Vatha Kuzhambu
Quick and easy South Indian TamBrahm style tangy curry with dried berries or veggies to serve with rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or lemon-sized tamarind
- 3 tablespoon gingelly oil (Indian sesame oil/nallennai)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon chana dal
- 1 teaspoon whole urad dal
- 2 dried red chillies broken into two
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (vendhayam/methi seeds)
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing/ perugayam)
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon manathakkali or sundakkai vathal
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 3 teaspoon sambar powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon grated jaggery
- 2 teaspoon rice flour
Instructions
- Soak tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the pulp and extract the juice.If using tamarind paste, dilute in 2 cups warm water.
- Heat a saucepan or heavy bottom pan in low to medium heat and add the gingelly oil.
- Once the oil is hot. add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Then add chana dal and urad dal.
- Once dals starts to turn golden, add red chillies, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and half of the curry leaves. Fry for 15 seconds.
- Then add the vathal and fry till it is crisp. Turn off the heat.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and sambhar powder. Fry the spices for 30 seconds.
- Add the tamarind extract, required salt and combine well.
- Turn on the heat. Bring to boil. Once it starts to boil, simmer over low to medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Mix rice flour in 1/2 cup water without lumps. Add rice flour water, jaggery and simmer for another 3-4 minutes in low heat.
- Finally add 1 teaspoon gingelly oil and remaining curry leaves.
Notes
- Take care not to burn the fenugreek seeds as it will give a bitter flavour to the kuzhambu.
- Turning off the heat before adding spices helps to avoid burning the spices.
- Adjust red chilli powder according to your spice preference.
- Jaggery helps to balance the spice, slightly bitter and tangy flavours.
- Rice flour is added to thicken the gravy. If you prefer a thinner consistency, you can skip adding rice flour.
- Instead of vathal, you can use vegetables like small onions (chinna vengayam), brinjal or okra (bhindi/vendakkai).
- Vathal is already salted, so adjust salt accordingly.