Poondu Sundaikkai Vathal Kuzhambu

This is one of my favorite kuzhambu from my mom's Kitchen. We had a Turkey berry (sundaikai) plant at home, and we used to get a lot of it. So my mom used to make sundaikai vathal and store it. Sundaikkai vathal can be added in any tamarind based gravy. Sometimes my mom used to add with kathirikkai pulikuzhambu also.

Sometimes, mom just used to fry these vathal as side dish for paruppu Satham and thayir satham also. Just by sprinkling some salt on top of it, it will be perfect with those rices.

I specifically like this garlic and turkey berry combination, and mom used to make this for me often.
Garlic and turkey berry are having lot of goodness in it.
Garlic is a good antioxidant, and good to control cholesterol also. Turkey Berry is good to purify blood and to clear the worms in our stomach...

Lets see the recipe now. I have added little less spices. You can add according to your taste.

Ingredients:

Sundaikai / Turkey berry - 10 nos
garlic - 15-20 cloves
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 small
sambar powder / vathakuzhambu power - 1.5 tbsp
Tamarind  - big gooseberry size (1.5 tsp if you use concentrate)
coconut paste - 2 tbsp
salt - as per taste

To temper:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
venthayam - 4-5 seeds
curry leaves - a sprig
hing/ perungayam - a pinch
Oil - 2 table spoon

Preparation:

1. In a pan heat a table spoon of oil and fry turkey berries crispy &  keep the fried berries aside. (make sure it fries nicely),
2.Fry garlic and cumin seeds in the same oil and keep aside.

3. Add another table spoon of oil in the pan, when the oil is ready, add the items given under "To Temper".
4. Then add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn transparent/golden brown.
5.In the mean time, prepare tamarind water by adding 2 cups of water with the tamarind / concentrate.
6. add tamarind concentrate to the pan and add sambar powder to it.
7. Let it boil well, then add the fried garlic and cumin.
8. let it cook for 5 mins, then add fried turkey berry and coconut paste and leave it to boil once.
9.Switch off flame and serve hot with steamed rice.

I served it with appalam and okra fry.

Notes:
1. You can add sambar powder / vathakuzhambu powder according to your spice level.
2. I did not add cumin seeds today as i was not having. But adding cumin seeds will give wonderful flavor. Dont miss it.

Garlic Chutney

I was thinking whether I should post this or not.. At last decided to post because, my blog is especially for the beginners and to archive my recipes and trials. Being a beginner, I won't say all my recipes are success or I never failed in my trials.. So My blog can contain the lessons learned and the disasters I make at kitchen:)....This is one of the lesson I learned today and Thought  it might be useful for the new chefs like me... :)

I often make Garlic Chutney and all the time it used to be in mild red or pale color depends on the no of red chilies/ tomato I add.

But today when I made it was in mild red, But when I gave Thalippu / Tadka, It turned (mild) Green. I was wondering why did this happened? I dint add green chilies. And I have not used the Tadka pan for any other fry or tadka today... Is it dangerous? I knew the garlic was quite older like during Christmas I bought from store.. Really not that old, still not sure when they stocked in store!

As usual before taking a decision, just seek help from Google. (Thank god) It was safe... As it was mentioned in that site, my husband told, it flavored strong. Still It was nice with hot and soft idles

What I did different today than usual?

1. I added some onions to it, which I don't do normally.
2. I had to pause the preparation twice for few mins as my husband was getting calls from his office

first when it was only half blended, he got a call, so I had to wait for him to complete.
Again before giving Tadka, he got another call and our daughter was disturbing him, so had to stop my work at kitchen and take care of her...

these two things took almost more than thirty minutes, which resulted getting to know the lesson on why garlic turned to green and an strong flavored Garlic chutney (in green color)

I thought this note will be useful for you, in case if you come across this situation in your kitchen experiments in future. If you know any other facts about this also, please add in comments :) Thanks

Now let us get into the recipe:

Ingredients :

Garlic gloves - 12-15
Onion- 1/4 of a medium sized (optional)
Red Chilies - 3 (I normally use mild spice and this quantity is very hot for me. You can adjust according to your taste)
tamarind - 1 small amla sized

oil-  3-4 tea spoon
mustard seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
Urad daal - 1/4 tea spoon
cumin seeds- 1/4 tea spoon

Preparation:

1. preheat the pan with 1/2 tes spoon of oil, and saute the garlic and onions for a minute ot two.
2. When they are cool down, grind Garlic, onion, red chilies, tamarind and salt into a thin paste.

3. Temper with mustard seeds, urad daal, and cumin seeds, add the ground paste to it. (just add 1/4-1/2 cup of water to it.)
4. Let it cook in the same tadka pan for few mins. (Helps to remove the raw smell after grinding)
5. when it is getting thicken, add a tea spoon of oil and switch off the flame.

linking to,
dish-it-out- Side Dishes hosted by Sathya Priya, organized by vardhini@ cooks joy