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by Sowmya Venkatachalam
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- Kuzhambu
4.26 from 27 votes
Vatha Kuzhambu is a very traditional recipe in any Tamil Brahmin Kitchen. Vatha Kuzhambu has the balanced mix of tangy, spice and sweetness. Serve the delicious Vatha Kuzhambu with hot steaming rice along with a teaspoon of sesame oil or ghee and enjoy the traditional Kuzhambu.
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 25 minutes minutes
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Vatha Kuzhambu is a traditional kuzhambu variety. It is delicious and spicy gravy. Fresh Peppercorns brings out a nice flavour to the kuzhambu. This is one of the main dish served in many tamil marriage occasions. we use to add fried manathakali vathal which is called as Black night shade in english. but you can also add sundakkai instead.Vathakuzhambu with sutta appalam and any fried poriyal is a best combo.
There are 2 ways to make Vatha Kuzhambu.
- Making Vatha Kuzhambu using Sambar Podi : This method is simple and easy. We first start with tempering of mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves in sesame oil. Following to the tempering, we add sambar powder to the oil and roast the sambar podi till it becomes dark brown. Then we add vegetables like drumstick, yellow pumpkin, carrot, ladys finger and sauté for a minute. Once vegetables are cooked, add tamarind juice along with salt. Boil in low flame for 10 mins and finally mix rice flour with water and add it to kuzhambu to make the kuzhambu thicker. This is a quick way to make Vatha Kuzhambu.
- Making Vatha Kuzhambu using Freshly Ground Spice Paste : Here we fry urad dal, red chili, pepper, fenugreek and grind it to paste. Adding this fresh paste makes rich and thicker. Given below is this method of making Vatha Kuzhambu.
You can also try:
- Poricha Kuzhambu
- Milagu Kuzhambu
- Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu
- Pavakkai Pitlai
- Mor Kuzhambu
Recipe Card for Vatha Kuzhambu:
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Vatha Kuzhambu | Kalyana Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe
Course: Kuzhambu
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian, Tamil Nadu
Equipments Needed
Heavy Bottomed Pan
Mixer Grinder
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 150kcal
Author: Sowmya Venkatachalam
Vatha Kuzhambu is a very traditional recipe in any Tamil Brahmin Kitchen. Vatha Kuzhambu has the balanced mix of tangy, spice and sweetness. Serve the delicious Vatha Kuzhambu with hot steaming rice along with a teaspoon of sesame oil or ghee and enjoy the traditional Kuzhambu.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon Size Tamarind
- 2 tbsp Sundakkai vathal We can also use Manathakali Vathal
- 1 tsp Grated Jaggery
- 1 tsp Salt Adjust As Needed
- 3 tsp Sesame Oil (for frying Vathal)
For Grinding
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 6 Red Chili
- 2 tbsp Urad Dal
- 1 tsp Peppercorns
- Few Curry leaves
For Tempering
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- Few Curry leaves
Instructions
Preparation
Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice
Pour 3 teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the sundakai vathal (or manathakkali vathal). Fry the vathal in medium flame till it becomes dark brown. Take the fried vathal aside.
Making of the Spice Paste
Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan. Fry the pepper, red chillies, urdhal, curryleaves and hing and grind it into a paste in a mixer. Set aside this spice paste
Start with Tempering
Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add the cumin seeds, and hing and fry till it becomes light brown color.
Making the Kuzhambu
Add the tamarind extract along with salt and allow it to boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.
Now add ground paste to the kuzhambu. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency with water if needed. The urad dal makes the kuzhambu thicker so add water to adjust the consistency.
Add jaggery and give a mix. Switch off the flame.
Now the delicious vathakuzambu is ready to serve with hot rice and Fried/sutta Appalam.
Video
Notes
- Adjust red chilies as per your spice level
- Jaggery is optional. But it will bring out a nice balance of tangy and spice taste.
Nutritional Info
Nutrition Facts
Vatha Kuzhambu | Kalyana Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 150Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Protein 1g2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Method with Step by Step Pictures:
- Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice
Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan. Fry the pepper, red chillies, urdhal, curryleaves and hing and grind it into a paste in a mixer. Set aside this spice paste
Pour 3 teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the sundakaivathal. Fry the vathal in medium flame till it becomes dark brown. Take the fried vathal aside.Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add the cumin seeds, and hing and fry till it becomes light brown color.
Add the tamarind extract along with salt and allow it to boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.Now add ground paste to the kuzhambu. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency with water if needed. The urad dal makes the kuzhambu thicker so add water to adjust the consistency.
Add jaggery and give a mix. Switch off the flame.Now the delicious vathakuzambu is ready to serve with hot rice and Fried/sutta Appalam.
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Vathakuzhambu Recipe | Kalyana Vathakuzhambu Recipe |
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Sowmya Venkatachalam
IT Engineer turned full time Food Blogger. I ♡ FOOD. I also love food blogging. Did you make a recipe? Tag @Subbusktichen on Instagram. I WANNA SEE!
very authentic preparation of vathakuzhambu… love it..
Reply
Hi,
I like your recipes and have tried a few of them.
I wanted to try vathakuzhambu. After point 5, I am confused. In point 6, it says grind ingredients with little water. Which ingredients are to be ground? In point 5, we are boiling tamarind water and salt to remove the raw smell.
Please clarify.
Thank you,
Jaya
Reply
Hi Jaya
After point 5, grind all the ingredients which we fried on step 2 to a nice paste and then follow the rest of steps.
Thanks
Reply
Hai Mam,
Can you please suggest a variation /new recipe for making vathakulambu mix that can be stored for a month in refrigerator and used directly on rice .(Something similar to the ready made mix we get in grand sweets ) .
Reply
Hai mam,
Can you suggest a variation/recipe for making vathakulambu mix that can be stored in refrigerator for a month and more .Something similar to kothamalli thokku which we can directly mix with rice .We usually buy from vathakulambu mix from grand sweets but unfortunately now I've got bored of it as I feel all the mix from grand sweets tastes the same no matter if it is tomato pickle/vatha kulmabu mix everything has got a common flavour .
Reply
What is Sundaikavathal ? Please advise .. How long does this recipe stay if referigerated ? If you could post the recipe for a longer lasting version . Thank you so much
Reply
Hi Anitha, Sundakaai is Turkey Berry in english. The turkey berry is soaked in buttermilk with salt and dried in the sun and made as sundakaai vathal. You can get this in any indian shop.
Reply
When are we adding the fried Vathal and the seasoning of step 3 to the actual Kuzambu?
Reply
I have the same question. When do you add the vathal to the kuzhambu?
Reply
You need to add at the end so it will remain crispy.
Reply
In all the recipes how much water (in ml ) should be the tamarind extract. That is not very clear to me. Even in this vathakuzhambu recipe, we are not adding water other thanin the stage where we make tamarind extract. Your input would be helpful
Reply
For Vathakuzhambu, the tamarind extra needs to be thick, so add 2 cups of warm water and soak tamarind for 10 mins and then squeeze nicely to extract the juice
Reply
it is very new to hear , the ghee for frying,, if we fry the things in ghee the smell and taste of ghee stood first,, so, I feel it is better to cook with sesame [gingely] oil to give the very good taste
Reply
Isn’t dhania seeds needed for the paste prepared for Kalyana vathakuzhambu?
Reply
No we don’t add dhania seeds for vathakuzhambu
Reply
Hello madam, I don’t have sundakkai vathal. I have only Manathakkali vathal. Should I fry Manathakkali vathal just like sundakkai vathal?
Reply
yes Chari, thats correct, use ghee to fry the manathakali vathal and add it to vatha kuzhambu. Manathakali vathal gets fried quickly so do it in low flame so that its not getting burnt
Reply
Thank you madam
Reply
How much water should the tamarind soak in?
Reply
Use 1 cup of water and extract thick juice. If you feel still the tamarind has juice add 1/2 cup more water and extract again
Reply
Good recipe, nicely presented
Reply
Thank you so much
Reply
Can we use green chillies in place of red ones for vatha kuzhambu? Please guide
Reply
Conventionally we use red chili, but definitely we can try with green chili
Reply
Mami, unga vatzha kuzhambu is awesome. Inga New York la nanga oru chinna oorula irukkom. Nan unga recipe than follow pannuven. Thank You.
Reply
Many thanks 🙏🙏🙏 So happy to hear 😊🙏
Reply
Forgot to rate.
Reply
Thank you once again 🙏
Reply
Once it is made how long can it stored without refrigeration and with refrigeration, I intend making it a quantity and carry it over 2 weeks. Will it hold.
Reply
we can cook the vatha kuzhambu till the oil gets separated that way the kuzhambu will have more longer shelf life.
Reply