Sundaikkai_Sambar

 Sundaikkai Sambar - Pea eggplant Sambar - Turkish Berry Sambar :

Sundaikkai [ Sundakkai ] is called Devil's fig, Prickly nightshade, Turkish berry, Wild eggplant, pea eggplant in English. The scientific name is Solanum torvum.

There is no dearth of sundakkai as I have as many as fifteen plants in my garden. I am regularly including it in my cooking either in sambar or koottu and 

preparing spicy masala curry very often.

I am making sundaikkai [ sundakkai ] vathal by drying the surplus sundaikkai in the hot Sun. 

Tasty sundaikkai sambar can be prepared from sundaikkai in combination with other vegetables. Sundaikkai gives a distinct flavour and aroma to the sambar.

Approximately 2 - 2 1/2 cups of sambar can be prepared from the following given ingredients.

Ingredients :
25 - 30	Sundaikkai [ Pea eggplant ]
1/3 cup	Toor dal [ thuvaram paruppu ]
1/2 inch long	Turmeric tuber, chop finely*
small piece	Asafoetida
Nellikkai size	Tamarind, soak in hot water
10 - 12	Small onion
2 - 3	Green chilly, slit lengthwise
12 - 15	Curry leaf
1 - 2	Brinjal [ eggplant ]
1	Bitter gourd [ optional ]
1	Carrot
1	Radish
Powders to add :
3 Tsp	Sambar powder
2 Tsp	Coriander Powder
1 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
To Temper :
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ til/sesame oil ]

* If turmeric tuber is not available, then use turmeric powder.

Method :

Take toor dal [ thuvaram paruppu ] in a pressure cooker and wash twice.

Add 3/4 cup of water, finely chopped turmeric tuber and asafoetida piece.

Close the cooker and place weight over the nozzle.

Pressure cook on HIGH flame for 5 whistles and then cook for 5 minutes on SIM.

Open the cooker only after it ran out of steam.

Mash cooked dal [ lentil ] using a ladle.

Add coriander powder, salt, finely chopped turmeric tuber [ turmeric powder ] and Sambar powder.

Mix well and add split sudaikkai.

And other chopped vegetables, onion, green chilly and add 1 1/4 cup of water. Mix well.

Heat on high flame and bring it to boil. Squeeze out juice from soaked tamarind and strain into boiling sambar.

Finally add brinjal pieces and close the cooker, Pressure cook on high flame for two whistles.

Heat a kadai with half a teaspoon of oil and temper mustard seeds and pour over hot sambar. Tear some curry leaves and coriander leaves and put it over hot sambar. Tasty sambar is ready to relish.

Take hot white rice on a plate and pour a ladle full of hot sundakkai sambar [ Pea eggplant sambar ] and mix well with hand. 

Enjoy with spicy curry or any vegetable stir fry of your choice. 

Sundaikkai sambar is a great accompaniment with paruppu sadham [ rice mixed with lentil and ghee ].

Health benefits of Sundaikkai - Turkish Berry - Pea Eggplant :

The size of the sundaikkai is tiny but it is packed with high quality protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

100 gm of Turkish berry contains 8.3 gm of Protein, 22.5 gm of Iron, 390 mg of Calcium, 180 mg of Phosphorous.

The high protein content in it, comprising essential amino acids, is good for heart health. It strengthens cardiac muscles which helps to maintain normal heartbeat and pulse.

The dietary fiber helps to tackle constipation and takes care of indigestion, diarrhoea and gastric ulcers.It is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin B. It also has good amount of vitamin C. So it boosts the body's immunity and saves us from catching common cold, cough & the seasonal flu.

The minerals like Iron, Calcium, Sodium and Potassium are present abundantly in it.

Sundaikkai - Turkish berry is abundant in unique phytonutrients, such as sapogenin steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids,torvosides, glycosides, chlorogenins, tannins and phenols. These nutrients give it anti - inflammatory, anti microbial, anti oxidant, antidiuretic traits. It helps as a remedy to pancreatic ulcers, arthritis and gout.

You might like to try 

Sundaikkai Vatha Kuzhambu	Vazhaipoo [ banana blossom ] Kuzhambu	Sundaikkai [ Pea Eggplant ] Curry
Tomato bhindi  curry	Sundaikkai Dried [ PeaEggplant dried]	Sundaikkai Vathal thuvaiyal

Katharikkai_Sambar

#KatharikkaiSambar  #BrinjalSambar : I have been preparing sambar only  in a pressure cooker [ by pressure cooking ] since I started cooking. I always used to prepare mixed vegetable sambar with two or three vegetables from vegetables like brinjal [ katharikkai ], drumstick, radish, ridge gourd, bittergourd, jackfruit seeds, chow chow, bottle gourd, yellow pumpkin, pumpkin, potato, etc.,...

Sometimes I used to do sambar for tiffin from katharikkai & green gram and also prepare another dish called katharikkai chutney [ katharikkai gothsu ] from katharikkai. But their preparations are completely different from the sambar for lunch. I have never done sambar using only katharikkai till I started living in Chittaranjan. What compelled me to make katharikkai sambar now is that I have brinjal plants in my garden. So I am getting steady supply of fresh and organically cultivated brinjals.

When I make sambar with katharikkai in a pressure cooker, the katharikkai pieces get over cooked and disintegrate into the sambar. The sambar looks like a katharikkai porridge. The reason might be that they are coming to the kitchen straight from the garden and also this particular variety takes lesser time to cook soft.

So henceforth I have decided not to prepare sambar by pressure cooking method when I use this katharikkai [ kathirikai ].

Thuvar dal alone is being pressure cooked in a pressure cooker.
But the sambar is being cooked in the pressure cooker without closing it by its lid.

Preparation Time                : 15 Mins
Cooking Time                     : 15 Mins
Quantity prepared               : 2 1/2 to 3 Cups approx.

Ingredients :
1/3 Cup	Thuvar Dal [ Pigeon Pea ]
3 - 4 medium size	Katharikkai [ Brinjal ]
Amla size	Tamarind, Soak in warm water
2 Tsp	Sambar powder
1/2 Inch long	Turmeric Tuber
Small piece	Asafoetida
1 Tsp	Coriander powder
8 - 10	Small Onion, peeled & halved
15 - 20	Curry Leaf
2 - 3	Green Chilly, slit lengthwise
1 Tsp	Mustard seed
1 1/2 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ Sesame / Til oil ]
1 1/2 Tsp	Salt [ Adjust ]
2 - 3 sprigs	Kothamalli Ilai [ Coriander leaf ] to garnish
1 Tbsp	Murungai keerai [ Moringa leaf ] to garnish

Note : Turmeric powder can be used if turmeric tuber is not available.

Method :
Take thuvar dal in a 3 litre pressure cooker.
Wash it twice with clean water and drain.
Now add 1 Cup of water, thinly sliced & crushed turmeric tuber and asafoetida.
Close the pressure cooker with its lid and put the weight on.
Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 whistles and reduce the flame to SIM & cook for 5 minutes.
Wait till the cooker ran out of steam.

Open the cooker and mash the cooked dal with the back of a ladle or with a potato masher.
Add Sambar powder and Coriander powder.
Mix well adding a cup of water.
Keep on a stove over medium heat.
On another burner of the stove heat a kadai with oil over medium flame.
Crackle mustard seeds once oil starts smoking.
Then add curry leaves after tearing them with hand.
Next add green chilly and onion in the order.
Saute till onion turns translucent.
Then add tomato and stir for another minute.
Transfer into the cooker.

Again keep the kadai on the stove and add 1/2 Tsp of oil.
Add katharikkai pieces and saute for two minutes.
Turn off the stove and transfer into boiling dal mixture.
Stir well with a ladle and close with a plate.
Cook till katharikkai become soft.

Now squeeze tamarind adding half a cup of water.
Strain its juice into the boiling sambar.
Add salt and let it boil for another 2 - 3 minutes.
Finally add curry leaves & murungaikeerai [ drumstick leaf ]
and turn off the stove.

Transfer into a serving vessel.
Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Take hot white rice in a plate, pour a ladle full of sambar and a dash of ghee or
gingelly oil [ sesame/til oil ].
Mix well with hand and enjoy with your favorite stir fry or curry.

Sambar is a great accompaniment to paruppu sadham [ rice mixed with lentil and ghee ].
And also goes well with curd rice.

Other recipes you might like to try

Katharikkai Idli sambar

Vangi Bath with Black Pepper

Katharikkai Chutney

Katharikkai morekuzhambu

Katharikkai Varuval [ Brinjal Fry ]

Aviyal

Venthaya kuzhambu

Manathakkali vathakuzhambu

Vadai morekuzhambu

Vazhaipoo Kuzhambu

Curry Index

Lunch Index

Recipe Index

Tiny-Bitter-gourd-Sambar

#TinyBitterGourdSambar : I came across this special vegetable when I went to Hubli, Karnataka and without knowing its name bought it. After reaching home I searched through net and found out that it is called #Athalaikai [ #அதலைக்காய் ] in Tamizh. I named it tiny bittergourd as it is just like bittergourd but very very small in size. It is bitter in taste just like bitter gourd.
Previously I used #TinyBitterGourd to prepare Tiny Bittergourd Curry  and it was very tasty. Now I made sambar using tiny bittergourd along with other vegetables.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup	Thuvar dhal cooked
Amla size	Tamarind, soak in hot water
1 pinch	Turmeric powder
3 Tsp	Sambar powder
1 Tsp	Coriander powder
small quantity	Yellow pumpkin, chop into cubes
1	Murungaikai, cut into 1 1/2 in long pieces
20 - 25	Tiny bittergourd [ அதலைக்காய் ], halved or quartered
7 - 8	Small onion, peel
2	Green chilly, split lengthwise
10 - 15	Curry leaves, tear into pieces
Small piece	Asafoetida
1 Tsp	Groundnut oil
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seeds
1 1/2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
2 Tsp	Chopped coriander

Note : Can include any other vegetables of your choice.

Method :
Take cooked Thuvar dhal [ துவரம் பருப்பு ] in a 3 lt pressure cooker.
Add Sambar powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt, mix well with hand.
Add 1 cup of water, all the vegetables, small onion, green chilly and curry leaves.
Now squeeze tamarind with half a cup of water and strain into the cooker.
Close the pressure cooker with weight on.
Cook on high flame for 2 whistles.
Turn off the stove and open the pressure cooker only after it ran out of steam.
Oh wow!! tasty tasty tiny bittergourd sambar is ready to taste.
Adjust salt and mix well.

Now keep a kadai with one Tsp of groundnut oil.
Crackle mustard seeds and then add asafoetida turn off the stove.
Finally add 3 or 4 curry leaves tearing them by hand.
Pour the tempering over the hot-hot sambar.
Transfer into a serving bowl topped with chopped coriander leaves.

Take hot white rice in a plate, pour a ladle full of sambar and a dash of ghee or gingelly oil [ sesame/til oil ].
Mix well with hand and enjoy with your favorite stir fry or curry.
Sambar is a great accompaniment to paruppu sadham [ rice mixed with lentil and ghee ].
And also goes well with curd rice.









Other recipes you might like to try

Aviyal

Venthaya kuzhambu

Manathakkali vathakuzhambu

Vadai morekuzhambu

Vazhaipoo Kuzhambu

Curry Index

Lunch Index

Recipe Index