01
Puzhuku
Comfort
Puzhuku - a horse gram and vegetable mash, rounding out the kanji and vanni meal.
Cooked horse gram mixed with a vegetable, ground coconut, chilli powder and a little jaggery, finished with coconut oil.
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AMMAMMA'S NOTES.
Horse gram
1/2 cup
Mixed vegetables
as needed
Coconut
1/4 cup
Red chilly powder
to taste
Salt
to taste
Jaggery
to taste
Coconut oil
2 spoons
01
Cook the horse gram in a pressure cooker until soft.
02
Cook the vegetables separately in a cooker with turmeric.
03
Mix the cooked vegetables with the horse gram.
04
Add chilly powder, salt, jaggery and ground coconut.
05
Cook for a few minutes and finish with coconut oil.
Vanni
Vegetables and raw mango cooked with turmeric, finished with ground coconut, curd, curry leaves and coconut oil.
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Kanji
Kanji - a watery rice and moong dal porridge, eaten together with vanni and puzhuku as part of a traditional meal.
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THE CLASSIC MEAL ON ONAM AND ALL SUNDAY SADHYAS. THATHA ONCE TOLD US AS WE WERE APPLAUDING HER FOR THE FOOD, THAT KANJI IS ACTUALLY A VERY NORMAL-PERSON FOOD, WHICH MAITHREE AND I REFUSED TO BELIEVE. KANJI, DRIZZLED WITH GHEE, WITH AMMAMMA BRINGING US HOT WATER FROM THE KITCHEN SO IT WOULD BURN OUR INSIDES SO PLEASANTLY, TOPPED WITH VANNI, PUZHUKU AND SOME THOGAYAL — A MEAL THAT ALWAYS FELT LIKE A WARM HUG.
YAMINI VENKATESAN
WHAT'S FOR LUNCH, 2026