Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe
Here comes an interesting ancestral recipe Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu where fresh tender and shiny field beans are dunked in tangy puli kuzhambu.. Relish it with steamed rice with a dash of ghee and a bite of crunchy appalam with sizzling urulai varuval for a midday meal on a summer...
An Insight Into Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu:
Pacha Mochai puli Kuzhambu is a festive dish from South India, which tastes fantabulous when accompanied with sarkarai pongal and ven pongal. It is usually prepared during Makara Sankaranthi, on the Kanum Pongal day, i.e the second day of Thamizhar Thriunal. Tamil Cuisine is very much based on its tradition, festivals and rituals and every special occasion has its own exclusive dishes and array of menu. Pongal is one such grand festival which marks the ancient cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu and much interestingly it always comes with dainty dishes like Sarkkarai Pongal, Milagu pongal, Kadamba curry, Urulai Paal Curry, Medu vada and payasam which are offered to Sun God as a Thanksgiving for the year's harvest.
Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu is one of the major dishes that comes under this festive platter wherein fresh and raw field beans are used to make the kuzhambu unlike other times where you get only dried field beans. It is so special because its only during the month of January you can get all types of kizhangu and payaru varieties in a large scale including the tender lush green pacha mochai as this is the peak season. And this Pachai Mochai Puli Kuzhambu is prepared with fresh field beans, shallots, tomatoes along with tamarind and other regular condiments like mustard seeds, fennel seeds curry leaves and spice powders. It is prepared as an accompaniment for Sarkarai Pongal and Ven Pongal and some regions of Tamil Nadu prepare this Puli kuzhambu on the day of Pongal and in yet other places they prepare it on the Maatu Pongal day. It is offered to Sun God along with the other dishes, sugarcane and banana and widely distributed to farmers and labourers.
Pachai Mochai Puli kuzhambu goes well with rice, Idli, Dosa, Appam, Idiyappam and Pongal and certainly it is a spicy tangy temptation to your taste buds which makes you irresistible at the very sight of it. Normally, in villages you can commonly see people preparing it in large earthen pots and using it for two to three days consecutively. It usually tastes better the next day because the tangy spicy flavors of the ingredients gets seeped into the kuzhambu completely when it is left overnight or a day or two. Nothing matches the taste of pazhaya Soru with Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu. You can acclaim yourself as a foodie if you have tasted this fantastic combination at least once in your lifetime. Hot summer midday and pazhaya soru with Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu in a mansatti with a bite of crunchy raw shallot is a perfect combination and you can see people enjoying this bliss in almost each and every household in the villages during summers in Tamil Nadu.
Naturally, field beans comes with innumerable health benefits. For instance, it has a lot of fiber and it protects heart health to a greater extent. It also prevents constipation and certainly a boon for women as it is rich in Iron and Folate, one of the best foods for pregnant women as it also contains certain Isoflavanoids that prevents breast cancers. Moreover, the high level of protein present in Mochai payir helps in rejuvenating and repairing damaged cells. As it regulates the cholesterol level in the body it aids in weight loss too. It prevents high blood pressure and due to its low Glycemic Index it aids in maintaining the blood sugar level in the body. The potassium and magnesium present in mochai promotes heart health and rejuvenates the whole body. Stay informed about the benefits of field beans and consume the fresh mochai during the season and enjoy its benefits to the fullest. Kick start your parambarya unavu murai ( traditional diet ) with this lucrative recipe Pachai Mochai Puli Kuzhambu and pass this on to the younger generation with pride.
Ingredients Required To Make Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe
How To Make Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe
Take a tablespoon of freshly grated coconut and drop it in the blender and also add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to it.
Splash a little water and make a fine paste out of it and keep aside. Drop a tablespoon of tamarind in bowl of hot water and keep it aside too.
Place a mansatti (earthern pot) or a cast iron kadai in the stove and turn on the flame.
When it is heated, tip in three tablespoons of sesame oil and after a few seconds toss over a teaspoon of mustard seeds into it.
When it pops up, add a teaspoon of fennel seeds followed by a roughly torn dried red chili.
Tip in half a teaspoon of methi seeds along with a sprig of curry leaves.
When it splutters, tip in a pinch of solid asafoetida and stir in.
Finally add a teaspoon of Thaalippu Vadagam and keep stirring till it turns aromatic and now the tempering is over.
Gently add the chopped shallots and garlic cloves with a nice stir and when it becomes translucent just plop in the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
When it softens, add a cup of fresh field beans (after washing it well) and alter the flame to medium mode.
Pop the lid on and let it cook for a while.
After five minutes, open the lid and sprinkle the required salt along with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Then tip in a teaspoon of red chili powder and two teaspoons of coriander powder with a good stir.
Splash in a little water and when the spices turn aromatic, just add the coconut paste and mix well.
Now take the vessel of tamarind water and squeeze the pulp out of it. Add it to the kuzhambu (after filtering) and pour in one or two cups of water approximately.
Shift the flame to high mode and let it boil for ten to twelve minutes approximately.
When the Mochai Kuzhambu turns aromatic and reaches the desired consistency, just add half a teaspoon of jaggery and stir in.
Sprinkle some roasted curry leaves and turn off the flame.
Now the delicious Pacha Mochai Puli kuzhambu is ready to eat. Serve it along with steamed rice, thandu keerai kootu and appalam.
Tips And Tricks To Make Pacha Mochai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe
- Use only pudu puli (new tamarind) as it gives the perfect taste and color to the kuzhambu. Some people may use pazham puli (old puli ) which is quite darker that changes the color and tanginess of the kuzhambu.
- You need not soak the fresh mochai and you can use it directly in the kuzhambu.
- Pacha mochai does not create any gastric issues and you can consume it without any hesitation.
- Use soild asafoetida to make the mochai kuzhambu more digestible and flavorful.
- Adding a pinch of jaggery balances all the flavors and it is purely optional.
- You can use either sesame or groundnut oil to make this pachai mochai puli kuzhambu.
- Thalippu Vadagam popularly called as karivadagam is a flavor enhancer and an instant seasoning ingredient normally used for puli kuzhambu and kara kuzhambu and kootu varieties in South India and using it is advisable. It has the benefit of garlic, onion, mustard seeds and other regular Indian spices which are mixed together in castor oil and made as balls and sun dried.
- It is regularly prepared at homes during summers and stored in bulk and nowadays you get it ready made at all Indian stores.
- Prepare the Puli Kuzhambu in an earthen pot or a cast iron kadai to get an authentic taste and it is absolutely safe to use mansatti in a gas stove. It is quite easy to process a mansatti. Just wash it three to four times and fill it up with rice water (kanji) or you can mix some rice flour in water and pour it in the mansatti up to the brim and keep it overnight. Repeat the process again to get rid of manvasanai (smell of wet earth) completely and dry it well before use.
- You need not refrigerate the kuzhambu if you prepare it in mansatti. You can keep it in the mansatti for one or two days and reheat it in the same pot.
- Induction safe cast Iron cookware are also easily available at online stores.
Ingredients
Directions
Take a tablespoon of freshly grated coconut and drop it in the blender and also add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to it.
Splash a little water and make a fine paste out of it and keep aside. Drop a tablespoon of tamarind in bowl of hot water and keep it aside too.
Place a mansatti (earthern pot) or a cast iron kadai in the stove and turn on the flame.
When it is heated, tip in three tablespoons of sesame oil and after a few seconds toss over a teaspoon of mustard seeds into it.
When it pops up, add a teaspoon of fennel seeds followed by a roughly torn dried red chili.
Tip in half a teaspoon of methi seeds along with a sprig of curry leaves.
When it splutters, tip in a pinch of solid asafoetida and stir in.
Finally add a teaspoon of Thaalippu Vadagam and keep stirring till it turns aromatic and now the tempering is over.
Gently add the chopped shallots and garlic cloves with a nice stir and when it becomes translucent just plop in the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
When it softens, add a cup of fresh field beans (after washing it well) and alter the flame to medium mode.
Pop the lid on and let it cook for a while.
After five minutes, open the lid and sprinkle the required salt along with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Then tip in a teaspoon of red chili powder and two teaspoons of coriander powder with a good stir.
Splash in a little water and when the spices turn aromatic, just add the coconut paste and mix well.
Now take the vessel of tamarind water and squeeze the pulp out of it. Add it to the kuzhambu (after filtering) and pour in one or two cups of water approximately.
Shift the flame to high mode and let it boil for ten to twelve minutes approximately.
When the Mochai Kuzhambu turns aromatic and reaches the desired consistency, just add half a teaspoon of jaggery and stir in.
Sprinkle some roasted curry leaves and turn off the flame.
Now the delicious Pacha Mochai Puli kuzhambu is ready to eat. Serve it along with steamed rice, thandu keerai kootu and appalam.
