Katharikkai Puli Gothsu (Eggplant in tamarind gravy)

'Gojju' is a traditional Karnataka dish. I am not sure of the reason for this name. I just guess anything in a gravy form and which has a blend of all the flavours, they call it 'Gojju'. This in turn became 'Gothsu' in Tamilnadu. This can be made with any vegetable which blends well with tamarind and jaggery. This goes well with our Pongal or idli or dosai. This can be made with tomato, capsicum and ladies finger too. But I feel only Brinjal gives a perfect flavour and taste. If you can't cook brinjal over the flame, Microwave it for 4-5 minutes and remove the skin. Microwave is really easy, but cooking over the flame gives a different taste. 

Vadai curry

There are many ways to prepare this recipe.I have tried to make it really simple. I have deep fried the vadas. If you are calorie conscious, steam the vadai batter like idli or cook it on a tawa just like Adai. Then use it for the gravy.

Also in a hurry I forgot to season it with fennel seeds(saunf in hindi, peruncheeragam in tamil), cinnamon and star anise in the beginning.So I seasoned it in between. If you prefer this to be a plain dish without all those dry spices, you can make it without those too. But remember to season it along with mustard seeds.

Use of garlic is absolutely essential in this recipe to counter the effect of channa dhal(kadalai paruppu).

Onion Thokku

Onion is an item that has seen a phenomenal change of perception in a cosmopolitan TamBram household within the past three decades.  During the days of grandmom, onion was as bad as meat, not to be brought anywhere in the vicinity of the agraharam.  When grandmother was replaced in the kitchen by mother, onions were included as a delicacy.  You'd wait for the rare occasion, possibly when there are guests, for mother to make aromatic shallots sambar, or onion chutney and the flavour would linger long after the dish was gone.  Slowly the once-a-month practice became a "weekend" special, with the aroma complimenting the title music of Star Trek in Doordarshan on Sunday mornings.

Today, onion is part of the daily menu. Rightly so, given its scientifically proven antibacterial properties, propensity to cure cold and coughs, promise to prevent cancer and most importantly, given the prevelance of heart diseases, its ability to prevent artheroschlerosis (plaque build up in heart arteries, leading to blocks and heart attack).

Kadappa

This dish symbolizes the culinary tradition of Kumbakonam and one of the favourite recipes of our family. Its actually called Kadappa


Ingredients
Moong dhal- 1 cup
Potato-2 medium size cut into cubes
Green chillies-2(slit into two)
Tomato-1 medium
Onion-1 medium
curry leaves and mustard for seasoning

Idli sambar

Ingredients
Tamarind water- 1 cup
Cooked Tuar dhal- 1/2 cup
Green chilly -slit into two -2
Drum stick or Radish- 1/2 cup
Tomato-1 small cut into pieces
Carrot-cut into small--1/2 cup
Onion-preferably small onions 1/2 cup(otherwise Big onion is also fine)
Hing powder
Mustard seeds
Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
salt to taste

Dry powder/Curry powder
channa dhal-kadalai paruppu-2 table spoons
Dhania-coriander seeds-1 table spoon
Red chilly-2
Curry leaves- few
Dry roast the above and make into a fine powder.