vendhaya sambar kulambu radish kuzhambu

November 25, 2012

There are many options for side dish for rice with vendhaya keerai or fenugreek greens or just vendhayam or fenugreek. I have tried to shared some traditional and different varieties that I prepare as side dish for rice at home for children and family. Similarly with radish or mullangi what I have shared is a different kulambu that is prepared with jaggery added so it will liked by children due to its sweet and sour taste. It is also an excellent side dish for Pongal

Easy vendhaya kulambu without coconut without toor dhal

How to prepare fenugreek kuzhambu
The ingredients are Mustard, urad dhall, , gram dhall , fenugreek, asafoetida , red chillies and green chillies cut vertically
Gram dhal is taken a little more than normal because we do not use toor dhal for this recipe
We can add or decrease chillies depending upon the karam we need.
Add a little oil in a vessel and saute with mustard , urad dhal , gram dhal , asafoetida, red chillies and green chillies
Add turmeric powder and curry leaves also
I have used ladies finger ( vendakkai ) or okra for this kulambu.
They are cut into small pieces suitable for sambar and fried in a little oil
We can use onion, drumstick , brinjal, carrot and pumpkin also instead of okra
Prepare tamarind solution in water with a lemon sized tamarind soaked in water
Add the tamarind solution and allow it to boil

Add salt to taste and let is boil
Add jaggery and stir well. Since we add jaggery it is a good side dish for pongal
If it is dilute we can add rice flour mixed in water to make it viscous.
It is good practice to saute again with mustard, urad dhal , gram dhal , fenugreek and asafoetida
My mother in law used to say that this fenugreek kuzhambu should have the viscosity of honey.
Finally we can add finely chopped coriander leaves for fine flavour.
Vendakkai Vendhaya kuzhambu is ready as a side dish for rice or for Venn Pongal.
It is a different type of recipe.

Radish kulambu - mullangi kuzhambu side dish for rice

The ingredients required are
Gram dhal , toor dhal , urad dhal , dhania - one tea spoon
Add red chillies according to taste
All these have to be roasted in oil till the dhals lose their moisture
Before this half tea spoon fenugreek and little rice is dry roasted in a vessel
Rice is added to increase the viscosity of the kuzhambu
Add rice fenugreek mixture to the dhal dhania mixture
Dry grind them in a mixer when they become cool.
Now add a little oil in a vessel , saute with mustard, urad dhal , fenugreek , more gram dhal and curry leaves. Add tamarind extract to this
(An amla sized tamarind is soaked in water. This can be varied according to our taste )
Carrot , radish , okra , onion , pumpkin can be used to make this side dish
Chop one of these vegetables, cook it in a cooker and add at this stage
When the ingredients begin boiling add the dry ground powder we have made ready.
It is preferable to dissolve this powder in water and then add to avoid solid particles formation
We do not add turmeric powder to this kulambu.
Again let it boil so that it becomes semisolid Add jaggery and salt to taste
We should saute with mustard, urad dhal and fenugreek once more and add

Since we add jaggery it is suitable as a side dish for ven pongal also

Vendhaya keerai or fenugreek leaves sambhar - side dish for rice for lunch

Dal sambar using vendhaya keerai recipe - a side dish for rice
This sambar is prepared without sambar powder
This dish can be prepared with any type of greens including drumstick leaves
Wash the fenugreek leaves well after cleaning them thoroughly
An amla sized tamarind is soaked in water
Toor dhal is cooked in a water by adding required water and a pinch of turmeric powder
Other ingredients are mustard, urad dhal , fenugreek , red chilly and green chilly cut vertically and asafoetida
As usual the chilly quantities depend upon our taste buds !
Fenugreek is usually one teaspoon for other greens , for vendhaya keerai a small quantity will do
Four cloves of garlic can be added and that is optional.
Take teaspoons oil in a vessel, add urad dhal , mustard, chillies , fenugreek, asafoetida and turmeric powder and saute.
If garlic is required it can be added at this step.
Next add the washed greens and then the tamarind extract and allow to boil so that they are cooked completely
Then add the cooked toor dhal and stir well. Add salt according to your taste
If the sambar is little watery, we can mix two teaspoons of rice flour in water and add to sambar.
Allow it boil and then saute once again with mustard, urad dhal , asafoetida and one red chilly
After mixing this sambar with rice we can add mustard, urad dhal , asafoetida saute in oil
It gives an enhanced taste for the side dish . Mor milagai ( sun dried chillies ) is a good combination for this