Sundakkai Vatral Kuzhambu/Vathal Kulambu

Relocation !! That’s a word most of the people dread. Inspite of relocating lot many times, I still dread the idea. My experimentation in cooking completely takes a back seat , when I am in the “relocating mode”. Yesterday, while relaxing, I decided to browse through my blog. Suddenly it dawned on me that I hadn’t posted even a single recipe on the month of April. Boy !! I was that busy ?? That very moment I decided to try something new. Ever since I landed in Chennai, I have been thinking of making Vatral Kuzhambu/Vathal Kulambu. I heard about this the first time from my Tamilian friend in ISB.
The first thing I did today morning was to search for Vatral Kuzhambu recipes. After checking out a few recipes, I decided to try the one in Spiceindiaonline. The word Vatral stands for any sundried vegetable. I have used Sundakkai, known as Turkey berry, in this recipe. You can use any vegetable you like. Here is the recipe.

Sundakkai Vatral Kuzhambu/Vathal Kulambu
Source: Spiceindiaonline_

Sundakkai Vatral Kuzhambu/Vathal Kulambu
Ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Tamarind paste
- to taste Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Jaggery (grated)
To be ground
- 20 Shallots
- 2 cloves Garlic
To be roasted and ground
- 6 chillies Dried red
- 2 teaspoons Coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons Pigeon pea (toor daal)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon black gram Split
- 1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- 4 Curry leaves
- 1 pinch Mustard seeds
Instructions
- Dry roast the ingredients mentioned above (To be roasted and ground) separately and allow to cool.
- Once cool, powder finely.
- Add the shallots and garlic and grind to a fine, smooth paste. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Fry the vatral till cooked.
- Drain and keep them aside. In same oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- When they start to crackle, add the curry leaves, followed by asafoetida.
- Stir for a few seconds and add turmeric powder and stir.
- Now add the ground paste and cook till oil separates.
- Add the tamarind paste diluted with water and salt.
- Check the consistency. Add more water if required.
- Let it boil. Add the jaggery.
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your likings. Finally add the fried vatral and allow to cook for a minute.
- Switch off heat and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
