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Vatha kuzhambu | Manathakkali vathal kulambu without onion and garlic

Sangskitchen
Vatha kuzhambu is a tamarind based gravy, prepared with dried Black nightshade berries commonly known as manathakkali vathal and without onion and garlic.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Gravies
Cuisine South Indian
Servings 1 cups
Calories 80 kcal

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

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 80kcal
    Keyword How to make vatha kuzhambu, Kara kuzhambu, Kara Puli kuzhambu with vathal, Manathakkali Vathal kuzhambu, Vatha kuzhambu, Vathal kulambu without onion garlic
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