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Saturday, April 26, 2008

Milagu Kuzhambu (Pepper Corn gravy or Black pepper curry)




Chettinad cuisine is incomplete without black pepper. In olden days food was medicine and medicine was food. Those days people knew remedy for the different ailments from the items in the kitchen itself. Medicine was not much developed and the number of diseases compared to today was also less as the ill effects of pollution, pesticides and chemicals were not there. It is said that pepper was like a doctor in many homes. It is called as the king of spices or Gem of spices. There is a saying that “If you have 10 peppers you can have food even in your enemy’s house”. It implies that this spice act against food poisoning. The medicinal properties of black pepper are immense. The kashayam made out of pepper is very good for Respiratory tract infections, ordinary cold and cough. A pinch of nicely ground pepper along with honey is very good for cold. When somebody at home is suffering from cold the main menu for lunch will be pepper rasam only in all south Indian homes. It improves appetite by helping in digestion. It produces an increased flow of saliva and gastric juices. This is very good for intestinal disorders. In Ayurvedic medicine it is said to improve the quality of semen in men. I can understand what is going on in everybody’s mind now as how to take this spice in little large quantity as it will be very hot and spicy. In Chettinad cuisine there is wonderful gravy out of pepper corns called Milagu kuzhambu.I wanted to make this curry in the perfect chettinad style and was waiting for the holidays during which I visit chettinad to try this with the help of my mom. Last week fully I was there to attend some marriages. I attended a grand chettiar marriage and to my surprise the first dish served there was milagu kuzhambu.It was very unusual as they serve only paruppu and ghee first. But it was a good idea.The kuzhambu acted as an appetizer.I couldnt take proper snaps as I didnt take my camera.Somehow I managed to take some though not very clear
Ingredients
Small onion-30
Garlic-20 pods
Tamarind-small piece



To roast and grind
Black pepper-1 table spoon
Coriander seeds-2 table spoons
Grated coconut-3 table spoons
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Garlic-5 pods
Green chillies-2
Red chillies-3
Small onion-5
Cashewnut-2
Cinnamon-1 small piece

In a kadai with 1 teaspoon coconut oil dry roast all the above items and grind to a smooth paste
Cut 20 small onions and 10 garlic pods into small pieces.
Keep the kadai in the stove. In two tablespoons of gingili oil season the gravy with little small jeera, curry leaves and fennel seeds. Sauté the onion and garlic pieces. In two cups of water dissolve a small piece of tamarind, and the salt required and add to the onion garlic pieces and allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes. Mix the grinded mixture in ½ cup of water and pour into the kadai. Keep the stove in medium flame and allow the mixture to boil till it becomes semi solid. This gravy will taste excellent with idly. If the gravy is found too hot it can be given to small children with plenty of gingili oil or little ghee.

24 comments:

Cham said...

Lovely post Solai,I love this milagu kuzhambu any time... Do you have any simple kachayam recipes? which would help my cold & cough days...

Solai Chidambaram said...

Thank you cham I will post a good Kashayam Recipe which I usually make for cold this week

indosungod said...

Solai, thanks to Revathi I found your blog. This is a wonderful Kuzhambu simply delicious. Love to give it a try, will pretty soon.

Revathi said...

Amma and paati do this milagu kozhambu. we have it with urulai puttu.

Aachi do you know how to make the milagu legyam ?

Also it would be great if you can post chettiyar traditions and customs. The pirivom sandipom movie was sooooo good. I watched and rewatched it so many times..

Solai Chidambaram said...

Revathi,I will surely try to have more information about the exact customs and traditions of chettiars and write about that
Thank you for introducing my blog to many excellent fellow food bloggers.I also got a chance to see many new blogs though I was a already a visitor of many

Sala said...

hello achi!! i was looking for kandarappan recipe and stumbled across ur blog. very nice!! especially i like the vellai paniyaram side dish. i m so happy that u have posted the recipe for that. btw i am frm pallathur

Solai Chidambaram said...

gud sala.I am from your neighbouring village kanadukathan.Happy that my blogs are useful to you people

Sala said...

just now went through ur idiyappam recipe. is 1/2 hr enough for the soaked rice to become dry?

Solai Chidambaram said...

just 10 minutes enough

Revathi said...

Aachi

I bought the book and sent it to my parents address. It was available on rediff.

Will try to get it soon to me.

Solai Chidambaram said...

gud Revathi

Solai Chidambaram said...

gud Revathi

Cham said...

Thank u so much! Kashayam recipes will be some treasure on the net. People like us can benefit a lot! Thanks a Ton once again.

Raji said...

Hello Aachi,

A very tasty recipe. My husband who never ventures outside the drumstick kuzhambu couldn't stop eating this kuzhambu and even my 6-year-old had no complains and finished her plate. Thank you. Waiting to try out ur other recipes also

Cheers
Raji

Unknown said...

Vanakkam Aachi
The milagu kuzhambu recipe is really great. My husband told the kuzhambu remained of his childhood and my in laws used to make when somebody has cold in the home. Could u please post the recipe of Elladai? It is made of sesame seeds, rice flour, jaggery etc. The recipes are good.

Latha nagaraj

Unknown said...

hello aachi
recently i found ur website, thanks to ur nice receipes.

BHUVANA said...

Ur Receipes are awesome.....its vry useful for all...thank u mam..

sharmi said...

HI am new to this blog.. I tried this milagu kulamu today and turns out really good.....

Rajee said...

Madam, where can I find simple kachayam recipe? I am having severe cough and chest congestion. Please help which recipe is good for me to try in your food menu

Solai Chidambaram said...

rajee,If u are non vegitarian try kozhi rasam.It is good for cold

Rajee said...

I will try kozhi rasam. Madam, can you please post recipe of Kothu kari kulambo?

Skl said...

Hello aunty,
We tried this kuzhambu it was nice,works well when we have cold,it's wonderful taste too,thank you,
Skl

shiva said...

Achi...the way u have said all these recepies and notes is like my aaya telling me (aatha ipdi vantha ipdi seiyanum..)thanks to u that i need not call them from now on especially for podi ratio....

meen's said...

aachi ! i want to know how to make chettinad pulikulambu (general procedure) .