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Karuvepilai kuzhambu | curry leaves gravy | karuvepilai thokku

Sangskitchen
Karuvepilai kulambu or curry leaves gravy is a tamarind based curry prepared by grinding and cooking fresh curry leaves with spices and tamarind pulp. Served with hot rice. Curry leaf holds medicinal values.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Curry leaves/Karuvepilai – 1 cup heaped
  • Shallots/small onions-8
  • Garlic-5pods
  • Tamarind-1 small lemon size
  • Tomato – 1 (optional)
  • Mustard seeds – 1tsp
  • Jeera -1tsp
  • Methi/fenugreek seeds-1tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Sambhar powder – 1tsp
  • Salt-as required
  • Gingelly oil – 1 tbsp
  • Jaggery – 1 small piece (optional)

Instructions
 

Preparation | How to make karuvepilai kulambu:

  • Soak tamarind in some water.
  • Peel and chop onions. You can use one big onion if you don’t have shallots.
  • Peel and crush garlic. Crushing gives extra flavor.
  • Wash curry leaves and grind them into fine paste.

Recipe:

  • In a kadai heat gingelly oil. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
  • Add fenugreek/methi seeds and fry to golden brown state. For any tamarind based gravy, adding methi seeds is an important step. Fenugreek has the property of balancing the acidity created by tamarind.
  • Add chopped onions and garlic. Fry onions until transparent color achieved.
  • Add turmeric powder.
  • Add chopped tomato. This is optional. As this karuvepilai kulambu is tamarind based gravy, this step can be skipped. I added tomato for some extra taste.
  • Once tomatoes turn mushy add karuvepilai paste and saute nicely. The raw flavor of curry leaves/karuvepilai should not be there.
  • Add sambhar powder. If sambhar powder is not available, ¾ tsp of red chilli powder can be added.
  • Add tamarind juice extract to the gravy. Filter out and discard the waste. Close the lid and let the kulambu boil for ten minutes until raw tamarind flavor goes off.
  • Add required stone salt. Adjust the consistency of the kulambu by adding some water. You can see the oil floating on top of gravy.
  • Add small jaggery piece and mix (I forgot to take picture). Switch off the stove at this stage.
  • Serve with hot steamed rice and potato fry or simple papad.

Notes

  • Curry leaves paste and tamarind should balance each other. So mind the quantity used.
  • This gravy can be stored in fridge and used for a week.
  • Try to use fresh curry leaves/karuvepilai. Adding jaggery is optional. This gives a nice taste to balance the sourness of tamarind.

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal
Keyword curry leaves gravy, karuvepilai kulambu
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