Recipe for Tamil style Arasanikai – yellow pumpkin curry. Arasanikai kuzhambu made with a ground masala paste from scratch. Yellow pumpkin curry in coconut sauce. Perfect side dish for rice.
Here are some of the items that will be useful for making this curry. Indian heavy duty mixie Kuzhambu milagai thool Unprocessed Jaggery
Here is the video of how to make Arasanikai Kuzhambu – Yellow Pumpkin Curry Recipe
Here is how to make Arasanikai Kuzhambu – Yellow Pumpkin Curry Recipe
Heat Sesame oil in a pan and add in the cumin, coriander, black pepper, chillies, curry leaves and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds until the spices are coated in oil and starting to smell fragrant.
Add in the onions and tamarind. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add in the roughly chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook on a low flame for about 3-4 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy.
Remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool. Add in the coconut and half a cup of water and grind to a fine paste. Make sure to grind the masala to as smooth a paste as possible. Set aside.
Add in a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Do not add too much fenugreek seeds as the curry will become bitter. Add in the mustard seeds, chillies and curry leaves. I have used Katti Perungayam (slab asafoetida) today. Asafoetida powder is also fine.
Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the diced pumpkin.
Add in a cup of water and mix well. Add in the kuzhambu milagai thool, turmeric powder and jaggery powder. Simmer for five minutes. “Kuzhambu milagai thool” is a curry powder used in Tamil households and can be sourced from a south Indian grocery store. If you dont have “kuzhambu milagai thool”, use store bought sambar powder or curry powder.
After five minutes of simmering, add in the ground masala paste.
Wash the mixie with little water and add to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir once and simmer for five minutes more. Check if the pumpkin is cooked and simmer for a couple of minutes more if necessary. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning if necessary. Finally add in the coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve with rice.
Ingredients for Arasanikai Kuzhambu Masala
1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1/4 teaspoon black pepper seeds 3 dried gundu chillies 2 sprigs curry leaves 1 pod garlic 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1/2 inch piece tamarind 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut 1/2 cup water
Other Ingredients
1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds a pinch of asafoetida 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds 2 dried gundu chillies 2 sprigs curry leaves 1.5 cups diced yellow pumpkin 1 & 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon kuzhambu milagai thool (or) sambar powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon jaggery 1 teaspoon coriander leaves, chopped
Heat Sesame oil in a pan and add in the cumin, coriander, black pepper, chillies, curry leaves and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds until the spices are coated in oil and starting to smell fragrant.
Add in the onions and tamarind. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add in the roughly chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook on a low flame for about 3-4 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy.
Remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool. Add in the coconut and half a cup of water and grind to a fine paste. Make sure to grind the masala to as smooth a paste as possible. Set aside.
Add in a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Do not add too much fenugreek seeds as the curry will become bitter. Add in the mustard seeds, chillies and curry leaves. I have used Katti Perungayam (slab asafoetida) today. Asafoetida powder is also fine.
Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the diced pumpkin.
Add in a cup of water and mix well. Add in the kuzhambu milagai thool, turmeric powder and jaggery powder. Simmer for five minutes. “Kuzhambu milagai thool” is a curry powder used in Tamil households and can be sourced from a south Indian grocery store. If you dont have “kuzhambu milagai thool”, use store bought sambar powder or curry powder.
After five minutes of simmering, add in the ground masala paste.
Wash the mixie with little water and add to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir once and simmer for five minutes more. Check if the pumpkin is cooked and simmer for a couple of minutes more if necessary. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning if necessary. Finally add in the coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve with rice.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 15m
- Cook Time: 30m
Ingredients for Arasanikai Kuzhambu Masala
1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1/4 teaspoon black pepper seeds 3 dried gundu chillies 2 sprigs curry leaves 1 pod garlic 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1/2 inch piece tamarind 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut 1/2 cup water
Other Ingredients
1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds a pinch of asafoetida 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds 2 dried gundu chillies 2 sprigs curry leaves 1.5 cups diced yellow pumpkin 1 & 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon kuzhambu milagai thool (or) sambar powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon jaggery 1 teaspoon coriander leaves, chopped
Heat Sesame oil in a pan and add in the cumin, coriander, black pepper, chillies, curry leaves and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds until the spices are coated in oil and starting to smell fragrant.
Add in the onions and tamarind. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add in the roughly chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook on a low flame for about 3-4 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy.
Remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool. Add in the coconut and half a cup of water and grind to a fine paste. Make sure to grind the masala to as smooth a paste as possible. Set aside.
Add in a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Do not add too much fenugreek seeds as the curry will become bitter. Add in the mustard seeds, chillies and curry leaves. I have used Katti Perungayam (slab asafoetida) today. Asafoetida powder is also fine.
Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the diced pumpkin.
Add in a cup of water and mix well. Add in the kuzhambu milagai thool, turmeric powder and jaggery powder. Simmer for five minutes. “Kuzhambu milagai thool” is a curry powder used in Tamil households and can be sourced from a south Indian grocery store. If you dont have “kuzhambu milagai thool”, use store bought sambar powder or curry powder.
After five minutes of simmering, add in the ground masala paste.
Wash the mixie with little water and add to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir once and simmer for five minutes more. Check if the pumpkin is cooked and simmer for a couple of minutes more if necessary. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning if necessary. Finally add in the coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve with rice.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 15m
- Cook Time: 30m
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/arasanikai-kuzhambu/
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe. Stir fried chicken tossed with veggies and roasted peanuts. Recipe with step by step pictures and video.
Here is my style of Kung Pao chicken made using ingredients easily found in my Indian kitchen. The traditional recipe uses ingredients like Sichuan peppercorn and Shaoxing Wine which is hard to come by in India. This is a very healthy stir-fry made with marinated chicken, veggies and roasted peanuts. It comes together in no time.
Here is the video of Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
Here is how to make Kung Pao Chicken Recipe Dice the boneless chicken breast into small cubes. To the cut cubes, add in the ingredients listed under “marination”. Mix well to combine. Marinate the chicken for 15-20 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, prep the dried red chillies. Remove the seeds from the chillies and chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
Use the biggest burner on the stove for making Chinese stir-fries. High heat is key. Heat a wok on high heat. Add in the peanut oil. Add in the minced garlic and the ginger. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add in the chopped chillies and sauté for a few seconds.
Add in the marinated chicken pieces. Keep the flame on high and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes. Cut a piece of the cooked chicken. If its white inside, the chicken is cooked. Do not cook the chicken for long as the breasts will become rubbery. Keep the pieces small so it cooks fast and make sure to keep all the pieces roughly of the same size.
Add in the veggies and roasted peanuts. Cook for a couple of minutes. We need to keep the vegetables crunchy. So do not cook the veggies for long.
In the mean time, make the sauce. Take a bowl. Add in all the ingredients listed under “sauce”. Mix well to combine.
Add in the sauce to the pan. Sauté for a couple of minutes so the chicken is well coated in sauce.
Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped spring onion.
Serve with rice.
Ingredients for Marinating Chicken
500 grams boneless chicken breast 1.5 teaspoon dark soy sauce 1.5 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon honey 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder 2 teaspoon corn starch 1/4 teaspoon salt
Other Prep
12 dried red chillies – deseeded
For the Stir-Fry
2 tablespoon peanut oil 1 tablespoon minced ginger 2 tablespoon minced garlic 1 stalk celery, diced 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
For the Sauce
1.5 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1.5 teaspoon rice vinegar 2 teaspoon corn starch 1/4 cup water 2 sprigs spring onion, chopped
Dice the boneless chicken breast into small cubes. To the cut cubes, add in the ingredients listed under “marination”. Mix well to combine. Marinate the chicken for 15-20 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, prep the dried red chillies. Remove the seeds from the chillies and chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
Use the biggest burner on the stove for making Chinese stir-fries. High heat is key. Heat a wok on high heat. Add in the peanut oil. Add in the minced garlic and the ginger. Sauté for a few seconds. Add in the chopped chillies and sauté for a few seconds.
Add in the marinated chicken pieces. Keep the flame on high and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes. Cut a piece of the cooked chicken. If its white inside, the chicken is cooked. Do not cook the chicken for long as the breasts will become rubbery. Keep the pieces small so it cooks fast and make sure to keep all the pieces roughly of the same size.
Add in the veggies and roasted peanuts. Cook for a couple of minutes. We need to keep the vegetables crunchy. So do not cook the veggies for long.
In the mean time, make the sauce. Take a bowl. Add in all the ingredients listed under “sauce”. Mix well to combine.
Add in the sauce to the pan. Sauté for a couple of minutes so the chicken is well coated in sauce. Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped spring onion. Serve with rice.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 20m
- Cook Time: 15m
