. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. The cauliflower should be firm but cooked after 10 minutes.

Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Cauliflower Milagu Pirattal, Cauliflower Pepper Fry Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe for chettinad style Cauliflower Milagu Pirattal, Cauliflower Pepper Fry Recipe made with homemade masala. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

For the Masala

• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoon khus khus (white poppy seeds)
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ inch piece cinnamon
• ½ of a star anise

For the perattal

• 500 grams cauliflower
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 10 cloves garlic
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. Dry roast all the masala ingredients on a low flame for 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.Once the masalas are cool, grind to a fine powder in a heavy duty mixie. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds, curry leaves and the crushed garlic. Fry for a few seconds. Add in the chopped onions and salt.
3. Saute the onions for about 3-4 minutes till soft. Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are cooked and soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the masala powder. Mix well to combine.
5. Add in the cauliflower and half a cup of water. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. The cauliflower should be firm but cooked after 10 minutes.
6. Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

3.5.3251

The post Cauliflower Milagu Pirattal, Cauliflower Pepper Fry Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for chettinad style mushroom masala made with home ground spice paste. Spicy chettinad mushroom masala recipe.

This is a very rich and creamy mushroom masala. The addition of the coconut and cashew paste makes this dish very unctuous. Perfect accompaniment for South Indian breads.

Heat oil in a pan (be generous with the oil so the spices cook well) and add in the fennel seeds, onions and curry leaves. Add in the salt at this stage so the onions sweat and cook fast. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the onions are soft.

Now we will grind a masala paste. Take a small mixie jar and add in the garlic and ginger. Add in the cinnamon, clove, cardamom, kalpasi (stone flower) and star anise. Go easy with the spices. We are going to grind the spices. We don’t want the spices to be over powering. Remember that a little goes a long way when it comes to spices. Grind everything with half a cup of water to a very fine paste. Take time to grind to a really smooth paste.

I like to use a heavy duty mixie for Indian cooking and here is what I use and recommend.

Add in the ground paste to the pan. Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Add in the chopped tomatoes.

Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and juiced down. It will take about 3-4 minutes on a medium flame. Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Saute for a couple of minutes.

Add in the black pepper powder and the chopped mushroom. Mix well to combine.

Keep the flame on low and cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Let the mushroom absorb all the flavour from the masala.

In the mean time, grind the coconut and cashews with a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Add it to the pan. The cashews add a very rich creamy texture to the masala. So do not skip the cashews.

Wash the mixie with half a cup of water and add back to the pan. When grinding thick masalas, always wash the mixie and add back to the pan so we are not wasting the precious home ground masalas.

Cover the pan and let the flame be low. Let the curry simmer on a low flame for 15 minutes. Remember to stir once every couple of minutes so the masalas dont scorch at the bottom. The flavour develops and the curry becomes unctuous during this slow simmer.

The chettinad mushroom masala is ready when a film of fat / oil starts to appear on top.

Mix well and add in the coriander leaves.

Chettinad mushroom masala is ready. Serve with parotta, dosa or chapati. It goes very well with vegetable rice too!

4.0 from 1 reviews

Chettinad Mushroom Masala Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Recipe for chettinad style mushroom masala made with home ground spice paste. Spicy chettinad mushroom masala recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper powder
• 200 grams button mushroom
• 3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

For the spice paste

• 6 cloves garlic
• ½ inch ginger
• ¼ inch piece cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 -2 cardamom
• 1 small piece kalpasi
• 1 small piece of star anise (use very little)

For the coconut-cashew paste

• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut
• ¼ cup cashews

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, onions and curry leaves. Also add in the salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the onions are soft.
2. Take a small mixie jar and add in the garlic and ginger. Add in the cinnamon, clove, cardamom, kalpasi (stone flower) and star anise. Grind everything with half a cup of water to a very fine paste.
3. Add in the ground paste to the pan. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add in the chopped tomatoes.
5. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and juiced down. It will take about 3-4 minutes on a medium flame. Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the black pepper powder and the chopped mushroom. Mix well to combine.
6. Keep the flame on low and cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Let the mushroom absorb all the flavour from the masala. In the mean time, grind the coconut and cashews with a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Add it to the pan. Wash the mixie with half a cup of water and add back to the pan.
7. Cover the pan and let the flame be low. Let the curry simmer on a low flame for 15 minutes. Remember to stir once every couple of minutes so the masalas dont scorch at the bottom. The flavour develops and the curry becomes unctuous during this slow simmer.
8. The chettinad mushroom masala is ready when a film of fat / oil starts to appear on top.
9. Mix well and add in the coriander leaves.

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The post Chettinad Mushroom Masala Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for spicy Chettinad Chicken Masala (dry recipe). Recipe with step by step pictures.

Chettinad chicken is a favorite with everyone. What makes it so unique is the usage of ingredients like gundu chillies, kalpasi (stone flower) and Indian shallots. The masalas are robust and spicy. Traditionally, tomatoes are not used in the recipe. Usually served with rice.

Here is how to do Chettinad Chicken Recipe
First, We will make a chettinad masala paste for the recipe.
In Chettinad cuisine, dry red chilli variety called the “gundu” is predominantly used. If you cannot source gundu, regular long chillies will work too! The flavour of gundu chillies is very unique.

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Tamilnadu's Gundu Chillies குண்டு மிளகாய் Gundu Milagai or Gundu (fat) chillies is a quintessential ingredient in Tamilnadu cuisine. One of the very important ingredient in Chettinad cuisine. To the world its called as Ramnad Mundu Chillies as its one of the main crops grown in the Ramnad district. The chilli is smoky and has a unique taste. Its not very spicy and the seeds rattle inside. They have a very thin skin. Gundu chilli crop is exclusive to the region due to its drought resistance and saline properties. Ramnad is an extremely dry region. Mostly "manavaari" crops are mainstay. 'Manaavaari' land / region is where the crops are not planned. The crops are decided based on the given rain and climatic conditions. The crop is left to the mercy of natural conditions and irrigation is very very minimal. There is a saying in Tamil that goes – இது வானம் பார்த்த பூமி… மழைதான் எங்க சாமீ #ramnadmundu #gunduchillies #gundumilagai #chettinadcuisine

A post shared by Suguna Vinodh (@kannammacooks) on Jan 21, 2019 at 6:12am PST

Here is what you will need for making the chettinad spice masala.

Grind the chettinad spice masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the kalpasi (stone flower) and cinnamon. Kalpasi – Kal means rock and Pasi means green moss. Its also called as stone flower. Kalpasi is nothing but a unique variety of moss that usually grows on rocks in a moist place. They are carefully harvested and dried and used in cooking. It imparts a very earthy aroma to the dish.

Add in a handful of curry leaves. Use curry leaves generously.

Add in the chopped shallots (small onions) and saute for five minutes.

Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for five minutes.

Add in the salt and turmeric powder.

Add in the chicken and a cup of water. I like to use chicken in bone for this recipe. The gelatinous juices from the bones that release while cooking are very flavourful. When making any south Indian curry, make sure to use chicken in bone.

Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 25 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.

Once the chicken is well cooked, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and allow the gravy to thicken.

Allow the gravy to become thick. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Let the gravy thicken to a thick masala consistency.

Add back the chicken and mix well so the masalas coat the chicken evenly. Roast the chicken for a couple of minutes.

Chettinad chicken is ready. Serve with rice.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Chettinad Chicken Recipe

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Recipe for spicy Chettinad Chicken Masala (dry recipe). Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

For the chettinad chicken masala

• 5-6 gundu chillies (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoon black pepper (use less if you want a less spicy dish)
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Other ingredients

• 2 tablespoon Indian sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• a big pinch of kalpasi
• ½ inch piece cinnamon
• 5 sprigs curry leaves
• 1.5 cups Indian shallots (small onions), chopped (around 250 grams)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 500 grams chicken in bone

Instructions

1. Grind the chettinad chicken masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the kalpasi (stone flower) and cinnamon. Add in a handful of curry leaves.
3. Add in the chopped shallots (small onions) and saute for five minutes.
4. Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for five minutes.
5. Add in the salt and turmeric powder.
6. Add in the chicken and a cup of water.
7. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 25 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom.
8. Once the chicken is well cooked, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and allow the gravy to thicken.
9. Allow the gravy to become thick. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
10. Let the gravy thicken to a thick masala consistency.
11. Add back the chicken and mix well so the masalas coat the chicken evenly. Roast the chicken for a couple of minutes.
12. Chettinad chicken is ready. Serve with rice.

3.5.3251

The post Chettinad Chicken Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

kathirikkai kosumalli – Brinjal Kosumalli. Tamil chettinad style special Brinjal Kosumalli recipe. Perfect side dish for idli and dosa.

This simple side dish made in the chettinad region is called the kosumalli. This is a side dish mainly served for breakfast with idli, dosa and the likes. Its a very simple recipe made with brinjal and tomatoes. Its basically a brinjal mash. In kongunad, we do a similar recipe and is called as the kathirikkai bajji. There is one more variation of the same, the Chidambaram Gothsu. There are varied recipes that differ from region to region and from home to home. Some people add potatoes to the mash while some dont. Same goes with garlic. This simple recipe can be made in no time and perfect for the busy mornings. Here is how to do a simple kosumalli.

I have used green brinjals today. The purple ones come equally tasty too. Use whatever you have in your fridge. Wash and chop the brinjals and soak it in water. Set aside.

Take a pan and add in the tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt and a small piece of tamarind. Add in the brinjal and half a cup of water. Note: If using Tamil country tomatoes (naatu thakkali) which are very sour, then omit the tamarind.

Pressure cook the ingredients for about 4 whistles / 10 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release.

Once the pressure has settled, open the cooker and mash the ingredients well. Use a wooden / potato masher. Do not grind in the mixie. The texture is very important and can be achieved only with a masher.

Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the dried red chillies and the curry leaves. Add in the sliced shallots (small onions) and saute till the onions are soft.

Let the onions cook well.

Add in the brinjal mash and check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Let the mash simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Kathirikkai kosumalli / brinjal kosumalli is ready. Serve with dosa. I like to serve it with vendhaya dosai.

Kathirikkai Kosumalli - Brinjal Kosumalli

 

Save Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

kathirikkai kosumalli – Brinjal Kosumalli. Tamil chettinad style special Brinjal Kosumalli recipe. Perfect side dish for idli and dosa.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

For the mash

• 250 grams brinjal
• 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 4 sprigs coriander leaves
• 3-4 green chillies
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 small marble size tamarind

Tempering

• 2 tablespoon Indian sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2-3 dried red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 10 shallots - sliced (Indian small onions)

Instructions

1. Take a pan and add in the tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt and a small piece of tamarind. Add in the brinjal and half a cup of water.
2. Pressure cook the ingredients for about 4 whistles / 10 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release.
3. Once the pressure has settled, open the cooker and mash the ingredients well. Use a wooden / potato masher. Do not grind in the mixie. The texture is very important and can be achieved only with a masher.
4. Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the dried red chillies and the curry leaves. Add in the sliced shallots (small onions) and saute till the onions are soft. Let the onions cook well.
5. Add in the brinjal mash and check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Let the mash simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6. Kathirikkai kosumalli / brinjal kosumalli is ready. Serve with dosa. I like to serve it with vendhaya dosai.

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The post Kathirikkai Kosumalli – Brinjal Kosumalli appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

The olden day Chettiar community was a very affluent community and traded all over the world. The community had trade as far flung as Rangoon (Current day Myanmar) to Singapore. They brought back a lot of things from their travels which included exotic ingredients as well. Black rice is a very popular ingredient in South Asia and it must have found its way into the Chettiar households through these routes. The rice has become so customary that its a ritual to serve it in weddings.
Black Glutinous Rice is also sold in the shops as Kavuni Arisi, Karuppu Arisi or Karuppu Puttarisi.
Even though the rice is black in colour, it gets a hue of burgundy after soaking and the colour intensifies after cooking.

Here is the link to buy Kavuni Arisi

Here is how to make the popular Chettinad Style Kavuni Arisi. The ingredients are really simple. We will need equal quantity of black rice, coconut and sugar. We will add a little ground cardamom and ghee for flavour. That’s is all there is in making this amazing dessert. Do try it.

Black rice is a very hard rice. The rice needs to be soaked over-nite. Wash the rice and soak it in lots of water for 10-12 hours. Drain the water used for soaking after the said time. The water would be burgundy color. Its fine.

Add the rice to the pressure cooker. The water ratio is 1 rice : 1.5 water. Add in the water to the cooker. Cover the cooker and cook for exactly 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to settle naturally. The important thing about this dessert is to get the texture of the rice right. It should not become mushy. The rice should still have a bit of a bite but still completely soft on the inside.

To the same pan add in the fresh shredded coconut, sugar and cardamom. The mixture will loosen up immediately after adding sugar.

Note: You can add less sugar if you wish. If you want to avoid sugar, you can substitute jaggery.

Simmer the mixture in the pan for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes thick. Add in the ghee and switch off the flame.

Amazing Kavuni Arisi is ready!!!

Kavuni Arisi, Chettinad Kavuni Arisi Sweet Recipe

4.3 from 3 reviews

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Recipe for Chettinad Kavuni Arisi sweet made with black glutinous rice. Very popular chettinad delicasy.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Kavuni Arisi (Black Glutinous rice)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 3 teaspoon ghee

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Instructions

1. Wash the rice and soak it in lots of water for 10-12 hours. Drain the water used for soaking after the said time.
2. Add the rice to the pressure cooker. Cover the cooker and cook for exactly 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to settle naturally.
3. To the same pan add in the fresh shredded coconut, sugar and cardamom. The mixture will loosen up immediately after adding sugar.
4. Simmer the mixture in the pan for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes thick. Add in the ghee and switch off the flame.
5. Amazing Kavuni Arisi is ready!!!

Notes

You can add less sugar if you wish. If you want to avoid sugar, you can substitute jaggery.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Brinjals cooked in a spicy masala – Tamilnadu style. Spicy Ennai Kathirikkai Masala Recipe – Stuffed Brinjals Masala.

This is one of my favorite ways of having brinjal for lunch. I love stuffed brinjals. I have already shared the recipe for Andhra style stuffed brinjals which is another quick and easy recipe. This is Tamilnadu style stuffed brinjal masala.

For the Stuffing Masala Paste
Take a pan and add in the peanut oil. Add in the sesame seeds, peanuts and chana dal. Saute on a low flame until the chana dal is slightly golden in colour. Add in the coconut, onion and the tamarind. Add in the dried red chillies. Fry for a minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

I added two varieties of red chillies. Byadagi and regular guntur chillies. Byadagi chillies give a bright red colour to the curry and the guntur chillies makes it spicy.

Once the mixture is cool, grind in a small mixie jar to a smooth paste. Add very little water (a couple of tablespoons) and the salt while grinding. We need a thick paste.

Remove 3/4th of the stem from the brinjal. Cut the brinjal in a cross like shown in the picture. Cut only 3/4th of the brinjal in a cross so the brinjal still holds its shape. Stuff the brinjal on the inside with the ground paste. Set aside.

For the Ennai Kathirikkai – Stuffed Brinjals

Heat oil in a pan and add in the stuffed brinjal. Add a cup of water to the remaining ground masala paste to dilute the paste. Add the remaining paste to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame for 20 minutes.

Streaks of oil will start floating on the surface after the masala has thickened from cooking. That’s an indication that the masala is well cooked. Add in the curry leaves and the chopped coriander leaves. Mix once and remove from heat.

Serve hot with steaming hot rice and ghee.

Ennai Kathirikkai Masala, Stuffed Brinjals Masala

5 from 6 reviews

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Brinjals cooked in a spicy masala – Tamilnadu style. Spicy Ennai Kathirikkai Masala Recipe – Stuffed Brinjals Masala. With step by step pictures.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Stuffing Masala Paste

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon chana dal
• 1 tablespoon peanut
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoon fresh coconut
• 3 dried red chillies (Byadagi or Kashmiri)
• 2 dried red chillies (Gundu milagai or any spicy variety)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• half a gooseberry size tamarind
• 1 teaspoon salt

Other Ingredients

• 12 small brinjals
• 3 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

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Instructions

For the Stuffing Masala Paste

1. Heat a pan and add in the peanut oil. Add in the sesame seeds, peanuts and chana dal. Saute on a low flame until the chana dal is slightly golden in colour.
2. Add in the coconut, onion and the tamarind. Add in the dried red chillies. Fry for a minute.
3. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Once cool, grind in a small mixie jar to a smooth paste. Add very little water (a couple of tablespoons) and the salt while grinding.

For the Ennai Kathirikkai – Stuffed Brinjals

1. Remove 3/4th of the stem from the brinjal. Cut the brinjal in a cross. Stuff the brinjal on the inside with the ground paste. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the stuffed brinjal.
3. Add a cup of water to the remaining ground masala paste to dilute the paste. Add the remaining paste to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame for 20 minutes.
4. Add in the curry leaves and the chopped coriander leaves. Mix once and remove from heat.
5. Serve hot with steaming hot rice and ghee.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: South Indian