Sundakkai karakuzhambu

Serves -3

Ingredients:

• Onion -1 large
• Tomato -2 medium size
• Tamarind - small gooseberry sized
• Sundakkai vathal- 3 tbsp
• Red chilli powder-1 tsp
• Coriander powder -1&1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
• Jaggery-1/8 tsp
• Salt - to taste 

To grind:

• Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp 

To temper :

• Sesame oil-2 tsp
• Mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds -1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves- few strands 
• Asafoetida - few pinches 

Method:

• In a pan add 1 tsp of oil and fry sundakkai vathal for a min in medium flame. Keep it aside.
• Now add 2 tsp of oil in the pan and temper it with items mentioned under 'to temper'.
• Then add finely chopped onion , required salt.
• When onion turns transparent add tomato and all the spice powders.
• Add little water and cook till raw smell of the spices disappear. 
• Now add the tamarind extract, fried vathal, water as needed and let it boil till raw smell of tamarind disappears. 
• Now grind coconut and fennel seeds with little water.
• Add this paste finally and let it boil for 2 mins. Add jaggery mix well.
• Turn of the flame and serve with steaming rice.

Notes:

• Sesame oil works the best for Kuzhambu types.
• You can add any vegetable in place of vathal.
• This Kuzhambu will slightly be bitter as vathal is bitter in taste.