Vathal Kozhambu and Aloo podimas

This vathal kozhambu is cooked in marriage functions and when properly made can be kept for a long time in the fridge.

This recipe is time consuming and it's worth trying. This recipe is for serving 15 people.  You can reduce the quantity according to the number of people for your cooking. 

Kalyana vathal kozhambu 

Gingly oil 1/4 kg

Coriander seeds -100 grams

Dry red chillies -50 grams

Manathakkali/sundakai vathal-2 tbsp

Black peppercorns-10 grams

Fenugreek-10 gram

Tuvar dal -2 tbsp

Urad dal -2 tbsp

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Chilli powder-2 tbsp(kashmiri)

Fennel seeds - 1tsp

Jaggery a small piece 

Turmeric-1 tsp

Raw rice - 2 tbsp

Salt as desired

Heeng one small piece 

Curry leaves a few leaves 

Small onion 200 grams

Garlic 200 grams

Tomato 4

Green chillies 5 grams 

Coconut 1 cup

Tamarind 100 grams

Tips 

In half litre water soak the tamarind and extract the pulp. Keep aside

Keep the onions and garlic in small bowls.

Grate coconut and keep it ready, add fennel seeds and grind it into a paste. 

In a plate keep all the above Ingredients ready 

Method 

In a big kadai, add raw rice, coriander seeds,  red chillies 25 grams, black peppercorns, half the fenugreek,  tuvar dal, urad dal, turmeric powder,  curry leaves,  heeng piece and in slow flame dry roast until the aroma is emitted.  Spread in a plate and let it come to room temperature.  Powder it and keep aside.

In the same kadai pour 150 grams of gingly oil, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and broken red chillies. Once it splutter, add manathakalli and sundakai vathal,  add onions, garlic,  green chilies, curry leaves, and tomato,  cook it till soft and you will notice it very well cooked.  Now add the coconut fennel paste, cook further for 10 minutes. It will become thick like halwa.

Now add red chili powder,  tamarind extract,  Jaggery, salt and bring to boil. 

You will see the oil is separated from the vathal kuzhambu and every Ingredient is nicely cooked and all the raw smell is gone. You can off the stove and add half of the vathal kuzhambu powder( we will use the other half when we repeat making vathal kozhambu) and mix well.  

Finally pour the rest of the oil and mix well.  You can store the vathal kuzhambu in glass bottles for a week on the kitchen counter and more than a month in the fridge.  Serve it as and when you need.

Variation 2

Let me share with you Vathal Kozhambu recipe with a lot of vegetables. We at our homes generally don't add small onions and garlic in vathal kuzhambu.  But add a lot of other vegetables. 

Ingredients

Drum sticks - 2 (cut into 3 inch pieces)

Brinjal 3 cut into four pieces 

10 bhindi cut into two inch long 
vathal - 2 tbsp(chundakay/marthankkali)
tamarind pulp (extracted from a gooseberry size)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Jaggery a small piece 
salt as required

For dry roast powder 

Chana dal - 2 tablespoon 
Tuvar dal -  2 tablespoon 
Black broken urad dal - 1 tablespoon 
raw rice - 1 tablespoon 

Peppercorns a few
kayam (hing) - a small  piece
Dry red chilly - 10
curry leaves - a few

for the tadka

gingly oil - 1 tsp
mustrd seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves a few 

Method of Preparation

1. Pressure cook tamarind using a glass of water for two whistle, off stove and extract tamarind pulp. Keep aside.

2. In a small kadai dry roast rice,tuvar dal, black peppercorns, heeng,black broken urad dal, curry leaves and red chilly till golden brown. Remove from stove cool and coarsely powder using mixer. 

In kalchatti pour a glass of hot water add drum sticks, turmeric powder and salt allow it too cook till tender. In a small pan pour a tsp of ghee/gingly oil add vathal and roast till its crispy. Pour the vathal into drumsticks. Now add tamarind pulp. Reduce the flame allow the vattal to mix well with tamarind pulp. Add more water if needed as we are going to allow the vathal kuzhambu to boil and reduce the quantity. Add crushed jaggery. Allow it to boil for another 10 minutes. Adjust salt. Add vathal kuzhambu powder.  Mix well. Now keep a small pan pour gingly oil add mustard seeds allow it to splutter add on top of the prepared vathal kuzhambu. 

Variation

I used bhindi and brinjal and manathakalli for today's vathal kozhambu. It tastes really yummy. 

Aloo podimas

Ingredients

potato - 4 (cut into four pieces)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves a few
Salt as required

For frying
sunflower oil = 2 tsp
mustard seed = 1 tsp
urad dal = 1.2 tsp
red chilly - 1 broken
green chilly - 2 chopped
ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped


Method of Preparation

In pressure cooker pour enough water add potato cubes and salt. Cook for 3 whistles. Off stove remove potatoes and peel off the skin. Now using  a mathu or fork gently smash the potatoes. In a heated deep kadai pour oil add mustard allow it to splutter add urad dal, red chilly. Now add green chilly, ginger and curry leaves. Mix well its time to add smashed potatoes. Mix well reduce flame. Allow the potato to turn mild golden colour. Off the stove serve hot with rice vattal kozhambu and roasted papad. 

In our palghat cooking with vattal kozhambu we also prepare plain moong dal. Add a little salt to moong dal 1/2 cup and cook in kalchatti adding just enough water for cooking. Serve with vattal kozhambu.