Vatha Kuzhambu (vegetables in thick tamarind gravy)

in Curries, Kuzhambu

 

 

Recipe from Cook and see part – 1.

This is a traditional recipe from  Tamilnadu. This tangy Kuzhambu which is a  spice infused tamarind gravy ,is served with steaming hot rice and sutta appalam . It tastes heavenly with curd rice too.

 

Ingredients

  • Tamarind the size of a big lemon ( 25 to 30 grams)
  • Salt (rock salt) 1 ½ teaspoon,
  • Sambar powder 2 ½ teaspoon,
  • Gingelly oil 4 to 5 teaspoon,
  • Curry leaves few,
  • Mustard 1 teaspoon,
  • Red chillies 2 broken into two,
  • Fenugreek seeds ½ teaspoon,
  • Red gram dal ½ teaspoon,
  • Asafoetida ½ tsp
  • Vegetable to be added ( any one or more) : Sambar onions, Brinjals, Pumpkin ash gourd, Ladies finger, Drumstick, Cluster beans, Runner beans or  salted and dried  vegetables  like Manathakkali (black night shade ) thummatikai  Sundakkai (turkey berry) etc. Chopped vegetables medium size ½ to ¾ cup, if using dried vatrals take ¼ to ½ cup.

Method

Soak the tamarind in 2 ½ cups of water for 10 to 15 minutes. If the water is lukewarm the juice can be extracted earlier. Extract the juice and keep aside.

  1. Use a stoneware or a kalchatti or a deep kadai or pan. Heat oil.
  2. Add mustard as it pops, add red chillies, fenugreek seeds, red gram dal and asafoetida.
  3. Add curry leaves and sambar powder and saute. Add the veggies of your choice. Saute the fresh vegetables  and cook till  half done. If dry vegetables (vatral) are used , they are to be  shallow fried for 2 to 3 minutes . They need not be cooked .
  4. Add tamarind juice and salt. Mix well. Cook in low heat till the whole Kuzhambu thickens and raw taste of the tamarind goes and it  starts leaving oil and the tamarind juice  reduces to 2 cups.
  5. Mix rice flour with ¼ cup water and add  to the kuzhambu  and cook for few minutes. The kuzhambu will thicken further .
  6. The vathal kuzhambu will exude its aroma in the kitchen.
  7. Its ready to be eaten with hot rice and chutta appalam.

Note

  • The vatha kuzhambu stays unspoiled for a more than three to four days, if stored in fridge.
  • Use of gingelly oil is a must for getting unique taste of vatha kuzhambu.
  • The use of kalchatti or stoneware enhances the taste of vatha kuzhambu. So if you have one use it.
    otherwise you could use your regular kadai or pan.
  • Manathakkali or black nightshade, turkey berry or chundakkai can be  used in fresh form or in dried or vatral forms.
  • Fried applams are added to the vatha kuzhambu to get a different taste.
  • The tamarind used for vatha kuzhambu should be OLD, which gives a better taste and colour to the kuzhambu.

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