Paruppurunda Kozhambu

Seeing the popularity of Vatha Kozhambu in my blog, I decided to try making Paruppurunda Kozhambu today. Paruppurunda means pulse ball. The basic recipe is the same as making Vatha Kozhambu. The additional step is to make the pulse balls and add it to the kozhambu. I will add the recipe including the kozhambu here for easy reference. I have increased the quantity a little to be able to accommodate the pulse balls

Ingredients

For the pulse ball

Toor Dal 1 cup (will make around 10 small balls)

Red Chillies 2

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Salt

For the kozhambu

Mustard 1tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp

Toor dal 3 tsp

Red chillies 3

Curry leaves few

Sambar powder 4 tsp

Rice flour 2 tsp

Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp (use depending on your paste. Mine is very tangy)

Oil and Salt to taste

Method of Preparation for pulse ball

1. Soak the toor dal for a couple of hours.

2. Grind into a coarse paste with chillies and salt adding little water.

3. Heat oil in a small pan and add a mustard for tempering.

4. Add the ground paste and stir in low flame till it hardens a little and the wateryness is gone.

5.Roll into small balls. 1 cup will make around 10 balls. Standard recipe says add these balls to the Kozhambu prepared below. I have found that if I do that, it dissolves into the Kozhambu and there is usually not much pulse ball left :-)

6. So I follow an additional step. Steam the balls in an idli plate for 6 minutes. This will prevent the balls from dissolving when added to the Kozhambu

Method of Preparation for Kozhambu

1. Heat oil in a Pan and add the mustard. When it sputters, add fenugreek seeds, toor dal and Red Chillies.

2. When it slightly browns, add the curry leaves and pour 5 cups of water

3. Add the sambar powder and the tamarind paste and salt

5. When it starts to boil, add the rice flour and mix well. The rice flour helps in the thickening of the kozhambu.

6. Boil till the kozhambu is reduced to approximately 4 cups.

7. Add the pulse balls prepared in first step to the Kozhambu.