Milagu/Kariveppilai Kuzhambu...Pepper/Curry Leaves Subji.

 

Kaththrikkai milagu kuzhambu

People who like pepper taste will love this subji/kuzhambu.  This can be made with garlic or without.  Our family loves garlic taste in this kuzhambu. Typical Tamilnadu dish!

Ingredients:

1.  1 lemon sized Tamarind (Puli) soaked in warm water for 10 mts.and strained.

2.  1/4 kg. Brinjal (Kaththrikkai/bengan) cut into pieces.

3.  15-20 Garlic (Poondu) pods.

Fry these ingredients with 1 tsp. coconut oil:

4.  1/2 tsp. or a small piece Perungaayam Hing/Asafoetida

5.  1 tbs. Bengal gram/kadalai paruppu/Chana dhaal

6.  1/2 tbs. Black gram/Uluththam paruppu/Urad dhaal

7.  1 tbs. Coriander/Koththamalli vidhai/Dhania

8.  1 tbs. Pepper corn (you can take half tsp.more if you like the taste)

10. 3-4 red chillies.

11. 1/2 tsp. Fenugreek seeds/Vendhayam/Methi (optional)

12. 1 small piece of Jaggery to blend the taste. 

13. 1/2 cup grated or small pieces of coconut.

14. Curry leaves, as much as you like. 

15. Salt 1 to 1 1/2 tbs. Add 1 tbs. first,taste and add more if you feel it is too tangy.

15. 1/4 cup Gingelly oil/Nallennai/Til oil  

Method: 

You can see all the ingredients here.

Roasted ingredients on the left and tamarind water with salt and jaggery on the right.

Take a Kadai, add a tsp. of coconut oil, add hing/perungaayam. It will fluff up. Heat should be medium. Add bengal gram, fry a bit, add black gram, coriander, chillies and curry leaves.  Fry a bit till the leaves look roasted.  Add coconut pieces.  Fry little more. Add pepper.  Fry till one pepper flutters! Switch off the stove.  Grind these ingredients in a mixer.  You can add water in the end and blend.  Keep it aside.

Take a vessel. Boil the strained tamarind water with the jaggery piece and salt.  I add half tsp. of haldi/manjal podi/Turmeric powder in this.  Some people don't.

Keep the kadai in another burner, switch on and add the gingelly oil.  Some people add a tsp. of mustard seeds/Kadugu/rai and let it flutter.  I don't.  Again, medium heat. Add garlic, fry a bit and then add the cut brinjal pieces.  Fry it a bit more and then add it in the boiling tamarind water. Add the ground paste after you check the brinjal is soft/cooked.  Add 2-3 glasses of water till you get the needed consistency.  Bring it to a boil.  Switch off.

Some people like it slightly thick and some people like it a bit watery.  Do as you please.  We can have it with rice or chapaathi/roti or dosa/idly even.  You can keep it for 2-3 days and use.  It tastes better when it gets old!


Variations: You can use drumstick/murungakkaai  instead of brinjal.  You can add a tsp. of Jeera/cumin seeds/jeeragam also while grinding.  No need to roast. You can do this recipe without adding coconut too.  You can do your own variations.  I do this quantity for 3 people in my family and use it for minimum two days!

Hope you, esp. Sharada, because of whom I wrote this recipe, like it

Any doubt means just drop a line here.  I will be happy if you write if you like too!