PORICHA KUZHAMBU

Poricha kuzhambu is a very light ‘koottaan’ as it contains no dal and very little coconut. It is paired with ‘paruppu thogial’ – which has dal and so the balance is maintained! If you feel like, you can make a 'thoran' - cabbage / beans.

 

poricha kuzhambu & paruppu thogial

Ingredients -

Tamarind – 1 lemon-size ball (soaked in water and pulp extracted)

Vella payaru (Black-eyed peas) - 3-4 tbsp – soaked in water for an hour or more and pressure-cooked

Raw banana – 1 – diced (small)

Yam – 150gms – diced (small)

Brinjal –1-2 - diced

Arbi (Colocasia) – 100 gms (4) - diced

Coconut – 1 tbsp (grated)

Urad dal – 2 tbsp

Whole red chillies – 3

Asafetida – ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Coconut – cut in small pieces (like child’s teeth!) – 1-2tbsp

Curry leaves – 10

Method

Extract tamarind pulp (or you may also use 1 tbsp of tamarind paste with 1 -1 ½ cups of water added to it.

Add the chopped vegetables to it.
Add turmeric powder and salt.
Pressure-cook it for 2 whistles along with vella payaru in water in a separate vessel.(The vella payaru will not get cooked in the tamarind water). Allow to cool.

In 2 drops of oil, dry roast 1 ½ tbsp urad dal till light brown. Add the whole red chillies and stir for a minute. Turn off the flame. Sprinkle ¼ tsp of asafetida to it. Grind this in a mixer along with a tbsp of grated coconut.

Mix the vegetables, cooked payaru and ground coconut paste and stir well.

Add water to get pouring consistency and boil. It should not be very thick as it will thicken a little on cooling.

Heat 1 tsp of oil, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds and 1 tsp of urad dal. When they begin to splutter, add the chopped coconut pieces and fry on low heat till golden brown.
Turn off the heat and add curry leaves and pour it into the poricha kuzhambu.
Serve with rice and paruppu thogial and any 'thoran'.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.