Vendhaya Kuzhambu

Ingredients
½ cup Shallots(chopped)
¼ cup Onion curry vadam
Tamarind (lemon size)
½ tsp Red chilli powder
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
2 T Oil
¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds - Vendhayam

To Grind
1 T Corriander seeds
¼ tsp Cumin seeds
5 nos Red chilli (small)
1 tsp Fenugreek
1T Fresh coconut (grated) / Desicated Coconut

Preparation
Soak tamarind and extract juice from it. Fry the ingredient to grind in little oil and ground it in to paste.
Heat oil in a frying pan . Add fenugreek fry well for a min.
Add onion , curry leaves and stir till it turns golden brown.
Mix ground masala , red chilli powder and fry till the good smell comes out.
Pour tamarind When it becomes thick remove from fire.
Goes well with rice , idli and dosa also.

Tip :
Vendhayam has a good cooling effect.

VazhaiKai Podimas / Paruppu Usli

Ingredients

To Grind - Dry Roast
Pottu Kadalai (Roasted Gram) - 2 spoons
Khas Khas - 1 spoon
Jeeragam - 1 spoon
Ellu - 1 spoon

Vazhaikai / Green Plantain - 1 (1/2 for 2 people if a big plantain)
Onion - Chopped - 1
Green chillies - sliced - 3
Desicated Coconut - 2 spoon
Urad Dhal - 1 spoon
Mustard - 1spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Coconut oil - 2 spoons
Salt - to taste
Garlic pods - 3 big, cut to small pieces

Method
1. Cut Plaintain into half and boil in water till half done. This can be boiled in microwave for 4 minutes. Allow it to cool.
2. Remove the skin and grate the plaintain is small pieces.
3. Add oil to pan and add mustard and ural dhal till golden brown. Add curry leaves. and sliced chillies.
4. Now add onion, garlic and little salt. Salt helps to roast onion with a nice taste and avoids sticking to pan if it iron pan(Not a non stick one).
5. Once onion is roasted, add the grated plantain. Saute for few minutes. Add turmeric powder and desicated coconut. Saute for few more minutes.
6. Now add the ground powder and mix well, and remove from heat.

Stuffed Brinjal Curry

Stuffing (Extract from another site)

Dry roast:

1 cup peanuts - roast them, when they are cooled, rub and remove the skins
1 cup sesame seeds - dry roast them

8 to 10 dried red chillies
One tablespoon of coriander seeds
Half teaspoon of cumin
4 cloves, one small piece of cinnamon stick
5 to 6 fenugreek seeds (menthulu)(They taste bitter so limit the number)
1 teaspoon of salt
Tamarind
Soak key-lime size tamarind in half cup of water and microwave it for about 15 to 30 seconds. Let the water cool down and squeeze the tamarind to get the paste.

Make a tight paste: Grind all of the above ingredients to a fine, smooth paste. You have to stuff this paste into brinjals so while grinding, under any circumstances, do not add water. Take this paste onto a plate and divide it into two portions. One is for stuffing and the other half is for sauce/gravy.

Method

1. Wash and dry the Brinjals

2. Make a horizontal and vertical slit.

3. Hold the brinjal in left hand, splitting, and fill with the stuffing. Keep them aside. Note that the brinjal stem/head should not be removed, this gives a good look :)

4. In a pressure cooker, saute mustard and cumin in a spoon of oil. Now add the remaining filling, and add water, little tamarind, a pinch of jaggery, salt, chilli powder if required. Place the brinjals in the gravy spread across. Add a glass of water, and allow it to be cooked for a whistle in pressure cooker. Now remove the whistle, slowly and saute for few minutes. The gravy is ready now with nice stuffed brinjals.

Other stuffing options:

Type 1:
Dry red chillies + dry or fresh coconut+ chana dal & urad dal + cumin, coriander, fenugreek seeds and salt. Sauté and make a paste of them without adding water. Add cashews to make it rich.

Type2:
Besan or gram flour+onions+green chillies+ginger garlic paste+dry coconut powder+coriander powder and salt, make a paste by adding little bit of water.

Type 3:
red onions + dried red chillies roasted in oil then make a paste of them.

Type4:
Fresh coconut+ roasted peanuts+ roasted sesame seeds+dried red chillies+Coriander seeds+Cumin seeds+cloves+cinnamon stick+ chana dal+ urad dal+tamarind +jaggery and salt.