Vegan/Vegetarian South Indian Stew

This South Indian vegetarian (Vegan) stew is inspired by the recipe Vengaaya Sambhar by Viji Varadarajan

Ingredients:

1/2 cup	Red Gram/Thuvaram Paruppu/Thuvar Dhal (Toor Dhal)
pinch	Asafoetida/ Hing powder
1 1/2 cups	Water- soak a golf ball sized piece of tamarind in this water.
3 tablespoons	oil
¼ teaspoon	Mustard seeds/kadugu/rai
1/2 cup	Red diced onions
10	curry leaves/Karuveppalai/Kari Patha torn or crushed
¼ teaspoon	Black gram/ulutham paruppu/urad dhal (optional)
¼ teaspoon	Fenugreek seeds/Methi/mendhiyam
A few	Curry leaves/Karuveppalai/Kari Patha torn
2 cups	Vegetable of your choice (okra/bindi, eggplant/brinjal, drumstick, etc.)
4 teaspoons	Sambar powder

Method:
1. In separate small saucepan, on medium heat boil toor dhal. Wash first and add 1 1/2 cup water and a pinch of Asafoetida. Continue to boil until dhal is mushy.
2. Soak the tamarind in 1 1/2 cups warm water for about 10 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, keep the diced onions, curry leaves, Fenugreek seeds/Methi/mendhiyam, and urad dhal.
4. Heat a deep vessel (pan that can hold about 6 cups of food). Put oil in the bottom. When it heats, add mustard seeds. When they pop add the contents of the bowl in step 3. Stir for about 1 minute or until a nice aroma comes. (Note some people will add only spices and not onions to this seasoning, I find that the curry leaves brown too quickly, and the urad dhal blackens and hardens slightly. To combat this, I place all these items in together.)
5. Add 2 cups water.
6. Add sambar powder and vegetables, stir well.
7. Keep on medium heat until it boils. Let boil for about 10 minutes. This will thicken it slightly.
8. Keep checking dhal throughout. More water may need to be added if it starts to evaporate and dhal has not become mushy yet. When dhal is mushy, try to mush some with spoon in pot. Add this dhal into the sambar.
9. Strain the tamarind from the water by squeezing the tamarind pieces to retain the juice. To strain remaining small pieces, use a tea strainer or similar device while pouring the water into the pan.
10. Now the heat on sambar should be on simmer. When dhal is done and mushy, add to sambar.
11. Taste for salt and add little at time to get to your preferred salt level. I usually add by sight and taste until it’s to our salt level. I think I added about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons.

When all steps are completed, turn off flame after it has been on low heat about 15 minutes. Let sit off flame for about thirty minutes or so before eating. Serve hot with plain rice and if desired, ghee, and side dish curries of your choice. Some may also prefer to mix the sambar and rice with papard (Indian Chips) or American potato chips for a crunchy effect.

Related Posts/Sites:
Sambar Varieties - Recipes
Vathhal Kozhumbu
Besan (Chick pea flour) Sambar
Savory Sambar
Mysore Sambar
Homemade Sambar Powder
Eggplant Sambar

Related Posts/Sites:
Join Viji's Fan Page on Facebook
Insights and Inspirations of Viji Varadarajan
Viji’s website- Viji Samayal
Brahmin Recipes by Viji Varadarajan on Magic Chef Hat, October 2008
Fusion in the Kitchen – The Hindu, March 2009
The tradition continues – Harmony Magazine, September 2007

tags : "cookbook authors", "south indian food", "tamil brahmin", "tamil food", "vegetarian samayal", traditional cookery "indian cooking" vegetarian "Indian vegetarian cooking" "pure vegetarian cookery' sambar stew vegan vegetarian gravy

Chenna Masala

This spicy chickpea curry is akin to a thick stew and is usually eaten with Indian flat bread like chapati or roti. However if that is not available, rice can be substituted. To eat it in a Western style, I sometimes like to toast bread and scoop it over that.

This dish is usually garnished with fresh cut diced tomato and red onion, coriander leaves and lemon juice. All are not required, you can choose those you like or have handy. Photo in post courtesy Krishna Kumar, used with permission.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry white chick peas (kabuli chenna) or 2 cups soaked and canned chickpeas
1 black tea bag
pinch asafetida powder
2 tbspn oil
pinch mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup onion, diced then pureed
1 tsp garlic paste or minced garlic
1 tsp ginger paste
1 cup tomato, diced then pureed
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 -1/2 tsp salt (to your taste)
1 tsp amchur powder (for sourness)

Method;

Step 1:
If using dried chick peas, soak for about 8 hours. They will fluff up twice the size that is why 1 cup dried equals two cups soaked/canned.

Step 2:
Place soaked chick peas, tea bag, pinch asafetida and water to cover these peas in a pressure cooker. Wait for three whistles. Let cool.
The added tea bag changes the color of the peas slightly to brown/black. It is optional to use the tea bag, but it also does add flavor.

Step 3:
While the pressure cooker is working, dice onions, and puree. Set aside.
Dice tomatoes and puree along with the ginger, garlic, corriander powder, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric and amchur separately from onions, set aside.
Do not add salt yet.

Step 4:
After the pressure cooker whistles thrice and cools, open and drain peas.
Heat a wok or larger frying pan on high. When the pan heats up, add the oil. When oil is hot, add a pinch of black mustard seeds.
Take care to wait for them to pop, they will come out of the pan slightly and a nice smell will come, turn heat to medium.
Quickly add the cumin seeds.

Step 5:
Stir the cumin seeds a nice smell will come, do not burn.
Quickly add the onions and stir. Heat should be on medium now so this does not burn. If you use an electric stove, you may need to pick the pan off the burner slightly
to prevent the onions from burning.

Step 6:
After heating onions about 3-4 minutes oil may separate from onions slightly, add the tomato spice puree. Stir nicely and let simmer about 5 minutes.

Step 7:
Add the chenna/chole (chick peas). While adding do not simply put them in, but as you place them in the pan squeeze between your hands to make a mash of them. Usually within
each handful about half get pressed and mashed up. This makes a thicker, stew like consistency. Stir the mix.

Step 8:
Add two cups water. Keep on medium heat and heat for 1- 1.5 hours. You can add a little salt and add more as you taste throughout this time.
You will know it is done when the spices have penetrated into the whole beans/peas.

Step 9:
Place in small bowls and garnish with onions, tomatoes, cilantro/coriander leaves and/or lemon juice as available. Eat with chapati, roti or rice.

Serves about 4-6.

*This recipe adapted from ecouter.

Mysore Sambar

The specialty of this sambar is the fact that it will be made out of a fresh, homemade ground spice mix and not a store bought one!

Ingredients:

10 methi seeds (Fenugreek seeds)
2 tbspn coriander seeds (or 1 tbspn coriander powder)
10 curry leaves
15-20 dried red chilies
1 tspn cumin seeds
½ cup fresh coconut
5 tablespoons oil or more
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
6-10 curry leaves
1/4 cup juice of imli (tamarind)
1/8 tsp Asafetida (ing)
salt to taste
1 tsp jaggery dissolved in warm water or 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Add any or all of the following vegetables (up to two cups):
1 cup chopped/diced brinjal (eggplant)
1 cup dudhi (Indian squash)
1 cup finely diced potatoes
1/2 cup finely sliced carrots
1 -1 1/2 cup tomatoes cut into about 1 inch chunks
etc..

Method:
1. Soak 1/5 block dry tamarind in warm water until step 4
2. Boil 1 cup dhal in 2 cups water until dal is soft, but not pasty
3. Dry fry cumin/methi separately, dry fry chili/coriander separately. Alternatively, if it is sunny, you can keep the spices on a plate out in the sun for 8-10 hours to sundry as the spices photographed in this article were.
Grind these seeds into a powder using a mortar or coffee grinder.
4. Put this spice mix in water and grind in blender with coconut for 15 minutes or until it's puddling-like.
5. Add boiled toor dhal into the blender and blend into a paste. Set this aside. (I believe mashing or grinding the dhal into a paste gives it the thick consistency typical of Udipi style cooking found in Karnataka state, India.)
6. Heat 2-3 tsp vegetable oil in a large pot (5-6 cups capacity). Add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds (MS) in the oil, when MS pop, add cut vegetables add 1/4 tsp turmeric and curry leaves. Fry this mix for 10 min.
7. Strain tamarind water, place in pan with two cups of water along with the vegetables. Boil until vegetables are soft.
8. Add one tsp jaggery dissolved in warm water or 1 tsp sugar if desired.
9. Add blended dhal and spice mix and boil on medium for an hour or until tastes mesh.
10. Add salt as per taste.
11. Previous to serving, garnish with coriander.

Eat with rice, idli, dosai, pongal etc.
Makes 10-15 servings.

Note: Because the dhal is blended as a paste, this sambar will become thicker as it cools. If kept in the fridge over night, water may need to be added the next day to make it a stew consistency. To avoid this if you think you will need to store it, do not blend dhal and only cook dhal until it is done and not over boiled.

**Sambar is a type of South Indian vegetarian stew with lentils, a mix of spices (masala) and vegetables).

Updated July 22, 2008
Original posting date January 26, 2008


Amol has showcased the photo of the sambar masala seeds in his posts here and here.

Mango Thokku

Ingredients:

2 cups grated raw green mangoes
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
pinch Asafetida
2 tsp salt or to taste
2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbspn dried methi leaves (Fenugreek)

Method:
1. Heat oil on high.
2. When oil has heated add mustard seeds.
3. When seeds pop, add mangoes, Asafetida, salt and chili powder. Fry for 5 minutes.
4. Add methi leaves. Fry another 5 minutes. Final product is pasty.

Kanchipuram Idli

Ingredients:

1 cup Idli Rice
1 cup Urad Dhal
10 methi (Fenugreek) seeds.
2-3 tsp salt
10 peppercorns
1 tsp Cumin seeds
10 pieces of cubed ginger (1/4 inch)
Pinch of Asafetida
15 Cashewnuts- chopped or crushed
2 tspns Ghee
1/2 cup Sesame Oil


Method:
1. Soak both rice and urad dhal with a pinch of
methi seeds for 3 hours.
2. Grind rice with sparse water into a silky paste.
3. Add required salt and let it fermentation about
8-10 hours. (If you live in hot climate, you can set
it in the sun. If you live in cold climate, you have
two choices.
First choice: Heat oven, turn off and cool. Keep the
oven light on and keep batter in 6-8 hours to ferment.
Second choice: Place the batter near or close as
possible to a heating vent overnight.
Fermenting will allow batter to rise and also smell
slightly sour.)
4. After fermenting, add sesame oil, peppercorns,
ginger pieces, and ing (Asafetida) into the batter
and stir well.
5. Heat 1 tsp ghee.  Add cashewnuts and cumin
seeds until the cashewnuts lightly brown.  Add to
mixture, mix well.
6. Take a pressure cooker, without the weight.
There are two choices on how to pressure
in tumbers.
First choice: Place a metal cooking rack on the
bottom of the cooker and take 3-4 Indian steel
tumblers.  Tumblers can sit on the rack.
Second choice: If you have a dhokla rack, keep only
the bottom most rack in the gadget, place the
tumblers on this.
8. Coat tumblers with sesame oil, fill tumber 3/4
full with idli batter. Set tumblers on your rack.
Close pressure cooker without using weight.
9. Once the steam starts coming from the cooker,
time steaming for 20 minutes.
10. When done, you can take the idlis out easier by
pouring cold water on the bottom of the tumblers.
A blunt object may help get them out as well.
11. Keep repeating steps 6, 7, and 8 until batter is over
or required amount is made. 
12. Serve with chutney, sambar or dhal powders.

Notes:
1. After making the first batch note how heavy the idlis
appear. If they seem heavy or thick, add some water to
the batter and test another few tumblers. Idlis should be
somewhat light and airy when steamed.
2. Leftover batter can be kept for several days after it is
made.

**This is Kanchipuram style due to being steamed in. You
can also steam in regular idli pans too. 

I will post photos of these gadges in separate posts. (I
tried in this post and it did not work properly.)
Photo: Indian Steel Tumbler
Photo: Idli Cooking Gadget Photo
This recipe is adapted from the recipe posted on Bawarchi.com.

Vatthal Kozhumbu

Ingredients:
1. Imli (tamarind)
2. Tablespoon oil
3. Pinch Mustard seeds
4. Pinch chenna (or toor) dhal
5. 2-4 red dried crushed chilies
6. 2-4 green chilies cut lengthwise
7. Pinch ING (Asafetida)
8. 4-6 curry leaves (or more as per your taste)
9. Pinch vendhyam (Fenugreek seeds)
10. 4 cups water
11. 2 tsp sambar powder
12. Pinch turmeric
13. Salt to taste
14. 20-30 sundakkai vathals (or as per your taste)
15. 1 to 4 tsp rice flour

Method:

Step 1:
If you have block Imli (ingredient #1) soak a golf ball size of this in warm water (1 cup) until soft. This can be done while doing other steps.

Step 2.
For ingredients 2-9. Heat oil and add mustard seeds (ingredients 2 and 3), when they pop, add ingredients 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Fry till they are browned. Put to the side.

Step 3:
Strain and squeeze the water out of the soaked imli pieces out and put he 'imli water' in a sauce pan. Heat it adding 3 more cups water (adding four for #10) sambar powder (#11), turmeric (#12) and salt (#13). Also add all the fried spices at this time (from step 2.) Heat till a rolling boil for 5-10 minutes. More salt may also be added at the end as per your taste.

Step 4:
Dry fry the vatthals till a smell comes. Add the vatthals to the liquid and continue boiling.

Step 5:
This will be liquidy, whereas kozhumbu should be thick. To thicken we add rice flour (#15). Leaving the heat on, while boiling, add one teaspoon, and stir, wait a few minutes, stir it. Keep adding one more teaspoon of the rice flour and stirring until it is slightly thick. Four teaspoons should be enough.

**Kozhumbus com in different varieties. Kozhumbu is a thicker sambar. The closest translation for Kozumbu in English is gravy.

Keep this sitting for some time before eating. It is really good if you eat it later in the day or the next day, the flavor will be very nice.

Eat in small quantities with plain rice or curd (yogurt) rice.

There are also various kinds of vatthals. It may be possible to substitute another variety of vatthal in this recipe for another.

This recipe was originally posted in my yahoo group.
Photo in post taken by Jennifer Kumar.

Other Vatthal Kozhumbu Recipes
Vatral Kuzhambu - Sriranjini