Shhhh Cooking Secretly

Beetroot Vattalkozhambu| Beetroot Puli Kozhambu

Beetroot Vattalkozhambu is a flavourful gravy that is an integral part of Tamilnadu cuisine. It refers to beetroot cooked in tamarind, along with a few other spices, till it is silky-smooth and absolutely delicious. The beetroot adds a lovely mild sweetness to the dish, which is beautifully offset by the tamarind and spices in there, as well as a pretty colour.

Usually a great accompaniment to hot rice, Beetroot Vattalkozhambu is bliss when had with a drizzle of sesame oil. In my family, we love having it with curd rice too. I adore it as a side to hot steamed rice mixed with cooked and salted toor dal – rustic and oh so sastifying!

Let’s go through my family recipe for Beetroot Vattalkozhambu today.

Beetroot Vattalkozhambu or Puli Kozhambu

What Is Vattalkozhambu?

We will start with understanding what ‘kozhambu‘ is – it is a term used for a broad category of gravies, which can be paired with rice or with idlis, dosas and other ‘tiffin‘ items, usually made with tamarind or other souring agents like tomatoes. ‘Vattalkozhambu‘ is a type of kozhambu, a gravy that commonly has a tamarind base, which can be made using a variety of fresh or dried berries/greens/vegetables. Beetroot Vattalkozhambu, like I was saying earlier, is made using beetroots, which are cooked in a tamarind gravy, with some flavouring agents added in. It is also referred to as ‘Beetroot Puli Kozhambu‘ in some parts of Tamilnadu, ‘puli‘ being the local word for tamarind.

I have several other kozhambu recipes on my blog, which you might be interested in taking a look at:

What Goes Into Beetroot Vattalkozhambu – The Ingredients

Beetroot and tamarind are the two major ingredients used in this dish.

The dish is flavoured with sambar powder (I have used home-made) and some jaggery, in addition to the usual suspects like salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

I have used jaggery powder here, which is nothing but powdered jaggery. I prefer using jaggery powder in my daily cooking, as opposed to the jaggery that is sold in blocks. Jaggery powder is commonly available in several departmental stores here in Bangalore. There are many organic, zero-chemical small brands of jaggery available, and they work well for me in all the cooking that I do. I find jaggery powder very convenient to use, much more so than jaggery blocks which are sometimes quite sticky and have to be broken down into granules manually. But then, do what works for you!

There is a simple tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and fenugreek seeds in sesame oil. Sesame oil, referred to as ‘nalla ennai‘ in Tamil, is what is traditionally used in several foods from the state. This oil is not to be confused with the toasted sesame oil that is used in Asian dishes – the flavour profile of the two oils is completely different. I prefer using sesame oil from the Idhayam brand (not sponsored).

Rice flour has been used to thicken the gravy here, as is done traditionally. See the ‘Tips & Tricks’ section of this post for alternatives.

How To Make Beetroot Vattalkozhambu

Here’s how to go about it.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1. A small lemon-sized ball of tamarind

2. 1 medium-sized beetroot

3. 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon sesame oil (nalla ennai)

4. 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

5. 2 pinches of asafoetida

6. A pinch of fenugreek seeds

7. A sprig of curry leaves

8. Salt to taste

9. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

10. 1-1/2 tablespoons sambar powder or to taste

11. 3/4 tablespoon jaggery powder or to taste

12. Red chilli powder to taste (optional)

13. 1 tablespoon rice flour

Method:

Top left and right: Steps 1 and 2, Centre left and right: Steps 3 and 4, Bottom left and right: Steps 5 and 6

1. Soak the tamarind in about 1/2 cup of boiling hot water, for it to become soft. Let it cool down enough to handle.

2. In the meantime, wash the beetroot well to remove all traces of mud from it. Remove the top of the beetroot and chop it into quarters.

3. Take the chopped beetroot in a wide vessel, along with about 1 cup of water. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker and put the whistle on. Allow 5 whistles on high flame. Let the pressure come down naturally.

4. While the pressure cooker is cooling, extract the juice from the soaked tamarind. Use water as needed. Keep the extract thick and not too watery. I had about 1-1/2 cups of tamarind extract.

5. When the pressure from the cooker has gone down completely, get the cooked beetroot out. Drain out all the water from it and reserve. Let the beetroot pieces cool down enough to handle.

6. Once the cooked beetroot has cooled down, remove the skin from the pieces and discard. Chop the beetroot into smaller cubes.

Top left and right; Steps 7 and 8, Centre left and right: Step 9, Bottom left and right: Steps 10 and 11

7. Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the mustard seeds, and allow them to sputter. Then add in the asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, and allow them to stay in for a few seconds.

8. Add the beetroot cubes to the pan. Saute for a minute.

9. Add in the tamarind extract, along with the turmeric powder and some salt. Mix well.

10. Cook on high flame for about 5 minutes or till the raw smell of the tamarind has completely gone. Stir intermittently.

11. At this stage, add in the reserved water from cooking the beetroot. Mix well.

Top left and right, Centre left and right: Step 12, Bottom left and right: Steps 13 and 14

12. Taste and adjust salt. Also, add in the sambar powder, jaggery powder and red chilli powder (if needed). Mix well. At this stage, you may add in 1/2 to 1 cup more water if you wish to adjust the taste/consistency. Let everything cook together on medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Stir intermittently.

13. Make a slurry of the rice flour with about 2 tablespoons of water. Make sure there are no lumps. Add this slurry to the pan with one hand, constantly stirring with the other. Allow the mixture to cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes more or till it thickens and attains a silky consistency. Stir intermittently. Switch off gas at this stage.

14. Add in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil at this stage. Mix well. Your Beetroot Vattalkozhambu is ready. Serve it hot/warm with rice.

Related Event: Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

This post is brought to you in association with the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge, a group of passionate food bloggers that I am part of.

The members of the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge share recipes based on a particular theme, every month. Participants are divided into pairs, and each pair secretly exchanges two ingredients, unknown to the rest of the group. Each member then uses their secret ingredients to cook a dish that fits into the theme for the month. Upon completion, they are required to post a picture of their dish in the group, and other members try to guess what the secret ingredients used in the food could be – therein lies the challenge. 🙂

The Shhh group had the theme ‘Cook Whatever You Like’ for the month of May 2023, a wonderfully elastic guideline that gave free rein to the participants to whip up anything they wanted, within the scope of the secret ingredients assigned to them. Renu, the versatile blogger at Cook With Renu. She prepared this yummy Besan Pithla for the theme – you guys must definitely check it out!

I was paired with Seema, fellow food blogger at Mildly Indian, for the theme. I suggested Seema make something with ‘coconut’ and ‘cumin seeds’, and she prepared this unique South Indian dish, Aviyal Kozhambu. She, in turn, assigned me the ingredients ‘curry leaves’ and ‘jaggery’, and they fit right into this Beetroot Vattalkozhambu that I had wanted to blog about for quite some time.

Dietary Guidelines

This Beetroot Vattalkozhambu recipe is completely vegetarian and vegan, suited to those following a plant-based diet.

It contains beetroot (which is believed to have a high sugar content) as well as added jaggery, so you might want to exercise caution while serving this to a diabetic or to people with similar health conditions.

To make this recipe gluten-free, avoid using asafoetida in the tempering. Most branded asafoetida powders in India do contain wheat flour and are, therefore, best avoided when one is following a gluten-free diet. However, if you can find 100% gluten-free asafoetida, you could definitely go ahead and use it.

Tips & Tricks

1. I have used home-made sambar powder here. You can use a store-bought version as well.

2. Using red chilli powder is optional. If the heat from the sambar powder is enough, you can skip the red chilli powder entirely.

3. Adjust the quantity of water you use depending upon the consistency of the Beetroot Vattalkozhambu that you require.

4. Remember to keep the tamarind extract on the thicker side and not too watery.

5. I have used a slurry of rice flour and water to thicken the Beetroot Vattalkozhambu, as it is done traditionally. Alternatively, a mix of wheat flour and water can be used. Avoid wheat flour if you wish to keep the recipe gluten-free.

6. Adjust the quantity of jaggery powder as per personal taste preferences.

7. I have pressure-cooked the beetroot before adding it to the pan. You can cook it in a pan separately as well. Make sure the beetroot is completely cooked before using it in making the Vattalkozhambu.

8. Make sure the flour-water slurry is completely free of lumps, before adding it to the pan. If this is not the case, there are chances of lumps forming in the Vattalkozhambu.

9. Make sure you add in the flour-water slurry while constantly stirring, otherwise lumps will form in the Vattalkozhambu.

10. Sesame oil (‘nalla ennai‘ in Tamil) goes best in this Beetroot Vattalkozhambu. However, if you do not prefer using it, you can use any other neutral-flavoured oil.

11. Do not skip the jaggery. There is only a small amount of jaggery used in this recipe, which does not make the vattalkozhambu overly sweet. Rather, it balances out the other flavours beautifully.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

Advertisement

Trainwali Bhel|(Dry) Sukha Bhel

Trainwali Bhel refers to the dry bhel that you get in paper cones, on moving trains. It is a simple mix of ingredients that is not messy to eat, but super delicious. Let me show you how to make this (dry) Sukha Bhel in today’s blog post, served with a generous dose of nostalgia for long train rides and those carefree days when we seemed to have all the time in the world.

Trainwali Bhel or (Dry) Sukha Bhel

Long train rides, Sukha Bhel, nostalgia and more

I have extremely fond memories, as a young schoolgirl, of the dry bhel served on moving trains, by vendors who kept getting on and off at different stations. Years ago, when we stayed in Ahmedabad, we would undertake long train journeys in the summer holidays – to Bangalore or Chennai, usually – to visit my mom’s family down South. We would carry home-made food for the almost 36-hour journey, and I would be thrilled to see these chaat vendors with their huge baskets, metal containers (often repurposed from tin oil cans) filled with puffed rice, grated carrots, lemons, finely chopped onions and other accoutrements. The Sukha Bhel that they dished up would look mouth-wateringly delicious, but would have a questionable hygiene quotient.

Arguments with mom would follow – she won sometimes, I won at other times. The few times she let me have the bhel, I remember it being a blissful experience eating it – maybe it was the thrill of a hard-won snack, or the glee of having something different from the usual podi idlis and curd rice that my mom religiously packed for the journey. Maybe the massive waves of nostalgia I am rolling around in right now make me feel so. 🙂

As a family, we hardly take long train rides any more – we never seem to have the luxury of journeying for 30 hours or more to reach our destination. Covid put paid even to the shorter train journeys we sometimes used to undertake. This is an experience I feel sad the bub is missing out on – packed food, watching stations whizz by out of the windows, vendors calling out their wares, reading at leisure, stretching out whenever you get a chance because your muscles are taut from sitting for so long, et al – but it is what it is!

Ingredients used in Trainwali Bhel

Trainwali Bhel is made by mixing up several dry ingredients, so it is easy to prepare and eat on a moving train. Unlike the regular bhel poori available in restaurants, this version is made without any chutneys. A handful of sev and mixture (or chivda) is mixed with roasted puffed rice, along with grated carrots, finely chopped tomato, onion and cucumber, and coriander. Dry spice powders like red chilli powder, chaat masala and roasted cumin powder are used to flavour the bhel, as is a dash of lemon juice.

I have often recreated the Trainwali Bhel at home – albeit in more hygienic settings – and have my own recipe for it, arrived at after several trials and tribulations. I find that adding some powdered sugar makes the bhel even more flavourful.

Check out the detailed recipe for Trainwali Bhel below, the way I make it. It does not require too many ingredients and comes together in a jiffy. This bhel is quite similar to Churmuri, a streetside snack in Karnataka. Some vendors of Churmuri do add a sweet-sour tamarind chutney to it, though, which this train version does not contain.

How to make Trainwali Bhel| (Dry) Sukha Bhel

Here is how I go about it.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1. 3 big fistfuls of roasted puffed rice (pori/murmura)

2. 1 fistful of fine sev

3. 1 fistful of readymade mixture

4. 1 baby carrot

5. 1/2 of a medium-sized onion

6. 1/2 of a medium-sized cucumber

7. 1 small tomato

8. 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander

9. Red chilli powder to taste

10. 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala

11. Salt to taste

12. 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar or to taste

13. 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin (jeera) powder

14. Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste

Method:

1. We will start by prepping the veggies needed for the Sukha Bhel. Peel the onion and carrot. Grate the carrot medium thick, and chop the onion finely. Chop up the cucumber and tomato finely. Keep ready.

Top left and right: Steps 2 and 3, Below top right: Step 4, Bottom right: Step 5, Bottom left: Step 6

2. Take the roasted puffed rice in a large mixing bowl. Add in the sev and mixture.

3. Add the grated carrot, and the chopped onion, tomato and cucumber. Add in the finely chopped coriander too.

4. Add in salt, red chilli powder, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder and powdered sugar.

5. Add in the lemon juice to the mixing bowl.

6. Mix all the ingredients in the mixing bowl well. Your Sukha Bhel is ready. Serve immediately.

Related Event: Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

I am sharing this recipe in association with the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge, a group of passionate food bloggers that I am part of.

The members of the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge share recipes based on a pre-decided theme, every month. The members are divided into pairs for the purpose of the challenge. Each pair exchanges two ingredients secretly, unknown to the rest of the group. These two secret ingredients are then used by each member to prepare a dish that fits into the theme of the month. When their dish is ready, each member posts a picture of the same in the group, and the other members try to guess the two secret ingredients that have been used therein. I have been a part of this group for years now, and it has been a fun and challenging learning experience, all at once.

For the month of April 2023, Seema of Mildly Indian proposed the theme ‘Railway Recipes’, wherein bloggers could share how to prepare foods which they have enjoyed on train journeys. These could be dishes they carried from home or which were served on the train, by vendors or the pantry car. Needless to say, the theme induced nostalgia in most group members, and we had a great time wading through fond memories of train travels past to zero in on a recipe we could showcase. Seema prepared this absolutely delicious Indian Railways Aloo Curry for the theme which you have got to check out!

I was paired with Aruna of Vasu’s Veg Kitchen for the challenge. She suggested I make something using the ingredients ‘chaat masala‘ and ‘lemon juice’, which fit right into the Trainwali Bhel recipe I had been thinking of showcasing. I gave Aruna the ingredients ‘groundnuts’ and ‘red chillies’, and she prepared this lovely Pulihora she remembers carrying on train journeys with her family.

Dietary guidelines

This recipe is made using all-vegetarian and vegan ingredients. It is suitable for people following a plant-based diet.

Chaat masala has been used in making this bhel, which often contains asafoetida. It is, therefore, advisable to avoid the chaat masala if you are following a gluten-free diet – you may use a dash of black salt instead.

I have roasted the puffed rice with minimal oil. There is a little store-bought mixture and some powdered sugar used in this bhel, while the other ingredients are clean.

You can use puffed wheat rice (available in several departmental stores in Bangalore) instead of the puffed rice I have used here.

Tips & Tricks

1. Make sure the roasted puffed rice is crispy, for best results. Sometimes, if the puffed rice has been roasted prior and has been sitting around, it can lose its crispiness. In that case, give it a brief roasting in a wide pan till it crisps up.

2. I have roasted the puffed rice with some salt and turmeric here, using regular refined oil. If you like the flavour of ghee or coconut oil, you can use either of these to roast the puffed rice.

3. Be careful while adding salt to the Sukha Bhel. The puffed rice as well as the chaat masala both already contain some amount of salt.

4. You may use finely chopped green chillies instead of the red chilli powder I have used here. I prefer avoiding green chillies in this dish.

5. Sometimes, roasted puffed rice has red chilli powder and/or sugar powder added to it. In that case, do adjust the quantity of red chilli powder and sugar powder you add to the Sukha Bhel.

6. Use only powdered sugar while making the Sukha Bhel, as it gets well incorporated with the other ingredients. Grainy refined sugar is difficult to mix in.

7. Adjust the quantity of lemon juice you use depending upon personal taste preferences.

8. I have used readymade South Indian mixture from Bambino, which contains peanuts, fried gram and crispies. Instead of mixture, you may add in North Indian-style chivda or a handful  of crisp-roasted peanuts and papdi.

9. A dash of black salt can also be added to the Sukha Bhel if you so prefer. I have avoided it because I wanted to keep the recipe really simple, close to the way this bhel is actually made by vendors in running trains.

10. Use fine sev only, for best results. Do not use the thick variety of sev.

11. Serve this Sukha Bhel immediately after preparation. Not consuming it immediately might make it soggy and alter its taste.

12. Often, I have seen train travellers carrying the ingredients for this bhel from home, and then mixing it up for a snack on the train. You could do the same, too.

13. Pomegranate arils and/or raw mango (when in season) are great additions to this Trainwali Bhel.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

Bohra Gol Paani| Summer Beverage With Jaggery

Gol Paani is a special beverage popular among the Bohra Muslim community. It is made with all-natural ingredients, super flavourful and very refreshing. It is a wonderful thirst quencher, especially prepared for Iftaar in Bohra households during the month of Ramzaan. I have some really lovely memories involving Gol Paani, which I have learnt to make over the years. In today’s post, I am going to share with you all how to go about making it.

Utterly refreshing and delicious Gol Paani

What exactly is Gol Paani?

Like I was saying earlier, Gol Paani is a delectable and utterly refreshing beverage from the Bohra Muslim community. As the name suggests, there are two major ingredients used in this drink – ‘Gol‘ (aka jaggery) and ‘Paani‘ (aka water). Gol Paani is, basically, jaggery water with a few other ingredients added in to enhance its flavour. Jaggery contains a good amount of magnesium and iron, and is believed to help in improving intestinal health and maintaining normal body temperature in the summers.

Sabja seeds (also called ‘basil seeds’ or ‘tukmariya‘) are used in Gol Paani too, These seeds possess immense health benefits, including being rich in minerals and various vitamins, have anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties, and offer a cooling effect to the body. Sabja seeds need to be soaked in water for a little time to bloom, post which they can be used in the beverage – I have explained how to do this, in detail, in the recipe below.

Lemon juice and fresh mint leaves are used to add freshness to the drink. Several families also use a wee bit of black salt to add a unique flavour and fragrance to the Gol Paani.

Sweet memories with Gol Paani

In the year 2017, when I was big on attending various foodie events around the city, I had the opportunity to attend a cook-off by Chef Michael Swamy and Chef Aniket Das at Fairfield By Marriott. At the event, we were served a beautiful dark-coloured drink which was lemon-y and mint-y, just perfect for the hot weather we were facing at the time. I remember Chef Das telling us that the drink was Gol Paani, adapted from the family recipe of a Bohra Muslim team member of his. There was talk in the kitchen of Gol Paani doing the rounds of the family table, at the team member’s house, during Iftaar. This got Chef Das intrigued, and he went on to try out the beverage, deciding to serve it to us bloggers at the cook-off.

Later, in 2019, I enjoyed the experience of partaking of a huge Bohra-style thali by Rehana Nagaria of The Bohra Bohra Thaal, a provider of home dining experiences in Bangalore. Gol Paani was an integral part of the thali – Bohra food is typically high in calories and rich, and Gol Paani is served as a way to balance out all the richness. The dining service since closed down, but the memory of that Gol Paani lingered on.

The social media pages of The Bohra Bohra Thaal offer an authentic recipe for Gol Paani, and I adapted it to suit our requirements. It has been a part of our summer holiday treats for years now, along with my Home-Made Lemon Squash, Grape Squash, Kala Khatta Syrup, Nungu Sherbet, and Bonda Sherbet.

How to make Gol Paani

Making Gol Paani is an easy task, requiring but a few basic ingredients, as stated above. Here’s how to go about it.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1. 1 teaspoon sabja (basil) seeds

2. 1 cup jaggery powder

3. 4 cups water or as needed

4. A handful of fresh mint leaves + a few more for garnishing

5. About 1/4 teaspoon black salt

6. Juice of 1 lemon or as needed

7. Ice cubes, as needed

Method:

Top left and right: Step 1, Bottom left: Step 2, Right second and third: Step 3

1. Take the sabja seeds in a small cup and add in a little water. Let them soak till the drink gets ready.

2. Meanwhile, take the jaggery powder in a large mixing bowl. Add in the water. Mix well till the jaggery is completely dissolved in the water.

3. Take a handful of mint leaves in a small mixer jar. Grind along with a little water. Add this to the jaggery water.

Top left and right: Steps 4 and 5, Right second and third: Step 6, Bottom left: Step 7

4. Add in the black salt.

5. Add in the lemon juice.

6. The sabja seeds would have bloomed by now. Add them to the jaggery water too. Mix well, making sure all the ingredients are well incorporated together. Your Gol Paani is ready.

7. Transfer the Gol Paani into serving glasses. Add in some ice cubes into each glass, as well as some torn mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Related event: Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

I am sharing this recipe in connection with the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge, a group of passionate food bloggers that I am part of.

The members of the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge showcase recipes based on a pre-decided theme, every month. The central idea of the group is fun and very interesting. The group members are divided into pairs. Each pair exchanges two ingredients secretly, unknown to the rest of the members. Every pair uses their two secret ingredients to make a dish that fits into the theme for the month. Upon completion, each pair shares a picture of the finished dish in the group, and the members try to guess what two secret ingredients were used in each dish.

For the month of March 2023, Sasmita of First Timer Cook suggested that we all make summer beverages, considering it is getting hotter by the day everywhere. Check out the beautiful summery Sabja Lemonade that Sasmita has made for the theme!

I was paired with the talented Sujata ji of Batter Up With Sujata for the month. I gave her the ingredients ‘chaat masala‘ and ‘grapes’, using which she prepared this sugar-free Grape Watermelon Refresher. Sujata ji assigned me the ingredients ‘jaggery’ and ‘lemon’, which fit right into this Gol Paani, one of my family’s favourite summer beverages.

Dietary guidelines

This recipe for Gol Paani is completely vegan, suited to those following a plant-based diet. It is also entirely gluten-free.

It is free of refined sugar, but does contain a good amount of jaggery. I’m no health expert, but I would suggest using discretion while serving this drink to diabetics and people who are on a weight loss journey.

Tips & Tricks

1. Adjust the quantity of water, jaggery powder and lemon juice as per personal taste preferences.

2. I have used jaggery powder, which is easily available in several stores here in Bangalore. If you don’t have access to it, you can use regular jaggery blocks, crushed with a pestle.

3. Using jaggery that is lighter in colour will yield a beautiful-looking drink. I used dark brown-coloured country jaggery, which is why the drink is quite dark in colour. Irrespective of the colour of jaggery you use, I must say the drink does turn out fabulous – absolutely refreshing and delicious! For best results, use good-quality jaggery that is flavourful.

4. You may use regular salt in place of the black salt I have used here. However, the black salt does add a unique flavour and taste to the drink.

5. Make sure the jaggery is completely dissolved in the water, and all the other ingredients are well incorporated.

6. In my opinion, this drink is best prepared fresh and consumed soon after preparation.

7. If the jaggery you are using has impurities, make sure you strain the water after it has fully dissolved. Proceed to make the beverage only after the impurities are strained out.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

Payaru Kozhambu|Green Moong Gravy For Dosa And Rotis

Payaru Kozhambu is a delicious and nutritious gravy made with whole green moong beans. It makes for a wonderful side to rotis as well as dosas.

Let me show you how we make this kozhambu at home.

Delectable Payaru Kozhambu, served with dosas

Looking for other accompaniments for idlis and dosas? Check out my recipes for Peanut Podi, Dosa Milagai Podi, Sutta Kathrikkai Thogayal, Vazhakkai Thol Thogayal, Pineapple Thogayal, Kale Thogayal, Bombay Chutney, Basic Coconut Chutney and Tomato Onion Gojju.

Ingredients used in Payaru Kozhambu

Whole green moong is the main ingredient used in this dish. Moong beans are known for their high protein content, which makes this kozhambu extremely nutritious. It is made using very little oil, too.

A freshly ground paste made of onion, tomato and coconut is added to the moong beans, which definitely gives the kozhambu a flavour boost. In addition, coriander powder, a bit of garam masala and jaggery are also added in for more oomph. The result is incredibly yum!

How to make Payaru Kozhambu

Making Payaru Kozhambu is not a very difficult proposition. It is a dish that can be put together in about 25 minutes, including hands-free time.

This is my aunt’s recipe. My aunt is a great cook, and I have learnt a lot from her, including this Masala Poori recipe and this one for Gojju Avalakki.

Here’s the Payaru Kozhambu recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

To grind:

1. 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped roughly

2. 1 small onion, chopped roughly

3. A 1-inch piece of cinnamon, pounded in a mortar and pestle

4. 2 cloves

5. 2 tablespoons of fresh coconut, grated or slivered

6. 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped fine

7. A 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

8. 5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled

Other ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup whole green moong

2. 1/2 tablespoon oil

3. 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

4. 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

5. 2 pinches of asafoetida

6. A sprig of fresh curry leaves

7. Salt to taste

8. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

9. Red chilli powder to taste

10. 3/4 teaspoon coriander powder or to taste

11. 1/2 teaspoon garam masala or to taste

12. 1/2 tablespoon jaggery powder (optional)

13. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

Top left: Step 2, Bottom left and right: Step 3, Top right and below: Step 4

1. Wash the whole green moong well under running water. Drain out all the water. Now, add in enough fresh water to cover the moong completely. Let it soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. When the moong is done soaking, drain out all the water from it and discard. Transfer the soaked moong to a wide vessel and add in enough water to cover it completely.

3. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook on high flame for 2 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally.

4. Meanwhile, take all the ingredients listed under ‘To grind’ in a mixer jar. Grind to a smooth paste. Keep ready.

Left top and bottom: Steps 5 and 6, Right top and bottom: Steps 7 and 8

5. Once the pressure from the cooker has completely gone down, we will start making the Payaru Kozhambu. First, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the mustard and let it sputter. Add in the cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Let them stay in for a few seconds.

6. Add the paste we ground earlier, to the pan. Wash the mixer jar with about 1/4 cup of water and add this to the pan too. Turn the flame down to medium. Mix.

7. Let the paste cook on medium flame till the raw smell goes away completely, 7-8 minutes. Stir intermittently. The paste will thicken considerably by this stage.

8. Add in the cooked moong, along with the water it was cooked in. Add in about 3/4 cup of water or as needed to adjust the consistency of the Payaru Kozhambu. Mix well.

Top left: Step 9, Top right, below and bottom right: Step 10, Bottom left: Step 11

9. Add salt to taste, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well. Cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes.

10. Now, add in the coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well. Allow the mixture to cook on medium flame for 3-5 minutes more or till it begins to thicken. Mix in the jaggery powder, if using. Switch off gas at this stage. Remember to keep the mixture on the runnier side as it thickens up with time.

11. Mix in the finely chopped coriander. Your Payaru Kozhambu is ready. Serve warm with rotis, idli or dosa.

Related Event: The Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

I’m presenting this recipe for Payaru Kozhambu in association with the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge. This is a foodie challenge run by a group of passionate food bloggers.

Members of the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge group showcase recipes based on a pre-determined theme, every month. The group members are divided into pairs, and each pair exchanges two ingredients secretly, unknown to the rest of the group. Each pair then uses these two secret ingredients to make a dish that fits into the theme of the month. A picture of the completed dish is then shared in the group by each pair of participants, and the other members try to guess what the two secret ingredients would have been. It’s fun, and a great learning experience!

The theme for February was ‘Protein-Rich Breakfast Dishes’, suggested by Renu of Cook With Renu. You guys have to check out the beautiful Indian-Style Spicy Tofu Scramble Renu has prepared for the challenge!

I was paired with Preethi, author of Preethi’s Cuisine, for the month. I gave her the ingredients ‘coriander’ and ‘chilli’, and she used them to prepare this unique Green Chickpea Mushroom Scramble. How lovely!

Preethi suggested I use the ingredients ‘cinnamon’ and ‘cloves’ in my dish, which fit right into this Payaru Kozhambu recipe I was planning on sharing on the blog for a long time anyway.

Is this Payaru Kozhambu vegan and gluten-free?

It is completely vegetarian and vegan, suited to people following a plant-based diet.

If you want to make this Payaru Kozhambu gluten-free, just skip the asafoetida used in the tempering. Most Indian brands of asafoetida contain wheat flour and are, therefore, best avoided when one is following a gluten-free diet.

Tips & Tricks

1. Adjust the quantity of water depending upon the consistency of the Payaru Kozhambu that you require.

2. You may skip the jaggery if you don’t prefer using it. However, using it does add a beautiful flavour to the dish.

3. I use home-made garam masala which is quite strong, so very little quantity is needed. Adjust the quantity you use as per personal taste preferences.

4. I have used home-made coriander powder here – I lightly roast coriander seeds, allow them to cool down fully, and then grind them to a powder. This can be made in small batches, stored in an air-tight bottle, and used as needed. Adjust the quantity you use as per personal taste preferences.

5. Do not overcook the moong. 2 whistles in the pressure cooker after about 6 hours of soaking is good.

7. Soaking the whole green moong is advisable to avoid flatulence and ensure even cooking. However, for some reason, if you haven’t been able to soak the moong, just pressure cook them with enough water to completely cover them for 7-8 whistles. This will work too.

8. I have used country (‘Nati’) tomatoes, which are quite sour. If you are using the ‘farmed’ variety, which isn’t sour, I would suggest adding a dash of lemon juice to the Payaru Kozhambu after it is cooked and ready.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me in your comments!

Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu| Lentil Balls In Tamarind Gravy

Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu is a traditional recipe from Tamilnadu. It refers to lentil balls cooked in a tamarind-based gravy. It is an absolutely delectable thing, especially blissful when mixed with some hot rice, drizzled with sesame oil (‘nalla ennai‘ in Tamil).

This is an interesting dish, full of flavours and textures. Just the right amount of sour, mildly sweet and spicy, Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu is a real treat to the tastebuds. The coarseness of the lentil balls contrasts beautifully with the smooth texture of the tamarind gravy. You must try it out to truly understand what loveliness this dish is!

Different families make different variations of the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu. Today, I am about to share the way it is made in my house.

Delicious Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu

Looking for other heritage recipes from Tamilnadu? Check out this Vepampoo Pachadi, Elumicchaipazham (lemon) Rasam, Thavala Dosai, Vendhaya Dosai, Sigappu Keerai Kootu, Ezhu Thaan Kootu and Paal Payasam.

Ingredients used in Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu

The lentil balls here are made of chana dal. Unlike koftas or pakoras in gravy, though, these balls of lentils are steamed and not deep-fried.

The steamed balls are cooked further in a gravy made using tamarind. We use home-made sambar powder to spice it up, along with freshly ground coconut and a dash of jaggery.

Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu is quite similar to the Vattalkozhambu that we make, yet different in taste.

Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu recipe

Here’s how we make it.

Don’t be daunted by the long-winded recipe. It is fairly simple to follow. I have broken down the proceedure into sections, so it becomes easy to understand and replicate.

Ingredients (serves 4-5):

1. 1/2 cup chana dal

2. 3 dry red chillies + 2 more for tempering

3. A small gooseberry-sized ball of tamarind

4. 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander (optional)

5. Salt to taste

6. 1 tablespoon sesame oil

7. 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

8. 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

9. 1 sprig curry leaves

10. 2 pinches of asafoetida

11. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

12. 1 tablespoon sambar powder or to taste

13. Red chilli powder as needed (optional)

14. 1 tablespoon jaggery powder or as needed

15. 3 tablespoons fresh coconut pieces

Method:

Top left, centre and right: Steps 1, 2 and 3, Bottom left and centre: Step 4, Bottom right: Step 5

We will begin by doing some basic prep work needed for the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu.

1. Wash the chana dal well under running water. Drain out all the water.

2. Soak the washed and drained chana dal and 3 dry red chillies in enough water to cover the lentils completely, for 2-3 hours.

3. In the meantime, soak the tamarind in some boiling hot water to soften it. Allow it to cool down enough to handle.

4. When the chana dal and dry red chillies have soaked, drain out all the residual water from them. Break up the dry red chillies roughly with your hands. Transfer the drained chana dal and broken dry red chillies to a mixer jar. Grind these together coarsely, without adding any water.

5. Transfer the coarsely ground mixture to a mixing bowl. Add in salt to taste and finely chopped coriander (if using). Mix everything well together.

Top left: Step 6, Top centre and right: Step 7, Below top right: Step 8, Bottom left: The lentil balls, after steaming, Bottom centre and right: Step 9

Next we will prepare the lentil balls and do some more prep work.

6. Keep water in a steamer and place it on high flame. Let the water come to a boil.

7. When the steamer is ready, make small balls out of the lentil mixture. Place the balls in the steamer. Steam on high flame for about 12 minutes. Switch off gas.

8. When the tamarind has cooled down enough, extract all the juice from it. You can add more water as needed to help with the extraction, but don’t make the extract too watery. I had about 1 cup of semi-thick tamarind extract.

9. Take the coconut in a small mixer jar, along with a little water. Grind together to a mostly smooth, slightly coarse paste.

Top left, centre and right: Steps 10, 11 and 12, Below top right: Step 13, Bottom right: Step 14, Bottom left and centre: Step 15

Now, we will start preparing the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu.

10. Heat the sesame oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the mustard, and allow it to sputter. Then add in the asafoetida, fenugreek, curry leaves and 2 dry red chillies for the tempering. Let these ingredients stay in for a few seconds, without burning.

11. At this stage, add the tamarind extract to the pan. Mix well.

12. Add a little salt and the turmeric powder. Mix and cook on medium flame for 4-5 minutes or till the raw smell of the tamarind has gone completely.

13. Add in about 1-1/2 cups of water, or as needed to adjust the consistency of the gravy. It should be slightly watery at this stage – the gravy will thicken up later as the lentil balls cook in it.

14. Add sambar powder and red chilli powder, if needed. Mix well.

15. Mix in the jaggery powder. Taste and adjust salt, red chilli powder, sambar powder, jaggery and/or water as needed. At this stage, the mixture should taste tangy (but not overly so), fragrant from the sambar powder, as spicy as you want it, and mildly sweet.

Top left and right: Steps 16 and 17, Below top right: Step 18, Bottom right: Step 19, Bottom left: Step 20

Now, we will cook the lentil balls in the gravy.

16. Continue to keep the flame at medium. Add the steamed lentil balls to the pan, gently.

17. Let the balls cook in the tamarind gravy for 7-8 minutes on medium flame. By this time, the gravy would have started to thicken and the lentil balls would have been cooked and floating on the surface.

18. At this stage, add the coconut paste to the pan, constantly stirring with one hand. The flame should still be at medium. Mix gently.

19. Cook the mixture for a minute or so more, on medium flame. Switch off gas. The Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu is ready. Keep it slightly runny at this stage – it will thicken up further with time.

20. Serve the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu when warm, along with rice and sesame oil.

Is this recipe vegan and gluten-free?

Many South Indian dishes are inherently vegan, like this one. There are no animal products used in this dish, thus making it suitable for those following a vegan (plant-based) diet.

If you want to make this Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu gluten-free, skip the asafoetida used in the tempering. The sambar powder I use contains asafoetida – you need to make sure you use one without. Most commercially available Indian brands of asafoetida contain wheat flour to some extent, and it is therefore better to avoid the same when one is following a gluten-free diet.

This is a no-onion no-garlic recipe too.

The Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

I’m part of this wonderful group of food bloggers called the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge, and am sharing this recipe in association with the same.

The members of the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge showcase recipes based on a pre-determined theme, each month. The theme this month is ‘Vegan Dishes’, chosen by Radha of Magical Ingredients. She prepared this divine Vegan Jackfruit Kofta Curry for the challenge.

The group members are divided into pairs for the challenge. Each pair decides upon two secret ingredients which they will use to make their dish of the month. A picture of the completed dish is posted in the group, and all the other members try to guess the two secret ingredients each pair has used.

My partner for the month was Rafeeda of The Big Sweet Tooth. Rafeeda suggested I use the ingredients ‘curry leaves’ and ‘coconut’, and I decided to make this vegan Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu. Rafeeda made this amazing-looking dessert, Mango Bango, using the two secret ingredients of ‘coconut milk’ and ‘sugar’ that I gave her.

Tips & Tricks

1. Some families use a mix of chana dal and toor dal to make the lentil balls. We use only chana dal.

2. The use of red chilli powder is completely optional. If the sambar powder you are using is spicy enough, you can omit the red chilli powder completely.

3. Adjust the quantity of water depending upon how thick you want the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu to be. It might initially look watery, but tends to thicken up with time.

4. I have used a steamer to cook the lentil balls. You could also do the same in an idli steamer.

5. Do not grind the chana dal into a fine paste. For best results, it needs to be coarsely ground. Do not add any water while grinding.

6. Adjust the quantity of tamarind as per personal taste preferences. A small lemon-sized ball of Double Horse tamarind (which is quite sour) works perfectly for us.

7. Don’t miss the jaggery. It doesn’t make the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu overly sweet, but rounds off the other flavours beautifully.

8. Do not overcook the lentil balls, or they tend to become hard. Steaming for about 12 minutes and then cooking in the tamarind gravy for 7-8 minutes is good.

9. Ensure that you keep the flame at medium while adding the coconut paste and stir constantly, so that it gets mixed evenly into the tamarind gravy.

10. You may drizzle some sesame oil over the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu, once it’s ready. This takes the flavour quotient up by several notches.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me in your comments!