Coconut Chutney - Dosa- Idli Photologue

article by Jennifer Kumar
photos: Krishna Kumar

A nice, sour fermenting smell pervaded the entire home as I lifted the cover from the idli-dosa batter! What a nice pre-Christmas gift. This time, I deviated from the regular 3 cups idli rice/1 cup urad dhal with 2 cups long grain rice from the Mexican store and 1 cup idli rice to 1 cup urad dhal, nicely ground with a few fenugreek (methi) seeds and a dash of salt. Though it's freezing out, and the floors and tabletops are colder than in the summertime, I wrapped the batter bowl in a towel and set it on the floor by the furnace heater vent. In about 36 hours, I welcomed this wonderful present! I knew my happiness would bound more once hubby would get to eat some crispy dosa on his first holiday from work for Christmas break.

The process of making dosa and idli batter has been a difficult one for me. It's taken me more than four years, and three blenders to get the right methods. What was once cumbersome in planning, blending and fermenting- let alone getting the right pressure while ladling and forming dosas on the hot pan, is now almost effortless. For me, it's really a big accomplishment. My main motivation and inspiration to make dosas, and masala dosas come from Maya's Kitchen. Once, when we dropped by, she left a long lasting impression on me. The way she formed each dosa on the pan, spread the dosa podi on the crisp dosa while rolling in the potato curry- as a one woman assembly line feeding over 10 people left me in awe. I thought, "Would I, could I ever be so efficient at making dosa?" This experience came to me at a time where dosa batter once ladled onto the pan would just end up in a sloppy, gooey, mountain mess on the pan- so I stuck to making idlis instead while hubby effortlessly made and attempted to show and teach me the right way to spread dosa batter on the pan. So much to learn- especially in the grace required to press with just such a delicate force to assure the batter is spread in almost a spiral pattern, but that the batter remains on the pan, and we are left with a nice, crispy, almost paper-thin dosa. I started with idli, moved to utthapam (a thicker dosa topped with chopped veggies, pictured, right), and recently as of this year started making the paper-thin variety. I still have a way to go to perfect my talent, but I know I am on the right track!

But, idli and dosa can not be eaten alone. They are always accompanied by something- dosa podi with oil, a variety of chutneys, sambar, [Indian] pickles, and many other sides I have yet to discover. On hot days, somehow I like to eat idli with yogurt as a plain dish- no spices, which is good on the stomach. I prefer to eat other's homemade prepared dosa podi (powders made with roasted spices and lentils), which I mix with sesame oil, and hubby mixes with olive or vegetable oil. For chutneys, I make tomato (photo, right), onion or coconut chutney. If we have left over idlis, later I will take, cut them and make an idli upma (dry fry of idli pieces mixed with tempered curry leaves, mustard seeds, urad dhal, and few other spices, similiar to Quinoa Upma, with idli pieces instead of Quinoa).

For those new to this cuisine, idli are steamed cakes made from the batter that dosa is made from. Some purists may actually make two batters- the idli batter and dosa batter- with a slightly different proportion of rice to urad dhal. I don't do that- too much work right now! These cakes are steamed in an idli pan set into a big pressure cooker. I usually steam it for about 20 mintues. However, last night I tried something new- I steamed them in a egg poacher. This cooking gadget is a more western contraption and is more easily available in America than idli pans, and pressure cookers (though pressure cookers are available in American stores, most Americans do not use pressure cookers). I steamed four idlis in the egg poacher last night. The final product, after 20 minutes of steaming is a cake a bit thicker and not as wide as the ones made in an idli pan, so they are actually a bit more filling per idli. However, we realized, it needs to steam a bit longer. Maybe next time I will leave it in there about 25 minutes- the middle section was still a bit uncooked, but edible.

Recipes:

Idli/Dosa Batter
3 cups rice
1 cup urad dhal
1 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)

Method:
1. Soak rice and dhal in separate bowls for about 6 hours. Soak the fenugreek seeds in with the rice.
**If you are curious what rice to use, I usually use 'idli rice' available at the Indian store. If I don't have that on hand, I use 'ponni rice' also available at the Indian store. However, if you have no Indian store nearby, you can use long grain rice, that works well too.
2. Puree the rice separately and dhal separately, with little water. The consistency should be like pudding/thick pancake batter.
Blending the dhal is usually easier than the rice. Dhal will easily and quickly blend and puree. Check with your finger in between, before taking out of the blender. Take a bit of the batter between your thumb and forfinger, rub your fingers together, you should not feel any lumps or grains. It will feel 'like satin', smooth and velvety.
For the rice, it is a bit more tricky. The best batter is made by pureeing the rice separately from the dhal, because to get this velvety feeling from the rice, it takes a bit longer to blend. While urad takes about 3-5 minutes to get velvety smooth, rice may take 5-10 minutes depending on your blender's power. When you check the rice in between for smoothness, the graininess will decrease. Also, as one blends the rice, the batter thickens as the mixture becomes more velvety. Hope that makes sense! (Fenugreek seeds will be pureed along with the rice.)
3. When both urad and rice have been pureed sufficiently, mix these two purees together in a big bowl. Make sure there is room in the bowl above the line of the batter, to give room for batter to rise. Blending will take anywhere between 15-30 minutes.
4. After mixing the two batters, set this bowl aside for one day to two days depending on the climate. Some people suggest having the batter in a metal or glass bowl and keeping in the oven with the light on (no heat) for fermenting. I have not done this. I usually put the mixture in a plastic bowl, twice the size of the batter, assure the lid is on tightly, wrap it in a towel. If it is summer, I put it on the counter top for 1-2 days. In winter, I wrap the bowl in a towel and place it on the floor on a blanket in front of the heater vent for 1-2 days. I check the batter at intervals of about 12 hrs, 20 hrs, 30 hrs, etc or whenever I remember. Batter is ready when the lid is removed and a sour aroma hits you in the face and when the lid is fully taken off, the batter has mushroomed up- it is fermented and risen. Timing for this is between 15-48 hours depending on climate conditions.
5. Batter should be a pouring consistency to make dosa or idli. The consistency should be like a milkshake- thin, consistently smooth and pourable. Sometimes when the batter ferments and rises, it also thickens. It is important to add water little by little to get the batter to the right consistency. Some will take water in a bowl, dip fingers into it, and spray water with fingers little by little into the batter, mixing it with a spatula or fork until the right consistency is attained.

Wondering how many servings this batter makes? I am really not sure! It lasts us about 2-3 days of idli dosa making. I eat between 3-5 idlis, and he eats about 3-5 dosas. Roughly one ladle is one serving (1 ladle batter=1 idli= 1 dosa). If I make an educated guess, I'd say between 12-17 servings of idli/dosa from this batter.


How to fry/make dosa
If making dosa, the pan must be very hot. So hot that steam will be seen rising off the pan, even when frying, as to the right. (Click on all photos for bigger sizes.) Some take the pan off for a few seconds before pouring batter on it. A ladle of batter is put on the pan and in concentric, even circles the batter is made into a thin pancake. Dripping a little oil around the sides of the dosa is important to make it crispy. Keep the heat on high, and watch the dosa. When it is first put on the pan, good batter will bubble and bubbles will burst as it fries. Usually we do not flip for about 5-6 minutes. To know when to flip, it would be possible to see the browness of the bottom coming through to the top, but not blackening or burning. When it is time to flip, taking the spatula around the 'edges' it would come off easily when the bottom has browned slightly. Flip and fry a bit on the other side. Do drip oil around it and move the pan around to get the oil to go under the dosa. This is not deep frying- a lot of oil is not needed- about 2-3 teaspoons per dosa is used. Some people may use more to get it a bit more crispy and brown. It is imperative to use oil to get a true taste out. The few times I tried to make a 'diet dosa' I realized it just wasn't worth it!

From Vegetarian Cuisine

How to make/steam idlis
If you have the Indian utensils, oil the idli pan and put about an inch of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker and heat the pan. Place batter in each oiled idli mold about 1/2-3/4 full. Place the idli stand inside the pot. Put the top on, do not put the weight on the pressure cooker. Once steam comes from the top, time it for about 20 minutes. Take out and enjoy!

How to steam idlis in an egg poacher pan
This method is similar to the above. Take each egg poacher insert, oil it, and fill it about 1/2-3/4 full with the batter. Steam on high heat about 25 minutes.

Close up of Idli fluffing up in poacher pan.

Pan view.

Making Coconut Chutney Side Dish:
This two step coconut chutney recipe is so easy. It was taught to me by my father-in-law.

Step 1:
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 tbpsn chenna dhal (uncooked)
2 green chilies
dash salt
1/4 cup water

Place all these items in a blender and puree it. It may become thick, add 1/8 cup more water. Some people like the chutney thick, others more watery. The dhal would take some more time to puree. If you want to make it a bit easier to blend, soak the dhal separately in water for about 30 minutes before blending.

Place the pureed coconut mix into a serving bowl.


Step 2
Oil
pinch black mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
2 green chilies cut lengthwise
2 dried red chilies broken in half
1 tsp urad dhal

Take a small frying pan. Heat it. Put in the oil (about 2 tablespoons). Heat the oil. Put in the mustard seeds. Take care, when they heat they will burst out of the pan. This is important to get the right smell and taste.
When the seeds have burst, slightly move the pan up off the flame/stove and add in the other spices, temper them a few minutes until the urad dhal seems brown, not black. When it's ready (only takes about 2-3 minutes) put this mix on the top of the coconut mixture already in the bowl. Though it looks nice sitting on top of the coconut, as in the photo, do mix the spices into the coconut puree and sit aside for 10-20 minutes to let the flavors mix. It's so tasty!!

**I like to take the green chilies, urad and red chilies and put them in a small bowl so when oil and mustard seeds are ready, I can just drop the whole thing right into the pan!




Related Posts/Sites:
Maya's Kitchen- My local friend's vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies
Pongal Holiday Potluck Menu and Recipes
Quinoa Upma
Raw Onion Chutney
Stovetop, electric and microwave egg poachers.
Tomato Chutney by Nithya

Temptations from the Tamil Table: Review of Viji Varadarajan’s Samayal South Indian Cookbook

Jennifer Kumar
photos submitted by Viji Varadarajan

I would need to live three or more lifetimes just to experience the full range of amazing vegetarian food options in Tamil –South Indian cooking. However, with the aid of Viji Varadarajan’s Cookbook, Samayal: The Pleasures of South Indian Vegetarian Cooking, I can learn at least the Tamil Brahmin, or Tambram, cuisine spiced with few other regional dishes in one lifetime- whew! (In London at the Olypmpia Theatre for the awards, right.)

Having myself lived in Tamil Nadu for two years, and living in the homes of Tamil Brahmins, these cookbooks bring back so many homely memories of my stay there. Though I stayed in the homes of Tamil Brahmins day in and out, shared meals on the floor or at the table, learning to eat with only my right hand, and picking up my drinking glass (steel tumbler) with my left, relishing to the last grain of annam (rice), I regret whole-heartedly not entering kitchens and learning to cook when I was there. This is where Viji’s books fill the gap. I feel as though she is my Tamil Amma, taking me under her wing in her family kitchen and guiding me through generations of her family’s culinary secrets.

Viewing almost 120 recipes in the table of contents*, the main concern I have in opening up the book is in deciding where to start- all items tempt my tastebuds and I become overwhelmed with what to try first. Should I try the recipes I already know, like ven pongal (rice and moong dhal porridge) or one I may not know like keerai sundal (dry fried spinach salad)? When I was in India, I was so busy devouring the dishes that I never bothered asking the names, so this book again fills in the gaps there, too! So many choices and so little time.

A Range of Tastes

Opening up this book, I felt like ‘a kid in a candy store’- so many tempting choices moving me in different directions. There are some areas of the book that may be suitable places to start for the novice, and as luck has it the first chapter featuring over 13 varieties of rice dishes is it!

My favorites are lemon rice, tomato rice and curd or yogurt rice (thayyir saadham ). I have chosen these few recipes because they have the fewest steps and methods of preparation, and after a few successful attempts, I can make these dishes with my eyes closed! These dishes have been presented using fresh rice, but if you have left over rice and don’t know what to do with it- warm it and add the rest of the fresh tempered ingredients for a quick snack.

In Indian and Tamil menu preparation, nothing is served alone. Along with tomato and lemon rice, one could try any of the three varieties of coconut chutney, with my recommendation for beginners on the thengai thovayal because it has fewer ingredients. Some may shy away from this one because of lack of tamarind or asafetida. No worries, if you cannot find this in your local area, omit and make. Yes, the taste will differ, but overall, you will have nice coconut chutney to tempt one’s taste buds. I personally have made this recipe both ways, each equally tasty. If you’d like to try two chutneys with the lemon rice, in addition to coconut, try tomato. The recipe for Thakkaali Vengaaya Thovayal has a few more steps, providing a more layered taste to chutney. As for the curd rice, generally a more spicy or crunchy accompaniment is well-suited; such as an easier-to-prepare urulai kizhangu vadhakal – a crispy potato roast (which if you eat eggs, is a nice replacement for bland breakfast potatoes), or a more advanced preparation of sutta kathirikkai kotsu- a slightly pungent gravy with grilled eggplant. The best way to eat the accompaniments is by taking small amounts along with a larger amount of the main mixed rice dish.

Once you make these accompaniments, other menu items become more tempting. A high protein choice that is good as a snack or breakfast item is pesarat- the moong dhal pancake. I have made this with either split moong (yellow) or whole moong (green) with or without rice. This will go well with any chutney or even dipped in a sambar (thick vegetable lentil stew).

Have more left over coconut chutney? Try your hand at the famous rava uppuma- a breakfast or snack item made of rava (cream of wheat) infused with vegetables and spices. This is one of our personal household favorites. One can substitute other ingredients for cream of wheat- making different varieties of uppuma as featured in the book. Last, but never least, is the famous masaal dosai. This ‘Indian Burrito’ is a favorite of Indians and non-Indians alike. This crispy lentil and rice pancake is stuffed with a spicy potato fry similar to the urulai kizhangu vadhakal above. This dish, however simple it looks, has several steps. One should plan to create this dish over a few days time, as the rice and lentils used to make the pancake are first soaked for up to eight hours, ground into a velvety batter, and left to ferment for up to more than a day depending on your climate. The trick to a good tasting dosa is the sourness of the batter. This batter can also be used for making steamed-cakes or idlis, which can also be eaten with any variety of chutney or spice powders mixed with ghee, sesame or vegetable oils. Viji has shared three spice powder recipes suitable for dosa – idli accompaniments- karuveppalai podi, kothamalli podi, and idli-dosai milagai podi; sometimes affectionately known as ‘gunpowder’. The sambhar podi is one of the most versatile in a tambram kitchen. Used in a variety of different dishes - chutneys, stir fried vegetables and in gravies, it gives a distinct flavor to each dish. Amazingly no one dish tastes the same as the vegetables are cooked in its own juices.

If you’re looking for a snack on the run- a popular finger food snack is kothu kadalai sundal. This chick pea fried snack is sold on street sides in Chennai in small funnels. This is a fun snack to take on the run because it’s good even if it’s cold (though always better hot!). A Navarathri favorite among some in Chennai, this is a unique snack that can be a party pleaser because of it’s unique look and taste. Kids seem to love it too!

No book on Indian cookery can be complete without a section on sweets. Who can resist a good rice pudding, called paal payasam in Tamil (literally meaning Milk Pudding). This sweet treat is easy to make in a pinch because it only has four ingredients- cream, sugar, rice and ghee (clarified butter) which are readily available almost anywhere! If you can’t find ghee in your area, Viji has offered a method of preparation for this in the book too! Another favorite sweet dish of mine is sakkarai pongal, a sweet version of ven pongal, a rice and moong dhal porridge. (photo: The author holding her award plaque.)

Limiting this review to such few recipes seems a shame. To get your hands on and into these recipes, order Viji’s book today through Amazon. Beside the recipes, you will learn about Indian culture and culinary tips at the end of each recipe. Ingredients that may be unfamiliar are listed in a pictorial in the back of the book. Viji has also created almost 20 menu plans for those wondering how to pair dishes into a complete meal. The book is then topped off with a selection of health drinks one can refresh them with after completing their wonderful, tasty, TamBram meals!

Thank you for sharing your culinary wisdom with us, Viji. I hope you enjoy her cookbook as much as I do!

*See the table of contents at Amazon.

**Special Thanks to Laura Denkatesh, Cookbook Coach for giving tips on writing a good cookbook book review! See Laura’s Website.

Related links/Articles
Viji’s website- Viji Samayal
Join Viji's fan page at Facebook
Insights and Inspirations of Viji Varadarajan (My interview with Viji)
Want to see Yogurt from a different perspective? (My review of Viji’s cookbook, A Healthy Taste of Indian Culture: Cooking with Yoghurt)

Newspaper/Magazine Articles
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" “cookbook reviews”

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

Sambar Inspired by Viji Varadarajan

A few months ago, on this blog, I introduced you to Tamil Brahmin Cookbook Author, Viji Varadarajan in the interview, Insights and Inspirations by Viji Varadarajan.

Viji has encouraged me since to not only continue to try her recipes in my own kitchen but has given me permission to republish some recipes on this blog. I will share the first recipe in this post, the recipe for Vengaaya Sambar as found in her book, Samayal: The Pleasures of South Indian Vegetarian Cooking (Winner Gourmand World Cookbook Award)


Sambar is a thick, lentil based vegetarian stew. I am translating 'sambar' as stew, because often it has a lot of lentils, and sometimes these lentils are cooked and mashed then placed into the sambar, creating a thick variety. Some sambar, however, is a bit thinner, still having dhal, but not as much, and not mashed in. (Incidentally, I have learned too that sambars with mashed dhal in it should be eaten quicker as if it sits longer as leftovers, it becomes thicker and thicker; almost pasty and hard to eat as a usual 'topping' to rice.) This thinner sambar is very watery, and could be considered a soup. Often this sambar is served with rice or idli. The thicker variety, I think would go well with rice or dosa. Some sambars, called kozhumbu, are thicker gravies that are often more tangy because of concentrated tamarind and a bit more spicy. Some eat this kozhumbu straight with rice. However, for me, who likes spicy, flavorful food, but may not be able to handle this 'straight on rice' because it is a bit more hot due to concentrated peppers (green and red chilies), love to eat this rather as a side with curd rice (thayyir sadham).

Lastly, it must be noted that all varieties of sambars and kozhumbus on my site are not only vegetarian but vegan, they contain no meat, meat broth or eggs. There are sambars and kozhumbus in India, particularly, I think in Chettinad cuisines that do contain meat products.

Now that your taste buds are tempted, here is Viji's recipe for Vengaaya Sambhar (shallot and gram gravy) as found on pages 16-17 of the book, Samayal: The Pleasures of South Indian Vegetarian Cooking.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup	Red Gram/Thuvaram Paruppu/Thuvar Dhal (Toor Dhal)
2 teaspoons	Thick Tamarind Pulp
1/2 kilo/250g	baby onions/shallots pealed
1/4 teaspoon	Asafoetida/ Hing powder
1 ½ teaspoon	Sambar powder*
a few	curry leaves/Karuveppalai/Kari Patha torn or crushed
½ bunch	cilantro/coriander leaves
½ tsp	Salt
For Seasoning (tadka)
¼ teaspoon	Mustard seeds/kadugu/rai
½ teaspoon	Black gram/ulutham paruppu/urad dhal (optional)
¼ teaspoon	Fenugreek seeds /Methi/mendhiyam
A few	Curry leaves/Karuveppalai/Kari Patha torn
1 tsp	oil

Method:
1. Soak the toor dhal in hot water for 15 minutes and cook in 2 cups of water to a very soft consistency. Or, pressure cook for four or five whistles.
2. Heat the hoil and pop the mustard. Stir in the urad dhal and fry for 8 seconds until brown. Now add the fenugreek sees/methi and brown.
3. Into this add the onions and stir for 1/2 minute. Add sambar powder and a cup of water. Cover and simmer on medium flame for ten minutes.
4. Add the tamarind pulp, asafoetida powder, salt and some curry leaves.
5. Simmer over a medium flame for a couple of minutes until the onions are soft.
6. Add the cooked dhal. When it thickens slightly, remove from fire.
7. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and remaining curry leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice, kootus, and avial and karis, and assorted tiffens.

Tasty tip: This dish can be prepared with okra, eggplant, radish, brussel sprouts, turnips, capsicum, carrot, potato, bitter gourd, cabbage or spinach. You can also prepare a kadamba (colorful) sambhar adding a few of the vegetables of a much lesser quantity. Each vegetable still retains its own flavour.

*Viji has her own homemade sambar powder recipe in the book that she refers to for this recipe. However, you can use ready made sambar powders from the store also. You may want to experiment with the amount you want to use by adding what she's recommended, and taste throughout and see if you get a good flavor. It should be flavorful, adding more should not make it more hot spicy unless the sambar powder has as it's first ingredient red chili. Try and taste for yourself!

I have made this sambar as above and with my own flair, to be posted soon!



Other related links:
Link to Viji's Profile on Alaivani, with links to all her cookbooks, fan page and more!

Link to Padmini's Profile on Alaivani with links to insightful and inspirational articles on Indian culture and spirituality.

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

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

Keera Molagootal – Flavorful Spinach/Mixed Greens and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

10-16 oz bag spinach or mixed greens (keera)
¾ cup Toor dal

1 ½ cup water
1 tspn turmeric

1 pinch asofotedia (ing) (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

¼-1/2 cup grated coconut (per taste)
1 tbspn (or more) oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp urad dal

1 dried red chilli, broken
½ tsp cumin powder
salt to taste

Photo right: Krishna Kumar
In the photo, the dish being prepared in this post is the green pastey side dish. The other dishes are a potato stew (isthu) to the right of the keera molagootal, chapati, the flat bread on the plate, and yogurt soup/curry (mor kozhumbu) in the small bowl.

Method:

Step 1:

Drop greens in boiling water. Wilt greens. Drain and cool.

Step 2:

While spinach is cooling, place dhal, water, turmeric, asofotedia and salt in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook it for three whistles.

Step 3:

Put 1 tbspn oil in a pan, heat pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dhal, and red chili. Fry until mustard seeds pop. Add cooked dhal and fry it until it turns color (pinkish). Cool dhal.

Step 4:

Place spinach, dhal, grated coconut all in a blender and blend into a paste.

Step 5:

Rewarm and eat with rice or chapati.

Could be eaten like a curry or a thick, eccentric soup!

Adapted from: Ammupatti's recipe found at her blog.


Original Post- 21st Post on Alaivani

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Submitted by Viji Varadharajan
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Viji Varadarajan is an ambassador of the Tamil Brahmin cookery culture. Her passion for her culture has taken her on amazing journeys within her kitchen and outside her home as well, interacting with and educating Indians and Internationals on the beauties and wonders of this cuisine and culture. As more and more curious people from all over the world are exposed to Viji’s books and friendly personality, her awareness of what to do and where to go next in bringing awareness to us on Tamil Brahmin (tambram) cooking comes from questions and observations from anyone who’s curious. She is passionate and steadfast in acquiring knowledge and answers. If she doesn’t know the answer, she calls on friends, family and anyone else who may have insight into the inquiries. Previously, all these insights into the culture and culinary delights were passed down through the generations through stories and lessons from elders to the younger generations; they were infrequently, if at all, recorded in books. The best reference of yesteryear was testing the brains, wisdom, experience and oratory skills of the family and community elders. Viji’s approach combinies the traditional with the modern- oratory wisdom recorded in the written word. One of the attractions of India for both Indians and non-Indians alike is the seemingly effortless combining of the traditional and the modern, in some ways, one can say Viji is continuing this art form through the medium of cookery! Thank you Viji!

Viji, I am so happy that continents apart, we have met on the internet! I am very interested in your cookbooks because when I lived in Chennai, I spent a lot of time in the homes of Tamil Brahmins. Are your cookbooks marketed toward Tamil Brahmins predominately? Which groups of people within Tamil Nadu, within India or the world have contacted you about this cuisine?
When I published my first book ‘Samayal – The Pleasures of South Indian Vegetarian Cooking’ the only thing I thought of was - first I need to take Meenakshi ammal’s ‘Samaithu Paar’ (Cook and See) beyond the realms of the orthodox Tamil. Her’s was first printed in 1951. She did not have money enough to print her text so she pawned her jewelry and did it. ‘Samaithu Paar’ is a single text running from beginning to end. The book was part of the bride’s trousseau when she left for her new life. So after two publications I realized that I needed to take my book beyond the regular mold. So my Mudaliar friends and others outside the Brahmin community started contacting me and expressing amazement at vegetable gravy/curry recipes that can be prepared without onions! I had already crossed a milestone then. There were some stereotyped people in my community who remarked ‘Oh well, it is after all a sambhar-rasam book’. Believe me it was initially tough. I never spent money on marketing as I thought that was spending a lot of money. So I kept prodding on and never giving up! So I would say though I targeted the Tamil-Brahmin community it worked otherwise too.

Meeting and interacting with people from so many backgrounds must provide you some new insights or thoughts on the culture and food habits described in your books. Would you like to share some things you have learned from interacting with people who have read your book?
Oh yes once the books were on the shop shelves, once the internet and later blogging swayed the lives of people my interaction with those in India and around was tremendous. I was interacting with people in/from my own home. The editor of Vegetarian Times US sent me a set of questions as she wanted to know more on south Indian vegetarian cuisine. I then realized that she knew so little about it. It took me reams of paper to enlighten them. We had to do a lot of research and my editor Padmini Natarajan chipped in. I have had a series of interactions like this through the email. It is at these times I realized that ours was a unique cuisine that does not have recorded recipes. It comes from generations through temples into homes. The younger generation was moving away from our eating habits as they were drawn into the fast food culture like droves of bees in a beehive. I am now trying to get the young back into the fold of our hoary culture and habits.

I have read your mails and have seen the blog of OneDoodle Land written by Japanese girls who have come to your house and learned cooking from you. What inspired you to open your house to others to teach cooking in person? Please share your thoughts and impressions on teaching cooking, a hands on activity, to beginners.
One of the Japanese girls who is temporarily working in a software firm in Chennai wanted to get in touch with me as she had bought my book ‘Samayal’ from the book store. She wrote to me in my email and the rest is history. Her friends came from Tokyo just to learn this cuisine. They persuaded me to take two sessions for them. This was a new area for me and I decided to experiment if it is purely to promote this cuisine. Kurumi Arimoto who did the entire session with me is a cook book writer and her mom Yoko Arimoto is a celebrity cookbook author herself. Initially Kurumi is going to design menus for Kinder garden kids in which she is planning to include some of the tambram recipes. Later Akemi Yoshii (the young girl who lives in Chennai) and Kurumi are going to put together a cookbook with these recipes in Japanese. So much for email and cyberspace!! I am teaching a few expats French ladies and an Italian lady the rudiments of this cuisine the coming week. I will take it from here. (See related links after the article for more interviews and information on these topics.)

Video of Japanese girls learning Tamil Brahmin Cookery from OneDoodle Land.

Writing cookbooks is an art form in itself. Some of the traditional recipes maybe first recorded in book form by you. Some of these recipes have many steps and require some complex methods, especially when compared to simpler preparations especially in places like America. What are some tips you keep in mind to write recipes that are understandable to an audience of different ethnic backgrounds and different cooking skill levels?
Meenakshi Ammal had most of these recipes in her books. All I needed to do was – do it the way I did for my family and most importantly simplify it so I may attract the younger generation to this art of cooking – the sattvic way. Food was always offered to the Gods before it came to the table! I distinctly remember my grandma did it. I have yet to address to an American audience. I have simplified the cooking with modern kitchen gadgets; but beyond that there is still a lot that needs to be done. I need to broadcast like Padmalakshmi (Salman Rushdie’s ex wife) to be able to create awareness to this cuisine. There certainly is a lot to be done on this field. I know I have created a ripple with my awards – four of my books have got five awards in five different categories. The gourmand organization is doing pioneering work in field of cookbooks and wine books – recognizing and identifying the best ones in the world! They are the Oscar for cookbooks and wine books. My awards are certainly getting me somewhere. I know some of them out there sell their books as money spinners. But I am not out to make a profit only to create an awareness. The profits I know will follow. This is my passion first not a business venture.

When you first started writing cookbooks, did you think you would be writing so many volumes?
<>I want to realize my dreams in this lifetime. If more people come to me with questions because they want to learn I will readily oblige. By this I would have already created what I set out to achieve.

What are some of your most cherised accomplishments till date? What aspirations are waiting to be fulfilled? How do you see this cookbook venture growing and branching out?
Any other thoughts you would like to share?
<>I sold my first title for 6 years before the other books started rolling out. I asked Padmini Natarajan to co-author one of them as it was getting out of hand - the information was pouring in and I needed all the help I could. It is amazing to know that there is so much to learn in this cuisine. Each of my five books have different thoughts and information to share in this cuisine and culture. There is an amazing link with south Indian classical forms of dance and music (Bharathanatyam & Carnatic music), yoga, ayurveda, temples and this food. They have survived through the ages and I am convinced that they will do so for a long time to come. In ancient times we were asked to keep away from cooking and the kitchen during our menstrual periods as the Hindus worshipped the fire too. Should we not then propagate this culture to the world?



Related links/Articles
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

One Doodle Land


tags : "cookbook authors", "south indian food", "tamil brahmin", "tamil food", "vegetarian samayal", traditional cookery "indian cooking" vegetarian "Indian vegetarian cooking" "pure vegetarian cookery"