Thengai araitha kuzhambhu / vendhya kuzhambhu

I know this recipe has many names, thengai araitha kuzhambhu, vendhaya kuzhambhu.

It is very simple recipe and the bitter taste of the fenugreek Seeds is beautifully balanced with the use of red chillis and coconut.

This kuzhambhu tastes especially good when made with kathirikkai (eggplant). We recently harvested homegrown eggplant(brinjal) and this tasted like heaven.

Preparation time - 20 mins

Cooking time - 20 mins

Serves - 3 cups

Ingredients

For roasting and grinding

• Urad dal - 1 tsp

• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp

• Dried Red chilli - 5 or 6

• Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup

• Raw rice - 1 tsp

Other ingredients

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

• Curry leaves - few strands

• Asafoetida / hing / perungayam - a pinch

• Eggplant / brinjal - 7 or 8

• Tamarind puree - to taste

• Salt to taste

Direction

In a wok or kadai dry roast urad dal, fenugreek seeds, raw rice, dried red chilli and coconut separately. Until aroma is released

Grind together to make a fine paste and keep it ready. Meanwhile, in the same kadai add gingelly oil, to that add mustard seeds and curry leaves and slowly roast cut brinjal with little salt. When the eggplant is sauted add tamarind extract and salt. Dilute it with water and let it simmer until the raw tamarind flavor is gone add in the ground paste.

Let it simmer again for 5 more minutes and enjoy with hot rice and some stir fried curry.

Enjoy and happy cooking!