Makes about 4 to 5 servings

This is a recipe that Tamil formulated. By the way, Did I ever mention that I learnt cooking from my dear husband? But then I had to unlearn whatever he taught (and thought) as ‘cooking’ so as to really cook – thats a different story.

This yellow curry has a little tinge of sweetness from the peanuts that makes it all the more delicious. The subtle taste of the vegetable is complimented with the heat of ground garam masala bringing out the perfect blend of flavors ever. This goes well with plain Rice or Chapathi.

• Fine ground the following with a little water: 10 cloves, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, 2 tbsp of raw peanuts (preferably the brown skin peeled), 1 pinch of turmeric powder, 1tsp of red chilly powder
• Dice 2 medium size Suraikkai (Bottle Gourd) into small cubes
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and season with curry leaves
• Saute 1 large chopped Onion until translucent
• Add salt per taste
• Toss the diced Suraikkai and saute until tender
• Add the ground masala
• Add water per desired consistency
• Cover and cook until veges are done and curry thickens
• Garnish with cilantro
• Serve with Rice or Chapathi

You can substitute 2 tbsp of grated coconut + 1 tsp of dhalia (pottu kadalai) in place of peanuts to make the masala paste. Ofcourse you would have to call it Suraikkai Coconut Yellow Curry in which case. We like the peanut version.

Disclaimer: All credits (or complaints) go to Tamil, my sweetheart.

Makes 3 generous servings

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan
• Add 0.5tsp of cumin seeds, 2 cloves, half inch cinnamon stick
• When cumin seeds splutter, add 1 large finely chopped onion
• Add salt and saute the onions until light brown
• Add 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic-coriander paste. saute.
• Add 1 green chilly slit lengthwise (can chop too. But I prefer long slit so my son can easily discard it.)
• Add a spring of curry leaves and saute for few seconds
• Add a pinch of turmeric powder
• Add 1 large ripe Tomato – finely chopped
• Saute until oil leaves by the sides
• Add washed and quartered button mushrooms (around 15 or so)
• Fry for a min and add 0.25 cup of water
• Cover and cook for 7 mins
• While it cooks, coarsely crush the following: 3 garlic pods, 0.5tsp of peppercorns, 1tsp of cumin seeds. Use a pestel preferably. Do not fine grind it. It must be very very coarse.
• After the mushroom is done do the following:
• Heat a really wide mouthed pan [I mean it ]
• Add a dash of butter and 1 tbsp of oil . You can make it all butter…. but then the ‘cholesterol cop’ inside me, wont let me do that.
• Add the crushed garlic-pepper-cumin coarse masala and fry until raw smell vanishes
• Add few curry leaves and few cilantro leaves
• Add 0.5tsp of red chilly powder, 0.5tsp of coriander powder, 0.25tsp of garam masala pdr
• Qucikly toss the mushroom gravy into this wide pan
• Fry until all the water eaporates and the gravy thickens
• The gravy will be coating the mushrooms real good
• Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve or relish
• This dish tastes heavenly with Rice, Chapathi or any Roti
• You can even beat an egg (or egg white if your ‘cholesterol cop’ is still around) with little soy sauce and scramble it and add to the dish for an extra notch

Makes 3 servings

• Heat 1Tbsp of oil in a pan
• Season with a pinch of hing, 1tsp of mustard seeds
• When they crackle, add 0.5tsp of urad dhal, 0.5tsp of channa dhal, 0.5tsp of cumin seeds, 1 red chilly, 1 coarsely crushed garlic
• Add around 10 pearl onions and saute until tender
• Add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder
• Toss in 2 cups of very finely cut spinach
• Saute until leaves wilt
• Add 1 gooseberry sized tamarind extract
• Mash the spinach in tamarind juice using the back of a laddle while it is cooking
• The leaves may not get fully mashed..(I wish though) Its OK just try your best.
• When the tamarind doesnt anymore smell raw, add 0.5tsp of red chilly powder
• Add 3 to 4 laddles of cooked toor dhal (May be a cup)
• Add 1 cup of water
• Mix and bring it a boil (takes about 5 mins)
• Serve with hot rice. Kids love it

This is a no biggie. The dosa needs to be little thicker than regular dosa. Pour the batter in the center of the pan and gently but swiftly make it into a circle. Quickly sprinkle some finely chopped raw onion on top. When sprinkled before the batter begins to cook, the onions will get well set into the dosa. Drizzle few drops of oil on the sides and when the bottom side gets golden brown, gently flip the dosa and leave it for 2 or 3 secs and roll it into the plate. Serve hot with Chutney and Udipi Sambar.

This is restaurant style sambar. Goes well with Dosai or Idli. Might not suit white rice. And this is similar to the Arachuvitta Sambar

• In few drops of oil, roast the following until golden brown: 05 tbsp coriander
  0.5 tbsp channa dhal
  1 red chilly long
  0.5tsp methi (add it to the very last, else it will get bitter)
• Fry 1 inch coconut for few seconds along with the above
• Grind them to a fine paste adding little water. Set aside.
• Pressure cook 0.5 cup of Toor Dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder, 2 garlic cloves, 1tsp of castor oil for about 5 whistles
• The dhal:water ratio is 1:3
• Soak 2 inch tamarind piece in little water and extract the juice
• Precook all vegetables (Carrot, Radish, ChoCho, Pumpkin etc) with little salt and little water. Use stove top/microwave. Half cook them.
• In a pan heat 2 tbsp oil and saute thin long cut onions (1 large) until translucent
• Add salt per taste (go easy as the veges have some salt too)
• Add the tamarind extract and cook the onions until the tamarind no more smells raw
• Add 1 finely chopped ripen Tomato (need not saute)
• Add the ground masala
• Add 1tsp red chilly powder (I use Aachi brand – less spicy)
• Add the mashed Toor dhal
• Add the veges with any cooked water
• Add water per desired consistency
• Bring the sambar to a boil (like abt 10 mins)
• Do the tadka and add
• For tadka/seasoning, in few drops of oil, add the following and fry for few seconds : a pinch of hing, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urid dhal, channa dhal, 2 red chillies, 5 pepper corns, 1 crushed garlic clove, few curry leaves.
• Garnish with cilantro leaves
• Serve hot with Dosa or Idli

Use the same batter as that of the regular ildy. But use the mini idly plates to steam the bite size feast. 6 or 7 mins in the steamer would do to make a batch of 72 teeny tiny treats. Gobble them down with little ghee and delicious Udipi Sambar.

Makes 2 cups of chutney

This is a slight variation from the Onion Chutney.
Basically add tomato to the ingredients list and you got it.
I usually make Onion chutney and divide them into 2 portions. I saute 1 large Tomato along with some pre sauted onions and grind along with one portion of the Onion Chutney. Clear as mud?! Well let me give you the separate instructions anyway.

• Roast the following in very little oil:
  2tbsp Channa dhal
  1tbsp Urid dhal
  2 long red chillies
• Grind the above to a fine powder along with
  3 half inch coconut pieces (I use the bare minimum, can go liberal)
  very little ginger
• Fry the following until onions turn slight brown:
  2 medium chopped onions
  2 chopped garlic cloves
  salt per taste
  half inch tamarind piece
• Add 1 large Tomato and fry until oil leaves
• Transfer the contents and cool down to room temperature
• Grind them to a fine paste
• Mix the dhal powder to this paste and grind all to mix them evenly
• Adjust salt
• Optional: season a little oil with curry leaves, red chilly, mustard seeds, cumin seeds if you wish
• Serve with Idli or Dosai

Makes 2 cups of chutney

1. Roast the following in very little oil:

• 2tbsp Channa dhal
• 1tbsp Urid dhal
• 2 long red chillies

2. Grind the above to a fine powder along with

• 3 half inch coconut pieces (I use the bare minimum, can go liberal)
• very little ginger

3. Fry the following until onions turn slight brown:

• 2 medium chopped onions
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• salt per taste
• half inch tamarind piece

4. When onions cool down to room temperature, grind them to a fine paste

5. Mix the powder (got from step 2) to this onion paste and grind all to mix them evenly

6. Adjust salt

7. Optional: season a little oil with curry leaves, red chilly, mustard seeds, cumin seeds if you wish

8. Serve with steaming Idli or Dosai

Ratio of Idli Rice: Urid dhal -> 4:1

Slightly wash rice and dhal individually. Soak the rice and dhal separately in a wide mouthed vessel in non-chlorinated water. Use just enough water. You will be using this water for grinding the next day. Add 0.5tsp of unwashed methi seeds to each vessel. Leave them overnight uncovered in any open place. The next day morning grind them separately using the saoked water. Fine grind dhal. Coarse grind rice. Mix them both with your clean hands. Add Kosher salt or non-iodised salt per taste. Use very little water to mix with the batter. Transfer the batter to 2 wide mouthed vessels and leave them covered in a warm place overnight. You may leave them inside the electric oven with the oven lights on or may be in your patio when it is sunny..
The next day morning, you will see the batter fermented to its fullest. If you follow the above meticulous steps, you wont go wrong.
Mix the batter with little water and make it to idli consistency. The batter should not be very thick or very thin. If poured, it should go drip.. drip..
Grease the idly plates with oil or if you use the traditional idli vessel, drape the vessel with damp cloth and pour batter into the cups. Steam the idlis for about 8 mins or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the delicious fluffy idlies..
Serve with any gravy or Idli kurma or Chutney or Udipi Sambar.

Now for the little details and the reasons behind them:
Why non-chlorinated water..and why kosher salt?
Chlorine and Iodine are not friends with yeast. They retard yeast growth and hence fermentation is not at its best. Tap water might contain chlorine and regular table salt might be fortified with iodide. And Kosher salt in Tamil is Kal Uppu.
Why soak them uncovered..why use methi seeds?
Methi seeds are good at gathering wild yeast – the one that makes the batter ferment. When left incovered, the seeds and urid dhal can collect more yeast.
Why use the same water for grinding?
You dont want to waste the hard collected yeast..or do you?!
Why use hands to mix the batter?
Your fingers and palm have the heat index that assist in yeast growth
Why place in a warm place or with oven lights on?
Warmth nurtures the yeast