Dhaniya Kuzhambu
Spicy and lip-smacking dhaniya kuzhambu / coriander flavored tamarind gravy with fresh ingredients, that pairs well with plain steamed rice.
Servings: 4
Calories: 182kcal
Equipment
- wok or kadai
Ingredients
To roast and grind
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 dried red chilies
For the kuzhambu
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 10 curry leaves
- ½ tsp asafetida
- 10 shallots peeled
- 1 tomato medium-sized, finely chopped
- 6 moringa pods drumstick pieces, 2 to 2.5-inch piece
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp sambar powder
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
Instructions
Prepare the Coriander Powder:
- Heat a kadai or wok and add the coriander seeds and dried red chilies.
- Dry roast it for 90 seconds to 120 seconds over medium heat or until the coriander seeds turn light brown.
- Turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
- Grind it coarsely and set it aside.
Make the Kuzhambu:
- Heat a wok or kadai and add 3 tbsp of sesame/gingelly oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and asafetida. Let it fry for 30 seconds.
- Then add the shallots and cook for one minute.
- Next add the chopped tomato, drumstick pieces, salt, and the sambar powder. Mix thoroughly and cook for one minute.
- Meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp of tamarind paste in 2 cups of water and add it to the kuzhambu.
- Over medium heat, let it simmer for 15 minutes so that the drumstick softens. If you are using brinjal or okra, simmer it for 10 minutes.
- Now add the freshly ground powder and simmer over medium-low heat for ten more minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Delicious dhaniya kuzhambu is ready.
- Serve hot with plain white rice and applam/papad or any dry curry.
Notes
- Adjust the salt and spices (number of red chilies and sambar powder) according to your preference.
- If you are using tamarind block or pod, use a small lemon sized ball for this recipe. Soak in hot water and extract the juice as mentioned in the post.
- Instead of moringa pods, you can use okra or brinjal.
- Shallots are preferred, but you can use red onions instead.
- You can use garlic cloves as well. Five cloves would suffice for this measure.
- Like shallots, I would recommend sesame/gingelly oil for this kuzhambu, but if you can't source it, you can use neutral oil or peanut oil.
- You can simmer it for a longer time and make it like a thick stew. If you want thin consistency more like gravy, add ½ cup of water and simmer it.
Nutrition
Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1797mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1160IU | Vitamin C: 95.4mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2.1mg