After years of using frozen drumsticks, I laid my hands on fresh ones at the Indian store yesterday. Immediately, i planned on cooking kara kuzhambu which i normally prepare with Indian eggplants (brinjal). It is a south indian dish served with cooked rice. This spicy and tangy kuzhambu is a variation from your usual sambar or rasam. So, go ahead and give this kuzhambu a try, i am sure you will love it. Here goes the recipe,
Ingredients:
2 Drumsticks (14-16 pieces)
14-16 Red Pearl Onions
2 small Tomatoes
10-12 Garlic pods
6-8 Curry leaves
1 1/2 tbsp dried Tamarind
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad dal
1 pinch Fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp Sesame oil
Salt, to taste
To grind:
2 tbsp shredded Coconut (frozen & thawed)
1 tbsp Sambar powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Fennel seeds
How to:
- Chop the drumsticks to 3" pieces and mince the tomatoes and onions.
- Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and keep the juice aside.
- Grind the 'to grind' ingredients with 1/4 cup water and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a deep pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder.
- Add the onions, little salt and saute until it turns translucent.
- Then add the tomatoes and cook with lid closed for 4-5 mins.
- Now add the drumsticks, garlic and curry leaves, mix well and cook for a min.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water along with tamarind juice and cook with lid closed until the drumsticks cook.
- Add the ground coconut mixture and cook until desired consistency.
- Check salt for taste and switch off.
- Serve hot with rice.
