Madras Vethakozhambu

I think I should rename this as chennai vethakozhambu...

Ingredients
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Chundakka/manathankkali vethal - 2 tb spn
Red chilli - 2 nos
methi seeds - 1 tspn
small onion - 8 nos (optional)
mustard - 1 tspn
Gingelly oil (Nallennai) - 2 tbspn
tamarind - small lemon size
Salt
turmeric - a pinch

Grinding
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Coriander seeds - 2 tbspn
red chilli - 6 nos
jeera - 1 tspn
methi seeds- 1 tspn
curry leaves - 1 strand

Grind the above ingredients in powder form. Don't add water. It is not necessary that it should be powdered finely.

Prepration
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Take a wok. Add gingelly oil (I prefer nallennai. it tastes good).
Add mustard seeds. when splutters, add red chilly and vethal.
Let it fry for 2/3 minutes
Add onions and saute till it turns brown.
Then add the grinded masala . Fry for a minute.
Add the extracted tamarind juice, turmeric and salt.
Let it simmer and when it starts to thicken, remove from fire.

Small quanitity of the kozhambu is taken while mixing with rice unlike sambhar and other kootans.

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Peggy

Nenthrapazham varattiyathu - (Banana in jaggery syrup)

Ingredients
Ripe banana - 1
Powdered jaggery - 4 tbspn
ghee- 2 tspn
powdered cardamom - 1/2 tspn

Take one ripe nethrapazham variety of banana. It shld not be over ripe.
Cut into circles of 1/4 inch thick pcs. Don't slice into thin circles since it will be get mashed when u mix later.
Take a non-stick pan.
Add a tspn of ghee and add the banana pcs.
Cook it over low heat.
When it is 3/4 th cooked, add powdered jaggery and mix well.
Cover and cook for 5 mts.
The jaggery would have melted and get coated over the banana pcs. Remove from fire and half a tspn of ghee and a tspn of cardamom powder.

A good breakfast accompaniment. healthy too....

Following the same steps,it can be cooked in microwave oven also.