Tri-color Mini Peppers, Onions, Black Nightshade Berries (Manathakkali) Kaara Kuzhambu

Chettinad Kaara Kuzhambu is absolutely mouth-watering. I've only had it in restaurants in India, so, I am not sure if that was authentic or not. But, I memorized the taste. Or rather, the taste imprinted itself in my memory, making me salivate if I consciously think about this particular dish.

My recipe here is arrived at by trial-and-error, based on the recipe my mom sent across and other recipes sampled around the web. As my mom jokingly says, much like there are only a handful of plots but infinite number of stories, there are a handful of recipes with infinite styles of cooking the same. So, the recipe here is just what suits my tastes at this time, not authentic Chettinad cuisine.

Sometimes, I find packaged dried manathakkali aka Black Nightshade or Sunberry (Solanum nigrum) at Indian stores and I stock up. These packaged berries are usually soaked in brine and buttermilk and then dried so they have a mild salty spicy flavor infused. I love the way they taste once reconstituted in sauces like kuzhambu. This is certainly an optional ingredient, but, sometimes, this is the sole ingredient I add to this kuzhambu.

Ingredients
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
½ medium red onion, diced or sliced
¼ cup chopped broccoli stems
¼ cup celery, chopped
A small wedge of red cabbage, chopped
4 to 6 tricolor mini peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp dried Black Nightshade berries aka Manathakkali
6 to 10 curry leaves (Murraya Koenigii)
5 cups water

Spices:
2 Tbsp Sambar Powder - either homemade or storebought (I like MTR™ brand)
1 tsp red chili powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp nước me chua Tamarind cooking sauce (aka Sour Soup Mix)
salt to taste

Tempering:
1 tsp ghee or gingelly oil
¼ tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp urad dal

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pot, add the garlic and onions and sautee till aromatic; then add the curry leaves and Black Nightshade berries and stir well; then add the rest of the veggies
2. Stir in all the spices, add 5 cups of water, cover and allow to simmer at medium low heat till flavors develop and veggies are cooked; turn off heat and add the tempering
3. In a small pan, do the tempering: hear the oil, when shimmering, add the urad dal, when it turns brown add the cumin seeds and the mustard seeds; when mustard seeds pop remove from heat and garnish the kuzhambu with the tempering
4. Serve warm with basmati rice

Red Onion and Purple Cabbage in Roasted Gram, Almond, Curry Leaves Curry

Sometimes, the simplest of combinations brings about the greatest satisfaction.

I don't generally use much of roasted gram (aka Pottu Kadalai) mainly because it is not readily available. Every once in a while, I get it from the Indian store and use it in some dishes that feel like comfort food. Served with warm basmati rice, this curry or kozhambu is quite filling.

Ingredients
For the curry paste:
2 Tbsp roasted gram
⅓ cup almonds
1 jalapeño
20 curry leaves (double if preferred)
4 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp grated ginger

Veggies: anything is fine
red/purple cabbage
red onion

1 Tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste
water as needed

Tempering: mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, 1 tsp coconut oil

Preparation

1. Grind the curry paste ingredients into a fine paste, keep handy
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the curry paste, saute a bit, then add the veggies, salt and enough water, cover and simmer over low heat, stirring often
3. roasted gram acts as a thickener, so, check for water often; when veggies are cooked through and the curry is at a desired thickness, remove from heat and add the tempering
4. Tempering: heat oil in a small pan, add urad dal; when it turns brown, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds; when mustard seeds pop, turn off heat and add it to the curry.
5. Stir well before serving with hot brown basmati rice

Brussels Sprouts Fete

We had a bunch of Brussels Sprouts to cook up. After the usual slit-and-stuff or spicy-curry or kootu or sambar, or the few other ways I've cooked them, this time I decided to make a Brussels sprouts fete by cooking it three ways to showcase it and savor it.

For faster finish, I par-cooked the Brussels sprouts in the microwave and then finished them differently for a quick spread.

I. Brussels Sprouts Pan-fried with Black Sesame Seeds, Nigella Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Black Pepper and Coconut Spice Mix

Ingredients: Black Sesame Seeds et al. Spice Mix (Ellu-Molagu Podi), coconut oil, Curry leaves (optional, for garnish), red onions diced, salt to taste

Heat coconut oil in a pan, sauté the onions, add the par-cooked Brussels sprouts, some salt and some of the Black Sesame seeds et al. Spice Mix (adjust to taste).

Of course, any favorite spice mix would be good, I was leaning towards Ras al Hanout but have already shared that recipe here, so, went with the Black Sesame Seed et al. Mix instead.

The Black Sesame Seeds et al. Spice Mix (Ellu-Molagu Podi) can be made in advance and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 months. I vary the spices a bit, change the proportions a bit each time I make it. It lends itself to a distinctive flavor for many pan-fried vegetables. On occasion, I heat coconut oil or gingelly oil in a pan, add the spice mix, some cooked rice, season with salt and enjoy the flavored rice as-is.

Ingredients
2 to 3 Tbsp dry grated coconut (unsweetened)
2 Tbsp black sesame seeds
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
1-inch piece of Indian Cinnamon bark

Toast the ingredients lightly till aromatic and grind to a smooth powder. Save in an air-tight container. Refrigerate in warm places (it can go rancid).

Nigella seeds is extensively used in Indian cooking. For this recipe, it can be left out.

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II. Brussels Sprouts with Asian Flavors

Ingredients: 1 tsp Kecap Manis, 1 tsp Sambal Oelek, 1 tsp Rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 cups cooked brussel sprouts; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish).

Heat the sesame oil in a pan, add all the ingredients and toss to combine, garnish and serve warm.

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III. Brussels Sprouts and Manathakkali (Black Nightshade) Vatthal Kuzhambu

Vatthal Kuzhambu is a staple in many parts of South India. (One of my versions of Vatthal Kuzhambu recipe here).

The berries and leaves from Manathakkali (Black Nightshade) plant is also used widely in South India. The dried berries are primarily used to make Vatthal Kuzhambu and the leaves are used much like any other greens, say spinach or mustard greens.

Manathakkali Vatthal Kuzhambu is one of my mom's specialty. Here, I follow the recipe much like my Bittergourd Vatthal Kuzhambu, but add plenty of dried manathakkali berries and curry leaves and garlic cloves. Instead of bittergourd, I use Brussels sprouts.

I like Vatthal Kuzhambu with rice, but also enjoy dipping naan or roti in it and savoring the strong flavor.

Bittergourd in Spicy Tamarind Sauce: Pavakkai Vatthal Kuzhambu

Vatthal Kuzambu (Vatha-kozhambu as we say it at home) is a spicy Tamilian dish made with tamarind-based spicy sauce, using dehydrated (dry) vegetables. Anything sun-dried (the easiest way in India) is a vatthal.

When vegetables are in season I remember my mom sun-drying batches and batches of eggplant slices, tomatoes, citron, and of course the usual vadaams - tapioca+lime+chilies, or rice or urad dal concoctions enjoyed deep-fried once it is dried. Sounds weird, but, it was a way of life. These were 40 °C summer days when wasting all that solar energy felt criminal and families stocked up for those soggy monsoon days when not many vegetable are in season.

The popular ingredient for vatthal kozhambu used to be Chundakkai (Sundakkai - 's' becomes a 'ch' as in chair in my family lingo) - the bitterest thing I have ever tasted and to this day have not developed a taste for, despite loving bitter gourd. A favorite of mine (although my tummy would disagree) is appalam/pappadam vattha- kozhambu - made with dry, un-fried pappadam/appalam.

Anyway, after having my mom's special vattha-kozhambu during my recent visit with my family, I was craving for a bit more of that home-made goodness, so made a slightly non-traditional version of bittergourd vattha-kozhambu.

Now, the name would be misleading, in that it is not dried bitter gourd that I used, but, let's just say it is vattha-kozhambu in spirit, a sort of wanna-be, made with bitter gourd and some other things that I like.

I use Tamicon™ tamarind concentrate usually, which is a thick blackish paste that is intensely sour and can be diluted as needed. But there are liquid tamarind concentrates that are mellow and brownish. Or, if available, use fresh tamarind - just shell it, soak in hot water to extract as much tamarind juice as preferred.

I like the hot-sour-sweet combination, so, I usually add a liberal amount of brown sugar, which, according to my mom is an abomination.

Ingredients
1 large Chinese Fu Gwa bittermelon or 2 small Indian bittergourds
1 small yellow onion
1 large tomato
salt to taste
1 tsp canola oil

for the sauce:
1 Tbsp Tamicon™ tamarind paste
1 Tbsp red hot chili powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar (more or less)
6 cups water

Preparation

1. Clean the bittergourd by removing the spongy insides, chop into bite-sized pieces; dice the onions and tomatoes as well
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the vegetables plus a pinch of salt and sauté them for a bit
3. Add the sauce ingredients, stir well, cover and allow to simmer till the sauce reduces in volume by half
4. Taste and adjust flavors; if too spicy or sour, can always add more water, simmer some more; then thicken with rice flour, or corn starch
5. Serve with hot basmati rice, home-made naan or simple rotis

Curry Leaf Kuzhambu

Curry Leaf, known as Karuveppelai in Tamil, is ubiquitous in south Indian dishes either as garnish or as part of spice paste or even on its own in Curry Leaf Chutney.

Kuzhambu/Kozhambu is a south Indian thick and spicy stew served with rice. While Sambar typically has cooked mashed toor dal and vegetables in it to add some body and protein, Kozhambu is typically made when dal and seasonal vegetables are not handy, relying mostly on herbs and such for a bold flavor - garlic (Poondu Kozhambu), ginger (Inju Kozhambu), Molagu Kozhambu (Black pepper Kozhambu), Curry leaves as in this Curry Leaf Kozhambu...

I add vegetables to some of the kozhambu I make, but is usually optional... sometimes even some lentils like the Pottu Kadalai Kozhambu or Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu.

And this Curry Leaf Kozhambu features cauliflower, but can be omitted, or substituted with any other favorite vegetable.

Asafoetida is a staple in most south Indian kitchens, a pinch here with tempering, a pinch there in the simmering pot... a small jar of it lasts quite a while in my kitchen, thanks to its strong aroma and taste.

Ingredients
For the Curry Leaf Paste:
1 cup fresh curry leaves, chopped coarsely
1 Tbsp whole black pepper
2 to 4 dry red chilies (fewer if preferred)
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (optional)
4 Tbsp dry grated (unsweetened) coconut

For the kuzhambu:
1 cup Cauliflower florets
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp tamarind paste (I like Tamicon™ paste)
Cornstarch or rice flour for thickening
salt to taste
6 cups of water

Tempering: 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp asafoetida powder, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal

Preparation

1. Combine the curry leaf paste ingredients together, grind to a smooth paste, set aside
2. Tempering: Heat the oil in a large enough pot for making the kuzhambu, add the chana dal, then urad dal and when they turn golden brown, add the mustard seeds, and when they pop, add the asafoetida
3. At this point, can reserve some of this tempering for garnish or simply proceed with the kuzhambu
4. Add the onions, sautée till translucent, then add the kuzhambu ingredients, (except cornstarch or rice flour), cover and simmer till it is reduced in volume by one-third
5. Add the curry leaf paste, adjust salt to taste and simmer about 5 minutes longer
6. Thicken: mix a teaspoon of cornstarch or rice flour in cold water, add to the simmering kuzhambu, stirring constantly to thicken

Eggplant and Green Tomato Pottu Kadalai Kozhambu

Sometimes, the hardest part about sharing a recipe here for me is to come up with a name that describes it well. Now, the traditional dishes are easy - they have recognizable names that I can readily use/alter. But since fusion cuisine is my signature, and I tend to throw things together, rather than exotic-sounding names, I try to label the dish based on the ingredients used for easy reference :)

Anyway, the title Eggplant and Green Tomato Pottu Kadalai Kuzhambu covers the primary ingredients in this recipe. Kozhambu is a spicy sauce-dish from South India which can be made with practically any of the lentils, grams and vegetables common to the region, and is typically served with plain hot rice.

Pottu Kadalai is a staple in my mom's kitchen - used for chutney, podi (powder), urundai (caramelized balls - dessert). It roughly translates to roasted Bengal gram, although am not sure this is the common English name for it. When toasted lightly and powdered, Pottu Kadalai is quite versatile as a thickener for soups and even making sandwich spread (with other ingredients).

In this recipe, I make a simple base for the sauce, cook it with water for desired consistency, and top it with pan-fried green tomatoes, onions and eggplant. Of course, any favorite vegetable combination can be used, but, I just happened to have harvested these from my home-garden and was excited to use them.

The light tang from lemon juice and sun-dried tomatoes, combined with heat from black pepper and red chilies, balanced by the hint of brown sugar makes this quite a favorite at home. But, for a hot dish, simply leave out lemon juice and brown sugar and increase the chilies :)




Ingredients
2 green tomatoes
3 small Ichiban eggplant
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp canola oil
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste


for the sauce base:
4-6 Tbsp Pottu Kadalai (roasted split bengal gram)
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
2 Tbsp dry grated coconut
3-4 dry red chilies

Preparation

1. Combine the sauce-base ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a smooth paste, adding water as needed
2. Heat the oil in a pan and pan-fry the vegetables, remove from pan and keep handy
3. Add some turmeric powder, sauce paste, some water, some salt to the same pan and allow to simmer over medium-low heat gently till it starts to thicken, stirring constantly; if sauce is too watery, can add any favorite thickener - viz., arrowroot powder, cornstarch, rice powder or even pottu kadalai powder
4. Stir in lemon juice and brown sugar to taste and slide in the pan-fried vegetables
5. Serve warm with rice or naan or roti
6. Garnish with cilantro, spring onion, or even curry leaves if handy

Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu

This is a kozhambu (kuzhambu) aka stew my mom makes when she runs out of fresh seasonal veggies to make sambar with and needs to make something healthy.

Paruppu=Lentils; Urundai = round/ball.

Kuzhambu is a spicy sauce-dish from South India which can be made with practically any of the lentils, grams and vegetables common to the region, and is typically served with plain hot rice.

So, instead of veggies, this kuzhambu has lentil balls. Toor dal is soaked and ground to a fine paste, shaped into balls, steamed and boiled in kozhambu spices to make this delicious dish, usually had with plain rice.

I reserve some of the steamed lentil balls for another dish called 'paruppusili' which can be made with veggies like snake beans, bunch beans, capsicum etc.



Ingredients

for lentil balls:
1 cup toor dal
3 dry red chilies
3 cups water

tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal
2-3 curry leaves chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil

for kozhambu:
4 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
4 cups water
1/2 tsp asafoetida (optional)
1 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp cornstarch (for thickening)
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Lentil balls: soak the toor dal and dry red chilies in water for 30 mins; drain well; grind to a thick fine paste so as to be able to shape them into balls; add some salt to taste; shape them into balls about 2 inches in diameter; steam them till they are firm and cooked; set aside
2. heat oil in a pot, add the onions, asafoetida, pinch of salt and coriander+cumin powders; sauté well
3. add water, tamarind paste and brown sugar and let it come to a boil; lower the heat, add the steamed lentil balls one by one - as many as you'd like in the stew - gently into the pot and let them simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes or so
   
4. if it seems too watery, thicken with cornstarch: dissolve the cornstarch in a few Tbsp of water and slowly add it to the simmering pot and stir well till thickened; adjust salt to taste
5. in a small ladle or pan, get the tempering ready: heat oil in a pan, when the oils shimmers, add the urad dal, when they turn golden brown, add the mustard seeds, and when they pop and die down add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, off heat, set aside
6. when lentil balls seem to have absorbed the flavorful spices and feel like a loaded sponge, off heat, garnish with tempering, serve warm with basmati rice