வெங்காயம் வத்தக் குழம்பு / Onion Vatha Kuzhambu

"Vatha Kuzhambu" is a tangy, tongue trickling dish that can be mixed with hot rice topped with gingelly oil and served with "Suta Appalam".It is a popular accompaniment for Parupu Thogayal, Parupu Podi so also Curd Rice
This traditional and authentic South Indian dish is very easy to prepare and it can be stored upto 3-4 days at normal temperature
Here I have given the recipe using "small onions" but it can be made even with Appalam, Sundakai (Turkey Berry), Manthakali (black nightshade)
Check out this link for Manthakkali Vatha Kuzhambu

Ingredients and Preparation
Part 1 - Tadka and Saute

• Gingelly Oil - 4 tablespoons
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Hing - a pinch
• Urad dhall - 1/2 teaspoon
• Channa dhall - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry leaves - few
• Methi seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Red chilly - 2 nos
• Small onions - 2 cups (peeled and chopped into small pieces)

Part 2 - Tamarind Extract

• Tamarind - big lemon sized ball
• Luke warm water - 3 cups
• Sambar powder - 2 teaspoons
• Vatha Kuzhambu Podi - 1 1/2 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 1/2 teaspoons

Refer this link for making Vatha Kuzhambu Podi

Soak tamarind in luke warm water for 15 minutes.Squeeze the pulp and extract juice add 3 more cups of water while doing so

Dissolve vatha kuzhambu podi , sambar powder and salt in the tamarind extract.Keep it ready

Part 3  - Optional

• Jaggery - a pinch
• Rice flour - 1 teaspoon

Method
Step 1 - Tadka and Saute

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel / kadai / Kuzhambu sati.Splutter mustard seeds, spray hing and fry urad, channa dhalls in medium flame till it become golden brown
• Simmer the flame add curry leaves, methi seeds and red chillies.Make sure methi seeds doesn't char

• Add onions and sauté well

Step 2 - Vatha Kuzhambu

• Pour in the tamarind extract and allow it to boil in a medium flame for 15 minutes atleast so that it reduces to nearly half the quantity and reaches thick consistency

• Now add jaggery and boil for another 5 minutes.Jaggery removes the extra tanginess
• At this stage itself kozhambu will be thick but if you wish it should even more thicker then dissolve rice flour in 1/2 cup of water and pour it to the kozhambu and boil for 5 more minutes
• Switch off the stove

Hot Lip Smacking, Yummy Onion Vatha Kuzhambu is ready

Aloo Paratha Version 1 / Stuffed Aloo Paratha

Its indeed everyone's favorite right from kids to oldies.Potato / Aloo and wheat are readily available items in most of the kitchen. One of my school friends gave me a surprise visit. So while talking to her I made this yummy and filling dish for lunch

Look out for a similar recipe in Grated Aloo Roti

Ingredients
Part 1 - Outer cover

• Whole Wheat Flour / Multigrain Wheat Flour - 2 cups
• Water - around 3/4 cup (rough estimation only)
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Flour - dusting

Take dough in a broad basin. Put salt to it and roughly mix with the fingers
Sprinkle water little by little and knead the dough
Please refer the link  "kneading" for better understanding with pictures
Once the dough is ready cover it with a wet cloth and keep it aside for 20-30 minutes

Part 2 - Inner Stuffing

• Potato - 5 (medium sized)
• Green chillies - 3 (finely chopped)
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Cumin/ Jeera powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Dry mango powder / Aamchur powder - 1/4 teaspoon (or) Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - as needed
• Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon

Pressure cook the potatoes for 3- 4 whistles. Once done allow them to cool on its own and peel off the skin

Mash the peeled aloos/potatoes using a manual masher. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well

Part 3 - Greasing

• Low fat butter / ghee /Oil - as needed

Now both the outer cover and inner stuffing are ready. Lets see how to go ahead making parathas

Method

• Divide the kneaded dough into small sized balls
• Also make medium sized balls(this ball should be little bigger than the atta balls) out of the inner stuffing

• Roll out each and every dough flat using a rolling pin. You may use flour to dust during this process

• Once done place aloo/inner filling in the center

• Carefully close the inner filling with the rolled out atta and pat it onto the surface to remove the extra flour

• Again roll out this aloo stuffed atta balls using a rolling pin. Make sure the stuffing doesn't come out

• Meanwhile heat a tawa and once hot place the rolled out paratha

• After 2 minutes you will notice small bubbles appearing. At this stage flip it over to the other side and put 1/2 teaspoon of oil/ghee/butter and grease it well just on one side

• Allow it to cook well on both the sides

• Take it out carefully and grease with 1/2 teaspoon of butter/ ghee on the other side (purely optional).Alternatively you can grease with more butter / cheese / ghee before serving

• Transfer into a serving plate immediately. Consume it immediately. Store it in  a hot pack if you are going to serve later

Lip Smacking Aloo Parathas are ready.Serve it with curd and pickle.It simply goes well with tomato sauce / pudina chutney also