If you a lover of South Indian Cuisine, then you need to visit www.chitrasfoodbook.com for a range of delicious recipes.

For those of you wondering what “Chettinad Cuisine is all about, we sought help from Wikepedia..

“Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of a community called the Nattukotai Chettiars, or Nagarathars,^[1] from the Chettinad region in sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu state in India.^[2] Chettinad cuisine is perhaps the most renowned fare in the Tamil Nadu repertoire. ^[3][4][5][6] It uses a variety of spices and the dishes are made with fresh ground masalas. Chettiars also use a variety of sun-dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosas, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis. The Chettiars, through their mercantile contacts with Burma, learnt to prepare a type of rice pudding made with sticky red rice.^[7] The chefs of manapatti village near singampuneri are experts in cooking chettinad cuisine. They always used to cook in bulk orders for marriage functions, political functions, etc.^[8] though manapatti cooking is portrayed as madurai cuisine because it is located near to madurai district, it comes under chettinad cuisine only and it also comes under the chettinad region of sivagangai district. The entire village people is famous in the art of cooking.

A non-vegetarian dish sample tray in Chettinad Hotel

Chettinad cuisine offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Some of the popular vegetarian dishes include idiyappam, paniyaram, vellai paniyaram, karuppatti paniyaram, paal paniyaram, kuzhi paniyaram, kozhukatta, masala paniyaram, aadikoozh, kandharappam, seeyam, masala seeyam, kavuni arisi, maavurundai, and athirasam. In Chettinad food, major spices used include anasipoo (star aniseed), kalpasi (a lichen), puli (tamarind), milagai (chillies), sombu (fennel seed), pattai (cinnamon), lavangam (cloves), punnai ilai (bay leaf), karu milagu (peppercorn), jeeragam (cumin seeds), and venthayam (fenugreek).”

When we saw this recipe, from Chitras Food CookBook we had to share! Enjoy!

‘Pavakkai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe

Chettinad style tangy Bitter gourd gravy for rice.

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Kuzhambu recipes

Serves: Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Bitter gourd – 1 no (Medium sized) Tamarind – A big gooseberry size Sambar powder – 1 tbsp Dhania powder – 1 tbsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt – as needed Water – 1 cup To temper & saute Gingely oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Small onion – 10 nos or big onion – 1 no Garlic cloves – 10 nos Tomato – 1 no Curry leaves – few

METHOD

Soak the tamarind in water for 10 minutes.In the mean time, wash and slice the bitter gourd into very thin rings by removing its seeds. Slicing thinly helps to remove its bitterness. Chop the tomato, peel the onion, garlic cloves. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and temper mustard seeds, methi seeds, urad dal, fennel seeds and chopped onion, garlic cloves, curry leaves. Saute till onion turns transparent. Add tomato pieces and saute until mushy. Add the bitter gourd slices, turmeric powder, salt and saute for few minutes till its color changes to dark green. Now add 1 cup of tamarind extract, sambar powder, dhania powder. Mix well and pressure cook the gravy for onw whistle in low flame. Open the lid after the steam is released. Mix well and boil for sometime if you feel the gravy is too watery. Sambar powder and dhania powder makes the gravy thick. So no need to add rice flour to this kuzhambu. Enjoy mixing with plain rice adding a tsp of gingely oil !!

Note

Adjust the quantity of sambar powder and dhania powder as per your taste. You can replace bitter gourd with drumstick or brinjal. But keep the drumstick/ brinjal in a separate bowl inside the cooker because it will become mushy when directly cooked in the gravy. Do not add more water in the cooker. Gravy will become watery & thin. To rectify this, you can either boil the gravy till thick OR dilute 1 tsp rice flour in 2 tsp water. Add to gravy and boil for 3 minutes. Add a tsp of gingely oil or ghee while serving !