Easy Vathakuzhambu using Vathakuzhambu Podi

Category:  Easy Kuzhambu Varieties
Preparation Time: 5 mins  
Cooking Time: 20 mins 
Servings: 3 servings

Vathakuzhambu is a spicy tamarind based gravy made with dried veggies (Vathals) like Turkey berry (Sundakkai), Black night shade berry (Manathakkali). There are lot of variations - we can use small onion and garlic or we can also prepare without onion & garlic. With regard to masala, we can either use freshly ground masala or just sambar podi / sambar masala or vathakuzhambu podi.

Sundakkai Vathakuzhambu

Here I made the easiest version of Vathakuzhambu using Sundakkai Vathal and home made Vathakuzhambu podi. 

Manathakkali Vatha Kuzhambu

You can find the recipe for the podi in our blog: VathaKuzhambu Podi

Vathakuzhambu Podi

With this podi in hand, making Vathakuzhambu is a breeze and we can use any Vathal for this. If we are not having any vathal, we can just use the sambar onions and garlic.

During this pandemic season, getting fresh Indian veggies was bit difficult so we often made this vathakuzhambu:) 

For me, the perfect combo is Hot rice with Spicy Vathakuzhambu, vegetable kootu and appalam.

Ingredients:

• Sesame oil - 1-2 Tbsp 
• Sundakkai Vathal (Dried Turkey Berry) - 1/4 cup
• Tamarind - lemon sized (Adjust as per taste)
• VathaKuzhambu Podi - 2-3 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Split urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required

Pulikachal (Puliodharai Paste)

Category: Ready Mix 
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: Around 30 mins
Servings: yields around 2 cups

Home made Pulikachal

Pulikachal or Puliodharai Paste is a ready mix used to prepare Puliodharai. We can prepare and take this during our trips too. Personally I would prefer dry puliodharai powder for trips so that it would be less messy:) I will prepare this paste and store it in refrigerator for around 2 weeks and it sure comes in handy for packing lunch box in the busy mornings. Usually Puliodharai will taste better only after 2- 3 hours of preparation, by when the rice absorbs the favours from the spices and tastes great. We can also use this to make quick lunch and have with some appalam or vadagam. 

Pulikachal

Ingredients: 

• Tamarind - Medium Orange Sized
• Roasted & halved peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Jaggery - a small piece
• Salt - As needed
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For Tempering:

• Sesame Oil - 3 tbsp + 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1/4 cup (soaked for 30 mins)
• Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
• Red chillies - 10, broken into small pieces
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Roast and Powder: (Roast separately in a lightly greased pan)

• Channa Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Udad dhal - 1 tbsp
• Red chillies - 10
• Methi seeds - 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
• Grated dry coconut - 1/4 cup
• Asafoetida  - small piece / generous pinch

Method:

1. Soak Tamarind in warm water for atleast 30 mins and extract thick juice out of it and keep it aside (I used around 2 cups of water)
2. In a lightly greased pan (add around 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan), roast the above given ingredients one by one separately until they gets roasted and allow it to cool down. Then ground them to a little coarse powder
   
3. Soak the Channa dhal for atleast 30 mins and then drain it and keep it ready
4. In a thick bottomed pan, heat around 3 tbsp of sesame oil and once it becomes hot, add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle
   
5. Then add the broken red chillies and fry for a min
   
6. Now add the soked and drained channa dhal followed by Urad dhal and fry in low flame for few mins till they become crispy
   
7. Add the curry leaves and fry for few secs
   
   
   
8. Now reduce the flame (to prevent splattering) and add in the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and required salt, mix well
   
9. Allow to boil in low to medium flame until it gets thickened and reached sauce like consistency
10. Now add the ground powder, mix well and allow to cook for 1 to 2 mins in low flame
    
11. Add in the roasted peanuts and mix well
    
12. Finally add in the jaggery and the remaining 2 tbsp of Sesame oil, mix well and switch it off
    
13. For making Puliodharai, add required amount of paste to cooked and cooled rice, mix well
14. If we want to store, allow the pulikachal to cool down and then transfer to a clean glass jar
    
15. If we would be using it in couple of days, we can leave it in pantry otherwise refrigeration is recommended
16. As with other preserves, proper handling increase the shelf life