Kara Kuzhambu and Tomato Daal: to Tickle sore Tastebuds

Last month after coming back from Calcutta we all fell sick. First it was the baby who suffered from viral fever and infections for almost a month, then it was hubby and finally me. I spotted the sick feeling in the beginning and swallowed my trusted medicine with green tea, which helped me to recover fast. But the problem with fever and cold is, it leaves you with a loss of appetite…whatever you eat feels like grass in the mouth. The only respite is something sour that tingles the sore taste buds and make you feel like having a full meal. But the weak me with a nagging baby in tow hardly had any time to cook something exquisite. Then I remembered this recipe called Kara Kuzhambu from a very talented Blogger Prema. This recipe has all the ingredients to nurture depressed soul and tasteless tongue. But the most important promise is the ‘maa ke haat ka khana’ or the taste of mother’s recipes. It bowled me over and I went on making this.

Kara kuzhambu means spicy gravy in Tamil and mostly it is cooked with drumsticks and brinjals. But I didn’t have drumsticks at home and on a laidback weekend nothing would make hubby to go out and buy vegetables. So I decided to give it a miss. Finally with the brinjals from my veggie patch and some pearl onions, I was all set to make my spicy tangy Kara Kuzhambu. After half an hour of pressure cooker hissing, mixie churning and tung tang of spatula touching kadhai the meal was ready.  The final outcome is not as drool worthy as Prema’s and I don’t blame her if she finally decides to disown my dish…but trust me that was a fabulous meal. The colour is black as I cooked with my 2 years old tamarind. We loved the sweet-sour-hot gravy with a very appetizing aroma lent by sambar powder. Combined with my trusted tomato dal, roasted papad and salad it brought our taste buds to life and we enjoyed our meal immensely.

Here are the recipes:

Kara Kuzhambu (vegetables in spicy gravy)

Ingredients:

Brinjal: ½ cup; cut in legth wise pieces

Pumpkin: ½ cup; cut in cubes

Potato: 1 medium; cut in cubes

Pearl onion: 8-10; pealed
Tomato: 1 medium; chopped
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Oil: 1 tbsp
 

For tempring: Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp
For Kuzhambu spices:
Thick tamarid extract: 1/3 cup
sambar powder: 2 tsp
coriander powder: 4 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
salt as needed

Method:

In a mixing bowl add all the kuzhambu spices and mix them well using hand, make it smooth without any lump, if it’s very thick add 1/2 cup of water. Mix and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a kadai and temper with mustard and fenugreek seeds. Once it crackles, add curry leaves.

When the beautiful aroma arises add the small onions and sauté for a minute.

Now add all the veggies, salt and tomato. cover and let it cook on low.

Once the veggies are soft and cooked cooked, add the kuzhambu spices. Mix well and again cover to let the veggies seep the taste and aroma.

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once the raw smell of the spice powders are gone and the gravy becomes thick, transfer it into the serving bowl.

Tomato Daal

Ingredients:

Red lentil: 1/2 cup

Tomatoes: 2 big

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Onion: ½ medium

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Red chilies: 2 pieces

Oil: 1 tsp

Salt

Turmeric

Method:

Wash and Pressure-cook the lentil with water (2 cups) the tomatoes and turmeric for 2 whistles.

Let the pressure dissipate in itself then open the lid. With a spatula mix the tomatoes to the lentil. The consistency would be smooth and soup like. So if needed add more water.

Heat the oil and temper with mustard seeds, torn chilies and curry leaves. Once it splutters add the onion and fry for a minute.

Add the lentil. Add salt and sugar to balance the tartness of the tomatoes.

Bring to boil and serve with rice and curry of your choice.

Events:

To Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday Event - 5 October 2010 - Volume 10. this month hosted at Aipi’s US Masala.

 

MLLA#28 the event started by Susan of The well seasoned cook and this month hosted at Divya’s Sil se.

Tags:

South Indian Spicy curry, chettinad curry, chettinad vegetable, spicy gravy, Indian gravy with sambar powder, Tomato lentil, tangy lentil with tomato. red lentil soup, red lentil cooked with tomato, curry leaves tempering, spicy gravy dish. side dish with rice, Bengali lentil, bangali dal, eggplant curry. Indian spict eggplants gravy, vegetables in tangy spicy gravy.