Black Chikpeas Gravy, Kala Channa Curry (kadala curry)

Ingredients:

Black Chikpeas (Kala Channa) - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 (chopped)
Green Chillies - 2
Corriander Powder - 1.5 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/8 tsp

To Fry and grind

Pearl Onions - 4
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Ginger - 1" piece
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole Garam Masala - 2" cinnamon stick, 3 cloves,  2 cardamoms
Coconut - 1/2 cup (You can add more depending on the gravy you want)Tomato - 1 big

For Seasoning

Oil (preferably coconut oil) - 1 or 2 tblsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 spring
Dry Red Chillies - 2

Method:

1. Soak the black chikpeas overnight and pressure cook with salt, chopped onions and green chillies. It usually takes about 4 whistles.
2. In the meantime, dry roast all the ingredients under 'To Fry and Grind' except tomato.
3. Roast on a medium low flame till the coconut turns brown in colour. Be careful to do on low flame and not burn it.
4. Cool the mixture and make a smooth paste along with the tomato and required water.
5. Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
6. Add the dry red chillies and the ground masala. Fry for about 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the spice powders - red chilly powder, corriander powder and turmeric powder.
8. Add the cooked chikpeas. Bring everything to a boil, reduce the flame and let it simmer till the gravy thickens.
9. Check for salt and switch off. Garnish with some fresh curry leaves 

Milagu Kuzhambu

Ingredients:


Small lemon sized tamarind soaked in water
Salt to taste
Bit of asafoetida
Few curry leaves
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds

Roast and grind

2 tsp pepper
2 tsp redgram dal
2 tsp blackgram dal
3-4 red chillies

Method:

Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add curry leaves and tamarind extract. Allow it to come to a boil. Add salt, asafoetida and ground masala powder. Cook till it thickens. If required add a paste of rice flour and water to make it thick.

Serve with plain rice.

Udipi sambar

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked redgram dal
Few curry leaves
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp blackgram dal
Bit of asafoetida
1/2 cup cooked mixed vegetables
Lemon sized tamarind soaked in water
Salt to taste
1 onion sliced
Bit of jaggery
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 green chillies slit

Sambar onions-few

For masala paste-
2 tsp blackgram dal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
3-4 red chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 coconut-grated

Method:

Roast the masala ingredients in a drop of oil, cool and grind to smooth paste.

Heat the rest of the oil, add mustard seeds and blackgram dal. When it splutters, add curry leaves, onions, green chillies and asafoetida. Fry for a minute and add tamarind juice, turmeric powder, and mixed vegetables. Allow it to boil for 4-5 minutes and add salt, jaggery, mashed redgram dal. Mix well and finally add the masala paste. Add more water as required to make thick sambar and allow it to boil.

Serve with South Indian tiffin varieties and rice.

Paruppu Kuzhambu

Ingredients:


1 cup cooked red gram dal
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
A bit of asafoetida
Few curry leaves
A medium lemon sized tamarind soaked in water
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp sambar powder
Vegetable of your choice like potatoes, colacassia, raddish, sweet potato, pumpkin, capsicum, drumstick
1 medium tomato chopped


Method:

Heat oil, add mustard and fenugreek seeds. When it splutters add asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the tomato and vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Add tamarind juice, turmeric and cook covered till the vegetable gets soft. Add salt, sambar powder and finally the cooked dal and mix well. You should have a thick sambar, else you can add a paste of rice flour and water to it and allow it to boil. That will make the sambar thick.

Serve with rice or breakfast.

Hotel Sambar

Ingredients:


1 cup cooked redgram dal
1/2 cup cooked greengram dal
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in water
1 tsp jaggery
Finely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 big onion-chopped
1 tomato-chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves

Masala powder-

3 tsp coriander seeds
3 tsp bengalgram dal
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2-3 Red chillies
2 tsp rice

Method:

Roast the coriander seeds, bengalgram dal and fenugreek seeds in a drop of oil. Then roast the red chillies seperately. Cool and grind all the masala ingredients together.

Heat 1 tsp oil, add mustard seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves and then the onions. Fry for a minute and add tomatoes. When it becomes mushy, add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder and jaggery. Cook for 3-4 minutes and add the masala paste. Then add the cooked dals and more water as required. Cook for five minutes till the sambar is of the desired consistency and garnish with coriander leaves.

Tastes great with rice or South Indian breakfasts like idli, dosa, upma and pongal.

Appalam kuzhambu

Ingredients:

2 fried urad papads (plain- as made in South India)

2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp bengalgram dal

1 tsp blackgram dal

Few curry leaves

Bit of asafoetida

1 cup juice from a small ball of tamarind soaked in warm water

2 tsp sambar powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, bengalgram dal and blackgram dal. When it splutters, add curry leaves, asafoetida and tamarind juice. Add turmeric powder and boil for few minutes. Add sambar water, salt and 2 more cups of water and allow it to boil for some time. When a bit thick, add the fried appalam broken into uneven pieces.

Serve with rice.

Vatral Kuzhambu

Ingredients:


4 to 5 okra cut into big pieces
A small lemon sized tamarind (soaked in water and thick juice extracted)
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp blackgram dal
1 tsp bengalgram dal
1/4 tsp asafoetida
Few curry leaves
2 tsp sambar powder
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder


Method:

Heat oil, add mustard, fenugreek, blackgram dal and bengal gram dal. When it starts spluttering, add curry leaves, asafoetida and okra. Fry for a minute and add the tamarind juice. Add turmeric, salt and sambar powder and mix well.

Let it come to a boil and become thick.

Serve with rice.

Whole Moong Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole Moong
1 small cup Red gram dal
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
½ lemon size Tamarind
Sambar powder- 2 tsp
¼ tsp Mustard seeds
¼ tsp Fenugreek
Salt to taste
Asafoetida- a pinch
2 tsp oil
Curry leaves and coriander leaves

Method:

Pressure cook whole moong or payaru and red gram dal. Soak tamarind in water and extract the juice.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When it starts spluttering, add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida.

When it starts boiling, add cooked dal and whole moong.

If required add dilute paste of rice flour to make the Curry  thick.

Moru Curry

Ingredients:

2 cups Sour curd

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Asafoetida- a bit

2 tbsp Rice flour

Curry leaves-few

2 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

To be grinded to a paste-

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 Green chillies

1 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Bengalgram dal

2 tsp Grated coconut

Method:

Roast coriander seeds and bengalgram dal till golden brown. Now grind it along with other masala ingredients to a fine paste.

Add turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida, curry leaves and rice flour to the curd along with some water and mix well.

Now add the masala paste to the buttermilk and cook till it becomes thick. Dont cook it for long.

Heat oil in a seperate pan and add mustard seeds. Add this to the Curry.

You can add cooked ladies finger or pumpkin to this Curry.

Tomato Sambar

Ingredients:

Cooked red gram dhal- 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder-1/2 tea spoon
Salt- as required
Curry leaves & coriander leaves- 2 tsp
Tomato-2 ( chop into cubes )


Fry in oil and grind together:


cumin seed -1 tsp( jeera )
Green chillies -7
Chopped tomatoes -3/4 cup
( Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbl spoon )
add coconut while grinding


Method:
 Mash dhal well. Add other ingredients with ground paste and enough water.
Boil till raw flovour is lost. Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.
And serve.