Vathal kuzhambu recipe | Sundakkai vatha kuzhambu recipe

As I have said in my earlier post, I love love vathal kuzhambu than any other kuzhambu. Usually vathal kuzhambu recipes made by brahmins/ iyer has only vathal and no onion or garlic I think. But we make it with both. Though this time I made without garlic, we usually add finely chopped small onions and garlic. I love sundakkai vathal fried darkly to accompany curd rice. Never tasted the ones in these kuzhambu. Don’t ask about sundakkai kootu or sambar, I will run miles away from it. My mom insists to eat it for its health benefits. But I can’t eat. I love vathals but. We had sudakkai plant in our backyard, still have one at Salem. It yields a lot of sudankkai (turkey berry). I like to make vathals out of sundakkai, its an interesting process. Yes, my mom washes and spreads the berries and we use a clean hammer to gently nudge on it and open it up. Then its all added to sour buttermilk and sundried to make vathal. Its stored and used through out the year.

I always wonder how our cuisine uses up the vegetables in form of vathals and it comes handy to cook at home, even when there is no vegetables in hand. Cool right? . Sundakkai has a lot of health benefits, though I don't know many, one main thing is it can help you to get rid of worms in tummy, especially for bachelors who eat outside food and kids. Its also rich iron.

Sundakkai vathal kuzhambu recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Sundakkai vathal (dried turkey berry) - 20

---

Onion - 1

---

Tamarind - Gooseberry sized

---

Sambar powder  - 2 & 1/2 tsp

---

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

---

Jaggery - 1/2 tsp

---

Salt - As needed

---

To temper

Sesame oil - 2 tblsp

---

Mustard - 1 tsp

---

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

---

Urad dal - 1 tsp

---

Toor dal - 1 tsp

---

Jeera/ cumin seeds - 1 tsp

---

Curry leaves - 1 Sprig

---

Method

1. Chop onion finely, extract tamarind juice by soaking it in hot water for 10 minutes.  Make it 2 and 1/2 cups by adding water to it. Set aside. Heat a kadai with sesame oil, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. Before adding curry leaves, add sudakkai vathal and fry until everything turns golden brown in colour. Make sure the vathal gets fried. Add curry leaves followed by chopped onion. Fry till it turns brown here and there.

2. Add the tamarind juice, bring to boil, add sambar powder, turmeric and salt. Lower the flame to medium.

3. Boil for 6-8 minutes or until oil separates, towards the end, add jaggery and mix well. Switch off the flame when the kuzhambu gets thick.

Notes

• You can replace sudakkai vathal with any other vathal.
• You can make this as no onion no garlic too. Add asafoetida while tempering. Or you can also add on finely chopped garlic in this recipe. Adds more flavour.

Usually, vathal kuzhambu and kootu is the best combination to serve. Thogayal also goes well with this.

Technorati Tags: vathal kuzhambu recipe,vathal kulambu,vathal kuzhambu,sundakkai recipes,sundakkai vathal kuzhambu,south indian kuzhambu recipe,recipes