Monday, January 9, 2012

Thalagam

I really think that the women in my family live through cooking. The stories that they tell about how they learned to make a certain dish and what occasions they cook it on tell a lot about themselves and our family history. Recently I've gotten to know my mother-in-law a lot better by learning to cook from her, importantly I've learned the dishes my husband loves the most. In-fact, he is specific to have that particular taste for these dishes.  She is the best kind of mother-in-law, I have met no other friend who can claim a the same with their m-in-laws to the one I have with mine. Knock on wood.

I have already shared  about each of our likes to food at home. Sundar hails from southern part of Tamilnadu, Nagercoil, specifically the village Erachakulam. This dish is traditionally prepared there, and usually on the occasions of Thiruvathirai as a side dish for Kali.


Thalagam
(Print this Recipe)

The dish is prepared with 7 vegetables,
1. chakaravalli kazhangu - sweet potato
2. katharikai - eggplant
3. shepankazhangu - small dark yam
4. Avarakai
5. Vazhakai or Raw Banana
6. parangikai - squash
7. Carrots,

Peel the skins for Sweet potato, Shepankizhangu, vazhakai, carrot and parangikai. Make tamarind water from lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of water. Chop the veggie slightly big as we do for avial.

Cook all the above veggies with Tamarind water and a pinch of turmeric. Cook the veggies until tender but not mashed. Set it aside.


You need:


Grind to powder
1 tsp Raw Rice
2 Tbsp Toor dhal
1 tsp Urad dhal
1 Tbsp Coriander seeds
10 - 12 dry red chillies
1/2 cup of grated coconut

To Tamper
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dhal
a small bunch of curry leaves
2 tsp oil

Heat a pan with oil. Add the ingredients under grind to powder except coconut. Roast them until golden brown. Grind to a fine paste and set aside. Add the grated coconut separately to roast until the raw taste goes off and grind it finely.

 


To the cooked veggies, add the ground spice paste and cook until a nice blend is got. Finally add the ground coconut and cook till them form good consistency like sambar.

Tamper mustard seeds, urad dhal and add the curry leaves. Add this to the Thalagam and serve hot with Kali.
This goes as great side dish for idli or dosa too.



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