Thiruvadhirai Kali and Ezhukari kozhambu

If you are not able to read what the title says, don’t bother. Kali is rice cooked with jaggery and Ezhukari kozhambu, which is sambar with 7 vegetables. This is a classic combination made for the festival of Thiruvadhirai. Thiru + Adhirai is Thiruvadhirai, which is the birthday of Lord Shiva. Adhirai is, obviously his birth star, and hence the day is called Arudhra Dharisanam. I remember my Grandma pointing this star in the Northwest skies. It sparkles like a ruby, in bright red.

Facts apart, I love this festival, food being the primary reason. I am not a big fan of sweets, but ok with anything mildly sweet. Kali being rice cooked with jaggery is served with a savoury sambar. The sweet and spicy combination is like yin-yang for the taste buds, and I absolutely love it.

Thiruvathirai Kali

This kali is also made with a mixture of rice and dal. Since the kozhambu has dal in it, I don’t find it necessary. The measurements given below serves two people.

Ingredients

Raw rice – ½ cup
Water – 1¼ cup
Jaggery – 1 cup, grated
Coconut – ¼ cup, grated
Ground elaichi or cardamom – ½ tsp
Cashews – 10
Ghee – 2 tsp

Method

Roasted rice

Roast rice until red. Wash rice and grind into a coarse meal, like rava. Roast cashews in a tsp of ghee until golden brown. Set aside.

In a pan, heat water and dissolve jaggery. Once dissolved, add coconut, ground rice and a tsp of ghee. Mix well and transfer to another vessel. Pressure cook this for 2 whistles. When done, cool and fluff. Mix roasted cashew nuts and ground elaichi. Serve with kozhambu.

Thiruvadhirai Kali

Ezhukari Kozhambu

Ezhukari kozhambu is supposed to be made with 7 vegetables, but you can add as many or as less as you want. This is more like sambar, but with lots of vegetables. In olden days, after the festivities are over, the ladies would mix left-over vegetables and sambar that was made earlier in the day. The resultant gravy is a delicious mixture of sweet root vegetables(plenty during the season) and spicy sambar.

My family calls this “Ericha Kuzhambu’, which loosely translates to sambar that is heated over and over again. This kuzhambu tastes better as it grows older, like wine. Well not that old, but 2 or 3 days. When this gravy is heated again and again, the vegetables almost melt mixing with spices. What is left is a divine concoction that goes well with almost everything, dosa and curd rice, in particular. If you are worried about nutrition depletion due to over heating, please look away. This is beyond all of that.

Ingredients

Mixed vegetables – 3 cups, cubed
Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Toor dal – ¼ cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 10
Cilantro – few springs, chopped
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt

Spice mixture

Coriander seeds – 3 tbsp
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
Red chillies - 8

Roast all of the above in a tsp of oil and grind to a fine paste.

Method

Vegetables that can be used are Red pumpkin, White pumpkin, eggplant, sweet potato, potato, lima beans, peas, plantain, yam, elephant yam, colocasia, green beans, runner beans, cluster beans, chayote squash(chow chow), green chillies, snake gourd.

Pressure cook dal with a pinch of turmeric powder. In a big pot, mix vegetables, tamarind paste, turmeric powder, salt with enough water and boil until the vegetables have cooked and tamarind doesn’t smell raw. Combine the ground paste and cooked dal and bring it to a boil. Allow this to boil on a low flame for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning as required. In a small pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and throw some curry leaves. Add this to sambar, along with cilantro and asafoetida. Serve with kali.

Ezhukari Kozhambu

This is my second entry for RCI – Tamil Festivals, hosted by Viji.

38 comments:

sunita said...

I did it! Read the title , I mean ;)
...but honestly, that dish does look festive indeed...

Anonymous said...

i like the way your kali looks - just like the temples

Anonymous said...

when does suganya sleep? scratch scratch....

amna said...

ok here is a confession. i read the title of the dish and drool over ur pics.. hardly read the recipes cuz the pics just mesmerise me :)

lovely pics Suganya!!

FH said...

Cool!! I love traditional names. I can learn from it!:)
Sambhar and Kali looks yum. Great recipes to enter RCI.
Happy Dasar. You have been tagged at Aroma!:)

FH said...

Forgot to tell you. You have been tagged! Check Aroma but do it only if you have time!:))

Richa said...

hey, loved the texture and color of the sweet :)

Kribha said...

It's been so many years since I had this combo. I love ezhukari kozhamu the most. We call it 'kalavai kaai sambar' meaning mixed vegetable sambar. Your pics always make drool. Very nice.

Rajitha said...

ah! i learnt a new kozhambu..we make kootu for thiruvadarai and kali too...but our kootu is totally different :)..the kozhambu recipe is bookmarked....

Swaruchy said...

The plate looks divine Suganya.........loved every bit of it...Wish i cud take a bite of it :-)

Laavanya said...

I am so with you on the taste getting better each day. My grandmother used to mix the leftover aviyal and sambar (infact she used to make it in excess just for this purpose) so we could enjoy the resultant thicker gravy the day after Pongal.

Raks said...

PIctures looks perfect.!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Suganya, I am in bliss! Is roasted and ground rice readily available for lazy people like me? Sambar with root veggies that blend with the dal is my kind of sambar! Perfect for this brrrr cold blustery weather we're having.

Anonymous said...

Nice one. :)

Manasi said...

i'm trying the Ezhukari Kozhambu ( ok, so I copy pasted that!!!)
As usual.. stunning pic!! I wud love to tmake the rice, but the hubby has a psychological allergy to coconut :(

Padma said...

That looks simply divine. The roasted rice looks like sesame seeds to me. Nice vibrant colors, would love to spoon it from that plate.

Prema Sundar said...

Have heard and read a lot abt thiruvathirai kali... but haven't had a chance to taste it. looks good and nice entry for the RCI

musical said...

Looks eclectic! I especially love the kozhambu, yummy!

Tee said...

You know what...just yesterday i was going thru some blogs and i cam across both these dishes. I loved them both and i was thinking of making Thiruvahirai kali for RCI, and then i see it today on your blog ! :)
Both the dishes look yummy!
Now i have to look for something else and that too soon...;)

Unknown said...

Looks yummy.

Anonymous said...

First time seeing sweet with savory sambar.
I think I have tasted simliar rice in temple. Both the dishes are lovely and festive. Will definetly try the sweet rice.

Rina said...

Cool Kozhambu and Ennippu dear.

Viji said...

Suganya, as usual the dishes speaks through your presentation. As you said, it is lovely combo which no one can resist. Thank you for this entry. Can't resist trying for tiffen this weekend. Viji

KayKat said...

The kali looks perfect - I'm really picky about it and yours looks delicious.

Fabulous pictures, like always :)

Roopa said...

wow looks fabulous! reading the name was very doubtfull as what you have in store? the roasted rice dish i am gonna try it for sure :)

Anonymous said...

though i am not a big fan of the kali...i love the kozambu..nice presentation...

Susan said...

Well, Suganya, after stumbling through Sia's tongue twister of a Welsh 58-letter village, your title is a piece of cake. ; ) And your photos are a mouthful!

Nabeela said...

I love the cast iron pan....it looks so nice and sturdy

Bharathy said...

I am here after a week to see 3 updations!!That too of three dif cuisines..this is what you call yourselves LAZY???

Loved the egg recipe..the fat free apple dessert:)

Have never tried Kazhi,though heard a lot abt it..do you have to add twice the amt of jaggery to rice??Does it taste more or less like sarkarai pongal?

Wonderful shots!!esp the first one!!:)

Sambhar with 7 veggies!!That would be excellent!!

Cynthia said...

Oh I would love to taste these dishes! I don't have the energy to make them soon though :( Why did you have to be living so far?

Menu Today said...

Hi Suganya,

Love this. Nice presentation. your version of kali looks nice. Thanks for sharing.

Sona - quick picks/pick quicks said...

just cant keep commenting as to how unique ur site is...with those eye catcy bright snaps!!

Prajusha said...

suganya,
Beautiful pics and yummy dishes.

Anonymous said...

Your dishes look great. Can you tell me a little more about this festival? What is the date for it in 2007/2008?

Anonymous said...

The Thiruvathirai Kali is new to me. On my to do list.

Warm Vijayadashmi greetings to you and yours!

Sharmi said...

very traditional and authentic! very nice entry and reference recipe!

DEEPA said...

nice kali ...i love kali a lot ..i am a big fan of it ...thks for sharing ...

Rachna said...

this is new and i will def try it

Post a Comment