Vatha Kuzhambu, Tamil Tamarind Gravy
Vatha kuzhambu is the tangiest thing in the Tamil kitchen, a dark, thick tamarind gravy served in small amounts because a little floods the whole plate with flavor. It is usually swimming in gingelly oil and sun-dried vegetables fried crisp. This version drops the oil and leans on whole shallots and garlic sweated soft for body, a spoon of toor dal for thickness, and freshly roasted spices for depth. The result is puckeringly sour and deeply savory, exactly what a mound of plain rice is built to soak up.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Tamarind paste
- 10 Shallots, peeled and left whole
- 8 cloves Garlic, peeled and left whole
- 3 tbsp Toor dal
- 2 tbsp Sambar powder
- 1 tsp Brown mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seed
- 1 tbsp Coriander seed
- 3 Byadgi chiles, broken
- 20 Curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Method
- Rinse the toor dal and simmer it in 1 cup (240 ml) water until soft, about 20 minutes, then mash it. This spoonful of cooked dal is what thickens the gravy to a clinging consistency instead of the oil and rice flour a restaurant would use.
- In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, half the fenugreek, and the broken byadgi chiles until fragrant and a shade darker, about 90 seconds. Grind them to a coarse powder. Roasting the whole spices first is what separates this from a raw, flat tamarind sauce.
- In a pot, toast the mustard seeds and remaining fenugreek until the mustard pops. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Add the whole shallots and garlic with a splash of water and sweat 6 minutes until they soften and start to brown at the edges. Keeping them whole means they turn sweet and jammy and give the gravy its body.
- Dissolve the tamarind in 2 cups (475 ml) warm water and pour it in. Add the turmeric, sambar powder, and the freshly ground roasted spice. Simmer 12 minutes so the raw edge cooks off the tamarind and the kitchen smells sour and toasty.
- Stir in the mashed dal and simmer 5 minutes more until the gravy thickens and coats a spoon. It should be intensely sour, hot, and savory, with the tamarind and spice standing in for salt. Serve a few spoonfuls over brown rice. It keeps a week and deepens by the day.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 80 calories, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
