Vathal kuzhambu

This is one of the famous gravy in South India. My mom do this with sambar powder, but there are other ways also to do this.

Ingredients:

• Sundakai/ other kind of vathal -10 to 12(available in asian shops)
• Garlic-8
• Large Onion-1
• Sambar powder-1 1/2 heaped teaspoon (see previous posts to know the ingredients of sambar powder)
• Cumin seeds(jeera)-1 teaspoon
• Grated coconut-3 heaped teaspoon
• Gingerly oil(Sesame seed oil)-3 tablespoon
• Tamarind- size of a small lemon
• Salt
  

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in very little warm water for 15 minutes and extract thick juice out of it.
• Heat the pan and roast the grated coconut in medium flame without oil.
• Fry the grated coconut evenly, till it becomes roasted to evenly golden brown.
• Allow it to cool and then grind it with onion and cumin seeds into a thick paste.
• Heat oil in pan and roast the vathals till it becomes crispy.
• Add the garlic and fry it with the lid closed.
• When it is half cooked, add the paste and the sambar powder, along with very little amount of water.
• Add required salt and allow it to cook with the lid closed for few minutes.
• When the garlics are cooked well and when the oil comes out, add the tamarind juice.
• Allow it for few more minutes, till it becomes a thick gravy.
• Serve it with hot plain rice along with appalam (or papadam) which is said to be a perfect combination...