Dondakkai / kovakkai karamathu

I love this vegetable due it`s unique taste. It has wonderful medicinal properties.It is good for diabetic patients as it regulates blood sugar levels. It is also used to treat  mouth ulcers & other urinary infections. It`s very easy to prepare too.

Ingredients:

Kovakkai - 500 gms

Mustard seeds - 1/2  tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1/2 laddle

Method :

Wash and chop the kovakkai in small circles.Heat the oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds.When it starts to splutter,add urad dhal and asafoetida.Now add chopped kovakkai, turmeric powder,chilli powder and salt.Saute for a while and turn off the stove when the kovakkai are well cooked.It goes well with any kootu or rasam.

chow chow karamathu

One day i had no other veggies to make karamathu except chow chow.I have never made karamathu or poriyal with bangalore kathirikkai / chow chow before.So i wanted to give it a try but it turned out very well.

Ingredients:

Bangalore kathirikkai / chow chow - 2 nos (medium)

Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

Red chilly - 1 no (split)

Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - to taste 

Method:

Wash and peel the kathirikkai`s cover or tholi.Keep this tholi aside as we can prepare delicious thogaiyal with it.Chop them finely and remove the seed part.Heat a little oil in a kadai.Add mustard seeds,urad dhal and split red chilly.When the mustard seeds starts to splutter,add chopped kathirikkai,turmeric powder and chilly powder.Saute for a while and add little water till all the kathirikkai get soaked.Cook on medium flame. Turn off the stove,when the kathirikkai are well cooked and all the water gets dried up.It goes well with paruppu kuzhambu,onion sambar and mor kuzhambu.

cabbage karamathu

I love this karamathu especially if peas are added to it.I don`t add chilly powder or any other spices as i don`t want my cabbage to change in it`s colour.So i just use chopped green chillies for taste.
Ingredients:
Chopped Cabbage - 250 gms
Chopped Green chillies - 1 nos
Asafoetida - a pinch
Peas - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Method:
Cook the chopped cabbage in the microwave for 3 minutes.Heat a little oil in a heavy bottom kadai.Add mustard seeds,urad dhal,green chillies & asafoetida. When mustard seeds starts to splutters,add the cooked cabbage and saute for a while.Cook the peas in the microwave for 30 seconds with a very little water.When the cabbage karamathu is well cooked,add the cooked peas and salt.Saute for a minute and turn off the stove.It goes well with vatha kuzhambu / milagu kuzhambu / karuveppilai kuzhambu

podipota karamathu

This karamathu can be prepared with vegetables  like vazhakkai (raw plantain),kathirikkai (brinjal), urulaikizhangu (potato) and cheppankizhangu (taro root).You can even use Dhaniya powder for this karamathu.
Ingredients:
Urad dhal / ulutham paruppu - 1/2 tbsp
Gram dhal / kadalai paruppu - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander seeds / dhaniya - 1/2 tbsp
Red chilly - 3 nos
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida / Perungayam - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Vazhakkai - 2 nos
Method:

Dry roast Urad dhal,Gram dhal,Dhaniya,red chillies,Asafoetida and blend it to a coarse powder along with salt.You can even use Dhaniya / kothamalli verai podi for this karamathu.Heat a heavy bottom kadai,add a little oil,mustard seeds,urad dhal  & red chilly.When the mustard seeds starts to splutter,add the chopped vazhakkai.Saute for a minute.Now add turmeric powder,asafoetida and the blended powder.Mix them well.You can even add a little oil in the middle.When the vazhakkai are well cooked turn off the stove.If you like,you can even add a tbsp of grated coconut to your karamathu.Now your vazhakkai podi pota karamathu is ready.If you are using kathirikkai (brinjal) for this karamathu,they need a little more oil than other veggies.This karamathu goes well with any kuzhambhu or  kootu.

Paruppu usili

It`s my favourite among karamathu.It can be prepared with vegetables like beans,vazhakkai (raw plantain), avarakkai,vazhapoo,kothavarangai (cluster beans),cabbage
Ingredients:
Gram dhal / Kadalai paruppu - 2 tbsp
Toor dhal / Thuvaram paruppu - 2 tbsp
Urad dhal / uluthamparuppu - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds / kadugu - 1 tsp
Red chilly / Vathamilagai - 2 or 3 nos
Asafoetida / Perungayam - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Method:

Soak toor dhal and gram dhal together for an hour in luke warm water.Drain the water and grind the dhals along with red chilly,salt,asafeotida  into a fine paste with no water.Microwave this paste  for a minute or  two ( this helps to evaporate the excess water in the paste) and crumble it in a blender for a minute to get a nice flour like consistency. Chop the beans (or any  vegetable of  your choice)  and microwave it for 2 min.Heat  a little oil in  a heavy bottom kadai,add mustard seeds and urad dhal. when the mustard splutters, add baked beans, turmeric powder (a pinch) and a pinch of salt (as we already added salt in our paste)..Saute for few minutes.Now add the crumbled dhal and mix well.