Vendakkai Pulikozhambu

Pulikozhambus are Tamil Nadus favourite recipes. As the name suggests these curries have lot of puli (sour) taste in them and the major contribution to this sourness is from tamarind.

This kozhambu i recently made and i got a serious addiction to it. It turned out so yummy, i love it to the core. The smell of shallots, garlic and fresh ground masala just lifts you... Hope you will give this a try and let me know how it turns out for you..

This is best suited for rice although I guess we can try it with dosas too.

Some side dish accompaniments as suggested below

Baby potato fry

Papaya thoran

Cabbage Carrot Thoran

Beetroot poriyal

Ingredients

Ladies finger – 12 young, tender

Tamarind – 1 lemon sized ball

Sambar powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Sesame oil / Oil – 2 tbslp

Salt – As needed

Garlic – 3 flakes

To saute in oil and grind

Shallots (Small onion) – 12 

Coconut – 1/2 cup

To temper

Oil  - 2 tblsp 

Mustard – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam / Methi – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method

• Cut ladies finger into one inch pieces. Peel small onion, roughly cube tomato, slice garlic into thin circles. 
• Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup hot water for 30 mins, extract the juice with another 1/2 cup of water. Keep aside. 
• In a kadai, add a tblsp of sesame oil and fry the ladies finger in medium flame stirring every now and then until the slime goes away and black spots appear here and there. Keep aside. 
• In the same kadai, fry peeled small onion. Add oil if needed. 
• Once onion turns transparent,  add coconut and fry for a minute. Transfer to a plate.Let it cool down
• Mean while, Heat oil for tempering, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’, add sliced garlic. When garlic is fragrant, add the sauteed ladies finger
• Add extracted tamarind juice, and adjust water so that totally its 2 & 1/2 cups of water. Add turmeric, sambar powder and mix well. Simmer for 8 mins 
• Meanwhile grind the sauteed onion, tomato, coconut with little water to a paste. Add it to the boiling gravy along with little water
• Boil for 3 more minutes and until the gravy is thick. It thickens a bit after cooling down, so switch off accordingly 

Enjoy with rice and a side dish of your choice.


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