Vazhai Poo Usli & Mor Kozhambu

Our lovely blogger buddy Kanchan is celebrating her birthday today! Let us all wish her a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, with long-lasting happiness for years to come!

Picture Courtesy: 123greetings.com

I believe I have told you all before in one of my earlier posts, that I used to be a very rebellious and fussy eater in my childhood (actually till I entered college!) Mom had a tough time with me always because I had a finicky taste and my preferences were limited to rasam, vendakkai poriyal (Okra Stir-fry), Dosa and Maggi! Almost every second day the lunch box will come back home as it was packed.

I don't remember when and how I became a foodie; probably during my college days, where my 3 best friends were those foodie types and they influenced my eating habits a lot. Thanks to them, here I am trying out new and traditional recipes each day and blogging about them! Mom would have never had even in her faintest idea that one day her daughter would become a FOOD BLOGGER (of all the other things!!!)

Usli - probably one of the most tried recipes that would be blogged over and over! Because no matter how many times we read about it, blog it or share it, every time Usli tastes as heavenly as the first time! More than the Usli itself, it is the Vazhai poo that fascinates me. I still remember those beautiful full moon nights, we all would go to the terrace and mom prepares the mixed rice, probably sambar or kozhambu (which otherwise is in the "untouchable" list for me)and serve it in the "Vazhai poo Madal" i.e the leaves of Banana flower, which she had reserved for me.

Before I get too nostalgic, let's go to our recipe!

Vazhai Poo Usli
Chana Dal and Banana flowers cooked with mild spices

What we need:
Vazhai Poo - 1, medium sized
Chana Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 cup
Red Chillies - 3 to 4, according to your palates
Curry leaves - a sprig
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - according to your taste

For tempering:
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Split Urad dal - 1 tsp.

We also need:
A cup of buttermilk to soak the cut vazhai poo. This eliminates the "tuvarpu" taste of the vazhai poo.

Preparing for the Usli:
Wash, clean and soak the Chana dal along with some red chillies for about an hour.

Meanwhile, switch on the TV or start a movie in your laptop and sit down with a bowl of buttermilk, little salt or oil, and the vazhai poo. It is a loooong process to cut and clean this flower. Apply a little oil or rub your hands with little salt because later you don't want to look like a mechanic who repairs the car!
Make sure you remove the "Kalan", inside every flower. It resembles a Match stick head. Also remove a fine glass-like layer inside the flower. Cut the flowers into small pieces and soak them in the buttermilk for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Chitra has given the clear picture of how the "Kalan" looks. Please click here to see her recipe.

How to do:
1. Grind the chana dal to a coarse paste along with the red chilli, salt, asafoetida and little or no water.
2. Mix it with the chopped flowers and spread the mix over a steel plate or the idlis plate creased with oil, and steam it for about 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool and crumble it to coarse pieces.
3. Heat oil and add the mustard, followed by split urad dal and curry leaves. When they are done, add the dal-flower and mix well.
4. Adjust the salt according to your taste and remove from the flame.

Mor Kozhambu
Yoghurt soup simmered with coconut

What we need:
Thick yoghurt/curd - 2 cups
Fresh grated Coconut - 3 tbsp.
Chana Dal - 2 tbsp. Reserve some chana dal you soak for the usli.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tbsp.
Red/Green Chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Salt - according to your taste

For tempering:
Coconut Oil/Cooking oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tbsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig

How to do:
1. Grind together the grated coconut, chana dal, green/red chillies, cumin.
2. Mix this ground paste with yoghurt, along with a pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Add water to achieve your desired consistency.
3. Heat coconut oil and add the mustard, followed by curry leaves. When they are done, reduce the flame to low-medium and add the yoghurt mix.
4. Stir well. It may start to splatter in a few minutes, that is when you need to remove it from the flame.

Note:
1. Coconut Oil enhances the flavor of the Mor Kozhambu by many folds. Inspite of using it for tempering, I also add a generous amount of coconut oil to the mor kozhambu after removing it from stove, and leave it undisturbed till serving time. It smells and tastes so good.
2. For those who don't have an aversion to Asafoetida, sprinkle it generously over the kozhambu and leave it undisturbed till you serve.
3. If you have some banana leaves to spare, cover the vessel tightly with the leaf and keep a lid over it. It increases the flavor and makes your Mor Kozhambu a sure hit!
4. To make a simple, instant mor kozhambu, please click here.

Serve together Usli and Mor Kozhambu with piping hot steamed rice drizzled with sesame oil!

Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging