South Indian Curries,Gravies

Avial (Vegetables curry in curds)-Traditional Tamil dish

Cubed White Squash (pumpkin) -- 1 cup
Chopped French Beans, Cauliflower,Drumstick, Bell Pepper, Potato -- 3 cups(mixed together)
Green Chilies -- 4 (medium sized)
Plain Yoghurt -- 2 cups
Grated Fresh Coconut -- 1 cup
Curry Leaves -- 10
Coriander Leaves -- 4 tsp.
Mustard -- 1/8 tsp.
Turmeric -- 1/8 tsp.
Cooking oil -- 1/2 cup
Fried Red Chilies -- 2
Sugar -- 1 tsp.
Cumin -- 1 tsp.
Split Black Gram -- 1/8 tsp.
Asafoetida -- a pinch or two
Salt to taste

In a deep pot boil the mixed vegetables in a cup of water until tender. Keep aside. (If there is any water left in the pot, do not discard it). In a blender, blend yogurt, sugar, cumin, grated coconut, turmeric, salt, coriander leaves, a cup of water until well mixed. Pour this mixture into the
pot containing the vegetables and keep it on medium heat. Add the green chilies sliced lengthwise and simmer the contents for ten minutes. (Remember to stir frequently, as yogurt tends to stick to the bottom of the pot).

Remove from heat and keep aside. In a wide skillet heat oil on medium. When oil is hot add dry red peppers and fry for one minute. Then add mustard seeds, black gram and curry
leaves. When the mustard seeds pop, add asafoetida. Immediately add the vegetables and sauce from the pot. Cook for a minute or two. Remove from heat. Goes well with plain white rice, pita, paratha, puri.


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More Kozhambhu-Another Traditional Tamil recipe, also called Majjige Huli in Karnataka.


Yogurt/Curds- 3/4 Ltrs(Serves 4)
Coriander seeds 2 tsp
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
Red Chili powder 1 tsp
Chana Daal 1 tsp
Rice or rice powder 1 tsp
Coconut (grated) 2 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Mustard 1 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Red Chili 1


Fry Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Chana Daal, Red Chili in a little oil. Grind the mixture with the coconut and add to the beaten yogurt. Add turmeric and bring to a boil.
Stir in rice powder, and heat on low until consistent texture is achieved. Heat oil and mustard seeds and add to the mixture.


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Tomato-Onion Gojju - Traditional dish from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

1/2 tbsp tamarind paste or extract from a tamarind size marble, soaked
2 onions, chopped (if using little ones in a bag, about five)
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
6 hot green chilles, slit and cut into pieces
curry leaves
1 tspn mustard
1/2 tspn turmeric
garlic (optional)
salt to taste
3-4 tbspn oil

Chop the tomatoes and onions into very tiny pieces. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when popping add curry leaves, chillies,
onions and fry till onions become transcluscent. Add tomatoes andfry for another five minutes. If using tamarind paste add a cup and half of water, or pour equal quantity of extract from fresh pulp. Throw in the turmeric, salt and garlic. Let it simmer for a while until the gravy becomes a little thick Remove from heat ans serve with rice.


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Pitla(Pitlai)

3 tablespoons besan (bengal gram flour)
1/2 tsp hing(asoefetida)
1 medium tomato chopped finely
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 tsp roasted cumin-coriander powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice/tamarind juice
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Fry the besan in a little oil till it turns light brown. Set aside. Heat some oil and add the mustard and curry leaves. When they crackle, add the onions and fry till they turn brown. Add the cumin-dhania, red chili and turmeric and fry for a minute.
Now add the besan and keep frying for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the coriander and some water to get a liquid consistency. Add salt to taste. Now add the lime/tamarind juice and heat through till it boils. Add hing and serve hot with chapatis or white rice.


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Mixed Vegetable Curry


1 cup mixed vegetables sliced, boiled (use carrot, cauliflower, beans, peas, potato, etc.)
1 tomato sliced
1/2 coconut grated
1/2 tsp. ginger grated
1/2 tsp. garlic crushed
3 green chillies
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 tsp.lemon juice
2 cloves
1" piece cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter

Drain the boiled vegetables, keep stock aside. Blend together, coconut, chillies, sesame seeds, cinnamon, cloves in mixie. Heat butter, add seeds, allow to splutter. Add ginger, garlic and paste. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetables except tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup stock. Cover, simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt, chilli powder,tomatoes and cook till gravy is thick. Serve hot with parathas or chappatis.


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Potato White Stew (Kerala)

4 potatoes
1 piece large ginger
Curry leaves
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
3 pieces cardamom
2 onions
3 green chillies
1 small coconut
4 small piece cinnamon
6 pieces cloves
Oil 2-3 Tbsp
salt to taste
Cook potatoes and cut them into small cubic pieces. Cut onion ginger, chillies thin and lengthwise. Grate coconut and make a thick milk using 2 1/2 - 3 cups of water. heat 2 Tbsp. oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, Onion, green chillies, 3 cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Fry slightly, add potatoes, slt and coconut milk. Cook for 5-10 minutes. When the gravy becomes thick , remove from the flame. Serve hot with chapathis, dosas or rice.


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Pineapple Gojju


1 canned (small) crushed pineapple
1 table sp sesame seeds
1 table sp urad dhal
1 table sp channa dhal
3 red chillies
2 green chillies
1 tsp chick peas
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
a small piece of jagerry OR 1 table sp brown sugar
1/2 cup grated coconut
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 table sp's Oil for frying
1 tsp mustard seeds

Dry fry sesame seeds, urad dhal, channa dhal, red chillies and asafoetida till they all turn roasted(frying time 5-6 mins)
Grind the fried ingredients with green chillies, chick peas, tamarind paste, jaggery (or brown sugar) and grated coconut to a smooth paste (add little water while grinding).
In the meantime, keep oil in a kadai and let it heat for a minute. Then put mustard seeds and turmeric powder and allow mustard seeds to pop. Then put the canned crushed pineapple to it and fry the pineapple for about 15 mins approximately. Later on, add the ground paste to the fried pineapple and fry further 10 mins.Add salt according to taste
Remove kadai from the heat. This goes well as a side dish with chapatis or rice & rasam and can be eaten hot or cold.


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Katirikka Rasavangi


One eggplant(Brinjal)
1/2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 1/2 tspn coriander seeds
1 tspn chana dal
3-4 dried red chillies
4 tbsp coconut (dry will do but fresh is better)
1/2 cup cooked toovar dal (with turmeric)
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
a pinch asafoetidacurry leaves
A little oil for roasting and seasoning
salt to taste
Cube eggplant. In about a cup of water dissolve the tamarind-coriander paste. Set on stove, add eggplant to tamarind water, a little turmeric, salt and let cook until eggplant is done but has not lost its shape. In a pan with very little oil roast red chillies, coriander seeds, chana dal and asafoetida. When you can get the aroma of roasted coriander or the red chillies have turned a dark, dark red remove from heat and let cool. Throw into blender with coconut, add 3 tbsp water and grind slowly into paste. Add a little water if blade gets stuck. Remove from jar and wash it out with water and save this.

Mash cooked dal with a spoon until blended and add to cooked eggplant. Now add the coconut paste and its water. Keep on low heat till it starts to simmer a little. Take off heat. Season with spluttering mustard seeds and curry leaves. Variations: You can throw in a handful of chick peas from a can into this, thin it out somewhat and have it as katirikka sambar. Alternately, you can make the cooked dal with half toor and half chana dal, in which case you should not cook until mashed. Remove a trifle before it gets fully done.


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Vazai Thandu Curry(Banana Stem curry)

Vazai Thandu(Banana Stem)Washed and finely chopped
Moong dhal 2 t.spoon
Urad dhal 1/4 t.spoon
Red chilli 2
Mustard 1/4 t.spoon
Hing a small pinch
Ginger a small pinch
Green chilli 1
Grated coconut 2 t.spoons
Butter milk 1/4 cup
Cooking oil 2 t.spoon
Salt 1/2 t.spoon

Soak vazai thandu, moong dhal, butter milk and salt together for 15 minutes.Fry mustard, urad dhall, red chilli, hing, green chilli, and ginger in oil.Squeeze the butter milk out the soaked vazai thandu, and addthe vazai thundu to the above
pan. Let it cook for 10 minutes,and then add the grated coconut to the above.


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Pepper Rasam


1 small tomato, chopped into small cubes
1 1/2 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tsp thick tamarind juice
1/2 tsp sugar or jaggery water
1 tsp chopped coriander leaves
A pinch of hing(asoefetida)
Salt to taste
2 tsp ghee(clarified butter)
6 cups of water

Powder the peppercorns in a peppermill or coffee grinder to get a very coarse powder. Mix together the water, tomato, pepper,salt sugar(jaggery) and tamarind juice. Bring it to a boil on a low flame. Season with mustard, hing, curry leaves and cumin in ghee. Garnish with chopped coriander. Eat when hot with plain rice.


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