Pepper Kuzhambu/Milagu Kuzhambu

Milagu Kuzhambu...This is the first dish that I learnt after my marriage..HH's grandma used to make it very often at home.They taste very good with a simple sutta appalam or a simple Vegetable Kootu.I make it in such a way that it lasts for a week.I use it whenever I find lazy to cook..So this serves me as a super saver pack...

 

Though it tastes little spicy...the pepper spicyness will give u a nice taste to the throat.As pepper is added it is definitely a medicinal Kuzhambu and tastes very good when u have cold and cough..

 

For the recipe pls click read more below..

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

 

 

 

Serves:3-4

 

Small gooseberry sized Tamarind

2-3 Tbsp of Sesame oil/Nalla Ennai

1 Tsp of Mustard seeds

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

A small piece of Jaggery(Optional)

 

Roast n Grind:

 

1 and 1/2 tsp of Coriander seeds

1 Tbsp of Channa dal/Bengal gram/Kadalai Paruppu

3 Nos of Red chillies

1 and 1/2 Tsp of Whole black pepper

1 Tsp of Urad Dal

1/8 Tsp of Asafoetida/Hing

 

PROCEDURE:

 

Add a tsp of oil in a kadai.Dry roast the items mentioned in"Roast n grind"list(Channa dal,Urad dhal,red chillies,coriander seeds,pepper).See to it that chillies don't get black.

In the meanwhile soak tamarind in a cup of water with little amount of salt.Addition of salt will enhance the tamarind taste.

After it gets soaked make a thick tamarind water out of  it.

 

Cool the roasted items and add them to the mixie jar.

 

Add asafoetida and make it into a nice powder.It should be very smooth powder.

 

Heat a pan.Add 2 tbsp of oil and heat it.

 

To it add mustard seeds and leave it to crackle.After that add curry leaves.

Then add the tamarind water.

 

Then add the ground powder and mix well so that lumps are not formed.

Cover the pan and allow it to cook for some time.

By then the mixture would have got reduced and oil would float on the gravy.

Now add the required amount of salt(Adjust it..we had already added some salt while soaking the tamarind)

If required u can add little amount of jaggery too at this stage.

Mix well.

Cool it and keep it in an air tight container.It stays good for a week too.

It tastes good with steamed rice and also Idlies.

 

HANDY TIPS:

 

 

 

 

 

• Add the salt finally when the mixture gets reduced in quantity.
• If u find it more spicy then add little quantity of jaggery.
• More the oil more the shelf space of the gravy.
• Grind the powder to a nice powder.Or else after adding it the coarse particles will settle down and the gravy will not taste good..
• U can reduce the spicyness by reducing the amount of red chillies.