Karuveppilai milagu kuzhambhu (Curry Leaves kuzhambhu)

I love the flavor of curry leaves but somehow I cannot eat it when it is raw. As I mentioned in my other blog posts like for race kuzhambu or Jeera rasam recipe I usually grind the curry leaves and include in the dish. My Grandma and mom both force fed me because it has so much nutritional value and it helps so much for the hair go dark and thick. No wonder I had longgg and nice hair until I was staying with my mom :)

This kuzhambhu is totally awesome and full of curry leaves flavor. It can either be made into a paste by reducing the volume or into a ready to mix powder recipe. When I was away from my home for college and work, my mom will make batches of this as mix and so many podi (powder's) for instant meal.

My Mother in law taught me the instant mix recipe !!  It is a very simple recipe just roasting and grinding.

• Preparation time: 15 mins

• Cooking time 10 mins

• Serves : 2

Ingredients

For roasting and grinding:

• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

• Pepper corns - 12 to 15 ( 1 tbsp)

• Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

• Urad dal - 1 tsp

• Channa dal - 1 tsp

• asafoetida / hing - a generous pinch

• Dried Red chilli - 1

• Curry leaves - a hand ful

Curry leaves - to garnish

• Oil - 1 + 1 Tbsp

• Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

• Tamarind extract - from a small lemon size tamarind dollop

• salt - to taste

• curry leaves for flavor

Direction:

As I told earlier, its very simple, grind and boil :)

To Make Sambar (Spice) Paste:  

In a tadka, Once it is smoking add fenugreek seeds, chana dal (Bengal gram),  urad dal (Skinless broken black lentil), pepper corns, coriander and cumin seeds, red chilli and saute for couple of minutes until all ingredients release a nice aroma. Then add curry leaves and saute for couple of minutes. Saute until the curry leaves becomes nice and crispy, do not let them burn

Once it has cooled down, blend into fine powder.

To Make Kuzhambu (Curry):

In a heavy bottom pan, or a sauce pan heat oil. Once smoking add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter and then add curry leaves.

To that add extracted tamarind pulp, Freshly prepared sambar mix, hing and salt then bring it to boil until all raw flavours are gone.

Veggies usually used for milagu kuzhambhu are garlic, onion and garlic , drumsticks, manathakkali.

Note:

• If you feel the Kuzhambu is thin, add a tbsp of rice flour to make it thick. If you add it in the end let it boil for couple more minuted so that it is well dissolved in the kuzhambu.

• Note this the recipe for Milagu Kuzhambu too :) Just exclude the curry leaves while grinding, also increase the amount of pepper corns and decrease the red chilli. Pepper flavor and spice should be dominating rather than red chilli's.

• If you are willing to make this more often dry roast (Curry leaves, Urad dal, chana dal, red chilli, pepper corns) separately and make a fine powder out of it. Store it in a air tight container and add a tbsp of powder directly to the tamarind pulp and proceed as directed above.

DIRECTION TO MAKE INSTANT MIX

Updated for the instant mix - youtube series

Enjoy and Happy Cooking !!