Maarkandam Soup, Mutton Nenju Elumbu Soup Recipe

Maarkandam Soup, Mutton Nenju Elumbu Soup Recipe – Mutton rib bones soup. Very lite flavourful broth. Excellent remedy for cold and flu. மார்க்கண்டம் சூப் – நெஞ்சு எலும்பு சூப்.

Maarkandam soup is a very lite soup made with mutton rib bones (nenju elumbu as its called in tamil). The long cooking of the bones brings out the flavour and the broth tastes very delicious. The broth is then cooked along with an aromatic home ground masala and spices. This soup is very lite and not fatty. The addition of ground coconut adds to the richness of the soup. Excellent when feeling under the weather. Traditionally, this soup is also served to new breastfeeding moms in many parts of Tamilnadu. This soup is one of our house favorites. We like to have it with rice. If you cannot get mutton rib bones, you can do it with normal mutton / lamb bones too.

Make the mutton broth Boil the mutton rib bones with salt and water for 30 minutes in a pressure cooker on a medium flame. (Measurements – See below) .Ignore the number of whistles. Cooking for a long time will render the juices from the bones and make the broth more flavourful.

For the soup masala:

Heat ghee in a pan and add in all the spices (cardamon, cinnamon, kalpasi, clove, black pepper, cumin and fennel). Roast all the ingredients on a low flame for 3-4 minutes. The spices will turn very aromatic and will change color to slightly golden / brown.

Add in the diced onion and the tomato. Also add in the peeled ginger and the garlic. Add in the salt and turmeric and saute everything for a minute. Note that we have already salted the broth. So go easy on the salt.

Add in the fresh shredded coconut and the poppy seeds (khus khus – gasa gasa). If you cannot source poppy seeds in a country where you live, just omit it. (Poppy seeds is banned in the middle east as its considered an opium). Saute for a minute more. Remove off from heat and set aside to cool.

Once the mixture is cool, grind to a paste along with a cup of water in a heavy duty mixie. Set aside.

Add the ground masala to the broth that is sitting in the cooker. If the soup is very thick at this stage, add more water as necessary.

Cover the cooker and cook for 15 minutes on a medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. After 15 minutes, switch off the flame and wait for the pressure from the cooker to settle naturally.

Open the cooker and add in the curry leaves and coriander leaves. Fresh curry leaves adds a very nice aroma to the soup. Discard the bones if serving as a soup for first course.

Maarkandam soup is ready.

Serve the soup as a first course. You can also serve with rice. It tastes so comforting and lite.

For the mutton broth

• 250 grams Mutton rib bones (nenju elumbu)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 liter water

For the Masala

• 1 cardamom
• 1 clove
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• A big pinch of kal pasi
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (khus khus – Gasa Gasa)
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch ginger, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 cup water to grind the masala

Other Ingredients

• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 sprig coriander leaves

1. Boil the mutton rib bones with salt and water for 30 minutes in a pressure cooker on a medium flame.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and add in all the spices (cardamon, cinnamon, kalpasi, clove, black pepper, cumin and fennel). Roast all the ingredients on a low flame for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in the diced onion and the tomato. Also add in the peeled ginger and the garlic.
4. Add in the salt and turmeric and saute everything for a minute.
5. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and the poppy seeds. Saute for a minute more. Remove off from heat and set aside to cool.
6. Once the mixture is cool, grind to a paste along with a cup of water in a heavy duty mixie. Set aside.
7. Add the ground masala to the broth that is sitting in the cooker. If the soup is thick at this stage, add more water as necessary.
8. Cover the cooker and cook for 15 minutes on a medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. After 15 minutes, switch off the flame and wait for the pressure from the cooker to settle naturally.
9. Open the cooker and add in the curry leaves and coriander leaves.
10. Maarkandam soup is ready.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

For the mutton broth

• 250 grams Mutton rib bones (nenju elumbu)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 liter water

For the Masala

• 1 cardamom
• 1 clove
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• A big pinch of kal pasi
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (khus khus – Gasa Gasa)
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch ginger, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 cup water to grind the masala

Other Ingredients

• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 sprig coriander leaves

1. Boil the mutton rib bones with salt and water for 30 minutes in a pressure cooker on a medium flame.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and add in all the spices (cardamon, cinnamon, kalpasi, clove, black pepper, cumin and fennel). Roast all the ingredients on a low flame for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in the diced onion and the tomato. Also add in the peeled ginger and the garlic.
4. Add in the salt and turmeric and saute everything for a minute.
5. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and the poppy seeds. Saute for a minute more. Remove off from heat and set aside to cool.
6. Once the mixture is cool, grind to a paste along with a cup of water in a heavy duty mixie. Set aside.
7. Add the ground masala to the broth that is sitting in the cooker. If the soup is thick at this stage, add more water as necessary.
8. Cover the cooker and cook for 15 minutes on a medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. After 15 minutes, switch off the flame and wait for the pressure from the cooker to settle naturally.
9. Open the cooker and add in the curry leaves and coriander leaves.
10. Maarkandam soup is ready.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/maarkandam-soup/

Moonu raja pongal is made in Pondicherry and coastal areas to celebrate Epiphany or three kings festival. Its made with freshly harvested rice and coconut milk. மூன்று ராஜா பொங்கல் பண்டிகை.

This is a traditional recipe made in Pondicherry and Karaikal for the epiphany festival which coincides with the pongal festival in January. Its very interesting to know why its called as Moonu raja pongal. Moonu Raja means three kings. According to the Christian tradition, a group of foreigners, “three wise men or three kings” as they are called visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, Frankincense and myrrh (a resin used in incense and perfumes). They are regular figures in nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition. Epiphany is a christian festival that falls on the twelfth day after Christmas. Epiphany is also called the “Three Kings festival” and is celebrated on January 6th, which is also the pongal season in Tamilnadu (Harvest festival). Christians in Tamilnadu, especially in the coastal areas of Pondicherry and Karaikal (the erstwhile french colonies) celebrate Epiphany as Three Kings festival. The french celebrate Epiphany by making “galette des rois – Three Kings’ cake” and that influence has been passed on where christians settled in Pondicerry make a Three Kings Pongal / Moonu Raja Pongal. Moonu Raja means three kings. On this day people remove the cribs and nativity sets at home that were put up for Christmas.This recipe is made with freshly harvested rice and coconut milk. Its very rich and is offered in churches all over Pondicherry on Three Kings Day.

Here is how to do Moonu Raja Pongal. Prep: We will need coconut milk for this recipe. I have used half of a small coconut to make coconut milk. To make coconut milk, please see the recipe here.

This recipe is made with raw rice. I have used seeraga samba rice today to make the recipe. Any raw rice variety will work for this recipe. Seeraga samba is a short grained aromatic rice that’s really popular in Tamilnadu and works really well for this recipe. The aroma is divine!!!!

Method We will be using half a cup of rice today for this recipe.

Take a pressure cooker and add in the second pressed + third pressed coconut milk. Add in the rice and the salt.

Cover the cooker and cook for 4 whistles on a medium flame. It will take about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. I used a 3 liter cooker today for making this recipe.

Keep the cooker on a low flame and add in the sugar and cook for a couple of minutes till all the sugar is dissolved.

Add in the powdered cardamom. Mix well to combine.

Finally add in the first pressed coconut milk. After adding the first pressed coconut milk, do not cook for a long time. Remove from heat after a gentle simmer for a couple of minutes. The pongal will continue to thicken as it cools.

Next, we need to roast the dry fruits in ghee and add it to our pongal. We would need ghee, cashew nuts and raisins. Take a small pan and set it on low. Add in the ghee and the cashew nuts. Roast on low flame until lightly brown. Low flame is the key to good roasted nuts. Add in the raisins and wait for it to plump. Once its plumped up, remove off heat.

Add it to the pongal. Mix well.

Moonu Raja Pongal is ready. Serve hot / warm immediately.

Coconut Milk :See Recipe

• 1/2 a coconut ground with water and strained to yield below
• ——–1/2 cup first pressed milk (Thick Milk)
• ——–1 cup second pressed milk (Thin Milk)
• ——–1 cup third pressed milk (Very Thin milk)

Other Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw rice or seeraga samba rice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Final tempering

• 2 tablespoon ghee
• 10 cashews
• 10 raisins

1. Take a pressure cooker and add in the second pressed + third pressed coconut milk. (Total of two cups ). Add in the rice and the salt.
2. Cover the cooker and cook for 4 whistles on a medium flame. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally.
3. Keep the cooker on a low flame and add in the sugar and cook for a couple of minutes till all the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add in the powdered cardamom. Mix well to combine.
5. Finally add in the first pressed coconut milk (half cup). After adding the first pressed coconut milk, do not cook for a long time. Remove from heat after a gentle simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Take a small pan and set it on low. Add in the ghee and the cashew nuts. Roast on low flame until lightly brown. Add in the raisins and wait for it to plump. Once its plumped up, remove off heat.
7. Add it to the pongal. Mix well.
8. Serve immediately.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Sweets
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu