Vathal Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• • Dry vatrals - 3 tablespoons
  info: some vegetables can be sun dried and preserved. these vegetables when it is dried are called as 'vatral'
• • Gingelly oil - 1 tablespoon
• • Tamarind extract - ¼ cup
• • Sambar powder - 2 teaspoons
• • Salt - as required
• • Jaggery - a little
• • Rice flour - 2 teaspoons

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Ingredients For Seasoning

• • Mustard seeds - ¼ teaspoon
• • Asafoetida powder - a little
• • Fenugreek - ½ teaspoon
• • Red chillies (broken) - 2
• • Bengal gram dal - 1 ½ teaspoons
• • Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

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Method

• 1. Heat oil, add seasonings and then fry vatral till it becomes dark.
• 2. Add Sambar powder in the oil itself.
• 3. Pour tamarind extract, salt and boil.
• 4. Mix little rice flour in water and add to boiling gravy.
• 5. Allow to boil till it becomes thick.
• 6. Add jaggery at the end.
• 7. Garnish with curry leaves.

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Note - Variations

• • Fresh vegetables like brinjal, beans, yellow pumpkin, broad beans, colocaesia can be used to prepare this Kuzhambu.
• • Peeled garlic (2 cloves) can be used to make this.
• • Garlic, small onions together can be used along with vatral to make this Kuzhambu.
• • If Sambar powder is not available, add red chilly powder (1 Teaspoon) and dhania powder (2 Teaspoon ) in the oil.
• • Add roasted fenugreek powder (½ Teaspoon) just before removing from fire.

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Note

• • Generally Tamilians use only gingelly oil for frying this which gives a special flavour and good health.
• • Common vatral available in the market are - ladies finger, manathakkali, cluster beans, sundaikai, bitter gourd, karamani, long slender beans etc.,