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Murungakkai kara kuzhambu / Drumstick curry (tamarind based) / Recipe with video / Side dish for rice

Written by: 7aumsuvai
Authentic drumstick curry prepared with tamarind and freshly ground coconut paste. It is one of the best side dishes that goes very well with the hot rice and appalam / papad.
7aumsuvai


 Ingredients:
Serves 4 to 5
For grinding:
  • 1 tsp – Oil
  • 1/2 cup – Coconut grated
  • 2 tsp – Coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp – Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp – Peppercorns
  • 2 to 4 no’s – Dry red chilies (or add as needed)
For curry:
  • 3 to 4 tbsp – Sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp – Fenugreek seeds / Methi seeds / Venthayam
  • 15 no’s – Sambar onion / small onion / shallots (crush 10 onions and chop remaining onions)
  • 2 clove – Garlic (crush using mortar and pestle along with onions)
  • 1 small – Tomato (If tomato is big, then add 1/2 of it)
  • 15 no’s – Drumstick sticks chopped (take 1 or 2 whole drumstick and chop into sticks)
  • 1 gooseberry size – Tamarind
  • 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp – Red chilli powder (optional)
  • Salt to taste
For tempering:
  • 1 tbsp – Oil
  • 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds / Kadugu
  • 1/4 tsp – Split black gram / Ulunthu / Urad dal
  • Fresh curry leaves as needed
7aumsuvai

 Preparation method:
  1. Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water for 10 to 15 mins and squeeze the juice out. Set it aside.
  2. Heat oil in a pan, add the items given in the list for grinding except coconut and saute until you feel the aroma of the spices. Finally add the grated coconut and saute for few seconds, no need for the coconut to turn brown. Set aside to cool and grind it to fine paste.
  3. In the same pan, add sesame oil and season with fenugreek seeds, followed by crushed onion along with chopped one and garlic, saute until they are slightly brown.
  4. Add drumsticks, chopped tomato and little salt, saute for few seconds and cover with a lid. Cook until drumsticks are 1/2 cooked.
  5. Add the coconut paste, tamarind water and turmeric powder along with required salt , mix well thoroughly and add enough water for the desired consistency.
  6. Now check for salt and spice level in the curry, add if needed. For my curry, I felt I needed more spice, so I add 1 tsp red chilli powder. It is completely optional.
  7. Bring this mixture to boil, cover with a lid and continue to cook until you reach the desired consistency you want.
  8. Finally season the curry with the items given in the list for tempering. Switch off the stove and serve the curry with hot rice.
7aumsuvai

7aumsuvai

7aumsuvai
7aumsuvai

 Notes:
  • Red chili powder is completely optional. If you like more spice then increase the dry red chilies for grinding. Otherwise you can add red chili powder like me to increase the spice.
  • You may always replace small onion with our regular red onion. You may either crush or chop the onions for this curry. But I would recommend crushed ones because of its nice flavor.

1 comment:

  1. KarthiMarch 12, 2019 at 12:22 PM

    Hi Shanthi

    Made this kara kuzhambu today. It came out so good and reminds me of amma's food. Thanks a lot for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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