Chundakkai Pachadi or Sundakkai pachadi (Turkey Berry hot and sour gravy)

Anybody from chettinad, who were blessed to live there for sometime (many from chettinad now are in a category as very rare visitors during functions) would have tasted this curry prepared with atmost care by their grand mother or mother. I had my childhood days in kerala and I have seen this plant on the road side grown as a wild shrub because of its rapid spread as a weed in disturbed lands,I don’t think there was any taker for this wonder vegetable there. The tamilians there would have used it. But this was a very special vegetable in chettinad and the cooks at home used to make tasty pachadi out of it when we visited chettinad during the holidays.
More than the taste of this curry, It has got wonderful medicinal value. I have to mention one thing here, coming to home remedies whenever I tell my mom that somebody is having cough at home she will tell fry chunda vathal powder it and mix it with hot rice and give.If I tell some body is having stomach problem, the same remedy. If I tell her any of us is aneamic again she will tell take lot of chundakkai.I used to think Oh God Amma has only this answer for all ill. But as we are used to listening to our parents without much question on these home remedies, I too used follow what she told.

But when I started browsing I understood that she is correct and that it is used in many Ayurvedic treatments as a medicine.It is used in the treatment of cough and as a tonic of liver.It is very good in controlling blood pressure .In Tamil Nadu, the fruit is consumed directly or as cooked food like Sundakkai Sambar, Sundakkai Poriyal, Sundakkai pachadi. We all have seen sundakkai vathal used in vatha kuzhambu.After soaking this veg in curd and drying, the final product is fried in oil as Sundakkai vattral.

I am not sure whether this vegetable is available in the market in all places. But it is very simple to grow this in our kitchen garden if you manage to get the seeds of this plant or a small plant itself.
Morethan for its medicinal value, all in my home love its taste.It should be cooked with much care and dedication to bring the full taste. Tender sundakkai is to be used for pachadi.The tough ones can be used for making sambar.
Ingredients
Sundakkai-1 cup(tender ones)
Small onion chopped-20
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Tamarind paste-1 teaspoon
Cooked Thoor dhal-1/4 cup
To season
Musrad seed-1 teaspoon
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Corriander leaves to season
Procedure
Select tender sundakkai while cutting. Split into 4 and put into water. Mince onion and tomatoes. Cook thoor dhal one whistle less than you cook for sambar. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season the pachadi with the items given in to season in 1 table spoon of oil.Add the onion and tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes. Now add the cut sundakkai and saute in medium fire for 5 minutes.If sauted nicely,there will be no bitter taste in the curry. After sauting add the water that is there on top of the cooked dhal.(If there is not much water in your cooked dhal, add a cup of water into it, mix it lightly and take out that water.).Add turmeric powder. Half close the kadai and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in medium fire till the Sundakkai cooks soft. Now add little more dhal water and sambar powder.cook for 3 minutes. Add the salt needed and the tamarind paste now. When the curry boils add the cooked thoor dhal left and cook for 5 more minutes. You should not cook long after adding dhal as the curry will turn very thick. Garnish with coriander leaves. This gravy will be semi solid .This can be mixed with rice as well as used as a side dish for curd rice.

Spicy Chettinad Mutton Biryani

The very thought of this recipe will tickle the taste buds of the non-veg lovers .If you are trying for a mutton biryani similar to the one you have in the ever mushrooming chettinad restaurants in the city, here is the recipe. If you follow the exact recipe you will get even better quality .

One thing to be realized while cooking by the new one’s is that only after repeated trials that we become perfect in making a dish. Even the simplest dish rasam is no exception to this. So never loose your heart. One day you people also will turn to be great cooks and win the hearts of your loved ones.

These days you people are lucky to get millions of recipes online and try out different versions. Think of our days. We had to rely on the personal collection of recipes which our mom used to give.
Once you become an expert in making this biryani, I suggest make it at home, give a grand dinner to all at home and get all the money you are going to spend in the restaurant

Ingredients for cooking the mutton
Mutton-300 gms
Chili powder-2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Crushed ginger-a small piece (Or ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon)
Curry leaf-little
To Grind
Red chilli-2
Green chilli-2
Small onion-10
Garlic-10
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Clove-2
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Ginger-2 small pieces
Mint leaf-handful
For sauting
Minced onion-2
Minced tomato-2
Mint leaf-handful
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Clove-2
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Bay leaf-small piece
Curry leaf-little

Jeeraga samba rice-1 ½ cups (300 gms).Wash the rice. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain the water. Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of butter or ghee fry the rice in medium fire for 3 minutes i.e., till the rice does not catch the bottom of the kadai. Frying the rice is to make sure that the biryani doesn’t get over cooked.

Procedure
First keep a small cooker in the stove.
In a teaspoon of oil add the crushed ginger kept for cooking mutton.
Saute for a minute. Add the mutton pieces and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Now add the chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.
Add a pinch of salt. Pour 1 ½ cups of water. Close the cooker and cook for 8 minutes.
While cooking the mutton, grind the items given in to grind. Keep the rice ready (As given).
Mince the onion and the tomatoes.
Once the mutton is cooked, After the pressure gets released, open the cooker
Strain the mutton stalk (gravy in the mutton) and keep aside. This has to be used instead of water
Keep ready 2 table spoons of thick curd
Now we have to make the Biryani
Keep a big cooker in the stove. In 2 table spoons of oil season the byriani with the items given in to season.
Saute the onions till oil oozes. Add the grinded masala now and sauté for 2 minutes.
Now add the tomato pieces and sauté till they become soft.
Add the mutton pieces and mix well.
Now add 2 table spoons of yogurt and mix.
1:2 is the ratio of water to rice including yogurt
Measure the mutton stalk you have
For 1 ½ cups of rice you have to pour 3 cups of water including yogurt.
IF you have 2 cups of stalk the add 1 more cup of water
When this mixture boils, add the salt needed
Add the rice kept ready. Mix everything well.
Close the cooker. When pressure comes put the weight
Keep the stove in low medium fire.
Cook exactly for 10 minutes (Don’t wait for any whistle) .switch off the stove in the tenth minute
Open the cooker after the pressure goes
Mostly the first impression you will have is that there is excess water.
Don’t worry, after all the steam goes it will be perfect.

If you want the biryani little sticky then reduce water next time.But first time follow the recipe
Mix gently. Garnish with coriander leaves . You Biryani is ready.Have a go at it and leave a comment for me.

Meal Maker Kuzhambu (Meal Maker Gravy)

Meal Maker is made out of Soya beans which is a source of high protein and fibrous food. Meal maker can very well substitute chicken or mutton during the months in which Hindu’s refrain from taking non-veg .It is used for preparing delicious foods resembling Non vegetarian diets. Soya bean has 50% vegetable protein and is a good fiber food enabling easy digestion and bowl movement. It is a soft fibrous vegetable matter resembling soft meat in texture. When soaked and boiled for a couple of minutes it assumes a good volume. In chettinad, meal maker kuzhambu is made out of the traditional chettinad masala and will taste like chicken kuzhambu.
Ingredients
Meal maker-100gms
Small onion-20
Garlic-15
Tomato-1
Ginger-small piece (crushed)
Coriander powder-1.5 table spoon
Chili powder-1 table spoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Lime juice-2 teaspoons
For seasoning
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Clove-2
Birinji leaf-small piece
Star anise-a small piece
Curry leaf- little
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon

To grind
Coconut grated-3 to 4 table spoons
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Cashews-10 ( or pottukadalai 1 table spoon)
Method
Boil 4 cups of water and soak the meal maker balls in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the water. Wash in cold water. Squeeze out the extra water and cut to 4 pieces. I always like to pressure cook the pieces as it will cook soft. If you also like it keep the small cooker or pressure pan in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the gravy with the items given in “to season’. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic and tomato pieces for 3 minutes. In low fire add the coriander, chili and turmeric powder also and sauté for a minute. If the fire is high these powders will get burnt. So be careful. Add the meal maker pieces also and mix well .Add 3 cups of water and the salt required. Close the cooker and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in medium fire. Meantime grind the items given in' to grind' to a smooth paste. Open the cooker, after the pressure goes and add the grinded masala. The gravy will turn thick once the curry boils. If you find it too thick add a cup of water. Check for the salt and hotness. Usually it will be short of salt as the meal maker balls would have taken most of the salt. If anything is missing it can be corrected now. If it is too watery even after boiling for 7 minutes, add a teaspoon of coriander powder. Switch off the stove when you get the desired consistency and add the lemon juice

Rasam (Sathya Aunty's Special Rasam)

This rasam recipe is the favorite of my younger daughter .This is not a chettinad recipe. We call this sathya aunty’s Rasam. One of my neighbors a kannada Brahmin called Sathya makes this mouth watering rasam and my daughter has grown with this rasam of hers. In her younger days sathya will feed her with this rice every afternoon which she loves .I take this oppurtunity to thank her for giving me this wonderful recipe which I love to share with my readers.I am used to making this rasam powder of hers and follow the recipe given by her which is little bit different from the rasam we make. But I bet that you don’t need sambar or any other gravy when you have this rasam. Once you get this rasam powder ready then it is an easy job. The biggest advantage of this rasam is that there will not be a bit of residue left in the rasam in the end. If you are cooking dhal for sambar or any other curry, you can use little bit of dhal for this rasam. It is not a must item

Ingredients
Tomatoes-2
Tamarind paste-1 teaspoon
Rasam powder-1 table spoon (As per the recipe I have given if possible or any other standard one)
Dhal water-1 cup (not a must)
Jaggery-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Method
Put the tomatoes in boiling water and switch off the stove. Close the vessel. Open it after 5 to 10 minutes. Peel off the skin. Smash the tomatoes in a 1 1/2 cups of water. Add the tamarind paste and the salt needed and the rasam powder to this water. Keep the kadai in the stove. Add this mixture and let it boil for 5 minutes. Now add the dhal water if you have or else 2 cups of plain water and let the rasam boil for 5 minutes till the entire house is filled with the rasam smell. Add the jaggerry and switch of the stove in another 2 minutes. Finally season the rasam with a teaspoon of mustard,small jeera and curry leaf Fresh coriander leaves will change the taste of the rasam.So if desired try without adding coriander one day and otherwise another day.

Rasam Powder

This recipe is the one given by one of my neighbors called Sathya. My children just love the rasam made by her. So I follow this recipe and make rasam as per her recipe. Once you get addicted to the taste of this rasam, you don’t need any other gravy for lunch. This week I will blog the rasam recipe .Any cup of your choice can be used for measurement

Ingredients

Chillies-3 cups

Coriander seeds-4 cups
Pepper-1 cup
Cumin seeds-1 cup
Fenugreek seeds-1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon
Urudh dhal- 1 teaspoon
Thoor dhal- ½ table spoon
Bengal gram -½ table spoon
Asafetida-little

Procedure
Dry the chilies and coriander in the sun if possible.
Dry roast the coriander in low fire 2 cups at a time for 5 minutes or till you get the nice flavor of the coriander seeds.
Roast the chilies in little oil.
Roast all the dhal in ½ teaspoon ghee.
Separately roast the fenugreek and mustard.
When cold grind all to a smooth powder and store in an air tight container.
The day you are grinding this powder the entire house will be filled with the rasam powder flavour.

Murungakkai Kara Kuzhambu (Drum Stick Hot and Sour gravy )

Many a times we get bored of the regular sambar and want something else for a change. Any thing prepared out of drum stick will tickle the taste buds of vegetarians. This dish is a good substitute for the regular sambar.Children generally dislike sambar.So if you pack lunch with this kara kuzhambu,it will be a welcome change for them. Another advantage of this gravy is that packed rice will not turn thick and hard like sambar rice by noon. Today afternoon my husband was telling me during lunch that kuzhambu tastes different and good. He couldn’t make out that it is not sambar.My daughter also was telling after coming from school ‘lunch was too good today amma’.So you people have a try at this recipe
Though the name is Kara kuzhambu, don’t add too much karam (chili powder) or puli (tamarind).Now a days we add tomatoes, so very little tamarind is enough.Cocunut also should be used less. If you add little soaked and cooked Mochai to this gravy while cooking, it will be excellent.Thatta payaru also can be added.Brinjal can be substituted for drum stick. As I didn’t plan the previous day, I didn’t have mochai or thattai payaru ready
Ingredients
Drum stick-15 pieces
Small onion-15
Garlic-10 pods
Tomato-1
Curry leaf-little
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Tamarind-Very small piece (little less than the qty used for sambar)
To grind
Coconut grated-2 table spoons
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Cut the drum stick into pieces as shown in the snap. Mince the onion, garlic and tomato. Place the kadai in the stove. In a table spoon of oil season the gravy with a teaspoon of mustard, urudh dhal, and fennel seed and curry leaf. Sauté the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one. Add the drum stick pieces. Cook the drum stick in a cup of water in medium fire for 6 to 7 minutes. Mean time grind the items in ‘to grind’ Soak the tamarind and salt needed in two cups of water and add once the drum stick pieces are almost cooked. if you add tamarind and salt in the beginning, the vegetable will not get cooked fast. Allow the gravy to cook for 5 more minutes and then add the grinded masala mixed in half cup of water to the gravy. Mix every thing well and allow the gravy to cook for further 5 minutes or till the gravy turns to the consistency of sambar.

Chettinad Chicken Kuzhambu (Authentic Chettinad Chicken Gravy)

However much variety of chicken we cook, nothing can take the place of the traditional kuzhambu being made form the time old days. It is compatible with anything we have at home i.e., rice, dosa, idly, roti, chappathi or parotta.If you want the chicken recipe from a grand old lady of chettinad she will be well aware of this recipe only. This is the most favorite chicken item that I cook for all in my home. I too is very happy to cook this as I can escape without cooking anything else for the night and next day’s breakfast side dish. Moreover this is very easy to prepare also. So the younger people can have a go at this recipe. I am sure it won’t turn bad whatever mistake you make.
I have already mentioned in my previous blogs on chicken that chicken was never marinated in chettinad before. It was because they used the regular chicken which took much time to cook and the there was time for the masala to get into the chicken pieces. Now we use broiler chicken which gets cooked very fast and if we do not marinate, the pieces will be blunt without any salt or hot taste. So we have to marinate the chicken for any kind of preparation. This Kuzhambu is very easy and tasty if prepared in the pressure cooker. So cooker can be used. Chicken will be cooked soft and the children and the old people will love it
Ingredients
Chicken-1/2 kg
Small onion-30 or big onion-2
Tomatoes-2 (small size)
Garlic-20 pods
Ginger garlic paste- 2 teaspoons (I have shown ginger and the garlic needed)
Chili powder-1 table spoon
Coriander powder-2 to 3 table spoons (depends on the qty of gravy you need)

lemon juice-2 teaspoons
For Marination
Curd-2 table spoons (if there is no curd a teaspoon of lemon juice can be used)
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Chili powder-2 teaspoons
Salt-2 teaspoons
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
For seasoning
Cardomom-2
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Clove-2
Birinji leaf-small piece
Star anise-a small piece
Mint leaf-little
Curry leaf little
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
For grinding (Too much of coconut will spoil the taste and will make the gravy look like kurma)
Cocunut-2 table spoons
Cashewnut-5 (Kas Kas was used traditionally, since it is difficult to grind cashews are substituted)
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Method
Wash the chicken pieces nicely
Marinate with the items given in ‘To marinate’
Let it stay for 1 hour
Mince the onion, garlic and tomatoes
Grind the items in “to grind to a smooth paste
Keep the cooker in the stove
In 1 table spoon of oil season the kuzhambu with the items in ‘To season’
Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger garlic paste and tomatoes one by one nicely
Add the marinated chicken and sauté nicely for 3 minutes
Add the chili and coriander powder
Add 2 to 3 cups of water (if gravy is thick water can be added latter also)
Put the salt needed (Remember 2 teaspoons of salt was added while marinating)
Mix everything well
Close the cooker and put the weight
Once the steam starts coming reduce the flame to medium
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes
Wait for the pressure to get released
Open the cooker and add the grinded paste
Let the gravy boil for 5 minutes
Now if the gravy is very thick than the consistency you need, water can be added
Check for the salt and hot taste and if any correction has to be made it can be done now
If you find the gravy too watery even after 5 to 8 minutes of boiling little coriander powder can be added

Once everything is well mixed and the gravy looks perffect
Switch off the stove

Add the lemon juice and mix well (Note that lemon juice should be added after switching off the stove else the gravy will turn little bitter)
Your chettinad chicken gravy is ready
Garnish with coriander leaves while serving

Ma Vilakku or Mavu Vilakku (Rice flour Deepam)

In Tamilnadu (I am not sure about other states) there is a practice of making Rice dough with jaggery and lighting a deepam for our favorite God or Goddesses on auspicious days like AAdi Velli , Purattasi Sani etc.In olden days sweet was a very rare item at home and children used to wait for this hand grinded dough(iditha maavu).Now those days have gone and making rice flour has become a difficult task. So even the old people who used to keep maa vilakku are in two minds. For the sake of youngsters who have seen their parents keeping maa vilakku regularly and want to continue it, I will try to help you out though I am not an expert. Today is Aadi velli and Aadi Kiruthigai.So I thought of making this. I was not sure of the measurements, so did not think of writing a blog. But to my surprise it came out wonderful and all who tasted it started asking me how I made it. If I don’t write and keep the measurements today, I myself will forget next time.So here is the recipe
Ingredients
Raw Rice (medium quality) – 200 gms (1 azhakku)
Jaggery-200 gms (powdered 1 cup) while buying go for little bit white colored jiggery
Cardomom-3
Ghee-2 table spoons
Procedure
Wash the rice nicely and soak for just 10 minutes. Now strain it and spread it on a newspaper under the fan. Let this dry for just 10 minutes (If it is dried more, you can’t make the flour. Now put all the rice in the big jar of the mixie and grind at a stretch for 2 minutes. Sieve the rice with the help of a medium holed sieve. Grind again till everything is done. Powder the jiggery nicely with a stone or slice it with the help of a knife.
The next part is making the dough. Powder the cardamom along with a teaspoon of sugar in the small jar and take the powder alone. Add it to the rice flour. Slowly add the jiggery to the flour kept in a flat vessel and mix it with your hand. Initially you will feel Oh how am I going to make the dough. Don’t worry. Surely dough will turn perfect. If you find it difficult, keep aside the vessel closed for 5 minutes. Now the dough will be little loose. Add a teaspoon of Ghee and mix again till your dough is perfect. Excess jiggery will make the dough watery. In that case extra flour has to be added. I am sure you will not be short of jiggery if this measurement is followed. Don’t transfer it into the vessel in which you light deepam. Put it in a Zip lock bag and keep it in the vessel in which you want to light the deepam and take to the temple. Just before lighting transfer it into the vessel. Make the dough a round ball and keep inside the vessel. Press the centre of the dough with your thumb. Inside that hole pour half spoon ghee and light the lamp keeping the thread in the middle, Press one end of the thread inside the dough nicely so that the thread stands erect. Now light the lamp.