Kara Kuzhambu with Paruppu Usili – a Tamil brahmin lunch menu.I was shamelessly out of touch with the food blogosphere all of last month. Had major plans to send in entries to most of the events in November, but again, am alarmingly behind schedule. Was out over most of the weekends and that’s when I actually cook. Anyway, while we are checking out this kara kuzhambu recipe I wanted to point you guys to this vengaya kara kuzhambu, the Andhra onion pulusu, and a Kerala-special ulli theeyal.
Got some time this Sunday and made a simple lunch of Karakozhambu and Parippu Usili. As I was making them and trying to figure out which bowl to photograph them in (I have limited bowls and crockery so didn’t take long to decide that), I suddenly recalled Suganya’s Vegan Ventures event and what an apt entry mine I was. I didn’t realise that most of my cooking was anyway Vegan.
So here we are!
Note: I have an updated recipe for paruppu usili which is probably more authentic since it’s from my MIL.
Kara Kuzhambu Recipe
Ingredients:
Onions – 2 medium, chopped fine
Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp
Gingelly oil – 4 tbsp
Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder – 2 tsp
Curry leaves – one strand
Salt – to taste
How to make Kara Kuzhambu:
1) Fry onions in oil till golden brown and then fry the fenugreek seeds.
2) Mix salt, chilly powder, pepper and coriander powder into the tamarind paste and pour into the fried onions.
3) Boil well to get a thick gravy.
4) Add curry leaves in the end, mix well and remove from fire.
Beans-Paruppu Usili Recipe
Ingredients:
Beans – 10-15
Toor dal – half cup, soaked
Onions – 1 small, finely choppedJeera powder – 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies – 4
Coconut – 2 tbspGarlic – 3 cloves
Hing – one pinch
Curry leaves – one strandSalt – to taste
Instructions:
1) Cook beans with salt and leave aside.
2) Grind together: toor dal, chillies, jeera powder and coconut with some salt.
3) Fry this dal mixture in some oil till it breaks into pieces. Keep mixing to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once done, keep aside.
4) Temple mustard seeds in some oil, saute onions and garlic with curry leaves and hing.
5) To this, add the dal mixture and the cooked beans. Stir well, break into small pieces and remove from fire.
If anybody has a different way of making this, please do let me know. I feel the taste can be made better than how it was and this was my first time.
Hello Nags, I really love your cooking blog. I tried Kara Kuzhambu with few changes in it and it really turned out suuuper dooper. I fried Brinjal in sesame oil before frying onions anmd then at last i added grinded Coconut paste which gave a delicious flavor to the kuzhambu. Hats off to your cooking. Thanks for the inspirational Cooking. Hope to see lot of new cooking ideas from you. Thanks.
Here is how i make paruppu usili –
1) Steam chopped beans (and carrots maybe) till fork tender
2) Soak toor dhal, then grind to a coarse paste with red chillies, salt and hing. Spoon this into idli plates and steam cook like idlis till a fork pierced comes out clean
3) Heat oil and do tadka with mustard and curry leaves, then crumble and add the dhal idlis and stir fry for 5 minutes till it looks a little browned
4) Add the beans and stir well, cook on medium flame for another 5 minutes
This recipe tastes really good. Steaming and then stir frying the dhal paste is much easier than stir frying alone. Also, the taste should come only from the paruppu and veggies, so no need for coconut, jeera, onion, garlic etc!
yum..awesome combo nags…my mouth is watering..
Hi ,I am a new food blogger.Nice pictures and the lotus shaped bowl looks great. My parupu usili is totally different from yours.Do vist my blog when time permits .It is http://www.padhuskitchen.blogspot.com
Greta recipes Nags I wouldn’t know which one to start with my spoon first yum! 🙂
hey Nagu
You know what, i visited this site and thought i came to a wrong place as it didn’t look like your blog and today i came again and totally bowled over by your flowers!! love the new look!!
looks delicious 🙂
Nags, what’s your favourite dessert? I love Indian sweets, but make at home only halva.
its all autumn, at ur place, nags!!..flowers, flowers..and the flower plates luks lovely
A cup of chopped brinjal, drumstick or chickpeas would be a tasty addition to kara kozhumbu. Thanks for such a tasty entry, Nags.
Lovely recipe….. really comforting food!! nice pics too…
your blog looks nice! beans usili is is really delicious.. 🙂
yummyyyy lunch nags love your kara kuzhambu
Love the new design of the blog.
Love the kara kuzhambu too
Oops, PS! Meant to say, love the spring-y new look of your blog!
Hi Nags,
Both these dishes look so colorful and delicious! Thank you for sending along another yummy toor dal dish 🙂
I love this combo. My mom used to make paruppu usili like you only. More dal and less vegatable as I never liked veggies when I was little. Even now I like it your way, but my hubby prefers the other way. Looks so good and mouth-watering.
Both look super yummy Nags, love these dishes…great entry too!
Kara Kozhambu is something I liked during my stay at chennai and used to enjoy a good share of my friends’ food especially when they have this for lunch…i have enough water in my mouth to sail a ship !!!
🙂
Shn
What a wonderful combo!Perfect comfort food for a weekend!
yum..awesome combo nags…my mouth is watering..
You have made a whole Vegan meal! That is wonderful, worth the wait Nags!:)
I sent you my entry for Corn Flakes too, hope you got it.
I love the color in your kara kozhambu and this is such a good combination with the yummy paruppu usili. I make it the exact same way too.
Love the combo Nags! Nice entries..:)
-Siri
Wow, your kara kozhumbu looks yummy spicy! 🙂
Here’s a link to paruppu usili the way I make it: http://srefoodblog.blogspot.com/2005/06/cabbage-and-beans-paruppu-usili.html
lovely meal..the bowls look awesome..karakozhumbu looks yumm1
This is one delicious combo, Nags! Very yummy and fulfilling!