FRUIT CHUTNEYS - PEAR AND MANGO CHUTNEY

Pear and Mango Chutney
Ingredients:
Pears. - 250 gms.
Raw firm mango - 250 gms.
Sugar - 500 gms.
Salt - 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Garam masala - 1 tsp.
2 Cloves (Lavangam) powdered
Melon seeds ((kharbooja)- 1 tbsp.
8 Almonds and 8 Cashews chopped finely.
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Method:
Boil, Peel and Mash Raw Mango and Pear. Put 1 tbsp. Sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat on a low flame, stirring and cooking till it turns brown. Add 500 ml. water and boil.When the sugar has fully dissolved in the water add remaining sugar. When it begins to boil again add the Mashed fruits, Cashew, Raisins, Kharbooja seeds, Chilli and Salt. Boil till a thick jam consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally. Add the clove powder and garam masala.
Cool a bit and transfer to clean airtight jar.
Making time: 1 hour
Shelf life: 1 month
Makes 1.5 kgs. chutney.

THE GEESE AND THE STORM

The Geese and the Storm !

There was once a man who did not believe in God or thespiritual meaning behind it, and was sceptical evenabout God. He and his family lived in a farmcommunity. His wife was a devout believer anddiligently raised her children in the faith. Hesometimes gave her a hard time about her belief andmocked her religious observances."It's all nonsense -- why would God lower himself andbecome a human like us? It's such a ridiculous story,"he said. One snowy day, she and the children left for templewhile he stayed home. After they had departed, thewinds grew stronger and the snow turned intoa blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before thefire for the evening.Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against the window... And, still another thump. He looked outside but could not see anything. So he ventured outside for a better view. In the field near his house he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese.They were apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but they had been caught in the snowstorm. The storm had become too blinding and violent for the geese to fly or see their way. They were stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter, unable to do more than flutter their wings and fly in aimless circles. He had compassion for them and wanted to help them. He thought to himself, the barn would be a great place for them to stay. It is warm and safe; surely theycould spend the night and wait out the storm. So he opened the barn doors for them.He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. Nevertheless, they did not notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. He moved closer toward them to get their attention,but they just moved away from him out of fear. He went into the house and came back with some bread,broke it up, and made a bread trail to the barn. They still did not catch on. Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried toshoo them toward the barn. They panicked and scattered into every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where there was warmth, safety, and shelter. Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed "Why don't they follow me? Can't they see this is the only place where they cansurvive the storm? How can I possibly get them intothe one place to save them?"He thought for a moment and realized that they justwould not follow a human. He said to himself, "How canI possibly save them? The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could become like one of them. Then I could save them. They would follow me and I would lead them to safety."At that moment, he stopped and considered what he had said. The words reverberated in his mind: If only I could become like one of them, then I could save them.Then, at last, he understood God's heart towards mankind...and he fell on his knees in the snow.
-Author Unknown

PULIYA KUTHI CURRY(UPPERI)

PULIYA KUTHI CURRY(UPPERI)
This is a peculiar dish prepared only in iyer homes. In some homes , it is directly mixed with rice and in some others it is used as a side dish for Mulagootal. The method of preparation is as follows:-
Puliya Kuthi Curry(Upperi)
Ingredients
Raw banana(Vazhakkai) / brinjal, White Pumpkin(Elavan)/Bangalore Kathrikkai(Chow-chow) or Any other similar vegetable (cut into one inch cubes)- 2 cups
Dry Red Chillies - 2

Fenugreek(Methi) seeds - 1 teaspoon

Raw Rice – 1 tbsp
Tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
Udad dal - 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Method:
Cut Raw Bananas, into thin long pieces as for aviyal. Boil it in tamarind with turmeric and salt. Till well cooked.

The tamarind water should be just sufficient to soak the cut pieces. And after boiling, very little watery portion should be there.
Dry roast in a kadhai rice, red chilies and fenugreek

Grind it into a powder in the mixie.

Add this powder to the cooked vegetable, Stir till it becomes semi solid.
Take some oil and splutter Mustard and Udad dal.

There is one more method of preparing this.
Method
Cut Raw Bananas, into thin long pieces as for aviyal. Boil it in tamarind with turmeric and salt. Till well cooked.

The tamarind water should be just sufficient to soak the cut pieces. And after boiling, very little watery portion should be there.
You add only salt and one green chilly. Try this. Very easy to prepare.

This dish goes well with Molaghutal.

Traditionally bundled Colacasia(Chepankazhangu, Chembu, Arbi ) leaves used to be added in Kerala.

PODAVALANGAI CURRY (Snake Gourd Curry)

PODAVALANGAI CURRY (Snake Gourd Curry)
Podavalangai (Snake Gourd) is also known as Podalangai in South and Padval in some western parts of India.
Snake gourd is good for abdominal disorders like constipation and dysentery. It is good for fevers, liver and spleen disorders.

Ingredients
Podavalangai (Snake Gourd) - 250 grams
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Udad dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies – 1-2 broken into 2 halves
Turmeric -1/4 tsp
Asafetida (Hing) - a small pinch
Freshly grated Coconut – 1-2 tbsps
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste.

Method
Cut the tips of the Snake gourd, cut them into halves, slit them vertically into 2 halves and deseed them. Cut them into French fries like strips and then chop the strips into smaller cubes. Wash the chopped vegetable.

In a Kadhai (wok), Add oil, when it is hot, Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, Add the red chillies and the udad dal, wait till udad dal is light pink in colour, add the chopped snake gourd. Mix well. Now add turmeric, asafetida and salt. Mix well and cover the kadhai with a lid. Don’t add water, let it cook in its own juices. Snake gourd has a tendency to cook very fast. Once the crunchiness is gone and it is soft and all the water has been absorbed, Stir well and Add freshly grated coconut, mix well and serve hot with Chappati or Rice.

VEGETABLE PIE

VEGETABLE PIE
This is a good way to make your children eat their vegetables and enjoy eating them without the fuss they usually create, this is also a nutritious dish for the young ones.
Ingredients
2 cups plain flour (maida)
100 gms. chilled butter
1/2 tsp. salt
Chilled water

For Filling
2 cups Chopped vegetables of choice (eg. potatoes, peas, beans, carrot, spinach, cauliflower etc, All or any)
2 onions
1 tomato
2 green chillies
1/2" piece ginger
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. red chilly powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. cream
Salt to taste

Method
For Filling
Chop and boil the vegetables. Chop the tomato into fine pieces, Chop the onion into small pieces, grate the ginger, Finely chop green chillies. Heat oil in a skillet, add the grated ginger and the chopped chillies, Add the onions, stir fry till transparent. Add the tomatoes. Add the boiled vegetables. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the red chilly powder, garam masala and salt to taste. Mix well.

Cook till the water evaporates and curry is thick. Pour this into a large ovenproof dish. Pour the cream all over.

For Pastry
Sieve together flour and salt. Add chilled butter. Mix with fork till mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle chilled water over it. Quickly, with light hand mix the dough into a lump. Do not over knead. Chill dough for 15 mins. in a plastic bag. Roll out the pastry to a round or any other shape that is 1 inch (2.5cm) larger than the diameter of the dish. With the trimmings make a long thin strip of pastry. Moisten the rim of the dish and place this strip on it like a border. Moisten the strips, then place the rolled out pastry like a lid on top and press down with a fork to seal the edge.

Bake at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden.

Slice and serve warm.

When you remove from the oven, you will see a crispy golden crust and when you cut it into a slice the vegetables can be seen.

CORIANDER - TOMATO CHUTNEY

Coriander-tomato chutney

Ingredients
Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro/parsley) - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 large
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2
Tamarind - a pinch /1 tsp-Tamarind paste
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Udad dal – 1tsp (optional)
Oil – 3 spoons
Method
Cut the tomato into medium sized pieces. Add the fresh coriander leaves, tamarind paste, Grated Coconut, green chillies and salt and grind it in the blender into a thick paste.
Heat 3 spoons oil in a fry pan, add mustard seeds, when it splatters, add udad dal(optional). Add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell (tomato if not cooked tends to give a raw smell) disappears.
Your tangy Coriander-tomato chutney is ready.

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients
2 medium- tomatoes, choppped
1/2 tsp asoefetida (hing)
1 tsp-mustard seeds
1/2 tsp-methi(fenugreek) seeds
1 tablespoon coconut, shredded
3 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhania (coriander) powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 very small ball of tamarind , de-seeded
1 small onion, minced finely
2 cloves of garlic, minced finely (optional)
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil for frying
Method
Heat 1/2 the amount of oil and add the methi. Fry for a minute and then add the tomatoes. Fry till the tomatoes turn soft. Blend this into a smooth paste, along with the tamarind and the coconut.
Set aside. Heat the rest of the oil and add the chopped garlic and onion. Fry till the onion turns translucent and the garlic browns. Now add the spices (red chilli, turmeric and dhania) and fry for half a minute.
Add the blended paste, salt and asafoetida and heat through. Goes very well with plain rice or chapati.

CORIANDER CHUTNEY

Coriander Chutney

Ingredients
1 bunch Coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp Coconut
1 small onion
2 Green chillies
2-3 dry red chillies, roasted (optional) (gives the extra punch and spice)
A small piece ginger
2-3 garlic flakes (optional)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon or 2 teaspoons of chat masala
Salt to taste
Method
Blend all the above to a smooth paste adding a little water. Can be refrigerated for about 1-2 days.

MINT CHUTNEY

Mint Chutney

Ingredients
1 bunch mint leaves, washed and chopped
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
1 small piece ginger, sliced
2-3 green chillies, chopped (as per spice required)
1 tsp coconut shredded (optional)
2-3 tsp lemon juice or can also add 2 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp cumin seeds or powder
1 tsp udad dhal
1 tsp channa dal
Salt to taste
Method
Fry the udad dal, chana dal, coriander seeds little oil, keep aside, fry the coconut until pink in colour (incase u r using coconut), in the end fry the onion, sliced ginger and mint in the oil (this removes the raw smell given by the mint). Blend all the ingredients in a mixie to a smooth paste using a little water. Your mint chutney is ready.

GREEN ALL-PURPOSE CHUTNEY

Green All-Purpose Chutney

Ingredients:
15 Green chillies
1/2 cup Coriander leaves.
1 clovette garlic (optional)
1 tsp – Jeera Powder(Cumin powder)
1 tbsp - Sev or potato wafers crushed (this gives the extra punch to this chutney)
Lemon Juice of 1/2 a lemon.
1/2 tsp. jaggery
Salt to taste
1 tsp. oil
Method:
Heat the oil and add the asafoetida. Blend all the ingredients including the asafoetida heated in the oil in your mixie jar. Run the mixie till a smooth chutney is obtained. Make a thick paste. Try using no water or as little as possible to make the chutney keep longer. Add water as and when required. Store in a clean glass bottle.
Note: Sev is a fried Indian snack made of gramflour.
Makes 1/2 cup chutney
Making time: 5 minutes
Shelf life: 1 week (refrigerated)

PULI VITTA KOZHAMBU

PULI VITTA KOZHAMBU
Ingredients
Raw banana(Vazhakkai) / Brinjals (Kathrikkai)or Any other similar vegetable (cut into 3 and a half inch cubes)- 2 cups
1 cup Black-eyed beans (Lobia or Van Payaru)
Coconut – 1 tablespoon (optional)
Fresh Coconut oil.- A teaspoon
Tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon
Curry Leaves - a few
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Method:
Soak the Black eyed beans overnight. Pressure cook it the next day till it is completely done but mind you it shouldn’t get mashed completely. Only if u keep in between your thumb and forefinger and press hard should it mash.
Cook the Raw banana(Vazhakkai) or Brinjals (Kathrikkai) or whatever vegetable u r using with the curry leaves in tamarind water and when the vegetables are cooked well, add the boiled lobia. Cook together for a while. Add salt.
Dry roast the grated coconut and add it to the Kozhambu, this step is optional.
In the end add a teaspoon of fresh coconut oil.
Hope you enjoy this authentic Kerala Iyer dish.

LASOON CHUTNEY (DRY GARLIC CHUTNEY) VADA PAO CHUTNEY

Lasoon Chutney (dry) (Vada Pao Chutney)
Ingredients
Garlic - 10 cloves
Dry Coconut -125 gms.
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsps.(preferably use Kutilal or Coarse Chilli powder for better taste)
Oil -1 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Method
Grate dry coconut and then roast it on a tawa until light golden brown. Remove and keep aside to cool.
Peel garlic. Heat oil, add garlic cloves, cook for a minute. Leave aside to cool.
Combine garlic, dry roasted coconut, red chilli powder and salt.
Grind the mixture into a coarse powder. Lahsoon chutney is ready to serve.
TIP : This chutney keeps well in an airtight container and can be stored for more than a month in the deep freezer.

COCONUT CHUTNEY

CHUTNEYS
Coconut Chutney

Ingredients
2 cups of fresh coconut, shredded
3-4 green chillies
1 sprig curry leaves
A large pinch of hing (asoefetida)
A small ball of tamrind (size of a big marble)
Salt to taste
Oil – 1tbsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Red chilly – 1 broken into 2 pieces.
Method
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend into a smooth paste. The coconut should be ground until it releases the milk from the cocnut shreddings. If you don’t grind properly the taste wouldn’t be so good. In a small pan take some oil and pop the mustard seeds and red chilly as a seasoning for the chutney. This chutney goes well with idli, dosas, upma etc.

NEDAR AND HAAQ IN YAKNI - Lotus Roots and Spinach In a Yogurt Gravy

NEDAR AND HAAQ IN YAKNI - Lotus Roots and Spinach In a Yogurt Gravy
Nedar means Lotus Roots, Haaq means Spinach or Greens and Yakni means Yogurt.
Instead of using Spinach you can also use Kohlrabi leaves. Kohlrabi leaves also known in short as kohl greens is widely eaten in Kashmir.

What is Kohlrabi?

Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group) is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage that will grow almost anywhere. The name comes from the German Kohl ("cabbage") plus Rabi ("turnip"), because the swollen stem resembles the latter.

Its origin in nature is the same as that of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts: They are all bred from, and the same species as, the wild mustard plant.

The Yogurt in this dish makes it bland, rich and tasty. Lotus Roots have a very high fibre content and Spinach of course as all of us know is very rich in Iron. Since Mustard oil is used mostly in Kashmir, if we use Mustard oil for this dish it will give a more authentic Kashmiri taste.

Ingredients
Lotus roots – 150 gms
Spinach – 1 bunch
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Grated Ginger – 1 tsp
Grated Garlic – ½ tsp
Dried Red chilies – 3-4 (Use Kashmiri Chillies which are less in spice and have a deep red color)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp.

Method
Wash the mud off the lotus roots thoroughly. Once it is nicely cleaned. Chop the roots into roundels, the roundels should be around 1 inch thick. Wash again, add a pinch of salt and pressure cook it till it becomes tender. Else u can also traditionally boil it in a vessel until it becomes tender. Once done, drain the water off the lotus roots and keep aside. The reason you have to cook the lotus roots separately is because, lotus roots are very tough and tend to take a long time to cook whereas Spinach gets cooked in a jiffy.

Clean and wash the Spinach and chop them into pieces and keep aside. Incase you are using the Leaves of the Kohlrabi, boil it separately till half tender.

Heat oil in a kadhai (wok), Add the grated ginger & garlic and fry for a minute. Add the red chillies and fry until plump. Add turmeric and salt. Add the yogurt and stir till it gets mixed well. Keep stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Now add the uncooked and chopped spinach or the half cooked Kohl greens. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.Now add the cooked lotus roots. Mix well.Cook till the gravy gets absorbed into the Nedar and Haaq. It should become dry, almost semisolid. At this point sprinkle ½ tsp of Garam Masala, Mix well. Stir for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from fire and serve hot with Chappati or rice.

SAMBHAR - Story of the South Indian curry

About South Indian Cuisine

South Indian cuisine according to me is the healthiest of all Indian Cuisines, since it is less in spices andvery light on the stomach.Rice is the staple food down south. Rice forms a majorpart of the meals. The meal is consumed by using the right hand fingers. A traditional full meal is served on a fresh banana leaf comprising of; Rice, followed by paruppu(lentils), servings of ghee which melt in the hot rice giving it that additional flavour and aroma. and with curries Sambhar, Rasam, Kulambu, Rasam - which also at times is consumed straight as anappetizer.3 types of vegetables i.e. a vegetable with gravy(kootu, aviyal, molaghutal, molaghusheyam etc), acurry (Mezhukku varatti, podutuval, poriyal, etc as itcalled by different names) and a patchadi (vegetablesin yogurt); Pickles (spicy and sweet, puli inji(tamrind ginger pickle)) and Pappadam (or Appalam),Paruppu vadai, also combined with sweets or chips orand a banana. After the curries (Sambhar, Rasam,Kulambu) are served, the Payasam (a sweet dessert madeof milk and rice/ vermicelli/lentils) is served beforethe yogurt. Payasam is also served in the beginning(it is believed that every meal should begin with a sweet, indicating sweet beginnings.)
Lastly, is the coolant which finishes the meal that is; the Yogurt or Thair. This is mixed with rice andeaten, all this is washed down with a glass of buttermilk (moru) All this makes a grand meal. A grand meal is never complete without the sweet dessert. Payasam is served at the beginning, before the yogurt is served and again in the end. People consume it according to their choice or at all times.
After the meal, paan or betel leaf & betelnut (vetelai & paku), which freshens the mouth and aids in digestion.

Hats off to the person who invented dosais, idlis, vadas and uttapams, Rice is combined with lentils to make these dishes. After soaking and grinding this into a fine paste, it is fermented; the fermentation process makes it easily digestible.
Chutneys are carefully prepared by grating coconut(only the white portion or tenga poo is grated, stop grating when it nears the cherattai or shell), this part of the coconut need not be wasted, it can be grated and stored in a dabba and used for grinding for cootu or aviyal. The recipe also contains tamarind, curry leaves, green chillies and coriander leaves and salt according to taste
Variations :- Peanuts (variation used for thickness and taste enhancer), Chana ka daali (pottu kadalai, (variation used forthickness and taste enhancer)).
Tip :- The tenga poo must be ground until it releases the coconut milk. Only then will the chutney taste very good.

The South Indian food is a brilliant blend of flavors, colours, seasoning, nutritional balance, fragrance, taste, and visual appeal. Did you know that?South Indian dals and curries are more soupy than North Indian dals and curries. Sambhars are prepared by blending lentils with tamarind, coconut and spices, garnished with coriander and curry leaves.

History of the SAMBHAR
environment.The genesis of this dish has an interesting tale linked to it.The Marathas were ruling Tanjore. Sambhoji was a great cook (male members please note this) and very fond of his amti with a handful of the kokum thrown in. The kokum is native to the western coastal regions ofsouthern India and is rarely seen beyond this area. Even in India it is used only in theEach state in the South prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and regional cuisinesof Gujarat and Maharashtra and several southern states where large glasses of kokum sherbet are downed during parched summer months. In this region the sweltering heat demands refrigerant (cooling) ingredients in food and drink. Kokum is well known to counteract the heat.Kokum is dark purple to black, sticky and with curled edges. The fruit is often halved and dried, so that the dried seeds are visible in their chambers like a citrus fruit. It is usually available as a dried rind, resembling a thick plum skin. When added to food it imparts a pink to purple colour and sweet/sour taste, a slightly sweet and sour aroma, a refreshing sour taste, slightly astringent. Anyways, coming back to our story, In a particular season the kokum that was imported from the Maratha homeland did not reach the bare larder of the king's kitchen. Sambhoji was cooking and the minions were shivering in their dhothis to tell him that his favourite dish could not be made that day. A smart Vidushak, who had been elected sous chef for the day, decided to solve the problem. He whispered in the king's ears that the locals used very little tamarind pulp to gain a better sourness to the curry and that Sambhoji should experiment with this variation. Voila, the dish with the tuvar dal, vegetables, spices and the tamarind pulp was cooked and served by the king to his coterie. The court declared the dish an outstanding preparation (they had no choice with the king as Chef) and thus was born sambhoji's amti that in time became sambhar.
The divide between the Tanjorians and the Pattars of Kerala was not more sharply delienated than in the making of the staple sambhar. The tanjorians were fearfully called easterners by the Kerala Iyers - they would not give their daughters in marriage to a Tanjore family for fear of ill treatment of their daughters but welcomed the Tanjore daughter-in-law as she could be depended upon to run the family with smartness and acumen - make the vettal kuzhambu(sambhar without paruppu (dal)) more frequently. The price of dal was prohibitive for an ordinary family making its living by rituals and temple largesse. So a spoonful of dal, the paruppu at the corner of your banana leaf was served, labelled auspicious, and the rice was eaten mixed with the tamarind pulp, spices and rice-powder-thickened kuzhambu. The tanjore maatponnu would not use much coconut as well. The kerala sambhar is usually garnished with slightly roasted coconut (tenga poo). Kerala cuisine is rich and a lot of nuts (grown abundantly in Kerala ) are used as a garnish for sweets and in their food as well.
The pitlai, another adaptation from the Maratha kitchen, was the festive dish as was the puli kuthinakoottu - the tamarind pulp added thick stew made with the ubiquitous white pumpkin, karela, yam, raw banana,avaraikka and pudalangai from the backyards of the village homes. The recipe was basically the same with sauteed chana dal, whole red chillies, dhania seeds, heeng and curry leaves with dessicated, roasted coconut ground on the stone and added to the vegetables. The variation was in the raw coconut or roasted coconut and choice of chana dal or urad dal that was ground to a paste and a few grains of til added. In this category the rasavangi (again the Maratha influence, vangi meaning brinjal in that language) also featured with the same basic spices but with the addition of soaked grams like kondai kadalai- the brown chana - or the karamani or chowri -black-eyed beans.
The non brahmins in Tanjore used a ready powder made from the same basic ingredients for their curries. They had one called malli powder which is a mix of red chilli and dhania seeds. The masala added powders were for their meat dishes. The canny Brahmins decided to adopt the powder concept especially when their scions and daughters migrated to Babu jobs in Chennaipattinam, Bombay and Pune and then further north to Delhi. They would make the masala powders and pack them for their children moving to greener pastures for better opportunities, the daughters-in-law were very young, in their early teens and wouldn’t know how to prepare the powder. The sambhar powder came into existence due to the lack of fresh coconut-remember again the Marathis and Gujratis used only Copra and not fresh coconut traditionally until our Nair landed with his excess baggage of coconuts. The Keralites cannot cook without a wee bit ofcoconut, be it sweet, savoury, curry, chutney, dry or wet veggies, tiffin or meals. So the sambhar moved to Kerala. It was taken by the migrant Pattars from Tanjore to Kerala.When the Travancore Maharaja invited the learned pundits to come to the Cheranaadu temples and live off the rice donations. The ground spice paste with coconut, roasted dhania seeds, chana dal, red chillies till today the base for sambhar in a Kerala home. The inclusion of the coconut milk in their cooking was an adapted taste from the local Namboodiris.

Karnataka : The Karnataka people have a unique concept. They make one dish with the coarsely ground paste of pepper,dhania and jeera seeds, red chilli, dal and coconut or copra and made into a vegetable stew. The curry is made quite watery and allowed to sit after cooking. The liquid that floats is ladled out and used as rasamandi the thick bottom portion of the curry is eaten as sambhar. I know that there may be strong objections to this tale but it is typical of the Mandayam and HebbarIyengars. The sambhar that they cook otherwise has a dash of cinnamon and clove added that gives it the special flavour-it is used in their famous Bisi Bela Huli baath. Authentic Bisi bela has only tuvar dal, rice, puli, spices and onions. The addition of vegetables is a later development.

Udipi /Manglorean : Udipi although a part of Karnataka has its own recipe for the sambhar. Can we ever forget the Udipi style sambhar? The taste of which most of the mumbaites are familiar with. The Shetty’s from Udipi and nearby Mangalore landed in their dhotis in commercial Mumbai started hotels(restaurants, cafes) and soon one restaurant branched into many restaurants and has donned the Mumbai landscape. You could give them some credit for making south Indian cuisine so famous and creating a taste for it among people of other communities also migrants in Mumbai, here to try their luck.
The Udipi style (Manglorean) style sambhar has aslightly sweet taste, sugar or jaggery is added to the usual sambhar recipe.

Andhra : The sambhar in Andhra is a Chennai export. They have a penchant for various dry and wet chutneys and powders followed by saaru or rasam. The pappu saaru (Sambhar) is their main curry which is made with either tuvar or moong dal, onions, tamarind pulp, red chilli and dhania powder, heeng and a seasoning of mustard and methi seeds and curry leaves. The curry is thick and after tomatoes entered the Indian culinary list some families add it to the basic saaru. Andhra is famous for its Guntur chillies, supposed tobe very very hot. Andhra sambhar is very spicy and sois their rasam. A lot of ghee is added to the rice tobeat the spice in the food. The sambhar powder has become extremely popular in many homes in Andhra Pradesh as well. As Shakespeare once said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.", same goes for the sambhar as well.
Whatever avatar it dons in the different states, nothing can beat the taste of sambhar. No matter how much of Tandoori / Punjabi or Chinese food we indulge in during the weekends, nothing can beat the hot rasam and beans curry our supermoms dish out on a hungry afternoon. Hope you’ll enjoyed the journey of sambhar, some parts are excerpts from an article which tells the story of sambhar.
I invite more stories from members so that we all can read and enjoy the different stories of how the sambhar evolved.
Hoping to enthuse you’ll with more culinary stories like this.