Instant Vathal Kuzhambu !!

Vathal kuzhambu is an authentic dish in south Indian cuisine. This recipe is very simple, the meaning of vathal is sun dried vegetables cooked with tamarind extract & spices. It taste like tangy & sweet. The most common sun dried vegetables like sundakkai (Turkey berry), vendakkai (Okra / ladies finger), manathakkali (Black nightshades), brinjal / eggplant, pakarkkai (Bitter melon) etc.,

This recipe is one of my favorite & it is very simple to prepare. This is the instant way to make, the ingredients I used for this dish would available in every south Indian’s pantry. Vathal kuzhambu is very well goes with steamed rice & pappad. I reserved some manathakkali and added in the final stage, this gives a nice crunchy to the recipe. Jaggery helps to enhance its flavour, taste & gives great punch to it.

Also refer recipe for Vathal kuzhambu powder;

                                           

Ingredients:

Manathakkali (black nightshades) – 1/4 cup

Chickpea flour / kadala mavu – 2 tsp

Urad dal flour – 1 tsp

Rice flour – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Red chili powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Jeera / cumin powder (roasted) – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek powder (roasted) – 1/2 tsp

jaggery / brown sugar – 1/2 tsp

Tamarind – gooseberry size (soaked in water)

Asafoetida / hing – 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Tempering;

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Cumin/ jeera – 1 tsp

Garlic – 10 cloves chopped

Ginger – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

   

Method:

• Keep oil on low flame, fry the manathakkali seeds, remove & reserve 1 tbsp for later use.
• Start tempering mustard, jeera, garlic, ginger & curry leaves.
• Now add chickpea flour, rice flour, turmeric, coriander powder, urad dal flour, jeera powder, fenugreek powder, pepper powder & cook the mix on very low flame until the raw flavor goes off.
• Add tamarind extract & cook it on low flame for 15 minutes or until oil floats on top.
• Finally add the reserved fried manathakkali seeds, hing, jaggery & mix well.
• Garnish it with chopped curry leaves &  cilantro.
• Serve & enjoy it with steamed rice & pappad.