Cooks Joy » Milagu Kuzhambu (Pepper Kuzhambu)

Milagu Kuzhambu (Pepper Kuzhambu)

Posted By Vardhini On July 18, 2011 @ 5:31 am In Blogging Marathon,Condiments,Gravies,Indian,Side Dishes | 33 Comments

Day 3 of blogging marathon with theme ‘Combo Meals’. I am surprised to think of how many combo recipes I have learnt just by K mentioning the names. This is one such combo and is K’s favorite. In the early days of marriage when I actually started cooking I used to love the kuzhambu which involved ground masala. Reason being I could never get it to the right consistency and it was always watery. But adding the masala thickened it up beautifully.

Now that was a life saver for me.

Milagu kuzhambu stays good in the fridge for days, is very easy to prepare and as the name implies it uses peppercorns instead of chillies. Hence it is considered healthy as pepper has medicinal benefits. It is best paired with paruppu thuvaiyal which is basically a paste made with lentils and coconut. This has been in my archives for a while due to the simplicity of the recipe, but thanks to blogging marathon theme I am posting this today. I normally like to mix the kuzhambu with rice and have the thuvaiyal as the side dish whereas K mixes the thuvaiyal with rice and has the kuzhambu as a dip. So however you choose to have it this is sure to please the palate.

Ingredients
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Lemon size tamarind (1 cup juice roughly)
Salt to taste
Curry leaves

Masala
1.5 tsp pepper corns
1.5 tsp urad dal
1.5 tsp toor dal
Asafoetida
3 red chillies

Method
Let us prepare the masala for kuzhambu first. Roast peppercorns, urad dal, toor dal, asafoetida and red chillies.

Take in a blender.

Blend to a paste using water.

Heat oil. Season with mustard seeds. Add the extracted tamarind juice.

Bring to a boil and add the masala and salt.

Mix well and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until it thickens to the desired consistency. I have read that adding a teaspoon of rice flour will help in thickening although I have never tried it.

Add curry leaves and turn off the stove.

Our healthy and tasty lunch platter

Enjoy!

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