Venthaya Pachadi

#VenthayaPachadi [ fenugreekPachadi ] : This is a thick gravy type dish prepared using #fenugreeksprouts, dates and dried grapes ( kismis ). It is very very difficult to define the taste of the dish. It has all four tastes namely sweet, sour, bitter and spicy. Fenugreek seeds as well as leaves are extensively used in Indian cooking. Most of the people avoid fenugreek due to its bitterness. If the seeds are soaked and then cooked the bitterness comes down little bit and palatable. The seeds are very good for health and beneficial for most common health problems. The sprouts are very good source of protein.
One tablespoon of fenugreek seeds contains
35.5 calories
6.4 grams carbohydrates
2.5 grams protein
0.7 grams fat
2.7 grams fiber
3.7 mg of iron
0.1 mg of copper and manganese
21 mg of magnesium
32.6 mg of phosphorus
The water soluble fiber present in the seeds are good for digestion, helps reduce constipation and decreases cholesterol.

This is a Rajasthani delicacy and came across the recipe from a cookery show. I have included the things that were available in my kitchen and modified according to my taste.

Ingredients :
1/4 cup	Fenugreek sprouts
2 Tbsp	Dried grapes [ kishmish ]
1/2 Tsp	Red chilly powder [ adjust ]
1/2 Tsp	Cumin powder
2 Tsp	Coriander powder
1 Tsp	Amchur powder ( Mango powder ) [ adjust ]
1 Tsp	Jaggery
2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seed
1/2 Tsp	Cumin seed
8 - 10	Curry leaves
3 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ sesame / till oil ]

Method :
Soak dried grapes ( kishmish ) in lukewarm water.
Keep aside.

Pressure cook fenugreek sprouts [ Venthayam sprouts ] adding a cup of water for two whistles.

Open the cooker after it ran out of steam.
Set aside.

Heat a kadai with oil on a stove over medium flame.

Crackle mustard seed and cumin seed once oil becomes hot.

Then add cooked fenugreek sprouts with water in which it had been cooked earlier.

Now add red chilly powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Stir well until its raw smell goes off.

Then add soaked kishmish and salt.

Allow to simmer for a minute.

Then add Amchur powder [ mango powder ], jaggery and adjust salt.

Simmer until the oil starts floating over the surface.

Add torn curry leaves and turn off the stove.

Sweet, sour, bitter and spicy venthaya pachadi is ready.
This dish goes well with paruppu sadham [ lentil mixed rice ], sambar rice and also curd rice.

Note : Dried dates can also be soaked and added along with kishmish.
To make fenugreek sprouts
Soak fenugreek seeds previous day morning after washing two times in a vessel.
After eight hours drain the water completely and close the vessel with a lid.
Keep overnight at a warm place in your kitchen.
Next day morning the fenugreek sprouts can be seen.





Some more interesting recipes you might like to try

varagu venthaya kanji

fenugreek leaf besan dosai

vengaya vadavam

appam batter

venthaya kuzhambu

Appam - Appam Maavu - Dough For Appam

#Appam ( #ஆப்பம் ) is a tiffin just like #Dosai  prepared from rice, fenugreek (venthayam) & dals and made over a hot Aappakkal [ dosai tawa ] or Aappachatty ( A shallow Kadai with a lid ).

Appam (ஆப்பம் ) is a famous breakfast in Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala. 

In Kerala, they used to prepare batter with raw rice and coconut.

But in our family it is prepared using different combination of rice and fenugreek which is very tasty and healthy too.

The batter should be fermented overnight to get delicious soft appams.

My grand mother used to add Kall or Kadi to ferment it well.

Ingredients :
Raw Rice                      : 2 cups
Idly Rice                       : 2 cups
Fenugreek (Methy)       : 1 Tblsp [ approx. 1/8 cup ]
(venthayam)
Black gram dhal           : 1 Tblsp [ approx. 1/8 cup ]
Thuvar Dhal                 : 1 Tblsp [ approx. 1/8 cup ]
Salt                               : 4 Tsp

Method :
Soak Fenugreek the night before ( or 24 hours before ) you are going to grind the appam maavu.

soaked fenugreek the previous day and allowed to sprout today 

Next day morning drain the water into another vessel. 
Save this water which can be added to the grinder when we grind dhals.
Now close the vessel containing fenugreek with a lid.
(This is done to allow fenugreek to sprout thereby increasing its nutritional value)

Now take rice in a separate vessel, wash 2 or 3 times and soak it for 3 hours.

Soak black gram dhal(urad) & Thuvar dhal together in a separate container.

After 3 hours first grind the rice very nicely in a grinder.

It takes around 1/2 hour to 1 hour to grind the rice depending on the type of the grinder and the quantity of rice taken.

After grinding the rice into a smooth batter add 4 tsp of salt finally and then transfer the dough into a big vessel.

Now add soaked  fenugreek, Black gram dal and thuvar dhal into the grinder and also that saved soaked water of fenugreek.

Keep sprinkling water while grinding the dals to make it fluffy.
Once the dals are ground transfer to the container having the ground rice batter.

Wash the grinder with 1/2 cup of water and pour into the batter.
Mix well with your hands and allow it to ferment for at least 8 to 12 hours.
Then you can make appam in a tawa [ dosai kal ] or appa chatty covering with lid.

Appam goes well with coconut chutney or 


spicy wet red garlic chutney.

But appam has to be enjoyed with jaggery mixed sweet coconut milk only.



Other appam varieties to try

Appam Mystyle

Appam Kerala Style 1

Appam Kerala Style 2

Chola appam

For other Chutney varieties

Chutney


Ideas for breakfast/dinner

Tiffin Recipes

Venthaya Kuzhambu - Fenu Greek Sambar

#VenthayaKuzhambu : #Fenugreek ( #Venthayam ) is very good for health. Fenugreek seeds as well as leaves are extensively used in Indian cooking. Most of the people avoid fenugreek due to its bitterness. If the seeds are soaked and then cooked the bitterness comes down little bit and palatable. The seeds are very good for health and beneficial for most common health problems. The sprouts are very good source of protein.
One tablespoon of fenugreek seeds contains
35.5 calories
6.4 grams carbohydrates
2.5 grams protein
0.7 grams fat
2.7 grams fiber
3.7 mg of iron
0.1 mg of copper and manganese
21 mg of magnesium
32.6 mg of phosphorus
The water soluble fiber present in the seeds are good for digestion, helps reduce constipation and decreases cholesterol.

But how to include in our food??!. It is added in small quantity while grinding batter for idly, dosai and appam. 

A tasty kuzhambu can also be made with fenugreek. This is one of the best tasty recipes with fenugreek. Now let me present the method of preparation.

Ingredients :

Fenugreek                         : 1 tblsp( Soaked previous day & sprouted )
Small onion                       : 10 to 15
OR Big onion                   : 1 Big sized onion
Curry leaves                     : 10 to 12
Sambar powder               : 1 tsp
Special sambar powder    : 2 to 3 tsp
Coconut milk                    : 1/4 cup ( first )
Coconut milk                    : 1/2 cup ( second and third )
Tamarind                           : 1 small round

To Temper :
1 Tsp                                Mustard seeds
1 Tsp                                Cumin
4 Tsp                               Oil
For Special sambar powder
Gram dhal [ kadalai paruppu ]       : 1 Tsp
Black lentil [ urad dhal ]                 : 1/2 Tsp
Coriander seeds                               : 1 Tsp
Black pepper                                   : 1/2 Tsp
Cumin seeds                                   : 1/2 Tsp
Red chilly                                       : 4

Method :
Soak tamarind in lukewarm water.

To prepare special sambar powder

Dry roast 1tsp of gram dhal, 1/2 tsp of urad dhal, 1 tsp of dhaniya, 1/2 tsp pepper,1/2 tsp of cumin and 4 red chillies.
Grind all the roasted ingredients using a mixer grinder.
Keep aside.

Chop onion nicely.

Keep a kadai on a stove over slow flame.
Add 4 tsp of any cooking oil.
After the oil becomes hot splutter mustard seeds & cumin seeds.
Then add curry leaves and onion. Saute for a few seconds.
Now add the sprouted fenugreek seeds.

Just saute for a few seconds.
Now add Sambar powder and powdered Special sambar powder.
Squeeze out pulp from soaked tamarind and strain it into the kadai and also the fenugreek soaked water.
Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

When the fenugreek & onions are completely cooked add enough salt.
Allow it to simmer for few more seconds. Then add second and third coconut milk.

Now slowly add first coconut milk.

The stove must remain at SIM position when you add coconut milk.
Let it simmer till the oil comes out of the kuzhambu.
Transfer it into a serving bowl & garnish with curry leaves.

It taste good with Paruppu sadam.

It can be stored in fridge for 2 to 3 days. 

To make fenugreek sprouts

Soak fenugreek seeds previous day morning after washing two times in a vessel.

After eight hours drain the water completely and close the vessel with a lid.

Keep overnight at a warm place in your kitchen.

Next day morning the fenugreek sprouts can be seen.

Some more interesting recipes you might like to try

varagu venthaya kanji

fenugreek leaf besan dosai

vengaya vadavam

appam batter

venthaya pachadi

Curry Index

Lunch Index

Recipe Index