Vathal Kuzhambu

Vathal Kuzhambu - This name might be a misnomer for the recipe Iam  publishing as this does not have any vathal in it. 
There are so many sites on the internet which gives the recipe for an authentic vathal kuzhambu. 

I was thinking about it and wanted to make it a little different and easy. 
Thats when I remembered this curry which I used to make long back during my bachelor( or is it spinster!) days. I learnt it from one of my friend. My room mates and my friends used to like this curry very much. I liked it because it was quick and easy and yumm.

 Ingredients:
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Methi seeds / Fenugreek - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies - 4
Sambhar powder - 2 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized ball
Brinjal - 6 medium sized
Drumstick - 1
Oil - 2 tablespoon
salt to taste
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
small onions - one handful (optional)




Preparation:

1. Add oil to heated pan.Once oil is heated, add mustard seeds.
2. After mustard seeds splutter, add methi seeds.
3. Then add dried chillies, curry leaves and asafetida powder
4. Fry them a little .
5. Add cut vegetables (bringal and drumsticks).
6. Add salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric powder. Add sambhar powder.
7. Fry the vegetables till they are half done for about 5 minutes.
8. Add the tamarind juice and add two cups of water to it. I had only tamarind paste. So,I added that.
9. Let the vegetables get fully cooked and let the gravy reduce to half.

Note: If you are adding small onions, you can add them just before the vegetables and fry them a little bit. I did not add it.

This gravy will not be very thick.If it is too watery, you can add 1 teaspoon rice flour mixed with little water. This will thicken the curry. But I have noticed that it is good without adding the rice flour. Addition of rice flour gives a chinese dish look and personally I don't prefer that look in a south Indian dish. :)

It is very yummy to eat with hot rice and pappad( appalams).