Tuesday, March 31, 2015

More Kuzhambu/Majjige Huli, A South Indian Recipe

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Southekai/Malabar Vellari/Cucumber More kuzhambu/Majjige huli
This is my son's favourite more kuzhambu! This recipe is Udupi's (Karnataka) version.  Tamilnadu recipe varies slightly.  Let me write the recipe first:

Ingredients:

1. 1 Southekai/Malabar vellari/a variety of cucumber, cut into pieces.
2. 1/2 tsp. Turmeric/haldi powder
3. 1/2 tsp. Sugar
4. 1/2 tsp. Salt
5. A small piece of hing/asafoetida.  Even powder is OK.

For grinding:

6. 1/2 coconut cut into pieces or grated (small coconut means 1 full coconut)
7. 6-7 Green chillies
8. 1" Ginger piece
9. 2-3 Red chillies
10. 1 tsp. Dhania seeds/coriander seeds
11. 2 tsp. Jeera/cumin seeds
12. 6-7 Cashew pieces
13. 1 cup curd...if you like sour taste, add sour curd or else normal curd.

For garnishing:

14. 1/2 tsp. Methi seeds/Fenugreek seeds
15. 1/2 tsp. Kadugu/Mustard/rai seeds
16. 1 tbs. Coconut oil
17. Curry leaves cut into small pieces
18. Capsicum, a small piece cut into slices (this is just for flavour, so, optional)

Method:

First cook the 5 ingredients in 2 cups of water.
Grind the no. 6 to 13 ingredients with some water (Grind it without water first, after all pieces are crushed, add water and grind.  This is fast grinding!).  Grind nicely.  In the last round add the curd and just do one 'drrrr'!
After the vegetable becomes soft, add the ground paste.
Add some more salt. Mix well.
Don't wait till it boils..switch off as soon as the top is covered with bubbles/foamy cover. If you leave it to boil, water and coconut will stay separated and taste will not be good.

Take coconut oil in a garnishing ladle/karandi.  Add mustard and methi.  After the mustard flutters, add the cut pieces of curry leaves. Add capsicum.  Mix with a spoon and leave on the stove for half a minute.  Garnish....chooooin...! Finished. More Kuzhambu is ready.  More kuzhambu or Moar Kuzhambu?!!!

I remove the skin and use it for chutney.  This is very good for health.  It can be done like we do Peerkkangai thogaiyal.  You can see how we cut vegetables sitting down on the ground, using this cutter (arivaal manai).  Some people cut the vegetable along with the skin and eat it.

The cut vegetable with the other ingredients, ready for boiling.

Ingredients for grinding.

These are for garnishing.

Arbi/saeppankizhangu.  We can boil it, remove the peel and use it instead of Southekai.  This will also be tasty.

You can use Arbi, bhindi/okra, brinjal, Ash gourd/vellai poosani etc. in place of southekai.  This can be had with rice, chapaathi, pongal, adai, mixed rice, etc.

In Tamilnadu, soaked tuvar dhaal is used instead of cashew while grinding.  Or rice flour.  Some people use only jeera and not dhania seeds.  Taste will vary but will be good. 

TIPS: Remember this kuzhambu should not be boiled...just remove from fire once foam collects on the top. 


P.S.: When you use Bhindi, you have to fry it with the garnishing ingredients.  First take a bit more oil, put the mustard.  After it flutters, add the curry leaves, cut bhindi pieces and half tsp.salt.  Fry till it is nearly dark brown (it has to get cooked). Add methi seeds in the end and fry a bit. It should not get burnt. Then put this mixture in the vessel, add the ground paste with curd.  Add water to the required consistency and boil with some more salt! Done! I am asking you to add salt twice since bhindi should absorb the required salt and then the coconut masala should need more salts! Once you get used to this type of cooking, you will never forget!

Please tell me if this recipe was helpful to you!

10 comments:

sm said...

nice recipe detailed one must be tasty

Sandhya said...

sm: Thank you, sm! It is a tasty dish! Try it!

Locomente said...

And, this is my favorite!

rudraprayaga said...

Smells tasty.

Sandhya said...

LOCO MENTE: Thank you!


RUDRAPRAYAGA: Smells tasty!

Haddock said...

One thing I learned here..... kuzhambu should not be boiled.

Sandhya said...

HADDOCK: hahaha....not all kuzhambus but more kuzhambu with curd and coconut! It will look curdled and watery!

Thanks for the comment!

வை.கோபாலகிருஷ்ணன் said...

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rudraprayaga said...

By reading the recipe and viewing the pictures, a tang enters the mind..

Sandhya said...

RUDRAPRAYAGA: This is the second comment from you, Rudraprayaga! Thank you!

Try it!