Poricha Kuzhambu

It's a tasty and spicy gravy made of vegetables like carrot, beans, cabbage. Though we add green chillies and red chillies for the hotness, it is the black pepper that adds a distinct and spicy flavour to this dish. In earlier posts, we saw recipe for 'Poricha Kootu'. In that we had used Moong Dal and jeera-coconut-chilly paste, whereas this has Tuwar dal and more spices into it. Also consistency for 'Poricha Kootu' is thicker than 'Poricha Kuzhambu'. Some prefer 'Poricha Kootu' to mix and eat with rice, while some prefer eating it as a side. Whereas, 'Poricha Kuzhambu' is savoured by mixing it with rice. It's different from the usual Kuzhambu, try it!

(Poricha Kuzhambu)

 

(Vegetables - carrot/beans/cabbage)

(Other ingredients)

 

(Roasted spices)

  

(ground spice-coconut paste)

Ingredients:

Chopped cabbage : 1 cup
Diced carrot & beans: 1 cup
Tuwar dal : 50g
Tomato (sour variety) : 2
Green chillies : 3
Red chillies : 3 to 4
Urad dal : 1 tbsp
Jeera : 1 tsp
Black pepper : 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds : 1/4 tsp
freshly grated coconut : 1/2 cup
Turmeric : 1/4th tsp
Rasam powder : 1 tsp
Asafoetida/hing : 1/4th tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves : few
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tbsp apprx

Note1 : If you do not get the sour variety tomatoes, add one tomato and 1/2 tsp tamarind paste in step2

Note2: You can also add drumstick and fresh green tuwar if you like. Adjust the quantity of other vegetables accordingly.


Method:

1. Pressure cook tuwar dal and keep it aside.
2. Add 1.5 tumbler water in a vessel and bring it to boil. Then add chopped cabbage, carrot and beans to it. (If you are adding drumstick, add that first and let it be at the bottom). Add chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric, rasam powder, slit green chillies and close it with a lid and let it boil on low to medium flame for 10-15 min or till veggies get cooked.
3. Meanwhile, heat some oil in a small pan, add red chillies, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and black pepper.  Once dal starts turning golden brown switch off the flame, then immediately add jeera. Transfer it into a mixer jar, let it cool, add fresh grated coconut and grind it into a little coarse paste and keep it aside.
4. Once the veggies get cooked, mash and add the cooked tuwar dal. (Adjust water if required)
5. Let it boil for 3-4 min. Then add the ground coconut-spice paste , mix well and let it simmer for 4-5 min. Switch off the flame.
6. For tempering, in a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once it crackles switch off the flame and add asafoetida. Also add the curry leaves. Add this to the gravy.

Serve it hot with rice and papad/appalam.

Note : The consistency should be neither too thin nor too thick.