Many a times we get bored of the regular sambar and want something else for a change. Any thing prepared out of drum stick will tickle the taste buds of vegetarians. This dish is a good substitute for the regular sambar.Children generally dislike sambar.So if you pack lunch with this kara kuzhambu,it will be a welcome change for them. Another advantage of this gravy is that packed rice will not turn thick and hard like sambar rice by noon. Today afternoon my husband was telling me during lunch that kuzhambu tastes different and good. He couldn’t make out that it is not sambar.My daughter also was telling after coming from school ‘lunch was too good today amma’.So you people have a try at this recipe
Though the name is Kara kuzhambu, don’t add too much karam (chili powder) or puli (tamarind).Now a days we add tomatoes, so very little tamarind is enough.Cocunut also should be used less. If you add little soaked and cooked Mochai to this gravy while cooking, it will be excellent.Thatta payaru also can be added.Brinjal can be substituted for drum stick. As I didn’t plan the previous day, I didn’t have mochai or thattai payaru ready
Ingredients
Drum stick-15 pieces
Small onion-15
Garlic-10 pods
Tomato-1
Curry leaf-little
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Tamarind-Very small piece (little less than the qty used for sambar)
To grind
Coconut grated-2 table spoons
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Cut the drum stick into pieces as shown in the snap. Mince the onion, garlic and tomato. Place the kadai in the stove. In a table spoon of oil season the gravy with a teaspoon of mustard, urudh dhal, and fennel seed and curry leaf. Sauté the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one. Add the drum stick pieces. Cook the drum stick in a cup of water in medium fire for 6 to 7 minutes. Mean time grind the items in ‘to grind’ Soak the tamarind and salt needed in two cups of water and add once the drum stick pieces are almost cooked. if you add tamarind and salt in the beginning, the vegetable will not get cooked fast. Allow the gravy to cook for 5 more minutes and then add the grinded masala mixed in half cup of water to the gravy. Mix every thing well and allow the gravy to cook for further 5 minutes or till the gravy turns to the consistency of sambar.