SIMPLE CHICKEN KOLAMBU

 This yummy  dish goes well with plain rice, idli or dosa.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken    1/2kg
Big onion     3 no (one onion for tempering)
Tomato       2 no
Ginger        1/2"piece
Garlic         1 no
Sambar powder    2 tbsp
Turmeric powder   1/2 tsp
Cinnmon           1 piece
Cloves               2 no
Oil                5-6 tbsp
Salt               to taste
Curry leaves and coriander leaves  few

Method:
Cut the chicken into small pieces.Clean and keep aside.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in kadai. Add chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger.
Saute well till the tomatoes are mashed well. Cool and grind to paste.
To the pressure pan add chicken, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and groun paste.
Add enough water and cook for one whistle.
When the steam is gone, boil the gravy for 3 mins.
Heat the remaining oil in another kadi.Season with cinnmon,cloveas and curry leaves.Add
chopped onions and saute well. Add this to the boiling kolambu.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

MANATHAKKALI VATTAL KULAMBU

INGREDIENTS :

Manathakkali Vattal        1/2 cup

Small onion                     1 cup

Garlic                             1 no

Tamarind                        a big lemon size

Tomato                           1 small

Turmeric powder            1/4tsp

Sambar Powder              3 tbsp

Jaggery                          2 tbsp

Salt                                to taste

For Seasoning:

Gingelly oil                5-6 tbsp

Mustard                   1  tsp

Methi seeds              1/2tsp

Curry leaves             few

Red chilly                 1 no

Method :

Chop the onions and soak tamarind in a cup of water and extract juice.

Heat oil in kadai and add mustard, red chilly and methi seeds. After spluttering add curry leaves.Now add the manathakkali vattal and saute for few mins.

Add onions and garlic, saute in medium flame till the onions are soft.

Add tomatoes and cook till soft.

Now put turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.

Pour the tamarind extract. Cover and cook till raw smell goes.

When cooked, and oil leaves at the sides add jaggery and switch off the gas.

Serve for steaming white rice, idli or dosa.

Note : Generally all vatrals will have heavy salt, so add salt after checking. The same procedure can be followed for other type of vatrals also. The kolambu will taste excellent the next day. The kolambu must not be too watery.

PASIPARUPPU KADASAL

INGREDIENTS:
Pasiparuppu (whole moong dal)   1 cup
Small onion      1/2 cup
Green chillies   3-4 no
Coriander seeds   1 tbsp
Turmeric powder    1/4 tsp
Salt                   to taste
Temper:
Oil             2 tbsp
Mustard     1 tsp
Jeera         1 tsp
Curry leaves    few
Method:
Wash the moong dal and pressure cook till soft.When cooked mash  roughly.
Heat oil in kadai and temper with the items give.
Add small onions,green chillies, crushed coriander seeds and turmeric powder.Saute till onions are soft.
Add mashed dal and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook for 5 mins.
Serve for steamed rice with appalam and a dash of ghee.

POTATO KOLUMBU

This kolumbu is often made by my mom as its her invention. Its ideal for idli, dosa and puri. Whenever I prepare this, my mind thinks of the days when my mom  prepares this with small onions which gives a unique taste.But we rarely get small onions at my place, so I used to prepare with big onion.
INGREDIENTS :
Potato    2 no (boiled)
Small onion   1 handful
Tomato         2 no (chopped)
Sambar powder   2 tbsp
Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
Salt         to taste
Oil            3 tbsp
Garlic          2 pods with skin
For seasoning:
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad dal          1 tsp
Curry leaves     few

For Masala:
Coconut       4 tbsp
Chutney dal   2 tbsp
Cinnamon     1/2" piece
Cloves         1 no
Saunf           2 tsp
METHOD:
Grind the items given for masala to a fine paste with little water.
Heat oil and start seasoning.Now add chopped small onion and tomato and saute well till the tomatoes are cooked.
Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt. Add enough water and cook till raw smell goes.
Add cooked potatoes by mashing roughly with hands.
Add the masala paste and needed water and cook for about 3 mins. Switch off the gas.
Add crushed garlic to the kolumbu and serve hot.
As chutney dal is added the kolumbu will be little thick.
Hearty thanks to Gayathri for conducting a wonderful event.Sure all the participants and readers will have a cut down memory lane.

CHICKEN KOLUMBU

Prepared this kolumbu  last week. It was perfect for parotta and idli.But it also goes well with rice and any indian bread.There is no ginger garlic paste,yet this kolumbu tastes great.
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken       1/2 kg
Small onion   a handfull
Big onion      1 No(chopped)
Tomato        1 No (chopped)
Curry leaves    few
Coconut     1/4 cup
Turmeric powder   1/4 tsp
Oil            4-5 tbsp
Mustard seeds    2 tsp
Salt           to taste
For Masala
Red chillies       5-6 no
Sombu (saunf)    2 tbsp
Jeera                  1 tbsp
Pepper                2 tsp
Cardamom, cinnmon and cloves   each one piece
Coriander seeds     2 tbsp
Oil                       2 tsp
Heat oil and fry all these spices to golden colour and powder it.
METHOD :Wash chicken and keep aside.
Saute the small onions in a tbsp of oil to golden colour.Grind to smooth paste.
Grind the coconut to a smooth paste.
Heat oil in kadai and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Then add onions and small onion paste and saute well. Add tomato and cook till soft.
Now add the chicken pieces and saute well for about 10 mins.Add the powdered masala and saute for about 5 mins.
Now add little water and salt. Cover and cook.
When the chicken is cooked add the coconut paste and cook  for 5 mins.
Serve for rice and tiffin items.

KATHIRIKKAI (BRINJAL) KARA KOLAMBU

INGREDIENTS:
Brinjal     4no.
Small Onion     1handfull
Big onion         1  no(chopped)
Tomato           1 no chopped
Garlic              1 no
Coconut          2 tbsp
Sambar powder   2 tbsp
Tamarind             gooseberry size
Turmeric powder    1/4 tsp
Salt                      to taste
Gingelly oil          5 tbsp
For tempering :
Mustard  seeds   1tsp
Fenugreek          1/4 tsp
Curry leaves       few.
METHOD :
Heat a tbsp of oil and saute small onions till soft. Grind sauted onion with coconut and sambar powder to a smooth paste.
Slit the brinjals.Heat oil in kadai temper with mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add fresh curry leaves and chopped onionand tomato. Cook till they are soft.
Add the brinjals and cook in oil till soft. Add the ground paste, turmeric powder and cook till raw smell goes.
Add tamarind and salt and cook till oil leaves the sides.
Serve for white rice with appalam.
NOTE : Always use small onions for grinding.Gingelly oil gives nice flavour to this dish.

MORKULAMBU

Just luv morkulambu for its simplicity in preperation and greatness in taste.We can prepare this using any vegetable  like ash guard,cucumber,arbi etc or even use masal vadas.Here I have used ash guard.I'll post the other versions in the near future.
INGREDIENTS :
Ash guard    1 cup chopped into big pieces
Butter milk    1 cup
Turmeric powder    1 pinch
Salt  to taste
For wet masala:
Coconut    2 tbsp
Red chillies   3
Jeera          1 tbsp
Toor dal     1 tbsp
Raw rice    1 tbsp
Ginger        1/4" piece
For Seasoning :
Coconut oil    1 tbsp
Mustard        1 tsp
Hing             1/4 tsp
Curry leaves   few
METHOD :
Marinate rice, toordal, jeera and red chillies in little water and then grind to smooth paste with coconut.
Cook the ash guard separately.
Mix the wet masala with buttermilk,cooked ash guard, turmeric and salt.Add about one cup of water.
Simmer in low flame stirring in between.When the raw smell goed switch off the stove.
Heat another kadai and start seasoning.Add this to the kulambu.Mix well.
Serve for steamed rice.
Note: Morkulambu tastes better if the buttermilk is one day old.Always use coconut oil and fresh curry leaves.

SUNDAIKAI PULI KOLAMBU

Sundaikai is known as turkey berry in English. It helps to clean our intestines. We should make our children to consume this vegetable as this is a NATURAL DEWORMER.

INGREDIENTS :
Fresh Sundaikai    1 cup
Small onion         1cup
Garlic            1
Tomato        1 No
Tamarind        lemon size ball
Sambar powder     2 tbsp
Turmeric powder    1 tsp
Gingelly Oil         6 tbsp
Jaggery            1 tbsp
Salt             to taste
Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds    1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds    ½ tsp
Curry leaves    few
METHOD :
Wash the berry and press lightly as we press garlic. The berry should just open a little. Wash the berries in running water twice.
Heat oil in kadai add the items for seasoning one by one.
Add the chopped small onions and sauté till the onions are soft. Now put peeled garlic, tomato and berries and cook till the berries are tender.
Add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for 5 mins stirring in between.Cook till oil separates.
Add tamarind juice and enough water and cook till raw smell goes.
Check for salt and add jaggery and cook till the kolambu thickens.
Serve with  steaming white rice and appalam.