RAG Demo

Tag: Easy to make

  • Kara Kuzhambu

    Kara kuzhambu means spicy gravy, and it is the dish Tamil homes make when they want something bold without dal. It is built on tamarind, gingelly oil and a generous amount of chilli, and is cooked down until the oil floats on top. Because of the tamarind and oil it keeps for two or three days without refrigeration, so it was a practical dish in villages.

    Small onions and whole garlic cloves are the classic vegetables, often with brinjal, drumstick or ladies finger. The gravy is thick, glossy and sharply sour-hot, with sweetness from the shallots and a touch of jaggery. A small amount goes a long way, mixed into hot rice with a spoon of gingelly oil.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegan
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstamarind / shallots / garlic / brinjal / gingelly oil

    Ingredients

    • lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 2 cups warm water
    • 4 tbsp gingelly oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 15 shallots, peeled
    • 12 garlic cloves, peeled
    • 3 small brinjals, quartered
    • 1 tomato, chopped
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tbsp sambar powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • 1 tsp rice flour mixed in 2 tbsp water (optional)

    Method

    1. Extract thick tamarind water from the soaked tamarind, about 2 cups, and strain.
    2. Heat gingelly oil in a clay pot or heavy kadai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds, and when they splutter add fenugreek, chana dal and red chillies. Fry until the fenugreek turns reddish brown, about 30 seconds, but not black.
    3. Add curry leaves, shallots and garlic and fry for 5-6 minutes until the shallots are soft and golden.
    4. Add the brinjal and fry for 3 minutes, then add tomato and cook until mushy.
    5. Lower the heat, add turmeric, sambar powder and chilli powder and stir for 1 minute so the spices roast in the oil without burning.
    6. Pour in the tamarind water, add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer on low-medium heat uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the brinjal is soft, the gravy thickens and oil separates and floats on top.
    7. Stir in jaggery. If the gravy is still thin, add the rice flour slurry and simmer 2 minutes more.
    8. Rest for at least 30 minutes before serving; kara kuzhambu tastes better a few hours later.

    Tips

    • Gingelly oil is essential for the authentic taste; groundnut oil is the only reasonable substitute.
    • Do not rush the simmering; the raw tamarind taste must cook out completely.
    • Sun-dried sundakkai or manathakkali vathal fried in the oil at the start turns this into vatha kuzhambu.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with a spoon of gingelly oil, appalam and keerai poriyal or a mild kootu.

  • Beans Poriyal

    Poriyal is the generic Tamil word for a dry vegetable stir-fry, and beans poriyal is one of the most common on a weekday lunch plate. It is light, not oily, and relies on the freshness of the beans and a handful of grated coconut rather than spice powders. The same method works for cabbage, carrot or cluster beans.

    The beans are chopped very fine so they cook quickly and stay bright green with a slight bite. The tempering of urad dal adds a nutty crunch, and coconut gives sweetness. It is a side dish rather than a main, served alongside sambar or rasam with rice, and it travels well in a lunchbox.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time12 minutes
    Total time27 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsfrench beans / coconut / urad dal / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    • 250 g French beans, strings removed, chopped into 5 mm pieces
    • 1 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 1 dry red chilli, broken
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • pinch of asafoetida
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 3 tbsp water
    • 1/3 cup freshly grated coconut

    Method

    1. Wash the beans before chopping, not after, so they do not get waterlogged. Chop them finely and evenly.
    2. Heat coconut oil in a kadai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter fully.
    3. Add urad dal and red chilli and fry until the dal turns golden, about 40 seconds. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.
    4. Add the beans, turmeric and salt and toss for 1 minute to coat in the oil.
    5. Sprinkle 3 tbsp water, cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring once, until the beans are tender but still green with a slight crunch.
    6. Uncover and cook for another minute on medium heat to dry off any remaining water.
    7. Switch off the heat, add the grated coconut and toss well. Serve warm.

    Tips

    • Add coconut only after switching off the heat, otherwise it dries out and loses its sweetness.
    • Do not add too much water; the beans should steam, not boil.
    • A tablespoon of soaked moong dal cooked along with the beans makes a more filling version.

    Serve with

    Rice with sambar, rasam or mor kuzhambu.

  • Curd Rice

    No Tamil meal is complete without thayir sadam at the end. After the heat of sambar and rasam, curd rice settles the stomach and cools the body, which matters in a state where summer temperatures stay high for months. It is also served at temples, packed for journeys, and given to children and anyone with an upset stomach.

    Good curd rice is creamy and loose, never stiff. The rice is cooked soft and mashed while warm, then mixed with fresh curd and a little milk so that it does not turn too sour as it sits. The tempering adds crunch and a gentle heat, and grated carrot, cucumber, grapes or pomegranate are common additions in homes and restaurants.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time30 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / curd / milk / ginger / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    For the rice

    • 1 cup raw ponni or sona masoori rice
    • 3.5 cups water
    • 1.5 cups fresh thick curd
    • 1/2 cup boiled and cooled milk
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1 small carrot, grated
    • 2 tbsp pomegranate arils (optional)

    For the tempering

    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • pinch of asafoetida
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Wash the rice and pressure cook with 3.5 cups water for 4-5 whistles on medium heat so it is very soft. Let the pressure drop naturally.
    2. While still warm, mash the rice well with a ladle until it is creamy, with only a few whole grains left. Spread it out to cool until just lukewarm.
    3. Add the milk first and mix; this stops the curd from turning sour quickly. Then add the curd and salt and stir until smooth and loose. Add a few spoons of water if it feels thick.
    4. Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add urad dal and fry until light golden.
    5. Add ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for 20-30 seconds.
    6. Pour the tempering over the rice, add the grated carrot and coriander and mix well.
    7. Top with pomegranate if using. Serve at room temperature or chill for 30 minutes on a hot day.

    Tips

    • Never mix curd into hot rice; it splits and turns grainy.
    • Curd rice thickens as it rests, so keep it looser than you want to eat it, especially for lunchboxes.
    • For temple style, add a few chopped cashews to the tempering and a little cream instead of milk.

    Serve with

    Mango or lime pickle, mor milagai (sun-dried curd chillies) or a spoon of vatha kuzhambu.

  • Lemon Rice

    Elumichai sadam is one of the variety rices of Tamil Nadu, packed in tiffin boxes, carried on train journeys and offered at temples. It was designed to travel: the lemon and turmeric keep it fresh for hours at room temperature, and it tastes best when it has rested a while and the rice has soaked up the tempering.

    Each grain should be separate, bright yellow and glossy, with crunch from roasted peanuts and dals and a clean sourness from the lemon. It is never mushy. Families make it on busy mornings with leftover rice, and it is standard fare for festival days like Aadi Perukku, when several flavoured rices are cooked together.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegan
    CourseRice
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time10 minutes
    Total time20 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / lemon / peanuts / green chillies / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups cooked rice (from 1 cup raw sona masoori or ponni), cooled
    • 3 tbsp gingelly or groundnut oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 3 tbsp raw peanuts
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 dry red chilli, broken
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tbsp)
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Spread the cooked rice on a plate so it cools completely and the grains separate. Freshly cooked hot rice breaks and turns pasty.
    2. Heat oil in a wide kadai on medium heat. Fry the peanuts for 2-3 minutes until they crackle and the skins darken in spots; lift them out and keep aside.
    3. In the same oil add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add chana dal and urad dal and fry for about 1 minute until golden.
    4. Add green chillies, red chilli, ginger and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds until the leaves are crisp.
    5. Lower the heat, add asafoetida and turmeric, stir for 5 seconds and immediately switch off the heat so the turmeric does not burn.
    6. Add the salt and lemon juice to the tempering off the heat and stir. Cooking lemon juice makes it bitter.
    7. Add the rice and peanuts and gently fold with a flat spatula until every grain is evenly yellow. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.
    8. Mix in coriander and let the rice rest for 15-20 minutes before serving for the flavours to settle.

    Tips

    • Always add lemon juice off the heat.
    • Day-old refrigerated rice works very well; bring it to room temperature first.
    • For temple style, skip ginger and add a pinch of fenugreek powder to the tempering.

    Serve with

    Potato fry, appalam and a cup of curd, or coconut chutney for a lunchbox.

  • Tomato Rasam

    Rasam sits at the centre of a Tamil meal, served after sambar and before curd rice. Tomato rasam is the everyday version made in most Tamil homes several times a week, and every family has its own balance of tamarind, tomato and pepper. It needs no rasam powder; freshly crushed pepper, cumin and garlic do the work.

    The texture should be thin and clear, almost like a broth, with the solids settled at the bottom. It tastes sour, peppery and warm, with the fragrance of coriander and curry leaves. Many people drink it from a tumbler when they have a cold, and it is often the first food given to someone recovering from fever.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSoup
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time30 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstomato / tamarind / black pepper / cumin / garlic

    Ingredients

    For the rasam

    • 3 ripe tomatoes
    • small lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup warm water
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 2.5 cups water
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves with stems

    For the tadka

    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 dry red chilli, broken
    • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
    • a few curry leaves

    Method

    1. Squeeze the soaked tamarind well and strain to get about 1 cup of thin tamarind water. Discard the pulp.
    2. Coarsely crush the peppercorns and cumin in a mortar, then add the garlic and pound a few times until bruised but not pasty.
    3. Chop one tomato finely. Crush the other two by hand straight into a pot, skins and all.
    4. Add the tamarind water, chopped tomato, turmeric, salt, asafoetida and curry leaves to the pot. Boil on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the raw tamarind smell is gone and the tomatoes are soft.
    5. Add the crushed pepper-cumin-garlic and 2.5 cups water. Bring it up slowly on medium-low heat.
    6. Watch closely: when a layer of froth rises to the top and the rasam is just about to boil, switch off the heat. Do not let it boil hard, or it turns flat and bitter.
    7. Heat ghee in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, then add red chilli, cumin and curry leaves for a few seconds. Pour over the rasam.
    8. Add the coriander, cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes for the aroma to infuse before serving.

    Tips

    • The froth stage is the most important cue in rasam making; boiling past it dulls the flavour.
    • If your tomatoes are very sour, reduce the tamarind by half.
    • A teaspoon of cooked toor dal water added with the plain water gives a slightly fuller body without making it a dal.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with ghee and a potato or raw banana fry, or simply in a tumbler as a soup.