VATHAKUZHAMBU

This delicious Vathakuzhambu is an all time favourite of my family members. This not only goes well with Paruppu usili, but also with Potato roast, Colocasia roast, Raw banana roast, and this kuzhambu gains more and more flavour as days go on. You can definitely refrigerate it for a fortnight too. 

Ingredients

Yellow pumpkin, cubed - 1 cup 

Green bell pepper - cubed - 3/4 cup

1 Onion chopped

1  tbsp Tamarind paste

3 tsps Sambar powder

1 - 11/2 tbsps jaggery

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

1 tsp rice flour to thicken  the kuzhambu

3 tbsps cooking oil

A small piece of solid hing

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp methi (fenugreek )seeds

1 tsp tur dhl

2-3 red chillies broken

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Kuzhambu Variety

Prep time: 15mts; Cooking time: 20mts

Serves 4

In a cooking pan, add cooking oil, then hing, turmeric powder and all the seasoning ingredients

Then add the chopped  onions, bell peppers and yellow pumpkin, along with  curry leaves, and continue to saute

Then add 3 cups of water. Then add the tamarind paste,   jaggery, sambar powder, and when it starts boiling, cover with a lid, so that the vegetables  will get cooked nicely. After it is cooked, add salt. I always use rock salt for kuzhambu and rasam varieties. 

Then in a small vessel, put 2 tsps rice flour, add some water, mix well and add to the kuzhambu. Allow it to boil for 2 to 3 boils, then switch off.

Devour it with hot rice, vadams and curry of your choice.

Tips

* I always use tamarind paste, because it simplifies work so much. If you are used to soaking tamarind and extracting juice, you can do it.

* Nowadays, because of health awareness, I use Kodo Millet flour in the place of rice flour. This way, I feel, 2 tsps of healthy stuff is going in.

Variations

*Other vegetables, best suited to make Vathakuzhambu are, Onion, Drumsticks , Okra, Broad beans, Sweet potatoes etc. 

*Vathakuzhambu can also be made with appalam pieces, manathakkali, sundakka vathals etc

Categories: South Indian Kuzhambus