It was a weekend getaway to Chennai, a whirlwind trip which included all my favorites….shopping, a visit to my mother, basking in the hospitality of my sisters. …..Sunday morning the kitchen was full of excited chatter …..exchange of recipes, happening’s, “mandai urutals”…a very short but enjoyable time and the menu was super delicious too. Parangikai vathakuzhambu, Murungai Paal Kootu and Podi Kathirikai…all cooked in cast iron pans. This cookware has always been a part of our Indian Kitchens. Alas the popularity of non-stick, lightweight, and easy-to-clean cookware overpowered these treasures which are now slowly wiggling their ways onto our kitchen shelves.

I had never given much importance to the huge cast iron kadai at home. The only memory is of my grandmother using it to steam elai vadams in summer. The kadai has vanished but I am in possession of the dome-like stainless steel cover which was used to close the kadai during steaming. My mother used a smaller version for deep frying. Non-sticks were my kitchen style though I would cook occasionally in a vengalapanai and a bronze chatti which I still treasure. Today these new buys made cooking a pleasure though we decided to wash them ourselves and not leave them to the mercy of the maids….a drop and these would shatter and so would our hearts.

The Podi Kathirikai came out nice, and well roasted and so did the vathakuzhambu with a tinge of unique flavor that is imparted to a tamarind gravy when cooked in an iron vessel. The subtle coconut milk-based drumstick curry paired well with the tangy Kuzhambu. It is said that a wee bit of iron is also released into the food while cooking. These non-heme forms of iron may not be absorbed very well by our bodies as heme iron from animal foods. But their presence in foods goes a long way in preventing iron deficiency anemia. All that you have to ensure is that you have good amounts of vitamin C in your diet to increase the absorption of non-heme iron…a squeeze of lemon, tomato salad, amla pickle do the trick.

MURUNGAIKAI PAAL KOOTU/ DRUMSTICK CURRY IN COCONUT MILK RECIPE

Ingredients for Murungakai Paal Kootu:

• Drumstick cut into 2 inches length 2 c
• Sliced onions 2 c
• Green chilly slit 6
• Coconut milk thin 2 c
• Thick coconut milk 1 c
• Coconut oil 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Asafetida 1 tsp
• Curry leaves few
• Green chilly for
• tempering 2 slit
• Salt as required

Preparation Method for Murungakai Paal Kootu:

• Take a heavy-bottomed pan, add a tsp of oil. When warm add green chillies and onions. Sauté till transparent. Add the drumstick pieces, sauté, and pour the thin coconut milk.
• Bring to a boil on low flame, cover, and cook till done with the required salt.
• Add thick coconut milk, simmer till thick and temper.
• For the tempering, heat the remaining oil, splutter mustard, cumin, asafetida, curry leaves and chilly. Pour over the curry and serve.

Here’s the preparation video for Murungakai Paal Kootu:

NOTE

• I have used coconut milk powder that I have reconstituted into thin and thick milk.
• The spice for the recipe is from the green chilly. Adjust the green chillies to your taste.

PARANGIKAI VATHAKUZHAMBU / TANGY TAMARIND-RED PUMPKIN GRAVY RECIPE

Ingredients for Parangikai Vathakuzhambu:

• Tamarind lemon size soaked in water
• Red pumpkin cubes 1 c with skin
• Finely chopped onions 1 c
• Sambhar powder 4 tsp
• Sesame oil 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
• Asafetida 1 tsp
• Red chilly 3 broken
• Jaggery 1 marble-sized piece
• Curry leaves few
• Rice flour 1 tsp mixed to a thick paste with water
• Salt as required

Preparation Method for Parangikai Vathakuzhambu:

• Extract 2 c of tamarind juice in water. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add oil, followed by mustard, fenugreek, asafoetida, and red chillies.
• Add and sauté onions and curry leaves followed by pumpkin.
• Sauté till onions are translucent and pumpkins are half cooked.
• Add sambhar powder. Mix well and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the tamarind extract and simmer with required salt. When oil floats on the surface and the pumpkin is cooked, add jaggery. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add rice slurry and simmer till thick. Remove and serve with hot, steaming rice.

Here’s the preparation video for Parangikai Vathakuzhambu:

PODI KATHIRIKAI RECIPE

Ingredients for Podi Kathirikai:

• Small brinjals slit as shown in the video -250 g
• Chana dal/kadalai Paruppu ¼ c
• Coriander seeds ¼ c
• Red chilies 6-8
• Asafetida 1 tsp
• Oil 3 tbsp
• Salt as required

Preparation Method for Podi Kathirikai:

• Take oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and roast dal, red chilly, coriander seeds, and asafetida.
• Grind to a coarse powder. Stuff the powder into the slit brinjals.
• Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard, place the stuffed brinjals and slow cook till the brinjals are done. Sprinkle the remaining powder and required salt. Mix gently and cook till crisp on the surface.
• Serve hot with rice, sambhar, rasam.

Here’s the preparation video for Podi Kathirikai: