Spicy Tomato Curry (Tomato Kozhumbhu)

This curry is one of the dishes belonging to the Kongunadu cuisine. I cooked this dish following the instructions given here by indosungod. When I was searching for dry red chillies in my kitchen pantry, I realized that I ran out of it. So for a replacement, I used sambar powder. We loved the sour taste and enjoyed it with hot, soft and fluffy idlis.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 3 (medium-diced)
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Shallots/Pearl onions - 15 (peeled and sliced)
Curry leaves - 6
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp (chopped)
Oil
Salt (to taste)

To Blend:
Coconut (grated) - 2 tbsp
Red onions - 1/2 (chopped)

Method:
Heat 1/2 tsp of oil and fry the chopped red onions till it becomes brown.
Add the grated coconut and mix well and fry for a minute.
Blend them into a smooth paste.
In a kadai, heat oil and add the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the sliced pearl onions and fry till brown.
Add the curry leaves.
Add the diced tomatoes and saute till it becomes half mushy.
Now add the blended paste, sambar powder and mix.
Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
Finally, add the salt and coriander leaves.
Serves as a good side dish for idlis, dosas and paniyarams.

Sent off to Priya's "RCI-Kongunadu Cuisine".

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Karamani Sweet Sundal

Ingredients:

Karamani/Brown black eyed peas - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1/2 cup (powdered)

Coconut (grated) - 1 tbsp

Cardamom - 2 (crushed)

Salt

Ghee - 1/4 tsp

Dry Ginger powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Soak the black eyed peas overnight or for 8 hours.

Strain the peas, add water & little salt and cook them.

Melt the jaggery by adding little water and strain to remove the dusts. Then heat till it changes into a thick syrup.

Add the peas to the jaggery and mix well.

Add the coconut, dry ginger powder, cardamom and ghee.

This is my entry sent off to Shanthi Krishna Kumar's "Dussehra, Dhanteras & Deepavali" event and Saraswathi Iyer's "Sweets and Savouries" event.

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Rava Coconut Laddu

This laddu is one of my family's favorite laddus which is very easy to make. It's rava laddu made with shredded coconut.

Ingredients:
Rava/Semolina - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup (powdered)
Coconut (grated) - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp + 1.5 tsp for frying.
Cardamom -1 pinch (powdered)
Milk - 1/2 to 3/4 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 5 (broken)
Raisin - 6

Method:
Fry the rava in 1 tsp of ghee till a nice aroma arises and cool.
Fry the grated coconut till it changes to golden colour in low-heat.
Meanwhile fry the cashews and raisins in ghee.
Grind the rava but it shouldn't be too powdery.
In a wide plate add the rava, coconut, sugar, cashew, raisins and mix.
Now pour the melted ghee on this mixture.
Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp to 3/4 tbsp of warm milk.
Make balls immediately out of the mixture.

Sent off to EC's "WYF-Festive Food Event", Saraswathi Iyer's "Sweets and Savouries" event and Shanti Krishna Kumar's "Dusshera, Dhanteras & Deepavali" event.

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Sambar for Idli and Chickpeas Sundal

Sambar
Everybody loves sambar. Am I right? It's true as everybody in my family loves any sambar- whether home-made or outside ones. Even my kids wipe sambar off the plate! Sometimes they'd have it as soup!

Ingredients:

Arhar Dal -1/2 cup

Moong dal (yellow) - 1/2 cup

Shallots - 15 (skin peeled)

Ginger - (grated) - 2tsp

Green chillies - 3 (slit)

Tomatoes -2 (chopped)

Sambar powder - 1 .25tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves - 5

Corainder leaves - 2 tsp (chopped)

Oil

Method:

Boil the dals, shallots and green chilli in a pressure cooker with required water.

Heat the oil in a pan.

Add mustard, cumin seeds and asafoetida.

When mustard seeds crackle, add ginger and saute.

Add the tomato pieces and fry.

Add salt, sambar, coriander, turmeric powder and mix well.

Add the dals and mix (slightly mash the dals and add water if required).

Add the curry leaves ,jaggery and coriander leaves.

Serve with hot idlis.

Chickpeas sundal

I already made chickpeas sundal before. This is just a twisted version with mixed chickpeas and chaat masala.

Ingredients:
White channa - 1/2 cup (boiled)

Black channa - 1/2 cup (boiled)

Red chillies - 2 (cut into half)

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai and add the mustard, cumin seeds and urad dal.

When the mustard seeds crackle, add the boiled chickpeas (if required add salt).

Add the chaat masala and lemon juice.

Serve immediately.

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Tomato Pasta Soup

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 4

Pasta - 3/4 cup (cooked)

Carrot - 1 (medium)

Cabbage - 1/4 cup (shredded)

Beans - 8 (chopped)

Onion - 1 (chopped)

Oregano (dry) - 1 tsp

Basil leaves (fresh) - 4 leaves chopped

Pepper

Salt (to taste)

Olive Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Peel and chop the tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions.

Add the beans and carrot & saute.

Add 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

After 4 minutes, add the shredded cabbage and tomatoes.

Cook till all the veggies become tender.

Cool and puree them.

Again bring it to a boil.

While boiling, add the pasta, oregano, basil, pepper powder and salt.

Serve hot with grated cheese (I didn't add cheese).

Sent off to Sireesha's Soup 'N' Juice event.

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Sweet Corn Soup

Ingredients:

Corn kernels - 1 can

Beans - 8 (chopped)

Cabbage - 1/4 cup

Green peas - 1/4 cup

Carrot - 1 (medium-chopped)
Corn flour - 1 tbsp

Pepper

Salt (to taste)

Method:

In a pan add beans, peas, cabbage, carrot and 2 cups of water.

Bring the veggies to a boil.

Once they are done, add the corns and boil (if necessary add required water).

Mix cornflour in little water without any lumps.

Pour this in the veggies.

Mix well.

Add salt and pepper powder.

Serve hot.

Sent off to Sireesha's "Soup N Juice" event.

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