Chettinad Vatha kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Tamarind - 1big gooseberry size.

Dry red chilly - 3-4

Brinjal -small 5-6

Garlic cloves -5

Urad dal -2 tsp

Mustard seeds -1 tsp

Methi (fenugreek) seeds -1 tsp

Coriander (daniya ) seeds -1 tsp

Toor dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal -1 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Onion -1 big

Sambar powder - 3 tsps

Curry leaves - few

Salt as required

Oil

Method:

Fry coriander seeds, chana dal, toor dal, methi seeds without adding oil till it becomes brown.

Grind these ingredients into masala powder.

Cut the brinjals lengthwise into half and the half into two,wash nicely and put them in water and keep aside.

Heat a kadai with oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and methi seeds and fry till it becomes brown.

Now add curry leaves, dry red chillies and garlic chopped into pieces and also onion chopped into pieces and fry till it becomes soft.

Now add the sambar powder and fry.

Now add the tamarind extract liquid and brinjal pieces and allow it to boil.

Add the powdered masala powder to the boiling solution.

Lower the heat and let the kuzhambu boil for some time with all the mixtures.

After the vatha kuzhambu becomes thick, remove from fire .

Now serve the vatha kuzhambu hot with Rice and papad and some curd pachadi (raitha)

Thavala vadai (Chettinadu)

I love certain Chettinadu vegetarian cuisines. I love this thavala vadai which is very crispy and tasty. All of us in our family love this vadai, I make it once in a while and I even treat the guests with this vadai, and they all love it.

Ingredients:

Tur dhal (red gram dhal) -1/2 cup

Urad dhal (black gram dhal) -1/2 cup

Chana dhal (bengal gram dhal) -1/2 cup

Boiled rice -3/4 cup

Ginger -1 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies -3

Grated fresh coconut -1 cup

Oil for frying

Salt - as required

For grinding:

Red chillies -3

Asafoetida (hing) a pinch

Method:

Soak the dhals and rice for 1 hour.

Filter the water and grind them with red chillies and hing.Do not add water while grinding, make it a coarse batter.

Finely chop the ginger and green chillies.

In a pan pour oil, add mustard seeds, chopped ginger and finely chopped green chillies and curry leaves and add this to the coarse batter with fresh grated coconut.

Now wet your palm with water and take balls of the batter and flatten it in your palm and put it in the oil and deep fry.

Now the vadais are ready for consumption.

You can have these vadais with either coconut chutney, tomato onion chutney or green coriander or pudina chutney.

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