Vatha kuzhambu is a tamarind based gravy, prepared with dried Black nightshade berries commonly known as manathakkali vathal and without onion and garlic.
Vathal kuzhambu holds an important place in Tamil families kitchens and you can see this as Kara kulambu in wedding lunches. Most of the recipes include onions and garlic. I do vatha kulambu both the way and I showed you the manathakkali Vathakulambu without onion and garlic version.
In a few communities, they prefer to avoid onion and garlic during auspicious days and this recipe is a perfect one for those days.
Try these medicinal gravies:
Vatha kuzhambu | Manathakkali vathal kulambu without onion and garlic
Moreover, the taste of the vathakuzhambu is mainly coming from the vathal we use and the special vathal kuzhambu powder we prepare. Freshly homemade vathal kulambu powder gives a fantastic taste to the gravy and I prefer to make &store it monthly once.
I learned this recipe from a maamy friend and it is a favorite dish in my kitchen regularly. Also, I use the same recipe with onions and garlic also which is equally delicious.
If you wish to use onions, try with shallots and whole garlic pods, saute well along with vathal before adding tamarind water.
In addition to the above said, there is no tomato used as well and it is perfectly fine with tamarind alone. Do not use tomato as it may alter the original taste.
Despite using more oil for tempering, this manathakkali Vathakulambu is a healthy gravy because of the medicinal value of this manathakkali (black nightshade berries).
There are various subspecies under these black nightshade plants and very few like deadly nightshade plants(as the name suggests) are not edible and considered poisonous. These are commonly misunderstood and misidentified with black nightshade plants which turn out to be medicinal in various parts around the world.
Enough said about the history and let us go into the details of this manathakkali alias Black shade berry:
- The leaves and berries both are edible and a common plant in African and Indian cuisines.
- This manathakkali also called Sunberry and Wonderberry in English, Makoi in Hindi and Kasaka in Telugu.
- Manathakkali keerai(leaves) are also used in cooking and have abundant health properties like curing mouth ulcers, stomach ailments.
- Moreover, these wonder berries and their leaves are useful in the prevention of cancer, Jaundice and Hypertension.
- Furthermore, it helps in curing fever, sore throat and highly known to cure Scurvy disease.
For more information on the nature and health benefits of black nightshade berry(manathakkali):
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/black-nightshade/
Other Puli kuzhambu varieties:
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Vatha kuzhambu | Manathakkali vathal kulambu without onion and garlic
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- ½ cup manathakkali vathal
- dried black nightshade berries
For vathakulambu powder: (Makes around 4 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tsp toor dal
- 2 tsp urad dal
- ¾ tsp fenugreek seeds methi seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 5 long red chillies
For gravy:
- 2 tbsp sesame oil + 1 tsp
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp hing asafoetida
- Few curry leaves
- 1 cup thick tamarind water
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp vathakulambu powder
- ½ tsp jaggery
Instructions
Preparation:
- Clean dried manathakkali vathal if there is dirt from packing.
- Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes. If you are using tamarind pulp use two tbsp of that.
- Extract two cups of tamarind water and keep ready.
Recipe:
How to make Vathal kuzhambu powder:
- Heat a small tadka pan, dry roast coriander seeds for a minute.
- Add toor dal and whole urad dal to the same pan. Also add some fenugreek(methi) seeds.
- Roast them for two minutes and add black peppercorns, cumin seeds.
- Add long red chillies and dry roast them all for five to six minutes until they become crispy and brown.
- Switch off, let the mixture cool down and grind into a powder with adding water.
- Our Vathakulambu powder is ready to use. The given measurements yield around 4 tablespoons of vathal kuzhambu powder which you can store and use twice.
How to make no onion no garlic Vathakulambu:
- In a saucepan heat gingelly (sesame) oil and temper with mustard seeds.
- Let the mustard splutter and add hing(asafoetida).
- Now add the manathakkali vathal with some curry leaves and fry in oil for a few minutes.
- In around five minutes vathal will be soft and half cooked.
- Pour tamarind water and mix.
- Add turmeric powder and required salt.
- The tamarind water reduce and the gravy becomes thick in around 5 mins. Let the berries(vathal) cook in tamarind for 10 minutes.
- Add the prepared vathal kuzhambu powder and mix well.
- The dal in this powder thickens the gravy even more and thick consistency achieved.
- When oil separates on the top layer of the kulambu, add a piece of jaggery and mix well.
- I always add a tsp of gingelly oil before switching off. This gives a nice glazy texture to the manathakkali vathal kuzhambu.
- Serve this with hot rice. You can store in an airtight container after the gravy completely cools down. This onion less Vathal kuzhambu stays good up to a month in the refrigerator and a perfect keeper for those who travel a lot.
Video
Notes
1) Always give enough time to reduce and thicken up the gravy. If you are using fresh tamarind water, the kuzhambu should be definitely cooked for ten minutes atleast.
2) If you wish to use garlic, saute in oil before adding vathal and follow the rest of the procedure.
Nutrition
Preparation:
- Clean dried manathakkali vathal if there is dirt from packing. You can wash with clean water.
- Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes. If you are using tamarind pulp use two tbsp of that.
- Extract two cups of tamarind water and keep ready.
Recipe:
How to make Vathal kuzhambu powder:
- Heat a small tadka pan, dry roast coriander seeds for a minute. Add toor dal and whole urad dal to the same pan. Add fenugreek seeds(methi seeds).
- Roast them for two minutes and add black peppercorns, cumin seeds. Add long red chillies and dry roast them all for five to six minutes until they become crispy and brown.
- Switch off, let the mixture cool down and grind into a powder by adding water.
- Our Vathakulambu powder is ready to use. The given measurements yield around 4 tablespoons of vathal kuzhambu powder which you can store and use twice.
How to make no onion no garlic Vathakulambu:
- In a saucepan heat gingelly (sesame) oil and temper with mustard seeds.
- Let the mustard splutter and add hing(asafoetida).
- Now add the manathakkali vathal(wash before use) with some curry leaves and fry in oil for a few minutes.
- In around five minutes vathal will be soft and half cooked.
- Pour tamarind water and mix.
- Add turmeric powder and required salt.
- Let the tamarind water thicken for a while. By this time the vathal(berries) will be cooked in tamarind for around 8 minutes.
- Add the prepared vathal kuzhambu powder and mix well.
- The dal in this powder thickens the gravy even more. Cook this thick gravy for 5 mins.
- When oil separates on the top layer of the kulambu, add a piece of jaggery and mix well.
- I always add a tsp of gingelly oil before switching off. This gives a nice glazy texture to the manathakkali vathal kuzhambu.
- Serve this with hot rice. You can store it in an airtight container after the gravy completely cools down. This onion less Vathal kuzhambu stays good for up to a month in the refrigerator and a perfect keeper for those who travel a lot.
Tips:
1) Always give enough time to reduce and thicken up the gravy. If you are using fresh tamarind water, the kuzhambu should be definitely cooked for ten minutes atleast.
2) If you wish to use garlic, saute in oil before adding vathal and follow the rest of the procedure.
