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5-ingredient curries

1. Yogurt The simplest ‘curry’ is the humble yogurt. Yogurt mixed with rice and eaten with a pickle, is the last course in a traditional South Indian meal. (Consistency : Thick ) No Cook Recipe (Yogurt)

10 Recipes:: 5 Ingredients
Contrary to popular belief, South Indian cuisine is not time consuming or need a ton of ingredients. Tamarind, Yogurt, Tuvar dal and Coconut are the building blocks of South Indian cuisine. With these and Red chili, you can cook up a huge variety of South Indian recipes.

Using a pressure cooker .
All these curries are eaten with rice. Laerning to rice is a basic skill you need to acquire. The easiest way to cook rice & dal is to use a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker does not let the steam escape, thus building up pressure inside the cooker. When stuff is cooked in this high pressure, it gets cooked faster – much faster! A rubber seal on the lid and a weight on top is used to maintain this pressure. Ensure these are assembled properly. Better still, get someone to show you how to use a pressure cooker – it will take a couple of minutes and it is a skill well worth learning!

Cooking Rice & Dal
In a pressure cooker, add a cup of rice or dal. Add two cups of water. Let soak for 15 minutes. Close the cooker and cook for two whistles. Turn off the stove and wait for around 15 minutes for the steam to settle. Open and serve. Many cookers come with two compartments which let you cook both rice and dal at one shot.

Cooking for the world
To cook for guests not acquainted with Indian cuisine, the following replacements can be done: Red chilies can be replaced by the milder Paprika and Tamarind by Lemon. Boiled Tuvar dal is not commonly used in western cuisine and so let your guests handle it, taste and get acquainted with it before tasting a lentil recipe.

Shopping List:
1. Yogurt – 1 liter
2. Red Chili - 100 gms
3. Coconut - 2 nos
4. Tamarind paste -250 gms
5. Tuvar dal – 250 gms

Courtesy: www.ramkicooks.blogspot.com

2. Tamilnadu Thenga Thogayal (Blended Coconut- Tamarind curry) Take a handful of grated coconut. Mix in a dry red chili, half a spoon of tamarind paste and a pinch of salt. Blend to a paste.(Consistency : Thick ) No Cook Recipe (Coconut + Red chili + Tamarind + Salt)

3. Karnataka Thambuli (Raw Coconut- Yogurt blended curry) Take a half a handful of grated coconut. Add a red chili and two pinches of salt and blend to a paste. Mix in half a cup (100 ml) of yogurt. (Consistency: Thick) No Cook Recipe. (Coconut + Red chili + Yogurt + Salt)

4. Andhra Kobbari Pachadi (Coconut – chili blended curry) Andhra Take half a handful of grated coconut. Blend to a paste with a red chili, a couple of pinches of salt and 2 spoons of water.(Consistency : Thick ) No Cook Recipe (Coconut+ Red Chili+ Salt )

5. Andhra Kandi Podi (Lentil - chili powder) Andhra Heat a pan. Add half a handful tuvar dal. Roast on low fire till it reddens. Let cool. Blend to a powder with a red chili and a pinch of salt. Eat mixed with hot cooked rice, drizzled with ghee. (Consistency : Powder) (Roasted tuvar dal+ Red chili+ Salt)

6. Tamilnadu Thenga milagai podi (Coconut- Tamarind powder) Heat a pan. Add a red chili and a handful of grated coconut. Roast till it browns. Add half a spoon of tamarind paste and a pinch of salt. Blend to a powder.(Consistency : Gritty powder) (Coconut + Red chili + Tamarind + Salt)

7. Paruppu (Boiled Lentils) Take half a handful of boiled tuvar dal. Mix in a spoon of ghee. Paruppu mixed with rice and eaten with a pickle is the first course in a traditional South Indian meal. (Consistency : Semi solid ). (Tuvar dal)

8. Tamilnadu Paruppu Podi (Lentil - chili powder) Dry roast half a handful of tuvar dal on low fire till it reddens. Add half a handful of grated coconuts / dry coconut powder. Stir and cook for a minute. Let cool. Blend to a powder with a red chili and a pinch of salt. Eat mixed with hot cooked rice, drizzled with ghee.(Consistency : Gritty Powder) (Tuvar dal + Red chili + Coconut)

9. Tamilnadu Paruppu Thogayal (Lentil - tamarind blended curry) Heat a spoon of oil. Add a dry red chili, and half a handful of tuvar dal. Stir and cook till dal reddens. Add to a blender with half a spoon of tamarind paste and two pinches of salt. Blend to a paste with a bit of water.(Consistency : Thick ) (Tuvar dal + Red chili + Coconut)

10. Kerala Kachiya Moru (Heated Buttermilk curry) Blend half a handful of coconut, a red chili and two pinches of salt to a paste. Mix with half a cup of yogurt and half a cup of water. Mix well. Gently simmer on a low fire. Do not boil.(Consistency: Soupy).(Yogurt + Red chili + Coconut)