( Tanjore ) Thanjavur Marathi recipes

Phonnicha kadhi - thalicha Mor kulambu without coconut 

This recipe is prepared particularly during festivals like Ugadi, Varamahalakshmi Habba when mor kulambu is invariably part of the menu. Since already many items are there , a simple recipe is preferred

The ground paste for ambode is used for this and fried like small bondas

Take thick curd without adding water and add salt

Add the fried small bondas to the curd

Saute using mustard cumin seeds asafoetida, turmeric powder , curry leaves and few red chillies

Add to the bonda curd mixture and stir well

A simple and easy mor kuzhambu is ready for the festival menu. 

Also read

Thanjavur Marathi lullabies 

Chinch bath or tamarind rice or puliodharai

Traditional chinch bath or tamarind rice prepared by Tanjore Maharastrians.  This recipe can be prepared  in many ways, this method is one of them.

Let us see How to prepare tamarind rice mix or puliyodharai paste

There is a video in Tamil in my YouTube Channel Rangolisansdots on how to prepare this type of tamarind rice paste. All the ingredients in the anjana petti as we say in Tamil,  From the anjana petti

Take one table  spoon dhania

                                urad dhal or ulatham paruppu

                                 gram dhall or kadalai paruppu

                                 pepper or milagu 

                                 mustard or kadugu

                                 cumin seeds or jeerakam

                                 fenugreek or vendhayam 

• Add 5 to 10 red chillies depending upon how hot you need the recipe to be.
• A lemon size tamarind , fibres removed and cleaned well.
• The main ingredient now added is half a shell of grated coconut ( Usually it is prepared without coconut )
• Wet grind all these ingredients in a mixer.
• Now, take four table  spoons oil ( preferably gingelly oil ) in a vessel ( called vanali or kadai )
• Once the oil  is hot , saute with mustard , urad dhal  and little gram dhal ( since we are going to add peanuts , little gram dhall will suffice ) and asafoetida and half  a teaspoon turmeric powder
• Then add raw peanuts or ground nuts, curry leaves.
• Add the ground mixture of dhania, urad dhall, coconut etc.
• Let is fry well in oil after which we can add salt 

Since we use coconut  the tamarind rice paste should be stored in a refrigerator.

Optional for puliyogare paste

Add a little jaggery for different taste

Add kashmiri chilly powder for getting an attractive colour.

Koshimbir

Moong dhall is soaked in a vessel for 30 to 45 minutes.  Drain the water. Add the following to this, finely chopped mango and / or cucumber.  ( Organic cucumber is better ).

We can also add finely chopped green chilles if we like it hot. To a tea spoon of heated oil in a tawa add mustard seeds, asafoetida powder and one small red chilli broken into small pieces.  We can also add finely chopped coriander leaves.  This is optional, traditional kosimbhir is without coriander leaves.  If mango is not available we can squeeze a small lemon after cutting into two pieces for the taste.  This is one method of making kosimbhir.  There may be other methods too.

Pitla or Pithla side dish for rice 

The main ingredients that are special  to this side dish for rice particularly prepared on Fridays, festivals like Varalakshmi Vratham and Navratri are pepper and grated coconut

The ingredients are 

Two tea spoons urad dhal

One tea spoon gram dhall

One or two tea spoons pepper

Asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies

For this dish the flavour from  pepper should be more than that from red chillies.

Method

• Add a little oil in a kadai or vanali as the vessel is called
• Add all the ingredients except curry leaves  and roast till  they turn golden brown
• Then add curry leaves  and roast them too 
• Add two to three table spoons of grated coconut to the roasted ingredients
• Wet grind them in a mixer

• Take a little oil in a kadai
• Saute with mustard , urad dhal and curry leaves
• Then add tamarind extract and water
• Then add carrot , beans and ground nuts to the  boiling tamarind extract / water /
• We can also use the following vegetables- yam , potato, chick peas
• Boil till the tamarind gets cooked
• Add previously cooked toor dhal
• When the pitla starts boilding at this stage add the ground coconut and spices mixture
• Add salt according to your taste
• This dish has a fine flavour due to the presence of pepper which dominates the taste.

  

Pitla for Fridays , functions and festivals ( Varalakshmi Vratham ,  Ugadi , Navratri ) is ready

Ras kulambu with radish - side dish  for rice and rice pongal

This is different type of kulambu prepared with little jaggery and so that kids may love it ( We all know how difficult it is to cook dishes that our children will like ).  This is a side dish suitable for rice and rice pongal.

Take one teaspoon fenugreek and little  rice and dry roast in a vanali

Take one tea spoon dhania, one tea spoon urad dhal , one tea spoon gram dhal , one teaspoon toor dhal and a few red chillies and roast them in a little  oil

Allow them to cool and dry grind all these ingredients in a mixer to get a fine powder.
In the mean while soak a lemon sized tamarind in water after  removing the seeds and fibre.

Now , add one teaspoon oil to a kadai , saute with mustard, urad dhal, fenugreek and one teaspoon gram dhal ( the more the gram dhal we use the better for this dish ) and curry leaves

• Squeeze the tamarind and add the extract and water at this stage and allow  it to boil.
•   Add previously  sliced and cooked radish
• We can also use ladies finger or okra, pumpkin,  carrot for this recipe instead of radish  
•  Dissolve the ground powder in water else it may remain as solid pieces in the kulambu.
• Add this to the radish kulambu and allow it to boil  for a few  minutes .
• Add salt as required
• Add jaggery as required at this stage
• When the viscosity increases and the recipe becomes thick remove from the stove
• Saute again with mustard, urad dhal, fenugreek , curry leaves  and pieces of red  chillies
• It has a sweet sour taste due to the presence of jaggery .