Karamani Kuzhambu | Thatta Payir Kara Kuzhambu | Spicy Black-eyed Peas Gravy

Preparation time: 5 hours (for soaking karamani)

Cooking time: 20-30 mins 

Mutton Kuzhambu | Spicy Mutton Gravy

I rarely make mutton or lamb in my kitchen. Since it has too much of cholesterols and fat I prefer not to take it more. This gravy is one among the rare recipe I make with mutton. In Calif I can see variety of mutton and lamb cuts. This time I bought mutton with the bones on it. I love the bones of the mutton and the trick is to get the bones cooked really very soft.

You can call this as a kuzhambu or gravy which is delicious when served with dosa or idli. Even with idyappam and appam this is the best combo ever. I made this curry for our Sunday lunch and had with Black pepper lamb curry. It made our spiciest Sunday ever… try out the recipe and let me know the comments and reviews. Now to the recipe!!!

Preparation time: 15mins

Cooking time: 30-40 mins

Vendakkai Kara Kuzhambu | Bhindi Masala | Okra Masala

This is simple South Indian gravy which can be done in thirty mins or so. I have got few request to upload traditional kuzhambu recipes and here comes my first recipe of making vendakkai kara kuzhambu. Amma always have the method of adding coconut milk in her kuzhambu varieties to suppress the heat in the kuzhambu and it also enhances the taste… I generally don’t like to eat kuzhambu with idli or dosa, but this kuzhambu is an exception. Since we add coconut milk it gives an extra ordinary flavor and it can even be served for idli or dosa.

Click here to know “how to get rid of the stickiness in okras”

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20-30 mins

Vengaya Sambar | Shallots Sambar Recipe

I have already posted two different method of doing sambar. The tiffin sambar is the best one for all the breakfast recipes and the instant sambar are speciliazed for bachelors and the working women. Now am going to post a basic recipe “vengaya sambar”.  You can even add any veggie of choice to this basic sambar recipe and change accordingly.

I used shallots (sambar vengayam) in this recipe. These are just the onions but quite smaller in size. Even though it is smaller in size it has all the health benefits than the regular onions… and there is no compensation in taste too. It has a rich amount of iron and fiber which helps to reduce ur cholesterol level. You can use these shallots in ur day to day recipes instead of the regular onions. But these are quite costlier than the regular ones. Let’s move to the recipe quickly!!!

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

More Kuzhambu | Mor Kuzhambu | Butter milk Curry - Without Coconut

The simplicity of the recipe makes me to do this kuzhambu again and again. If u have lots of sour curd in home and you don’t know what to do with dat? Here is the recipe to make use of that…. Mor/More Kuzhambu!!!  Am giving the basic recipe and you can improvise that by adding different veggies of choice. Mostly ladies finger (vendakkai), ash gourd (posanikkai), chayote (chou chou), taro root (seppankizhangu) are used in the recipe. 

Amma sometimes makes vadai and dunk it in the gravy. I love the taste of this kuzhambu when prepared with coconut oil. Try out the recipe and let me know ur reviews…

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5-7 minutes

Instant Sambar | Simple way to make Sambar

Prep & cooking time: 20 to 30 minutes

Seeraga Kuzhambu | Jeera Kuzhambu Recipe

I always make sure to add lots of cumin seeds in my recipes. The reason behind is “it helps in digestion” and most importantly it cures the stomach infections. So at least in a month I try to make this kuzhambu for rice.  

This gravy will help you, when u doesn’t have any veggies in hand. I served it on a lazy Saturday with a spoon full of ghee on top along with Appala Kootu which makes the perfect combination.

Click to check my other recipe with jeera.

Preparation time: 5minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu | Urundai Kuzhambu

Preparation time: 20 minutes (includes steaming step)Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Poricha Kuzhambu - Poritha Kuzhambu

Poricha kuzhambu or poritha kuzhambu is something which all the veggies are cooked nicely in the oil. It can be made with or without dal. Mostly people use moong dal/pasi paruppu for making poricha kuzhambu. Here am making without dal. Adding the coconut and cumin paste at the end gives the kuzhambu an extraordinary taste. 

Tiffin Sambar - Idli Sambar

We, South-Indians always have a love towards Idli and sambar. We usually make different varieties of sambar. A normal sambar for rice, arachivitta sambar, keerai sambar, manga sambar and the list goes on. In all this sambar varieties one of my very own favorite is tiffin sambar. This is the one which is served only with South-Indian breakfast.

I would say a perfect combination for idly is sambar and chutney. I love to dunk the idlis in hot sambar glazed with different chutneys of top…. Ahh... how lovely it will be…   The sambar which we get in HSB is my favorite one. I ll go mad for dat sambar and the chutneys they serve.

Amma makes this tiffin sambar on Sundays for breakfast. I ll not say it ll replicate the HSB sambar but somewhat nearing to that. I ll pour the sambar on top of mini idlis with a spoon full of ghee. Hmmmm yummy!!!! Here I don’t have mini idli plates. So, I served with normal idlis.

Preparation time: 3-5 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Poondu-Milagu Kuzhambu - Kuzhambu Recipes

Poondu-Milagu Kuzhambu - Kuzhambu Recipes

The worst part in life is getting running nose and sore throat together. I have been going through my own worst-est ever part in my life...  haaaatcchhu….!!!  I neva used to take medicines for my running nose... I wonder from where this word “running nose” comes from ... is dat mean ur nose is running some where??  Aahha … leave dat... This is not a post about running nose … 

So ultimately I made this kuzhambu for my sore throat and on eating it with a spoon full of ghee on top makes me to feel heaven…  I served it with vazhakkai podimas

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Vavval Meen Kuzhambu Recipe | Tamilnadu Style Fish Curry Recipe

I love Meen kuzhambhu the most. When it is served with hot steamed rice and with the side of Fish Fry, ah!!! I will be satisfied for the entire day. Amma used to make fish for almost all the Sunday, since I and appa are crazy fish lovers. Appa always need kuzhambu(gravy) and I prefer fried fish. So, not to disappoint both of us, amma makes both the method on the same day. She makes Kuzhambu in a clay pot (Manchatti) which gives an extra-ordinary flavor to the kuzhambhu. As everyone used to tell meen kuzhambu tastes better the next day. This is because of the flavor of the fish getting soaked in the tamarind gravy for the entire day. The same thing is applicable even for biryani. Amma always makes the kuzhambu using sesame oil ( nalla ennai) which is obviously good for health rather compared with other oil stuffs and it also enhances the flavor more. The main tactics to get the kuzhambu perfect is cooking the fish. Fish needs just 4-5 mins for cooking perfectly. So never ever cook it more than the time.

Buy fresh fish for making kuzhambu. When I was in Minnesota, there was no shop to provide good and fresh fish. But here in California I found a Chinese market to provide live, fresh and good fish. Am so lucky in that way!!! This time I bought Pomfret/pomapano, in tamil we call Vavval. Since TH loves fish with no bones, we bought this. As like amma’s method I made Meen kuzhambu with little of Fish and the rest I made Vavval Fish Fry. Check therecipe here.  

Preparation time: 20- 30 mins ( for cleaning the fish)

Cooking time: 20-30mins

Chicken Kuzhambhu | South Indian Chicken Curry

Chicken has been TH’s favorite. If I make anything out of it he will have it for sure. I have tried many other recipes and thought of sharing this simple gravy as a basic.  

This goes as a great combination with idli, dosa, idyappam, chapathi as well as rice. 

Preparation time: 5 minutes

cooking time: 15-20 minutes