Here is another very flavorful Kuzhambu from my SIL’s mother’s kitchen. A regular in their house, it has become our family favorite too. The aroma and flavor of the roasted and ground coconut and spices makes this kuzhambu really special. A perfect accompaniment with plain rice and a simple stir fry and few pappads. It also pairs very well with idly and dosa.
I have used Pumpkin and ashgourd in this recipe; you can also use drumstick and lady’s finger. If using lady’s finger, sauté lightly and then use. Off to the recipe:
Serves - 3 to 4
What you'll need
- Pumpkin – 1 cup, cubed
- Ashgourd – 1 cup, cubed
- Tamarind – a small gooseberry sized ball
- Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
- Salt to taste
Roast and Grind
- Urad Dal – ½ tbsp
- Bengal Gram Dal/Channa Dal – ¼ tbsp
- Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tsp
- Dried Red Chillies – 2 or 3
- Fresh Scraped Coconut – 1 cup, tightly packed
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Curry Leaves – few
For Tempering
- Coconut Oil/any refined oil – 2 tsp
- Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Method
- Soak the tamarind in one cup of water for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze and extract the pulp from the tamarind.
- Add another cup of water to it.
- Add the chopped vegetables, salt and turmeric powder.
- Bring to boil, cover and cook till the vegetables are cooked.
- In the meanwhile, heat a kadai with a ½ tbsp of oil, and roast the urad dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds and red chillies, finally add the scraped coconut and roast.
- Add the remaining oil and roast till the coconut turn light brown.
- Add the curry leaves, mix well and remove from flame.
- Grind this into a smooth paste adding about ¼ to ½ cup of water.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, add this ground paste to it and mix well. Add more water if necessary and adjust seasoning..
- Simmer till the gravy starts to froth, do not allow boiling. Remove from heat and garnish with some more curry leaves.
- Heat a small frying pan with 2 tsps of oil, and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters pour it over the kuzhambu.
Delicious Kuzhambu is ready. Serve with plain rice and stir fry of your choice.
Note:
- Don't reduce the amount of coconut as it is one of the main ingredients.
- The gravy tends to thicken a bit on cooling.
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