Sundaikkai Vathakkuzhambu

Vathal kuzhambu - Who ever dislikes it??!! Yummiest dish: All time favourite of most of the people!!!

INGREDIENTS: 

1. Sundaikkai vatral: half - hand full

2. Red Chillies: 3 nos; break into halves

3. Tamarind: 1 big gooseberry size, soak in 2 tumbler warm water and squeeze its extract.

4. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tspn

5. Powder asafoetida/ thool perungayam: 1 tspn

6. Gingelly Oil/ Nalennai: 1.5 - 2 kuzhi karandi [if small size karandi, add 3 kuzhi karandi of oil]

7. Kadugu/ Mustard seeds: to temper

8. Curry leaves: to garnish

9. Sambar powder: 2 tspn [I have home made one, you can use Eastern/MTR/aashirvaad sambar podi]

10. Salt: as req
11. Jaggery/ Vellam: a small bit

Method:

1. Heat a pan, add gingelly oil, let it heat; add mustard seeds, curry leaves, once spluttered, add red chillies sundakkai vatral. Fry them until they turn brownish-black.

2. Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, perungayam, salt, sambar powder, mix well and cook on high flame for 5 mins.

3. Add jaggery and cook for 7-10 mins in medium flame. You'll get wonderful aroma by the time it boils.

4. If its too watery, mix a tspn of rice flour/ arisi maavu in 5 tspn of water and add this diluted rice flour mix to the vathakkuzhambu and cook for 3-5 mins. The oil will leave the sides of the pan.
Turn off the flame and serve hot with rice!

Sundaikkai Vathakkuzhambu is ready!!!

Suggestions:

1. Instead of sundaikkai vatthal,manathakkali vatthal, appalam,and veggies like brinjal, small onion[alone], small onions-garlic combo, lady's finger, pumpkin, drumstick. If adding, veggies, after sauting in oil, add 1/2 tumbler of water and cook for 2 mins, then add tamarind puree.

There is another variety to do vathakkuzhambu, which I will post ASAP

2. You can also use Raw mango instead of above veggies and vathals-- when you use raw mango, reduce the amount of tamarind to small goose berry size.