http://cooksjoy.com/blog A vegetarian cooking blog with recipes that tickle your taste buds and leave you craving for more !!! Sat, 08 Aug 2020 00:27:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2014/03/okra-sambar-vendakkai-sambar.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2014/03/okra-sambar-vendakkai-sambar.html#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:19:47 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=14299 “Sambar” is basically a lentil stew and is usually made with different vegetables like spinach, tomato, capsicum and so on. I get fresh okra only when we visit the Indian store, but last summer my friend gave me okra seeds to plant in the garden. The plants did not do that great, but we were...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2014/03/okra-sambar-vendakkai-sambar.html/feed 4 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2014/02/okra-coconut-kuzhambu-vendakkai-kuruma-gravy.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2014/02/okra-coconut-kuzhambu-vendakkai-kuruma-gravy.html#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2014 00:45:56 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=14083 This is a simple gravy with fresh okra. Nowadays fresh okra has become a delicacy since we live miles away from Indian stores. I made this dish last summer with the few okra that we got from our garden. This kuzhambu is versatile and goes with idli, dosai, rice, roti and so on. Also, you...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2014/02/okra-coconut-kuzhambu-vendakkai-kuruma-gravy.html/feed 5 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/05/vatral-kuzhambu-vatha-kuzhambu.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/05/vatral-kuzhambu-vatha-kuzhambu.html#comments Fri, 31 May 2013 05:41:27 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=11638 Kuzhambu is a tangy gravy that is normally mixed with rice. It can also be used as a dip for idli, dosai and so on. There are tons of variations based on the spices and the vegetables used. This kuzhambu is made with “manathakkali (Dry Nightshade berries) vatral”. ‘Vatral’ is something that has been sun-dried. The...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/05/vatral-kuzhambu-vatha-kuzhambu.html/feed 8 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/03/tomato-sambar-thakkaali-sambar-tomato-lentil-gravy.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/03/tomato-sambar-thakkaali-sambar-tomato-lentil-gravy.html#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:00:55 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=9411 I never get tired of sambar and I make it at least once a week. The main difference between sambar and kuzhambu is the addition of dal to sambar. Although I add tomatoes to sambar always, it has never been the star ingredient. The abundance of tomatoes prompted me to call my mom to get...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/03/tomato-sambar-thakkaali-sambar-tomato-lentil-gravy.html/feed 9 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/02/brinjal-drumstick-potato-kara-kuzhambu-poricha-kuzhambu.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/02/brinjal-drumstick-potato-kara-kuzhambu-poricha-kuzhambu.html#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:00:01 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=8484 Hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Today’s recipe is a South Indian dish and it is a gravy that goes with rice, idli, dosai and so on. Our meal usually consists of rice, sambar/kuzhambu, one or two side dishes and rasam. Of course there are lazy days . Once when our friends visited...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/02/brinjal-drumstick-potato-kara-kuzhambu-poricha-kuzhambu.html/feed 7 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/02/onion-sambar-onion-lentil-gravy.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/02/onion-sambar-onion-lentil-gravy.html#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:47:54 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=8244 So, I was all set to make sambar and had the dal ready. I have never made sambar without tomatoes and to my dismay I was completely out of tomatoes. Now that never happens because I normally have at least a small piece of tomato sticking somewhere in the fridge not that the small piece...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2013/02/onion-sambar-onion-lentil-gravy.html/feed 5 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/10/brinjal-garbanzo-kathirikai-mookadalai-kuzhambu.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/10/brinjal-garbanzo-kathirikai-mookadalai-kuzhambu.html#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2012 05:08:06 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=5783 The wind was blowing at 60mph today and it felt like a sandstorm at times. The sound reminded me of the storms of childhood. The schools were closed, streets were flooded, no electricity due to the storm and the only thing we could hear was the sound of the wind gusts at nights. We did...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/10/brinjal-garbanzo-kathirikai-mookadalai-kuzhambu.html/feed 11 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/06/onion-vatha-kuzhambu.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/06/onion-vatha-kuzhambu.html#comments Fri, 15 Jun 2012 02:22:37 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=2109 Kuzhambu is basically a gravy made with tamarind and is mixed with rice and eaten. I make this type of kuzhambu at least two to three times a month and is very easy. The good thing about kuzhambu is that it lasts a few days since it has no dal in it and I normally...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/06/onion-vatha-kuzhambu.html/feed 5 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/04/brinjal-coconut-kuzhambu.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/04/brinjal-coconut-kuzhambu.html#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:55:27 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=272 Indian vegetables are a delicacy because we stay very far from Indian stores. So any time we visit the store I stock up on everything I see and then struggle the following week to finish them off before they get spoilt . Even the day I made this kuzhambu, I had to finish off the...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/04/brinjal-coconut-kuzhambu.html/feed 0 http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2011/12/vendhaya-keerai-kuzhambu-methi-leaves-in-tamarind-gravy.html http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2011/12/vendhaya-keerai-kuzhambu-methi-leaves-in-tamarind-gravy.html#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:12:00 +0000 Vardhini http://cooksjoy.com/blog/?p=226 This is a very simple kuzhambu which goes well with rice. You can replace methi leaves with any vegetable like drumstick, boiled potatoes, brinjal, etc. You can even skip the vegetables and still have a tasty dish. Kuzhambu also serves as a nice side dish for idlis or dosa. I make this over the weekend...]]> http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2011/12/vendhaya-keerai-kuzhambu-methi-leaves-in-tamarind-gravy.html/feed 0