Pachaipayaru Kuzhambu / Green Gram Gravy

Grandmom's recipes are anytime relish items for me..Really after a long gap did this delicious gravy with whole green gram. Its loaded with nutrients and a comfort food for all age groups. Yet another treasured recipe from my grandma. Goes well with hot rice and some spicy tuber roast. With the garlic and the cumin it gives a great flavour. I made Khatta Meetha Mango as accompaniment which is an extremely great combo.

Love to hear your feed backs :) 

Narthangai Verkadalai Kuzhambu/Citron Lime Peanuts Gravy

Narthangai is called as Citron Lime or Key Lime and it is a hybrid between Lemon and Sweet Lime. It has a rough, tough dark green leathery skin with less acidic juice inside. It has lots of health benefits and it is proven that it helps in alleviating high blood pressure. It has lots of potassium in it which is very good for heart health. The juice if taken with warm water acts as an excellent blood purifier and liver cleanser. It gives cooling effect to the body and aids in proper digestion. I rather say it as Natural Antacid :)

We make dried salted form of citron lime every year during the season which can be preserved for years when perfectly done with proper drying. I love the flavour of this Citron Lime and its an excellent accompaniment for Curd Rice or Rasam Rice especially when we suffer from Nausea or even when we are sick. Wanted to have the flavour added to peanut gravy which was my plan for the day's menu and hence tried this Kuzhambu and it turned out to be very tasty and delicious.

Its best with Hot Steamed Rice or with even Curd Rice.

Try and let me know your feed backs :) Happy Cooking :) 

Mochai Thengaipaal Kuzhambu / Field Beans Coconut Milk Gravy

Mochai or Field Beans is one of the tasty legumes and it has loaded nutritional benefits which many of us are not aware. It has a unique flavour and add a great taste to any recipe cooked with that. It is rich in soluble fibre and hence very good for diabetic persons. It is also a rich source of Iron and aids in healthy hair growth. It is also a store house of important minerals like manganese,calcium and magnesium which is essential for good bone development. Being a rich source of potassium it aids in digestion as well.

Even though we can make a lot of recipes with this tasty legume, this flavorful gravy is my favorite as it has the unique blend of coconut milk and spices. I never miss doing this recipe during the season of Field Beans every year.

Green Peppercorn Spring Onion Kuzhambu

Green Peppercorns are the unripe berries of the tropical vine Pepper (Black Pepper which is the processed form of ripe berries). Green Pepper has an exotic pungent taste and flavor, besides which it offers a lot of health benefits. They aid in better digestion by increasing the level of HCL in our stomach. They help to destroy the bacterial growth in the intestinal tract. Also they have abundance of Iron, Vitamin K and above all it is a rich source of antioxidants. It also has active components that will burn out fat cells and thus aids in weight loss. It shows anti cancerous properties too.

We have the lushy Pepper Vines in our garden at my native and we get Pepper for the entire year from the four to five vines that we have. Got a chance to get some fresh green pepper corns when I visited my place two days back for Pongal Celebrations. Thought of trying this Kuzhambu which was long pending in my list. I made a twist by adding Spring Onions which really enhanced the taste and flavor. A must try recipe I would say. :)

Veldt Grape / Pirandai Kuzhambu

After a gap, I somehow squeezed in some time to post this authentic,healthy, digestive and Lip smacking recipe  "Pirandai Kuzhambu" in my Kuzhambu Series. This recipe is very close to my heart as this is one which I have always relished in my childhood with my grandma..She is such a hardworking lady and I have never seen her giving rest for herself..Those were not the days wherein you will have the accessibility to painkillers when you really feel body ache due to heavy work. Whenever she feels that she is tired and have body pain, she immediately do this or the Pirandai Thogayal and have it mixed with Hot Rice with gingelly oil which she used to say will relieve her from those pain. This one has an unique taste and flavor and I kind of got addicted to this from my childhood..

Pirandai is a type of creeper which has lots of medicinal value and health benefits. It is also called "Adamant Creeper/Devil's Back Bone/Veldt Grape" in English and it's botanical name is Cissus quadrangularris and it is called Hadjot in Hindi. This can be grown easily at home and I do have this in my balcony.It treats indigestion, fractures and sprains, is a best worming medicine, treats piles, menstrual problems and is also the best home remedy for ear pain.

Ellu Kuzhambu / Sesame Gravy

Sesame seeds..a wonder seed with innumerable health benefits. Its known to be a low glyceimic food and it reduces the bad cholesterol ie., LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein)and at the same time adds HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) in our body. Not only that it adds unique flavor to any recipe when added. Here's an interesting recipe to go well with hot rice or a great accompaniment for curd rice, Ellu Kuzhambu/ Sesame Gravy. This recipe I learnt from my neighbor some years back and I love the taste and flavor of this gravy.