Keerai kozhambu (Spinach in soupy gravy)

You need
Spinach leaves - 1/4 bunch (finely chopped)
Tamarind - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt
Red chilly - 1
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Sambar powder - 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
All purpose flour/rice flour - 1 tablespoon
Oil


Method

• In a medium saucepan start by adding oil, splutter mustard seeds, add fenugreek seeds, red chilly, Asafoetida, turmeric powder, spinach leaves and saute until spinach shrinks a little.
• Add tamarind paste and required water to bring it to soup consistency.
• Add salt and sambar powder and bring this to a boil.
• Allow to boil until the raw smell of leaves and powder go away. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
• Combine little water in the flour mix well and pour it into the kozhambu to thicken it.
• Allow to thicken and bring it to a boil for 5 more minutes and turn off the heat.
• Serve warm over rice.

Milagu kozhambu (Spicy peppercorns in tamarind gravy)

Peppercorns and sesame oil are the most important ingredients that go into making milagu kozhambu. Though a spice peppercorns have a healing property on the body. Don't hesitate to use the needed amount of sesame oil for this dish. Since it is going to be a spicy dish you will not end up consuming all the oil you pour into the dish. Besides sesame oil has healing properties for your tummy when compared to other oils. And remember apart from garlic which is optional you won't need any vegetable for this.


You need
Coriander seeds -1tablespoon
Channa dal - 1tablespoon
Urad dal - 1 tablespoon
Red chilly -1
Pepper corns - 8-10
Curry leaves 
Asafoetida - a pinch
Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon
Sesame Oil - 1/4 -1/2 cup 
Salt
Garlic cloves - 4-5 (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Method

• In a little oil, roast the coriander seeds, channa dal, urad dal, red chilly, peppercorns and curry leaves until they become light brown.
• Cool the above spices and grind them into a paste with required water.
• In a medium saucepan start by adding oil followed by mustard seeds, Asafoetida, curry leaves and garlic (optional). 
• Now add the above paste, tamarind paste, salt and required water and bring it to a boil on medium heat. Boil until the oil leaves the sides of the container and oozes out. 
• Serve warm over rice.

Poricha Kozhambu

When you are tired of making sambar or kootu every other day this comes to rescue. It has the ingredients that go into kootu and kozhambu and hence the name. It sure is worth a try if you don't like kootu, like me....hehe.


You need
Vegetables - White pumpkin/snakegourd/ chow chow/ eggplant/ anything that goes into kootu can be used. A medley of 2-3 vegetables can also be used.
Tamarind paste - 1/2 teaspoon
Coconut - 2 tablespoons
Urad dal - 1 tablespoon
Toor dal - 1/2 tablespoon
Pepper corns - 4-5
Red chilly - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 4-5
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt
Turmeric powder
Oil


Method

• In a little oil roast the urad dal, toor dal, pepper corn, red chilly, cumin seeds, curry leaves and coconut until light golden brown.
• Allow to cool and grind this into a fine paste and set aside.  
• In a medium saucepan boil the vegetable that you choose in required water and cook until it is almost done. 
• Now add the tamarind paste and continue to cook for more time. Make sure the vegetable you choose does not get overcooked and squishy.
• Now add the coconut spice paste, salt, asofoetida and mix well. Add water as it might turn thick and bring it to kozhambu consistency.
• Cook on medium heat, mixing between until the raw smell of the spices go away which will take about 8-10 minutes.
• In a separate pan use little oil and temper mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour it over the kozhambu in the end.
• Serve warm over rice. 

Appalam kozhambu (Papad in tamarind gravy)

You need
Papad/appalam - 1-2 (quartered)

• Instead of vathals (sundried vegetables) in vatha kozhambu use the appalams/papads here.
• Saute the papads until they puff up a little.
• Rest recipe of Vatha kozhambu.

Vatha Kozhambu

The smell and the taste of this dish is absolute heaven for any South Indian. Tamarind plays the most important role here and the dish on the whole has a mixture of spicy, tangy, bitter and sweet taste. Pretty simple to make, to eat and to digest. 


You need
Vathals (Sundakai, Manathakalikai or anything else) - 2 tablespoons
Small onions (optional alternative for Vathals) - 5
Turmeric - a pinch
Methi seeds - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Vatha kozhambu powder/Sambar powder - 1 tablespoon
Salt
Curry leaves
Red chilly - 2 
Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon
Rice flour/All purpose flour - 1 teaspoon
Jaggery - 1 small piece
Sesame oil


Method

• In a deep vessel add oil and splutter mustard seeds, add methi seeds, red chillies, turmeric, curry leaves, Asafoetida, Onions/Vathals and sauté for a minute or two.
• Now add tamarind paste along with required water, vatha kozhambu powder/sambar powder, salt and allow to boil.
• Boil until the onions are done or until the liquid has reduced to half.
• If the vatha kozhambu is too watery mix flour to water and add it to the kozhambu. This will thicken to the desired consistency.
• Add jaggery in the end and turn off the heat.
• Serve warm over a bed of steamed rice.

Mor Kozhambu

This dish is probably one of the few that took long for me to learn mainly coz' I never used to like it for a long time. All of us have some dislikes and this was one amongst a very few of my 'NO' items. But eventually it has fallen into the menu to my liking and that's when I started making it and thoroughly enjoyed eating it. So another note here....remember even if you don't like something, maybe if you end up making it from scratch all by yourself, you will know the effort that goes into it and positively start liking it.


You need

Yogurt - 1 cup

White Pumpkin - 1/2 cup (diced)

Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Corainder seeds - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Red chilly - 1

Toor dal - 1 teaspoon

Salt

Mustard seeds - 1teaspoon

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves (chopped)

Asafoetida - A pinch

Method

• In a vessel, boil the white pumpkin.
• Soak the toor dal in water for 15 minutes
• Blend together coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly and toor dal into a fine paste with needed water.
• When the white pumpkin is almost cooked, add the coconut paste to the pumpkin and mix well.
• Add turmeric, Salt and Asofoetida and cook well, mixing in between.
• Add the yogurt to the above and switch off.
• In a separate pan take oil, splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour over Mor kozhambu.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve

Spicerack Kozhambu

There are some dishes that are traditional to a household. One of those is this Anjanapotti Kozhambu (Spice rack Kozhambu). It uses almost everything from an Indian spice rack. A very flavorful item I am sure everyone will love.