Sundakkai Vatha Kuzhambu
The most iconic Tamil Brahmin vatha kuzhambu variant - sun-dried sundakkai (turkey-berry) puffs deep-fried in sesame oil first, then simmered in a thick tamarind-sambar-powder gravy with a touch of jaggery. Pungent, slightly bitter, intensely savoury. Eaten with hot rice + sesame oil + appalam. The everyday "must-have" in Iyer kitchens.
Ingredients
- Curry Leaves — 4 g
- Sesame Oil — 35 g
- Urad Dal — 5 g
- Mustard Seeds (Black) — 3 g
- Jaggery — 6 g
- Turmeric — 2 g
- methi seeds — 2 g
- Tamarind (Block) — 30 g
- dry red chillies — 4 g
- Toor Dal — 20 g
- Asafoetida — 1 g
- Sambar Powder — 18 g
- salt — 7 g
Method
- Soak 30 g tamarind in 300 ml warm water for 15 min; squeeze out the pulp.
- Heat 35 g sesame oil in a heavy iron kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, then fenugreek, urad dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves.
- Add 1 g asafoetida and the sundakkai vathal (turkey-berry sun-dried). Roast 1-2 min - vathal puffs and crisps.
- Pour in tamarind extract, sambar powder, turmeric, salt, jaggery. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Reduce to LOW; simmer uncovered 15 min till the kuzhambu thickens, oil floats on top, raw tamarind smell is gone.
- Stir in 100 ml hot toor-dal water (cooked separately) for body. Switch off, rest 5 min.
- Serve over hot rice with a teaspoon of fresh sesame oil and an appalam. Keeps refrigerated 4 days.
Common questions
- How many calories in one plate of Sundakkai Vatha Kuzhambu?
- 155 kcal per plate.
- How much cooking time?
- 33 min — 8 min prep, 25 min cooking.