Express Brunch Menu #3-Tomato-onion Vatha Kuzhambu and More

This week's express brunch is again a scrumptious Tamil home cooked meal.The spread consists of kuzhambu,pudalangai(snake guard)kootu with dal, Okra(ladies finger/vendakai) stir fry/proiyal, raita(Thayir pachadi),sesame oil,pickle and steamed rice.My kind of meal,soul satisfying one :). The whole platter is my absolute favorite,this vatha kuzhambu makes an awesome combo with sesame oi and perfectly roasted vendakai(okra) is the best match to this kuzhanbu.Next I made this kootu instead of rasam and added dal to it just for balancing the meal.Here is how to make this spread in a quick way
Total time:1 hr 15 minutes:
1.Wash and cut the snake guard.Wash and drain the rice and moong dal for kootu separately.Now keep rice in the bottom of the pressure cooker and mix dal with snake guard and keep above the rice.Pressure cook for up to 3 whistles(15 minutes).Soak tamarind for kuzhambu.
2.While the rice is cooking,chop tomatoes and onions for kuzhambu,wash and cut vendakai(okra) for stir fry.
3.Once the pressure is released,take the boiled dal and snake guard and make kootu in one stove(10 minutes).
4.In the mean while prepare okra poriyal in another stove.This needs to be cooked in low flame and will take 20 minutes.
5.Once the kootu is done,prepare kuzhambu(20 minutes)
6.Prepare the raita(5 minutes).
7.Serve brunch along with curd and pickle
Tomato-mint raita
Grind 3 tomatoes along with few mint leaves,one green chilli.Mix whisked curd and temper with mustard seeds.Add salt and mix well.
Recipe links:
Tomato vatha kuzhambu 
Kootu with moong dal (I followed this recipe-used snake guard instead of cucumber)
Okra stir fry( I have not used peanuts this time)

General notes
1.Instead of kootu you can make a rasam and jus cook toor dal to mix with rice and eat.
2.Instead of okra you can even make this or this poriyal
3.Here are few other kuzhambu to choose from
4.Instead of raita make a simple salad to make this platter vegan.