Raddish Poricha Kozhambu

Ther are two ways of making porchia kozhambu. One is Thanjavur style and the other one is Kerala style Poricha Kozhambu.  This is Kerala Style Poricha Kozhambu. I wanted to make eggplant poricha kozhambu, but after finishing the preparations, I realized that there is no eggplant in my fridge. Then wanted to try it with raddish. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Raddish - 1 cup (chopped)
2. Red Karamani (Red Cowpea Beans) - 3/4 cup
3. Tamarind - medium lemon sized (2 cups approx)
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Sambar powder - 1 1/4 tsp (acc to taste)
7. Jaggery - 2 tsp (optional)

To Grind:-

1. Coriander  Seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
2. Channa Dhall - 1 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc to taste)
6. Shredded Coconut - 1 tbsp

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Hing - few pinches
5. Curry leaves - for garnishing

Pressure cook karamani till its done and keep it aside.  In the mean time, squeeze tamarind juice and keep it aside. Take a wide bottomed pan, put the raddish pieces, tamarind water, turmeric powder, sambar powder and required amount of salt and let it boil or 7 to 10 minutes or till the raddish is 3/4th cooked.  Mean time, fry the ingredients given "To Grind" to golden brown and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. When the vegetable is 3/4th done, add the grounded paste to it along with required amount of water and let it boil for another 5 minutes. Now add the cooked karamani to it along with the powdered jaggery (optional) and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Now Poricha Kozhambu is ready to serve. It goes really well with white rice. Also with Verum arisi adai.

Brinjal Poricha Kozhambu with Garbanzo Beans

I made this poricha kozhambu yesterday with light green color Brinjal & garbanzo beans. I never knew that we can use garbanzo beans for making Poricha Kozhambu. When my MIL was here with us coupld of months back, she told me that she makes poricha kozhambu with garbanzo beans also.. This is how I make poricha kozhambu always.  This is something,but I liked it very much than the previous one.

Ingredients:-

1. Brinjal - 1 cup (small cube sized)
2. Tamarind - a small lemon sized
3. Garbanzo beans - 1/4 cup **
4. Toor dhall -  1/2 cup ( I used little less than 1/2 cup)
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 + 1/2 tsp
6. Sambar powder - 1 tsp
7. salt to taste

To Grind:-

1. Coriander seeds -3/4 tbsp
2. Channa dhall - 1 tsp
3. urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1 (Acc to taste)
5. Fresh coconut - 2 tsp
6. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. Asafoetida -a pinch

For tempering:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Asafoetida powder- a pinch
4. fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Curry leaves - few

Soak garbanzo beans in water overnight. Soak tamarind in required amount of water for half an hour. Squeeze the juice from it and keep it aside. In the mean time, pressure cook the toor dhall adding 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and keep it aside.  Take a pan, pre heat a drop of oil and fry the ingredients given to grind. Fry it till everything becomes golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Take the same pan, pre heat the remaining oil, fry the ingredients given for tempering, to golden brown. Add the chopped brinjal pieces and saute for a minute. Now add the squeezed tamarind juice, soaked garbanzo beans, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, sambar powder, required amount of salt and let it boil for 7 to 10 minute. When the garbanzo beans & brinjal is 3/4th cooked add the grounded coconut paste and let it boil for another 3 minutes. Now add the cooked toor dhall and let everyting cook for 5 more minutes. Adjust water according to the required consistency.

** - I added the garbanzo beans directly to tamarind water without pressure cooking it. Lucky for me, it was fully cooked by the time, kozhambu was ready. When I was telling this to my MIL, she said its always better to pressure cook garbanzo beans (atleast couple of whistles) cos most of the garbanzo beans won't cook properly.

I am sending this to Jayanthi's "Jay Ho" Event.

Poricha Kozhambu - Thanjavur Style

This is how my MIL make poricha kozhambu in our house. The main ingredients are as follows.

Ingredients:-

1. Toor Dal - 3/4 cup
2. Channa dal - 3 tbsp
3. Brinjal - 4 or 5 (cut it in an inch shape)
   
4. Tamarind - one small lemon sized
   
5. Coriander seeds - 3/4 tbsp
6. Fresh coconut - 1 tbsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Red chillies - 2 (or according to taste)
9. Chana dal - 1 tsp
10. Asafoetida - a pinch
11. Salt to taste
12. Sambar powder - 3/4 tsp
    
13. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
14. Ground nuts (peanuts) - 2 tbsp

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
3. Curry leaves
   
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Take a small pan, add a drop of oil and fry coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, coconut and 1 tsp channa dal with a pinch of asafoetida powder, to golden brown. Grind it and make it into a paste. Cook both Toor dal and 3 tbsp channa dal in a pressure cooker. Do not overcook the channa dal(its better to cook toor dal and channa dal one by one). Keep it aside.

In a wide pan, put the brinjal pieces, add tamarind water, sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder and peanuts. Let it boil for 10 to 12 mts. Now add the Coconut paste to it and let it boil for another 3 mts. Now add the cooked Toor dal and Channa dal to it and let it cook for another 5 mts. Take a small pan, pre heat the oil, add mustard seeds. when it splutters, add asafoetida powder and curry leaves to it. Pour the oil into the poricha kozhambu. Now the poricha kozhambu is ready to serve. This can be a very good side dish for Dosai. My MIL usually make Thogayal with this poricha kozhambu. We use this kozhambu as side dish for Thogayal Saadam. Try this and lemme know your comments.

Brinjal Poricha Kozhambu - Kerala Style

This poricha kozhambu is also a Kerala style kozhambu. In this kozhambu we use Azuki Bean (Black Kaaramani) instead of Toor dal. The main ingredients are as follow..

Ingredients:-

1. Black Kaaramani - 3/4 cup (soak it in water for atleast 8 hours)
2. Tamarind - one small lemon sized
3. Eggplant/Brinjal - 4 (cut it in an inch size)
4. Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
5. Chana dal - 1 tsp
6. Fresh coconut - 1 tbstp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Red Chillies - 2 (or according to taste)
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. Jaggery - 1 tbsp
11. Sambar Powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
    
13. Salt to taste.

For Seasoning:

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
5. Curry Leaves - 10 leaves

At first, take a small pan pour a drop of oil and fry Coriander seeds, Channa dal, Red chillies, Fresh coconut and Fenugreek seeds with a pinch of asafoetida powder, to golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Cook the Kaaramani in a pressure pan upto 6 whistles. Keep it aside. Now take a wide pan, cut the brinjal, mix the tamarind paste, turmeric powder, sambar powder salt and let it boil(cook) for 10 mts. Now add the coconut paste to it and let it boil for another 5 mts. Now add the cooked Kaaramani and jaggery to it and let it cook for another 7 mts. Turn off the stove now. Take a seasoning pan, pre heat the oil add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and curryleaves and let it fry till golden brown. Now pour it in the poricha Kozhambu. Now poricha kozhambu is ready to serve.