Vengaya Kuzhambu

Among mom's cooking, a very favorite of mine is puli kuzhambu. It was like a comfort food for me, and now a days I make it whenever I feel homesick. Though it doesnt' t have the perfect taste like mom's, it gets better each time. It is a spicy that can be made with drumsticks, brinjal, ladies finger /okra or just shallots. It tastes great with rice and even dosas. It tastes better the next day as the flavor sets in and if kept in the fridge it will stay for atleast 3days and it will still taste yumm....
This time I made it for one fo my friends with just shallots.

You will need:-
Shallots - 1 bowl
Garlic - 4 cloves
Tomatoes - 2 sliced
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 4 to 5 pinch
Cookin oil - 3 tbsp
Tamarind paste- 1.5 tbsp
If using tamarind, soak around a lemon size of tamarind

In a kadai pour 1 tbsp of cooking oil and fry the following:-
Coconut - 1 cup
Dry red chilies - 5 nos
Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsps
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method:-
1. In a deep dish pour oil and when hot add the mustard seeds, urad dhal and the asafoetida.






2. Now add the cut garlic and shallots and cook it well







3. In the meantime grind the fried masala items into a fine paste by adding water.






4. Once the shallots are well done add the tomatoes.







5. When well done add the ground masala and add a little water and let it simmer for 5mins.






6. Add in the tamarind water or tamarind paste.







7. When it starts to boil add salt and let it simmer until the oil leaves the sides and it thickens a bit.







8. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or dosas.