Vatha Kuzhambu or Vathal Kuzhambu is what I call as a tangy reduction of a mix of spices, tamarind and sundried vegetables. Simmered on low heat in a soapstone pot, this Kuzhambu can make anyone drool.
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Vathal or sun-dried vegetables
play an important role in Indian food. The variety of vegetables that are sundried vary from region to region. In South India, it is the seasonal vegetables that are mostly sun dried.
Unripe mangoes, cluster beans, green chilis, nightshade berries, turkey berries and lotus stems are the most common among all of them.
For this recipe, I have used dried nightshade berries.
Manathakkali
is a small berry like fruit that actually belongs to the nightshade family. Manathakkali Keerai is a leafy green variety that grows abundantly in most backyards and are foraged for making stir-fries and Kootu.
The fruits are collected, washed and then dried until they become completely dry and wrinkled. Some people add salt to this and some don’t.
These dried berries are called Manathakali Vathal and are used to make gravies like this Kuzhambu. In my house, we fry these in ghee and mix it with hot rice. It tastes delicious!
Vathal Kuzhambu
in general uses one of these sun-dried vegetables. Vathal, in Tamil translates to something that is dried up and hence the name. For this hotel style Kuzhambu, I love using either Manathakkali or dried turkey berries (Sundakkai).
Ingredients
- Sesame oil is the most important ingredient for this recipe. Please do not substitute it with any other oil.
- Shallots, garlic, tomatoes for adding depth, body and flavor
- Whole spices like fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin and coriander seeds along with whole black pepper corns
- Dry red chilis for spice and heat
- Tamarind for the tangy taste
- Curry leaves for aroma
- Manathakkali Vathal – sundried nightshade berries that are available in Indian grocery stores easily.
- Salt and jaggery
- Water
- Ginger for tempering along with usual tempering ingredients like mustard and fenugreek seeds
Storage and shelf life
- Shelf life- this recipe uses a generous amount of sesame oil and tamarind. Both these help in prolonging the shelf life of this dish. This Kuzhambu stays fresh for up to 2 days at room temperature.
- You can refrigerate this for 10 days. To prevent molding or fungi, store the Kuzhambu in a clean and air tight jar. Always handle it with a moisture free and clean spoon. Reheat only as much as you require.
Recipe Notes
- For making any tamarind heavy Kuzhambu, use sesame oil. That is the authentic way and it has no substitute.
- Instead of Manathakkali, you can also use Sundakai aka sundried turkey berries.
- Sambar onions are ideal for this recipe. However, if you cannot source them easily, use banana shallots or even regular shallots here. If you can’t source any of them, use red onions instead.
- Jaggery takes this dish to another level. It helps balance the spice and tang and I highly recommend adding it.
More Kuzhambu Recipes
Vatha Kuzhambu
Equipment
- 2 frying pans
- 1 Blender
- 1 set measuring spoons
Ingredients
- For the spice paste
- 2 tbsp sesame oil divided
- ½ tsp each whole black pepper corns cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds
- 1.5 tsp coriander seeds
- 2.5 tbsp Manathakali Vathal
- 12 curry leaves
- 5 to 6 dry red chilis
- 4 shallots peeled and sliced I used european ones and they are bigger than sambar onions. If you are using sambar onions, you will need 8 of them
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes
- Salt and jaggery for taste
- Upto ½ cup water for grinding the paste
- For the Kuzhambu-
- A small gooseberry sized tamarind soaked in 2 cups hot water for 30 mins
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 10 shallots or sambar onions peeled
- 1 tbsp Manathakali Vathal
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup more hot water to adjust consistency
- Ground paste
- For tempering-
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
- A handful of curry leaves
Instructions
- Soak the tamarind as directed before you begin the other steps.
- As the tamarind soaks, prepare the spice paste.
- Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Add shallots, Manathakkali Vathal, curry leaves, followed by all the whole spices.
- Reduce the flame to the lowest and continue to saute till shallots begin to brown.
- Transfer to a plate.
- To the same pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Add garlic, and when they begin to brown, add tomatoes. Combine and let it cook till the tomatoes begin to lose shape.
- At this stage, add the dry red chilis.
- Mix well and continue to cook till the tomatoes are mushy.
- Transfer to a plate and wait for it to cool.
- When the ingredients are cool, transfer the shallot mixture + this tomato garlic mixture to a blender.
- Add ¼ c to ½ c water and blend to a really smooth paste.
- Kuzhambu
- Heat a pan with ¼ cup of sesame oil.
- Pop the mustard seeds and add fenugreek seeds.
- When the fenugreek begins to change color, immediately tip in the shallots and Manathakkali Vathal.
- Sauté until shallots are pink and translucent.
- Mash the tamarind well into the water in which it was soaked.
- Strain this through a strainer and add the extract to the pan.
- Add turmeric powder and let it simmer for 5 mins or until the raw smell of the tamarind goes away.
- Now, add the ground paste to the pan and reduce the heat.
- Rinse the blender with 1 cup of water.
- Add this to the pan and stir to mix everything well.
- Continue to simmer until the mixture reduces by ½ in volume.
- At this stage, you will see that the oil floats to the surface.
- Tempering
- Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Wait for the oil to shimmer.
- Now, add chopped ginger and curry leaves.
- When the ginger has fully wilted, add this to the Kuzhambu and serve hot.
Video
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Nutrition
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