Kara kuzhambu with rice
A hot and tangy Tamil tamarind gravy without dal, with small onions, garlic and brinjal cooked in gingelly oil, poured over hot rice and eaten with a poriyal or papad. It tastes even better the next day; puli kuzhambu and poondu (garlic) kuzhambu are made the same way, and drumsticks can replace the brinjal.
- 50 minTime
- 33 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 9 gprotein per portion
- 490kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 30 gTamarind
- ≈ 500 mlWater, hot
- 15Small onions (shallots), peeled
- 10 clovesGarlic, peeled
- 250 gBrinjal, small brinjals, quartered
- 1Tomato, chopped
- 4 tbspGingelly oil
- 1 tspMustard seeds
- 3 mlFenugreek seeds
- 2Dried red chillies
- 1 mlHing (asafoetida)
- 2 sprigsCurry leaves
- 3 mlTurmeric
- 2 tbspSambar powder
- 1 tspJaggery
- to tasteSalt
On the side
- 300 gRice, ponni or sona masoori
- ≈ 900 mlWater, for the rice
Method
- Soak the tamarind in the hot water.
- Peel the small onions and the garlic, quarter the brinjals and chop the tomato.
- Squeeze the softened tamarind well in its water and strain it, pressing the pulp; throw away the fibres and seeds.
- Heat the gingelly oil in a kadai or clay pot. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, then the fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies, hing and curry leaves. Add the small onions and garlic and fry until the onions turn golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the brinjals and tomato and fry for 3 minutes. Lower the heat, add the turmeric and sambar (or kuzhambu) powder and stir for a minute without letting it burn.
- Pour in the tamarind water, add the jaggery and salt and bring to the boil.
- Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat until the kuzhambu is thick, the brinjals are soft and the oil floats on top, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile wash the rice, put it in a pressure cooker with the water and close it.
- Pressure-cook the rice on medium for 3 whistles and let the pressure drop by itself.
- Serve the kuzhambu hot over the rice.
