Recipe of the Month

Introduction: 

The Community of jewelers and traders in South India had established themselves as small groups in most of the vibrant towns and cities over the past centuries. The pan South Indian, Vijayanagar Empire facilitated Commerce in a very large manner. Later the English East India Company made use of these traders as their commercial agents and dubashis. They established temples, choultries, and room for travelers in all the important pilgrimage and commercial centers. Being great connoisseurs of good vegetarian food, they had in their employ a large number of good chefs who just kept creating thousands of food delicacies. Weddings and occasions were times for gourmet inventions and discoveries. The cooks/chefs were mostly women and were called ‘Vanta Akkas’. These ‘Vanta akkas’ worked on special occasions, in wedding troupes, or in houses of leading merchants of their times. The food varieties were vegetarian and were free of onion and garlic during sacred days. One of the ‘Vanta akkas’ picked up this recipe during her stint with a ‘wedding troupe’ and shared the same while she served  as the chef in the house of a leading merchant in Coimbatore. This recipe is eaten along with hot rice or as a separate snack. Majjuga Pulusu with Pathikaya Untalu is a summer delicacy, however it can be had all around the year. 

Ingredients for MAJJUGA PULUSU (MOR KUZHAMBU):

1. Grated Coconut – ½ a Cup                                      4. Soaked Tuvar Dhal (Red Gram) – 1 tsp. 

2. Red Chillies – 5 to 7 nos.                                          5. Buttermilk – 4 glasses 

3. Jeera – 1 tsp.                                                             6. Mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, 

                                                                                              a piece of asafetida – for tempering 

Ingredients for PATHIKAYA UNTALU (DHAL DUMPLINGS):

1. Split Black Gram – ½ a Cup                                    4. Salt – to taste 

2. Split Yellow Gram – ½ a Cup                                 5. Oil – for frying 

3. Green Chilly – 3 nos.

Procedures for MAJJUGA PULUSU (MORE KOZHAMBU): 

1. Soak the Tuvar Dhal (Red Gram) in water for half an hour. 

2. Grind the grated Coconut, soaked Tuvar Dhal, red chilies, and Jeera to a paste by adding ample amount of water (like Chutney). 

3. Heat a pan for tempering the mustard seeds, asafetida, fenugreek, curry leaves. 

4. Add the ground chutney to the pan and allow it to boil. 

5. Add the buttermilk finally. (Do not let the Kozhambu to boil after the addition of the buttermilk.)

Procedures PATHIKAYA UNTALU (DHAL DUMPLINGS): 

1. Soak the Black Gram and the Yellow Gram in water together for an hour. 

2. Grind the soaked dhals, green chilies to a coarse paste by sprinkling water. 

3. Add salt to this batter.  

4. Heat the oil for frying and after oil becomes hot take a little (spoonful) of the vada batter and drop it in the oil. Similarly make 10 to 15 vadas per batch. 

Serving Procedure: Add the hot Vadas to the Kozhambu and serve.