Arachuvitta Sambar Recipe | Tamil Brahmin Tiffin Sambar Recipe

Learn how to make Arachuvitta Sambar ~ South Indian lentil and vegetable stew flavoured with fresh roasted spice and coconut mix and tamarind extract

People who know me tell me that I turn little crazy when I start missing certain food. Food has that kind of effect on me and some days, it can turn my life upside down! It is especially so if I don’t get to eat full-fledged South Indian breakfast of Idli, Vada and Sambar at least once a week and begin to show withdrawal symptoms. Notice that gorgeous bowl of Sambar up there? It’s called Arachuvitta Samabr. This little tongue twister is a wonderful Tamil Brahmin Tiffin Sambar recipe where fresh ground roasted spices and coconut mixture is added to the simmering pot of vegetable and lentil stew with tamarind extract. Unlike other sambar recipes, this one uses fresh ground spice instead of ready to use sambar powders which makes it finger-licking good!

Ingredients for Arachuvitta Sambar

The ingredients which we find in sambar powder has dried red chillies, which surprisingly came to India only in the 15th or 16th century by the Portuguese from Mexico. Not just the chillies, but also tomato, potato and onions were not part of ancient Indian cuisine and were introduced by the western settlers and invaders around the same century. It is quite interesting that these ingredients have become a staple in many food preparation all over India and Indian subcontinents and are as Indian as it gets. Prior to red chillies became an integral part of cooking, it was the black peppercorns and ginger which added the heat to the curries and other food preparations and to this date, many South Indian recipes still uses black peppercorns and ginger (both in fresh and dried form) to spice up the dish and also for their immense medicinal properties and health benefit. We are so used to seeing the red or orange hued curries, it is bit difficult to imagine pale coloured sambar or other curries and this just shows how Indian cuisine has embraced the chillies as it is their own home produce! And so are the potato, tomato and onions without which it is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine the current Indian cuisine!

Ammini Kozhukattai or Undrallu Guggillu Recipe | Ganesha Chaturthi Recipe

Learn how to make Ammini Kozhukattai or Undrallu Guggillu ~ Gluten free and vegan steam cooked savoury rice ball dumplings tossed in aromatic tempering

|| Mushikavaahana modaka hastha,

Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra,

Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra,

Vighna vinaayaka paada namasthe ||

Food from Heaven: Pongal

Pongal

Some foods are comforting. Some are nutritious. And some are simply divine. Pongal is one such dish which is comforting, nutritious and also divine. Just the thought of ‘Pongal’ conjures up sweet memories of my Doddappa and Doddamma performing the Puja daily in their estate temple. Growing up in a joint family for first 6 years of my tender life, I remember spending most of my time with my Doddappa (Dad’s elder brother) and Doddamma (Dad’s SIL). For me they were another set of loving grandparents as my Appa was just one year old when Doddamma stepped into our large joint family as a first daughter-in-law, taking huge responsibility on her very young shoulder. No wonder my Appa felt so close to his ANNa (brother) and Attige (SIL) and involved them in almost all the major decisions he took.

I was one of those spoiled little brats who was born in a large joint family when almost all other kids were in their early teens. Yes, I was the only baby in our big family and was never short of love, affection and undivided attention from everyone. I grew up being a centre of attention and attraction for two happy years of my life till my little sister decided to pop all of sudden and spoil it for me ;) Grudgingly I had to share spot light with my sister and soon with my cousin brother. I remember asking my Dodda’s whom they loved the most. And every time they would hold me close to their heart and whisper it was me and it will always be me.

It was no surprise I spent most of my time playing in my Doddappa’s clinic which was attached to the main house, than playing with my sister and other cousins. I was his little helper. It was while counting the tablets for his patients I got my first lessons of mathematics. It was while picking the herbs from his herb garden for medicines where I leant the basics of Ayurveda. It was while helping the people to cure their disease and relive them from pain where I learnt about empathy and the art of being a good listener. And above all these I learnt how to be kind, generous and a good human being from my Doddas.

After moving to different city for education, I and my sister would eagerly look forward to our Navarathri and summer holidays where we would spend one full week at our Doddas estate. Every morning I would wake up the waft of sandalwood, heady smell of Agarbatti and Dhupa and the fast rhythmic chanting of my Doddappa sitting on floor in lotus position in Devara Kone (God’s room). While Doddappa was busy performing the Puja, Doddamma was busy with her daughters-in-law preparing Neivedyam which was offered to God. One day it would be just plain steamed rice, other day it would be Rice Payasam. But it would always be Pongal for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and festivals. Rice and lentils cooked with few spices till they fall apart and become little mushy, a lovely medley offered to God. While green chilli and black pepper corns give it small dose of spiciness, tadka and ginger gives it a wonderful flavour. This Neivedyam was taken to the small temple in our estate where it was first offered to God and then given to us in a small bowl made using Jackfruit leaves as Prasad (blessed food). Oh!!! Fond memories of childhood and the people who made it so much special and wonderful….

My favourite way of making Pongal is with good spoonfuls of Thuppa or Ghee, just the way Doddamma made it. Whenever I make it here I can almost hear her saying

“Make sure you don’t insult Pongal by using just a spoonful of Thuppa. Be generous with Thuppa when you make Pongal because it is God’s food. If you can’t make Pongal with lots of love and Ghee then it is not fit for you, your family and your God.”

I try to remember my Doddamma’s pearls of wisdom like these while cooking. Some foods are just divine and they are meant to be cooked that way. This post is very dear to me and it is dedicated to two people who are very close to my heart. In two days it will be the first death anniversary of my Doddappa. It will be a grand celebration because he believed in celebrating life and death, which was just the beginning of new life. Doddappa and Doddamma, I miss you. I am sending thsi food from heaven to Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook, who is hosting My Legume Love Affair-Second Helping.

Print This Recipe

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Pongal (Rice & Lentils Medley)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2-4
Recipe Source: My Doddamma

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Ingredients:
1½ cups Rice (preferably Sona Masuri or you can use Basmati as I have used here)
1 cup Yellow Moong Dal/Split Green Gram
½ cup Cashews
8 cups Milk+Water (I used 1 cup Milk+7 cups Water)
2-3 Green Chillies, slit (Optional)
1 inch Ginger
1 tsp Black Pepper Corns, lightly crushed or used as whole
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
3-4 tbsp Thuppa/Ghee/Clarified Butter
Salt to taste

Rice, Moong Dal & Cashews for Pongal

Method:

Heat a pan and add yellow moong dal. Roast it on medium flame, sautéing continuously, till it turns golden yellow, about 3-4 mins. Let it cool completely.
In a same pan add ½ tbsp of ghee and add cashews. Roast it on medium to low heat till they turn golden. Keep it aside.
Mix roasted moon dal and rice and wash it in cold water 3-4 times till the water turns clear. Drain all the water and keep it aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of Ghee in a thick bottomed pan or pressure cooker. Add jeera, pepper corns and curry leaves. When jeera starts to sizzle, add slit green chillies, ginger, rice and dal and mix well till every grain is coated with ghee, about 1-2 mins.
Now add milk, water and salt to taste and mix well. Cover the pressure cooker lid with weight and cook it on medium-high flame for 15-20 mins. Let it the pressure be released completely before opening the lid, about 5 mins.
If using thick bottomed pan, cover the lid and let it cook undisturbed for 10-12 mins on high flame. By this time water will start to bubble and pour from vessel. Remove the lid; mix the rice and lentils properly. Again cover the vessel with lid, leaving little gap to escape the steam. Let it cook this way for another 5-10 mins till the rice and dal is plumped and doubled in volume. Remove the vessal from gas.
Mix in roasted cashews with ghee, 1-2 tbsp of ghee. Cover and let it sit for another 10 mins for the flavours to blend. Serve this hot with any chutney, lightly spiced curry/Kurma or with my favourite, Raita or plain curds.

Pongal served with Mango & Yogurt : My Divine Food

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Note:

The consistency of Pongal can vary depending on your preference. Some people prefer it very mushy like porridge and add more water while making it. So please adjust the water and milk quantity according to your preference.

Related Posts:

• Cooking with Love: Huli-Menasina Kodhel
• Akki Shavige with Rasayana & Menthe Chutney
• Recipes from Ajji's Kitchen- Brahmi Tambli
  

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Reminder for JFI-Soya:

I invite you all to celebrate Jihva for Ingredients with this month’s theme JFI-Soya. Choice of Soya products, the recipe, ingredients, method etc is entirely left to you. I would greatly appreciate if you can send me any Vegan or Vegetarian recipes but I leave it to your choice. Soya foods include tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein (chunks, mince etc), miso, soya sauces, soya oil and margarine, and soya dairy alternatives.

Deadline: 31st August, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and also in your e-mail while sending your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish, Type of Dish and Perm Link of the entry along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

Tomato Kulambu

Cold weather, chill in the air, grey sky, naked trees, damp roads, slippery footpath, grumpy faces…. Yup… its winter…
Christmas lights, cosy couch, warm blanket, sizzling cup of coffee, hot bowl of soup, beautiful memories… Yup… it’s also a winter.
Winter has two faces. One is that of cold and gloomy and another of warmth and cosiness. Choice is ours to make. Every season has its own charm, its own beauty… So why most of us neglect that and look at negatives? May be its human nature… I have seen many people grumbling for summer in winter and winter in summer. This way they forget to enjoy life. The life has so many things to offer. So why don’t we enjoy our present than brooding over past and dreaming about future.
Mmmm... As far as I’m considered, when it comes to food in winter it has to be spicy, hot and peppery… What else can be better than hot and spicy Chettinadu Kulambu to beat the cold winter? So here is my second Chettinadu recipe, Tomato Kulambu.

Tomato Kulambu

Ingredients:
4-5 medium sized Tomatoes, cut into big cubes
3-4 Green Chillies, sliced
Few Curry Leaves
2 medium Onions, sliced lengthwise
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 cup Tarmarind Extract
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
1 tsp Jaggary
To Grind I:
5-6 Red Chillies
1/4 inch Ginger
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2 tbsp Grated Coconut
To Grind II:
1/4 cup Grated Fresh Coconut
2 tsp Poppy Seeds

Hot and Spicy Tomato Kulambu

Method:
Heat little oil and fry green chillies, onion and curry leaves.
Add ground paste-I,tomato pices, turmeric powder and little water.
Cover and cook till tomatoes become soft.
Add tamarind extract and cook for few minutes in reduced flame.
Add salt, jaggary, ground paste-II and allow the gravy to come to boiling point.
Remove from fire and serve hot with plain rice.

Chettinadu Tomato Kulambu

Variations:
Omit tamarind extract and add thick coconut extract.
You can add potatoes and drumsticks along with tomatoes.

Final Verdict:
Wooha… Hot, spicy, peppery, delicious… Tomato Kulambu was all these and much more. Although it was spicy it also had a touch of sour and sweetness to it from tamarind extract and jaggary I added. The colour was rich and dark, reminded me of ruby studded gold bowl;) It did certainly kicked my cold;) I love spicy food and nothing can beat Chettinadu Kulambu. It was perfect for our cold winter night’s dinner.

Tomato Kulambu

Chettinad Garlic Kulambu

Chettinad cuisine is a speciality in Tamil Nadu and is absolutely delightful for those who like hot and spicy food. Chettinad is a region of the Sivaganga district of southern Tamil Nadu state, India. It is known for its culinary delicacies and its famous all over the world for the varieties spices used. Oil and spices are liberally used in the cooking and most dishes have a liberal dose of peppercorn, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, nutmeg, green and red chilies, etc.
Once you taste any Chettinad dish you will never forget the taste of it. I adapted this receipe from one of my friend's mom and it turned out great. If you like spicy and tasty food then I highly recommend you to give it a try once.

Chettinad Garlic Kulambu

Ingredients:
3 pods Garlic
11/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 cup of Small Onions, peeled
1/4 tsp Dhania/Coriander Powder
1 Lemon sized Tamarind
1 tbsp Jaggery

For Seasoning:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
2 Dry Red Chillies
1 tbsp Oil

Pound Coarsely:
3 Tomatoes
1 big Onion or 10 small peeled Onions

Hot and Spicy Chettinad Garlic Kulambu

Method:
Peel the garlic and crush them in mortar.
Soak tamarind in water and extract 2 cups of puree.
Fry pepper in ghee and crush coarsely.
In a pan, heat oil and add seasoning ingredients, garlic, small onions and crushed pepper.
Fry the above for few minutes and then add dhania powder, pound mixture and fry for few minutes.
To this add tamarind extract, salt, jaggery and boil till oil floats.
Serve hot with rice or idlis.

Chettinad Garlic Kulambu

Variations:
Add sliced brinjal/egg plant or okra/ladies finger instead of garlic.