Easy south Indian lunch recipes, menu idea with Mor kuzhambu, paruppu usili. Just a rough idea with recipe links, how to prepare the lunch.
This post is my first one for many ideas I am planning to share weekly. I am not going to post the recipes elaborately, just linking my existing recipes and sharing a possible combination.
So that it will be easy and helpful for many to pre-plan their lunch in weekends/ weekdays. For myself, and also for many people like me. I also want to let know, this may not have any fancy combinations or elaborate lunch mostly.
Instead, simple most of the times, yet will try my best to match the best combinations and . If any of the recipes in the menu is not in my blog and if you want that specific recipe, you can leave a message requesting that recipe and I will try posting the recipe soon.
Recipe links
1. Mor kuzhambu
2. Cluster beans paruppu usili
Meal preparation
- To start with, here is the classic combo more kuzhambu and paruppu usili.
- On wake up, soak dal for paruppu usili.
- Take out required curd and keep it outside as it will be good to have room temperature curd for mor kuzhambu.
- When you are ready for preparing lunch, (after dal is soaked) first prepare usili.
- That is grind, steam it. While it is steaming, you can chop ladies finger first.
- Saute it in sesame oil. This is done in low flame. So use this time to chop cluster beans.
- To chop cluster beans, stack same sized and cut top and tip first.
- Then finely chop it as needed for the usili.
- By now dal and ladies finger will be ready. Keep them aside.
- Continue by cooking cluster beans.
Tip of the week
To save time and finish the work easily, here are some short cuts.
- Soak dal for paruppu usili in hot water. It gets soaked faster, though there may be slight difference in texture.
- While you steam for paruppu usili, keep cluster beans also inside so that it gets steamed together.
- I do not do it as I like to season the vegetable as it get cooked. But it will not be bad to mix the spices and salt later as well.
- Instead of steaming, if the dal is very less in quantity, you can stir fry in kadai itself.
- Grind the dal for paruppu usili coarsely without any water to ensure a good texture. If you add water and grind smoothly, then fluffing it becomes time consuming. You can give it a run in mixie after cooling in that case to fasten the process.
My notes
We always try the best to include some dal everyday in our meals and since the kuzhambu is yogurt based, the paruppu usili has lentils and complete the meal.
I have made it with ladies finger/ Okra/ vendakkai. To add ladies finger in mor kuzhambu, we usually fry it in 2 tablespoon sesame oil until black spot appears and the stickiness also goes away. Then boil it until done with salt. Then add it to the mor kuzhambu.
Other veggies that can be added in mor kuzhambu are - chow chow/ chayote, white pumpkin, brinjal, arbi/ seppankizhangu and even we make small bondas and add to the mor kuzhambu.
Even paruppu urundais can be added to this kuzhambu. All the veggies should be cooked before with little water and salt before adding to the kuzhambu.
Share the vegetable you add instead of the above.
Other vegetables that can be perfect for paruppu usili are beans, long beans, cabbage/carrot, broad beans, capsicum, spring onion/ onion and vazhaipoo paruppu usili (banana flower).
Gayathri Ramanan says
Love the combo...great idea..
Divya Kudua says
such a great idea Raks!
Kaveri Venkatesh says
Moru Kuzhambu and paruppu usili is a match made in heaven...Looking forward to more such lovely lunch combos
Shama Nagarajan says
delicious and yummy
anusha praveen says
nice idea Raji. People like me always need a bit of push in planning. 🙂
Sowmya Madhavan says
Killer combo...I love this.
Revathi says
Lovely idea raks... When I started blogging I planned to post like this but some how dint follow.. Good
Priya Suresh says
Thats a wonderful lunch, inviting and cant take my eyes from that mor kuzhambu and usili.
notyet100 says
Platter looks delicious .., still to try the curry
Hari Chandana P says
Great combination.. inviting platter 🙂
Santhi Siva says
Love the combination. Yummy clicks!!
Sukanya says
Thanx a lot....menu planning each day is a troublesome job for any women.or atleast fo me..even if u create a weekly menu plan in ur blog...am ready to grab and follow....luv all ur recipes...
Ms.Chitchat says
Perfect combo, nice click as always.
radha says
Which recipe can anyone recommend that is not already on your blog !! This is a treasure house. Looking forward to weekly menus.
Aara Shaikh says
Thank u raks i never knew u had mor khuzambu recipe in ur blog 🙂 im gonna try it out soon 🙂
Nivedhanams Sowmya says
lunch ideas are so helpful... thanks for sharing...
Induja says
Great combo! And keep the lunch ideas coming please!
Janani says
wow super raks its really nice combo.
Valli says
This comment has been removed by the author.
Valli says
Nice blog Raks...pics are awesome.
usili can be made even with beetroot or vaazhaipoo....
Vijaylakshmi says
Hi Raji,
I am Viji, an ardent fan of your blog. We generally add sundakkai vathal, manathakkali vathal or Kunukku(made of kadala paruppu - u had written bonda instead i guess) with more kuzhambu. Also for paruppu usili, we sometimes do it with green sundakkai(not the dried one - the fresh one). Need to cut each one into two without fully splitting them and then the usual usili format. It will have an awesome fresh taste and extremely healthy too(Its ful of iron).
Vanamala Hebbar says
Very nice....lovely dishes
Sharmilee! :) says
Nice combo menu...I too started lunch combo earlier but cudnt continue doing it....I am sure you will rock on!! 🙂
Vaishnavi says
Hi Raji. My family adds bhindi to more kuzhambu. Tastes well. Sometimes i add capsicum when i have no other veggies