Arachu Vitta Vatha Kuzhambu | Vegan | Gluten Free

Usually Vatha Kuzhambu are made with dry vathals like manthakalikai, Sundakai etc. But it can also be made with vegetables like okra, drumstick, yellow pumpkin, garlic etc. Vatha Kuzhambu can be refrigerated upto a week. 

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients Required:

Dry Vathal - 1/4 Cup (or) Vegetable - 1 Cup

Tamrind - lemon sized ball

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt as required
Rice Flour - 2 tsp

For Frying and Grinding:

Coriander Seeds - 1 1/2 tsp

Toor Dhal - 2 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies -4

Hing - pinch

Sesame/Gingelly Oil - 2 tblsp

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - few twigs

Dry red chillies - 4

Seasame/Gingelly Oil - 1 tblsp

How to make:

Heat oil in a pan and add all the ingredients required to be ground, fry for few minutes till golden brown and grind them with little water to a paste and set aside.

If using dry vathal, add little oil in the same pan and fry the vathal till dark brown and set aside.

If using okra, fry in oil till golden brown and set aside.

If using drumstick, brinjal, raddish - fry till the rew smell goes and set aside.

If using pumpkin, boil in water with a little salt till the vegetable is cooked and set aside.

Microwave the tamrind with 1 and 1/2 cup of water for 2 minutes and extract the water.

In the same pan, add the tamrind water and mix the ground paste.

Add salt as per required.

Add the vathal or the vegetable and cover the pan and let it boil on low heat for 10 minutes until it thickens.

If you feel that the kuzhambu is very diluted, take the rice flour and add little water and mix it well to a paste and add this to the kuzhambu.

Allow to boil so the raw smell of rice flour goes away.

Finally in another pan, add little oil and fry the ingredients required for seasoning and add this to the kuzhambu.

Serve with rice topped with a tsp of sesame/gingelly oil.

Notes:
Chopped Tomatoes can fried with the other ingredients and ground to a paste for a tangier taste. If using tomato, reduce the amount of tamrind.
Vegetable of our choice and taste can be added. I have made it with yellow pumpkin.