Pala Vathal Kuzhambu

arlier - Chaturmasyam started on the fiirst of Suryamana (Tamil) month of Ashada - which was ont he 16th of July. For four months - each month a specific diet is followed. So, int he first month frsh vegetables are avoided - there's ascientific reason - farmers will still be sowing seeds, prepping land etc. and vegetables may not be available. Instead - all the fresh veggies from Sping/Summer are dreid in Sunlight with buttermilk / salt and preserved for this season. Then fragrant & delicious - vatha kulambu is prepared. So, we live in par with nature - monsoons start this month and we try to eat light food like Vatha Kulambu etc.. - which is laoded with fibre and easy for digestion .! Let's enjoy this recipte for Multi-VathaKuzhambu or PalaVathalKuzhambu.

1. Multiple Vathals - Sundai, vendai, Kothavarai
2. Fistful of Tuar Dhal, 2 fistfuls of dry dania seeds, i tsp black pepper, 4-5 red chilies, 1/2 tsp urad dhal
3. dry roast everything and powder it ad keep aside.
4. Mango Vathal - 2 fist fuls - cook in a cooker with some turmeric and keep it aside.
5. In a heavy-bottomed vessel - give tadka with -sesame oil, - mustard, methi seeds, tur dhal, red chilies, curry cleaves.
6. After mustard splutters -add 1 tsp of sambar powder, 1 pinch of hing and mix well.
7. Turn off gas and add 2 cups of water and allow it to boil.
8. Int he meantime grind mango vathal into fine paste and mix it with tadka/water.
9. Then add the dry ground masala.
10. Now fry all the other vathals and add.
11. Allow it to boil well - so that allv athals get cooked in tadka/ mango mixture.
12. Add salt - with caution -a s all vathals will have salt in them.
13. Allow it to boil on low flame for about 20-30 mins.
14. Store it in fridge for upto 30+ days.
15. Keerai is consumed for chaturmasyam - so keerai masiyal, vadam etc. are good combo for this.
16. Enjoy it with hot rice / arisi upma

Our ancestors have always eaten in par with the climates and they lived a healthy life. Let's try to follow that and be healthy!

Saturday Lunch Thali...

Saturday lunch thali 

1. Dhal 
2. Cabbage usli
3. Bhindi Vetha Kuzhambu
4. Avial (Beans, Keerai thandu, cucumber, carrot, capsicum)
5. JackFruit / Coconut milk Idichi Puzincha payasam
6. Tomato/ Cocum Rasam
7. Smoked Brinjal Thuhayal
8. Mango Thokku
9. Keerai masiyal
10. Andhra Style Pulihora
11. Dhal Vadai (in Air Fryer)
12. Fresh RaspBerries from the backyard
13. White Rice
14. Cold Pressed Sesame oil

Srimanis Dinner Plate..

Menu:

1. Carrot thuruval
2. Cucumber / flax seeds raita
3. Bhindi gravy
4. Ambad Bhaji or Puli Keerai
5. Aloo Fry
6. Tomato pickle
7. Cut Fruits
8. Mint/Coriander Thepla
9. Honey (Then kathali)Banana
10. Apple/mango/Cherry

Recipe

Carrot Thuruval

1.  Grate 1-2 carrots
2. Add salt, hing, green chilies, coriander and lemon juice
3. Now give a nice tadka with mustard / u dhal.
4. Aromatic Carrot thuruval is ready.

Cucumber Raita / Pachadi

1. Grate 1-2 cucumbers.
2. Squeeze all the juice from cucumber (you can drink that separately.)
3. In thick curd (not very sour)add some flax seed powder , salt, and hing. 
4. Mix it very well.
5. Optionally you can add some ground - ginger, green chilies and coconut paste.
6. Add some green chilies(finely chopped) & coriander leaves.
7. Now add the cucumber.
8. Give nice tadka with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Enjoy the raita with chapathi, or any other chitranna.

Thepla

1. Add 2 cups of wheat flour, fistful of finely chopped mint and coriander leaves.
2. Add some hing, turmeric, jira, salt, grated red chilies, and finely chopped green chilies.
3. add 1-2 tbsps of cooking oil, some water and mix the dough.
4. Make small balls and press them into small chapathis.
5. Fry it in a tawa with oil on both sides.
6. Yummy thepla is ready!

Aloo Fry

1. Take 5-10 baby potatoes and apply some oil.
2. Cook in air fryer - in 370. for 15 mins.
3. Now peel the skin of aloo.
4. In a small crup mix 1tsp corn starch, 1 tsp, turmeric powder,smabar powder, 1 tsp salt(to taste), 1/2 tsp amchur powder, a pinch of hing and keep mix well.
5. In a separate pan heat 2-3 tbsps of oil, then add some jira.
6. After jira splutters, add this aloo and fry for 2-3 mins.
7. Now add the powder mixture and cook on low-med heat for 5-10 mins.
8. Super yummy and crispy aloo fry with less oil is ready.

Srimanis Tiffin Thali!

Main Items:

1. Dosa 
2. Idli
3. Oats Pongal
4. Ulundu Bonda

Dosa Side dish

1. Aloo masala
2. Gobi masala

Chutneys & Sambar

1. Tiffin Smabar (with moong dhal/ mango/tomato)
2. Coconut chutney
3. Urad Dhal & Pranut Chutney
4. Pudina chutney

Sweet

1. Fresh Jack Fruit / Chakkai varatti 
   

Tiffin Sambar:(One Pot Sambar)

Ingredients

1. TuarDhal 1/2 cup
2. Moong Dhal 1/2 cup
3. Veggies Sliced and diced - Aloo, Pumpkin, carrots, capsicum / cauliflower - 2 cups
4. Tamarind water - 42 tbsps (lemon sized tamarind)
5. mango - sliced and dice d- 1/4th cup
6. tomato - sliced and diced - 1/4th cup
7. sambar powder - 2 tsp
8. water - 2 cups
9. salt as needed
10. seasoning - oil, mustard seeds, u dhal , hing & fenugreek seeds
11. garnishing - curry leaves and coriander

Procedure:

1. First start with a tadka in a cooker.
2. Then add water, veggies,tamarind water etc.. and all ingredients.
3. Cook it on medium flame.
4. After it's cooked & cooled add a tsp of ghee .
5. Add garnishing.
6. Super tasty tiffin smabar is ready

Peanut/ Tomato Chutney:

1. Peanuts - 1/3rd of a cup
2. U Dhal - 1 tsp
3. Red Chilly 0 3-4
4. Tamarind - on e small gooseberry size
5. Tomatoes - sliced and diced - 3/4th of a cup
6. salt - to taste
7. seasoning - oil 2 tsp, mustard, curry leaves, red chilies powder - 1/2 tsp, u dhal - 1 tsp, hing a pinch

Procedure

1. Heat a pan and add oil.
2. Add peanuts and u dhal.
3. fry on medium flame until u dhal give nice aroma.
4. Now add tomatoes, red chilies, salt.
5. fry it well until tomato oozes all water.
6. then add the tamarind.
7. Allot this mixture to cool.
8. Grind it to a fine paste.
9. Give tadka with all seasoning items!
10. Super yummy peanut chutney is ready.

Pudina Chutney (AP Style)

1. Add oil to a pan.
2. Now add little mustard, fenugreek, 1tsp channa dhal, 1 tsp U dhal, 2-4 red chilies, some cumin seeds and fry well.
3. Then add some tamarind (small gooseberry size).
4. Finally turn off the sa and add the mint leaves and fry well.
5. Allow it to cool.
6. Grind it with some slat and coconut.
7. Super yummy pudina chutney is ready.
8. Enjoy it with rice, tiffin etc..

Coconut Chutney

1. In a mixie container add some 1/3 cup of grated coconut,
2. 1/4th cup of roasted gram,
3. 3-4 green chillies,
4. one thumb size ginger,
5. Hing,
6. 1 tsp seasame seeds,
7. fistful of coriander leaves
8. i tsp almonds/ cashew (optional).
9. Salt - to taste.
10. Grind without adding water.
11. Add water little by little and grind.
12. Optionally you can grind this in grinder to give an excellent texture and taste.
13. Finally give a nice tadka with coconut oil, mustard, u dhal , red chilies and curry leaves.

Enjoy it with all tiffin items.

Srimanis Standard Thali..

Here's my standard thali...

I didnt want to add sambar to it - as I liked to have spicy Vatha kulambu...

Here's the menu:

1. Green gram Sweet Sundal
2. Carrot/ Moong Dhal Kosambari
3. Curd/Raw banana Khadi
4. Capsicum,Brinjal/Bhindu Vatha Kuzambu
5. Spinach masiyal
6. Snake Gourd Koottu
7. Cabbage/ Mung Dhal curry
8. Potato / Raw Banana Spicy (kara) curry
9. Cabbage Stem/ Snakegourd seeds chutney / thogayal
10. Curd
11. Kefir Lime Leaves / Cocum rasam
12. Lemon rice
13. Moong dhal/ ghee
14. Quinoa rice

Greengram Sweet Sundal:

Ingredients:

1. Whole Moong - 1 cup
2. jaggery - 1/2 cup
3. coconut - 1/4th cup, one peice dry ginger or sunthi , 2-3 cardamoms - for grinding / seasoning.
4. ghee - 1 tea spoon

1. Dry Roast whole moong until a nice aroma comes.
2. Pressure cook it well.
3. After cooking - filter the water and allow it to cool.
4. Heat jaggery in a pan untuil it becomes a thick sypru.
5. Add this moong and fry for 2-3 mins.
6. Add Coconut/ Dry ginger/ Cardamom mixture & mix it well.
7. Add one teas spoon ghee on top for flavor.

Sweet Sundal is ready.

Vazhaikkai Mor Kuzhambu or kadi

1. Pressure cook 2-3 raw bananas.
2. After cooked - peel the bananas.
3. Grind coconut, green chilies, ginger and raw bananas.
4. Add thick curd and grind again.
5. Boil the mixture (add water if needed).
6. Add Salt.
7. Season it with coconut oil/ mustard and u. dhal/ curry leaves.

Yummy Raw banana Kadi is ready!

Keerai masiyal

1. Boil spinach  with less water and some salt.
2. After it's cooked - allow it to cool.
3. Grind the spinach to a semi-fine paste.
4. If it's too thin, add some rice flour.
5. Boil the mixture with salt (as per your tate).
6. Give tadka with Mor / Curd Milakai, mustard seeds, U. dhal & hing in coconut oil.

Masiyal is ready.

Ahara Niyamanam - Pasuram 5

Swamy Desikan has listed these (leaves) not to be consumed :

5th pasuram of aahara niyamanam. (Except for ammanthaal - I could track everything else in this pasuram).

சிறுகீரை செவ்வகத்தி முறுக்கிறாண்டும்

சிறுபசலை பெரும்பசலை அம்மணன்தாள்

பரித்தொருவர் கொடாதிருக்கத் தானே சென்று

பாய்ந்தெடுத்துக் கொள்ளுமவை பகிராக் கூறுங்

கூறிட்டாலும் தின்னவோனாக கைப்பு வார்ப்புங்

கூர்க்குமாவை யசலும் அவை கொடும்புளிப்புங்

கறிக்காகா விவையென்று கண்டுரைத்தார்

கார்மேனி யருளாளர் கடகத்தாரே .

1. Kalyana Murungai (கல்யாண முருங்கை லை)
2. Muringai (முருங்கை இலை)
3. அம்மணந்தாள் - a medicinal plant.
4. Pannai keerai ( பண்ணை கீரை / கோழிக்கொண்டை இலை )
5. Perum Pasalai (பெரும் பசலை / malabar spinach)
6. Puli arai keerai (புளிச்சாம் கீரை / ஆரை கீரை)
7. Red agathi keerai (செவ்வகத்தி கீரை)
8. Shanal or Gongura (சணல் / புளி மிஞ்சிக் கீரை)
9. Siru Keerai (சிறு கீரை) Siru Pasalai (சிறு பசலை கீரை )
10. Thoyyal or Kattu Keerai (தொய்யால் / காட்டு கீரை )

——————————-////

Edible ones are :

1. Agathi only white
2. Appa kovai
3. Ara Keerai
4. Brammi
5. Kalavan keerai - pumpkin, avarai leaves , long beans leaves
6. Karisalanganni - Brungaraja pathram (used in Neeli brundadhi thailam)
7. Kasini Keerai (dandoline greens?)
8. Kothamalli keerai
9. Kovai keerai
10. kuppai keerai
11. Kuppai meni keerai
12. Mani Thakkali keerai
13. Mookkiratrai
14. Mudakku aruthan or mudakkathan
15. mul keerai (with thorns)
16. Musu Musukkai
17. Nachu kottai keerai
18. Nayuruvi keerai
19. Palakeerai
20. Paruppu keerai
21. Poduthalai keerai
22. Ponnankanni - 3 types
23. Puliyan keerai (tamarind leaves)
24. Puthina keerai
25. Sembu ilai/ thandu
26. Thandu keerai
27. Thavasi keerai (very nutritious )
28. Thoothuvalai
29. Tuthi Keerai (Cures piles)
30. Vallai keerai (water plant)
31. Vallarai
32. Venthaya Keerai

If you know any pls add . I will update the list .

Ahara Niyamanam Pasuram - 5

Swamy Desikan has listed these (leaves) not to be consumed :
5th pasuram of aahara niyamanam. (Except for ammanthaal - I could track everything else in this pasuram).

சிறுகீரை செவ்வகத்தி  முறுக்கிறாண்டும் 
சிறுபசலை  பெரும்பசலை  அம்மணன்தாள் 
பரித்தொருவர்  கொடாதிருக்கத்  தானே  சென்று 
பாய்ந்தெடுத்துக்  கொள்ளுமவை  பகிராக்  கூறுங் 
கூறிட்டாலும்      தின்னவோனாக  கைப்பு  வார்ப்புங் 
கூர்க்குமாவை  யசலும் அவை கொடும்புளிப்புங் 
கறிக்காகா  விவையென்று  கண்டுரைத்தார் 
கார்மேனி  யருளாளர்  கடகத்தாரே .

1. Kalyana Murungai (கல்யாண முருங்கை லை)   
2. Muringai   (முருங்கை இலை)
3. அம்மணந்தாள்  - a medicinal plant.
4.  Pannai keerai ( பண்ணை கீரை /   கோழிக்கொண்டை இலை ) 
5. Perum Pasalai (பெரும் பசலை /   malabar spinach)
6. Puli arai keerai (புளிச்சாம்   கீரை / ஆரை கீரை)
7. Red agathi keerai (செவ்வகத்தி   கீரை)
8.  Shanal or Gongura (சணல் / புளி   மிஞ்சிக் கீரை) 
9. Siru Keerai (சிறு கீரை)   Siru Pasalai (சிறு பசலை கீரை ) 
10. Thoyyal or Kattu Keerai   (தொய்யால் / காட்டு கீரை )

Edible ones are :

1. Agathi only white 
2. Appa kovai 
3. Ara Keerai
4. Brammi 
5. Kalavan keerai - pumpkin, avarai leaves , long beans leaves
6. Karisalanganni - Brungaraja pathram (used in Neeli brundadhi thailam)
7. Kasini Keerai (dandoline greens?)
8. Kothamalli keerai
9. Kovai keerai
10. kuppai keerai
11. Kuppai meni keerai 
12. Mani Thakkali keerai
13. Mookkiratrai 
14. Mudakku aruthan or mudakkathan
15. mul keerai (with thorns)
16. Musu Musukkai 
17. Nachu kottai keerai
18. Nayuruvi keerai
19. Palakeerai 
20. Paruppu keerai
21. Poduthalai keerai
22. Ponnankanni - 3 types
23. Puliyan keerai (tamarind leaves)
24. Puthina keerai
25. Sembu ilai/ thandu
26. Thandu keerai 
27. Thavasi keerai (very nutritious )
28. Thoothuvalai
29. Tuthi Keerai (Cures piles)
30. Vallai keerai (water plant)
31. Vallarai 
32. Venthaya Keerai

If you know any pls add . I will update the list .