A Weekend Ritual

Every Saturday was a ritual of oil bath, comfort food and a long nap in the noons and you would be rejuvenated from head to toe and refreshed for the whole week ahead. Indians have so many varities in comfort foods and one of them in South India is the "thuvayal" or in other words "chutney" or "pachadis". Thuvayal is a fried chuney as some of the ingredients are fried in little oil and then blended. Unlike chutneys, the shelf life of thuvayals can range from 2 days upto a week depending upon the moisture it contains.

Every weekend I try to make one of these and nothing else can comfort you than a thuvayal with hot steaming rice and ghee. This weekend lunch consists of "Kothamalli thuvayal", "Chow-chow moar kottu" and "Carrot rasam", all satisfying and light.





KOTHAMALLI THUVAYAL ( Cilantro fried chutney )

2 bunches of Cilantro washed thoroughly
2 tsp. urad dal
7-8 red chillies
1 small piece of asafoetida or 1 tsp. asafoetida powder
1 small gooseberry size tamrind
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. urad dal for seasoning.

Method :

1. Heat a tsp. of oil ( preferably gingelly oil ), fry the asafoetida piece first and remove. ( if you are using asafoetida powder, dont fry it now ).
2. In the same oil, fry urad dal and red chillies till the dal turns pink in colour, remove and keep aside to cool.
3. Grind the urad dal, chillies, asafoetida piece, salt, tamrind and cilantro into a smooth paste sprinkling some water.
4. Heat a tbsp. of oil, allow mustard seeds to pop, then add urad dal, ( powdered asafoetida ) and then the cilantro paste and saute well till the oil separates from the paste or the paste has become thick. Serve with hot steaming rice.






MOAR KOOTU

Any vegetable like choyote squash, winter melon, snake gourd, brinjal, cabbage can be used to make this kootu. I have used choyote squash in this recipe. This is a microwave version of the kootu.

Ingredients :

2 choyote squash
1 tbsp. chana dal
1/4 cup curd / yogurt
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. urad dal
1/2 tsp. asafoetida
few curry leaves
1 tsp. oil
Salt to taste.

To be ground to a paste :-

1/4 cup coconut
3-4 green chillies
1 tsp. jeera
1 tsp. rice flour


Method :

1. Wash and peel the choyote squash and cut into small cubes. In a microwave safe bowl, put the choyote squash along with chana dal , add salt and a cup of water and microwave covered on high for about 8 - 10 mins. or till the squash is cooked.
2. Grind into a smooth paste sprinkling some water the given ingredients. Add to the cooked choyote squash and mix and microwave for another 1 - 2 mins.
3. Add the yoghurt and mix well.
4. In another pan heat about a tsp. of oil, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal till pink , asafoetida and curry leaves and pour over the kootu and mix well.







CARROT RASAM

Ingredients :

2 carrots
1 cup of thick tamrind extract
1 tsp. rasam powder
1 tomato
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. asafoetida
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Cilantro for garnish
1 tsp. ghee
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

Method :

1. Pressure cook carrot or microwave until mushy and puree in a blender or mixie.
2. Take tamrind extract, salt, tomato, rasam powder, turmeric and asafoetida and bring to a boil till the raw smell of the tamrind is lost.
3. Add carrot puree, and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
4. Heat ghee in another pan, splutter mustard seeds and add to the rasam and garnish with cilantro.