Milagu kuzhambu aka Karuveppilai kuzhambu
(மிளகு குழம்பு என்கிற கறிவேப்பிலை குழம்பு)
This is a very popular recipe of my mother, with a lot of medicinal properties. Though people in south India are familiar with this gravy to be eaten with rice, I am very partial to my mother's recipe which she learnt from her mother and so on. I have just followed her method of making this gravy in one of the ancient type of stone utensils used in Tamil Nadu - kalchatti (கல் சட்டி). Ofcourse this gravy can be made in a kadai
Tamarind (புளி) - big lemon sized ball
Pepper corn (மிளகு) - 2 tbsp
Dry red chillies (காய்ந்த மிளகாய்) - 2
Toor dall (துவரம் பருப்பு) - 1 tsp
Curry leaves (கறிவேப்பிலை) - 5-6 sprigs
Turmeric powder (மஞ்சள் பொடி)- 1/2 tsp
Mustard (கடுகு)- 1/2 tsp
Methi seeds (வெந்தயம்)- 1/4 tsp
Gingelly Oil (நல்லெண்ணெய்) - 3 tbsp
Asafoetida (பெருங்காயம்)- 1/4 tsp
Salt (உப்பு)- to taste
Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice, add salt, asafoetida and turmeric. In a kadai heat two tbsp of oil, add mustard and when it starts spluttering, add the methi seeds, saute and then add the tamarind water. Let it boil until the raw smell of tamarind goes. In another kadai heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, add pepper corns,toor dall and then the red chillies. Add 4-5 sprigs of curry leaves and let the mixture cool. Grind this in a mixie adding little water so that it becomes a paste. Add this paste to the boiled tamarind water and let it boil for a few minutes till it thickens slightly. Add some more curry leaves and switch off the stove.
This gravy can be mixed with hot rice and ghee / gingelly oil and eaten. It helps tummy upsets. A good quantity of iron rich curry leaves is also used in this recipe.
- Gingelly oil used in this recipe can be replaced with எனி other cooking oil , but the best flavour comes with gingelly oil.
- This gravy can be stored for 2 -3 days in room temperature and upto a week in the fridge.
