Pumpkin Peanut Vatha Kozhambu

I make vatha kozhambu with pumpkin most of the times and also with some vathals.  After seeing Prema's Verkadalai Kozhambu, I wanted to try this too. Wasn't sure whether it will be good without any vegetable. She has also used eggplant & onion in her version. I added pumpkin and onion and almost followed the same recipe. Except, I fried handfull of peanuts in oil and added it to the kozhambu finally for extra crunchy taste.

I am sending this to Bookmarked Recipes event, by Priya Of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipe.

Thamarakezhangu Vathal kozhambu

Thamara kezhangu / Kamal kakdi / Lotus Stem is something i really love. I remember my patti used to make this vathal at home. When we were in Delhi, sabjiwala used to bring the fresh Kamal Kakdi. Even our landlady asked me to try out some sabji she made with kamal kakdi. It tasted pretty good but we were not excited about that.  But I know more about this thamara kezhangu vathal. My husband is not aware of this. But he tried it and liked it too.  Since we make vatha kozhambu with manathakali, sundakka, pagakka vathal, I wanted to try with this thamarakezhangu too.  I got the thamarakezhangu vathal from Ambika appalam, Chennai. It came out pretty good. We both really liked it.

Ingredients:-

1. Thamara kezhangu vathal - 1 cup (divide it to 3/4th & 1/4th)
2. Tamarind - Medium lemon sized ball
3. Sesame oil - 3 tbsp
4. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp (acc to taste)
6. Salt to taste
7. Jaggery - 2 tsp (optional)
8. mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
9. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
10. Red chillie - 1 or 2 (acc to taste)
11. Oil - To deep fry
12. Hing -  few pinches
13. curry leaves  -  for garnishing.

Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 cups of water. In the mean time, heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dhall, red chillies  along with a pinch of hing to golden brown. Now Add 3/4th portion of thamarakezhangu vathal and fry it till it becomes crispy. Do not burn it. In the mean time, squeeze out juice from tamarind and keep it aside. Now add the tamarind water to the fried ingredients adding required amount of salt, turmeric powder & sambar powder and let it boil for 7 to 10 minutes. When the raw smell of tamarind, sambar powder goes, add the crushed jaggery to it and let it boil. Adjust water according to the required consistency.  Turn off the stove. Now in another pan, heat oil given for frying. Deep fry the 1/4th portion of vathal to golden brown and add it to the kozhambu.  Garnish it with curry leaves.  Serve it hot with warm rice and teaspoon of seasame oil.

Bittergourd Kara kozhambu

I made this kozhambu after seeing a tv show online. I made this last week and was busy with my wisdom tooth extraction process, so could not post the article. Today I am feeling ok, so thought of writing this post. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:-

1. Bitter gourd - 1 cup (chopped into small pieces)
2. Pear Onion - 15 nos(chop it finely)
3. tomato - 1/2 cup (chopped)
4. Tamarind Paste - 2 tbsp
5. Salt to tase
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
8. Coconut - 1/4 cup
9. Fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp
10. Red chillies - 3 (acc to taste)
11. coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
    
12. Oil - 2 tbsp
13. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
14. Curry leaves - few
15. Jaggery - 1 1/2 tsp
    

Pre heat oil in a pan, add bittergourd, tomato and onion and saute for five mts. till it becomes 3/4th cooked. In the mean time, dry roast fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies and coconut and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Once the veggies are 3/4th cooked, add the tamarind paste to required amount of water, add the grounded paste to tamarind water, add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and pour it on top of the veggies and let it boil for another 5 mts. When everything mixes well, add the jaggery and add water according to the required consistency. Garnish it with curry leaves and enjoy.

Paavakkavathal vatha kozhambu

I started writing this recipe last week. Because of my sickness, I couldn't finish this one last week. Even now I feel like sleeping all the time and computer monitor light irritates my eyes. I don't know whats going on.. But I just wanted to finish this recipe first. Paavakka (bittergourd) is my favorite vegetable and I make something or the other with this veggie very often. This vathal I got it from a Indian grocery store and wanted to try vathakozhambu with this one. so here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:-

1. Paavakka Vathal - 10 (depending upon the quantity of kozhambu)
2. Tamarind - a small lemon sized
3. Sesame Oil - 5 tbsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp

For seasoning:-

1. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
2. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of water and get the thick juice out of it and keep it aside. In a pan, pre heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry the paavakka vathal to golden brown and keep it aside. Now take a wide bottomed pan, pre heat remaining oil, splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dhall, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida powder to golden brown, pour the tamarind juice, add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it boil for 7 to 10 mts so that the raw smell of tamarind and sambar powder goes away. Now add the fried vathal, jaggery to it and let it cook together for another 5 mts. A nice aroma comes out when everything is done. By adding the vathal last, the crispyness will be there. Try this

vatha kozhambu

Another spicy recipe. I always love to eat vatha kozhambu. But now a days because of heart burn, I reduced eating spicy stuff. But this pumpkin vatha kozhambu is my all time favorite. The main ingredients are as follow...
Ingredients:-

1. Tamarind - one small lemon sized or 2 tbsp paste
   
2. Pumpkin or pearl onion - one small cup (may 10 small cubes)
3. Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
5. salt to taste
6. Sesame oil - 4 tbsp (may need more)
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp
8. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. urid dal - 1/2 tsp
10. channa dal - 1/2 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
12. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc. to taste)
    
13. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
14. Rice flour - 1 1/2 tsp
    

Take a wide pan, pre heat 3 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urid dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and asafoetida powder and fry these ingredient in low flame, to golden brown. Now add the vegetable to it and saute for a minute. Now put the tamarind paste(if you are using tamarind, squeeze out the juice from it and pour it) and add 1 1/2 cup of water to the paste. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it cook for 10 mts. in medium flame. Now add the jaggery to it and again add 1/2 cup of water and let it boil for another 5 to 7 mts. In order to make the consistency thick, now mix the rice flour with a tbsp of water and pour it on top of the kozhambu and also pour the remaining oil. Let it boil for another 3 mts. Now Vatha kozhambu is ready to serve. Serve it hot with rice. Potato curry will be a good side dish for this rice.

Drumstick Vatha kozhambu

This is something I love to make and to eat of course!. Here is the recipe for making drumstick vatha kozhambu.

Ingredients:-

1. Drumstick - 3 (cut into 2" size pieces)
2. Tamarind - a small lemon sized
3. Sesame oil - 5 tbsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Sambar powder - 1 1/4 tsp (acc to taste)
6. salt to taste
7. Jaggery - 2 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
10. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
12. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
13. Curry leaves - few
14. Rice flour - 1 tsp (optional)

Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water and squeeze out the juice. Take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, urad dhall, channa dhall, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Now add the chopped drumstick to it and fry it for 5 mts. Now add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt and let it cook for 10 mts. under low flame. Now add the jaggery and let it boil for another 5 mts. In this stage add water if necessary. If you need this kozhambu in thicker consistency, then mix rice flour in 2 tbsp water and pour it in kozhambu and let it cook for another 5 mts. Turn off the stove after getting required consistency. This can be eaten with white rice, can also be eaten as side dish for curd rice.

Mango Vatha Kozhambu

I have never tasted this before. When my MIL told me to try making this one, I was really confused whether to try it or leave it. As we say necessity is the mother of invention, I ran of vegetables and left with 1 ripe mango. So thought of trying this one today. Surprisingly, it tasted really good. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Ripe Mango** - 1 Cut it into 4 big pieces
2. Tamarind - a medium lemon sized.
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Sambar powder - 3/4 tsp
6. Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Jaggery - 2 tsp (optional)

For seasoning:-

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

Take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds when it crackles, add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida powder and let it fry till golden brown. In the mean time, squeeze out the juice from tamarind and keep it aside. You may need nearly 2 cups of tamarind juice. When the ingredients becomes golden brown, add the tamarind water, turmeric powder, sambar powder, red chillies powder, salt and let it cook for 5 mts. Now add the cut mangoes in it and let it cook under low flame for 15 mts. A nice mixed aroma of mango, tamarind, sambar powder will come out of the kozhambu after 15 mts. Now add the jaggery. If necessary, mix 1/2 tsp of rice flour in 2 tbsp of water and pour it on top of it and let it boil for another 3 to 5 mts. Serve it hot with rice and potato curry will be a wonderful sidedish for this rice. Mangoes can be used as side dish for curd rice.

Sundakkavathal Vatha Kozhambu

1. Tamarind - one small lemon sized or 2 tbsp paste
   
2. Sundakka Vathal - 3 tablespoon
   
3. Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
5. salt to taste
6. Sesame oil - 4 tbsp (may need more)
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp
8. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. urid dal - 1/2 tsp
10. channa dal - 1/2 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
12. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc. to taste)
    
13. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
14. Rice flour - 1 1/2 tsp

Take a wide pan, pre heat 3 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urid dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and asafoetida powder and fry these ingredient in low flame, to golden brown. Now add the sundakka vathal to it and fry it until it becomes crunchy. Now put the tamarind paste(if you are using tamarind, squeeze out the juice from it and pour it) and add 1 1/2 cup of water to the paste. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it cook for 10 mts. in medium flame. Now add the jaggery to it and again add 1/2 cup of water and let it boil for another 5 to 7 mts. In order to make the consistency thick, now mix the rice flour with a tbsp of water and pour it on top of the kozhambu and also pour the remaining oil. Let it boil for another 3 mts. Now Vatha kozhambu is ready to serve. Serve it hot with rice. Potato curry will be a good side dish for this rice.

We can replace sundakkavathal with manathakkali vathal.