Vatha Kuzhambu is one of the most traditional varieties of kuzhambu prepared in many Tamil Brahmin families and widely popular in South with many variations . It is so delicious with so many flavours coming through such as spicy , tangy and a mild bitterness owing to the use of turkey berries or sundakkai as it is called in Tamil .

The use of fresh peppercorns , cumin , fenugreek seeds besides other ingredients combine to give a yummy taste and aroma to a surprisingly innocous looking dish . Vatha Kuzhambu is also prepared with manathakkali or black night shade .

Vatha Kuzhambu and sutta appalam is the most traditional perfect combination, although a side dish of stir fried potstoles or arbi roast / colaccasia / chepan kizhangu will be more than welcome .

There are two or three ways to prepare the vatha kkuzhambu :

Vatha Kuzhambu prepared using sambar podi :

Obvisouly this is the fastest and simplest way to prepare a quick vatah kuzhambu .

Method

Take a pan, add sesame oil about a tsp , add cumin seeds , splutter mustard seeds , add curry leaves, 2 broken red chilies , methi seeds .

Add sambar podi to this tempering , sautee well in oil , till the sambar podi is dark in colour , then add required vegetables if you wish to add them , usuallay , lady fingers, drumstickls, shallots , are used in this type of vatha kuzhambu .

sautee these for a minute or two , once the vegetables are partly cooked, add required tamrind water , add s alt, turmeric powder, now cover and cook the mixture till reduced to desired consistency .

Last step to thicken the mixture add 1 tsp of rice flour to water, mix well , add this to boiling vataha kuzhambu mixture, it becomes little thicker, switch off flame and remove .

Add 1 tsp of sesame oil on top , cover and keep till serving time . This is the fastest way to make vatah kuzhambu at a moments notice .

2. Making vatah kuzhambu using fresh ground spices .

Here roasted ingredients are oil fried and ground to a paste or powder .

3. Vatha Kuzhambu prepared using a paste by diluting it and adding required vegetable or as it is without any vegetable .

I have all these variations in my blog, do check them out . Given below is a freshly roasted ingredients method .

Ingredients:

Tamarind - size of a lime. 

3 long red dry chillies

2 tbsp of manathakali or sundakkkai vattal/turkey berry      

Salt to taste       

Sambhar/Kuzhambu Powder – 1 & 1/2 Table spoon ( ingredients for powder given below)

Pinch of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp fenugreek seeds for seasoning

2 tsp toor dal for seasoning

pinch of asafoetida/hing powder

sprigs of curry leaves

Vattalkuzhambu powder

1 cup Red chillies

1 cup coriander seeds

1/4 cup Toor dal

1/4 cup chana dal

2 tablespoons udad dal

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin seeds/ jeera

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds/meth

Pinch of asafoetida/hing

3 tbsp Sesame Oil -

Method:

• In little oil, roast all the above ingredients to a golden colour and then when cooled grind them to a fine powder.

• Store this in an air tight container.

• Note you will need only 1 1/2 tbsp to 2 tbsp to make vattalkuzhambu each time .

• Store the rest in a dry clean bottle.

Method

1. Soak tamarind in warm water for a few minutes and extract the pulp and add 3 cups of water to make tamarind water.

2. In a pan, add oil, when heated add the mustard seeds, add fenugreek seeds Toor Dal, Red Chillies, Asafoedita.,after mustard seeds crackles.

3. Fry till golden brown keeping flame low.Add the berries, sundakkai or manathakali vathal and roast .Add sprigs of curry leaves.

4. Add the Tamarind water in the pan.

5. Add salt.

6. When the taramind water starts boiling, add a pinch of turmeric and also add the Sambhar powder/ or the vattalkuzhambu powder which we have powdered .

7. Keep stirring the ingredients to prevent lumps forming after adding powder.

8. Allow it to boil till the Kuzhambu thickens.

9. Add a bit of jaggery if you like.

10. You can add 1 tsp of Rice flour mixed with little water at the end to thicken if need be.

11. Garnish with more sprigs of curry leaves when done.s2 tbsp of manathakali or sundakkkai vattal/turkey berry
    Salt to taste
    Sambhar/Kuzhambu Powder – 1 & 1/2 Table spoon ( ingredients for powder given below)Pinch of turmeric powder1/2 tsp mustard seeds2 tsp fenugreek seeds for seasoning2 tsp toor dal for seasoningpinch of asafoetida/hing powdersigs of curry leaves
    
    

Potato Podimas  

4 to 5 Medium sized potatoes

1 or 2 green chillies slitted or chopped finely removing seeds if you want.

Small piece of ginger grated or chopped finely

Dash of lime juice to drizzle at the end.

3 tsp oil for tempering.

For the seasoning.

1/2 tsp mustard seeds.

1/2 tsp split udad dal

1/2 tsp chana dal

Pinch of turmeric powder

salt to taste.

Sprigs of curry leaves .

Check out my Vatha kuzhambu premix recipe that is so useful for bachelors, travelers, vacationers, dorm students , those away from home .