Hotel Style Kara Kuzhambu Recipe
Lip-Smacking Spicy & Tangy Mix for Rice!








Kara Kuzhambu served in hotel has a very nice flavor and taste. The fennel seeds and coconut add richness and flavor to the kuzhambu. Whenever we have a full South Indian Meal in Restaurants, the Kara Kuzhambu is mostly our favorite, especially for spice lovers. Whenever we make Kara Kuzhambu at home, we used to add either Sambar powder or we add coriander powder and red chili powder. But in the restaurants, a masala paste will be prepared and added to this kuzhambu to enhance the taste and flavor. We can enrich this kara kuzhambu with shallots, brinjal or ladysfinger. Serve this delicious Hotel Style Kara Kuzhambu with hot steaming rice along with a spoon of gingerly oil.
Veggies to Add:
Serving Preference :
If you like this Hotel Kara Kuzhambu then you can also try other restaurant style recipes
- Hotel Sambar – I always wonder the taste of Hotel Sambar (Restaurant style sambar), it is surely a bit different from our usual sambar which we prepare in home. Try the recipe here which is usually being followed in the Hotel (Restaurants)
- Red Coconut Chutney (Hotel Style) – Red Coconut chutney is a lip smacking chutney made using fresh coconut, red chilli and other spices, an easy to prepare chutney is a best accompaniment for Idli, Dosa and other breakfast dishes.
- Restaurant Style Vegetable Kurma – Vegetable Kurma is a perfect accompaniment for many dishes like idiappam, Parotta, Roti/Naan and even for Dosa/ Idli. Even for Poori sometimes, this vegetable Kurma is served as accompaniment. A multi purpose dish, if done with right ingredients, we could get the same taste as served in restaurants.
Recipe Card:
Hotel Style Kara Kuzhambu | Kara Kuzhambu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon Size Tamarind
- 15 Shallots / Baby Onions
- 1 Tomato
- 1.5 tsp Salt As Needed
- 1 tbsp Sundakkai vathal
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
For Grinding
- 4-5 Red Chili
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp Split Bengal Gram (Channa Dal / Kadalaparuppu)
- 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1/3 Cup Grated Coconut
- 5 Shallots / Baby Onions
- 1/2 Tomato Chopped
- 1 tsp Oil
For Tempering
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 2 tsp Split Bengal Gram (Channa Dal / Kadalaparuppu)
- 2 Red Chili halved
- Few Curry Leaves
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
Instructions
- Soak the tamarind in warm water and squeeze out the juice and keep it aside
- Lets first prepare the kara kuzhambu masala paste. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add red chillies, coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fry till dal turns golden brown.
- Then add another tsp of oil and add the grated coconut. Fry till coconut turns light brown. Take it to mixer jar.
- Add shallots and tomato and sauté till tomato is soft. Take it to mixer jar.
- Allow all these roasted ingredientsto cool and grind it to a smooth paste and set this paste aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add sundakkai vathal (dry turkey berry) and fry it till it turns golden brown and set it aside.
- Add 2 tablespoon of gingerly oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Add bengal gram dal,fenugreek seeds and broken red chili and fry till the dal turns golden brown.
- Add curry leaves. Then, add shallots and saute till shallots are transparent.
- Next, add chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomato becomes mushy. Now add tamarind extract along with turmeric and salt and allow it to boil till its raw smell goes off. It would take around 5 mins.
- Then add the ground kara kuzhambu spice paste and mix well. Adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu by adding water. Allow the kuzhambu to boil in low flame for 5 minutes.
- Finally add the roasted sundakkai vathal and cook for another minute and then switch off the flame.
- Serve the delicious Kara Kuzhambu with hot steaming rice and enjoy the Hotel Style Kara Kuzhambu.
Video
Notes
- We can also add coriander powder and red chili powder to the tamarind extract instead of grinding coriander and red chili with the grinding ingredients
- Always serve with sesame oil that adds a nice flavor
- I have just added shallots , but we can sauté brinjals or ladies finger or drumstick and add it to tamarind extract
Nutritional Info
Instruction with Step by Step Pictures:
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the tamarind in warm water and squeeze out the juice and keep it aside
- Lets first prepare the kara kuzhambu masala paste. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add red chillies, coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fry till dal turns golden brown.
- Then add another tsp of oil and add the grated coconut. Fry till coconut turns light brown. Take it to mixer jar.
- Add shallots and tomato and sauté till tomato is soft. Take it to mixer jar.
- Allow all these roasted ingredientsto cool and grind it to a smooth paste and set this paste aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add sundakkai vathal (dry turkey berry).
- Fry the sundakkai vathal till it turns golden brown and set it aside.
- Add 2 tablespoon of gingerly oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Add bengal gram dal,fenugreek seeds and broken red chili and fry till the dal turns golden brown. Add curry leaves and give a mix.
- Then, add shallots and saute till shallots are transparent.
- Next, add chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomato becomes mushy.
- Now add tamarind extract along with turmeric and salt and allow it to boil till its raw smell goes off. It would take around 5 mins.
- Then add the ground kara kuzhambu spice paste and mix well. Adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu by adding water. Allow the kuzhambu to boil in low flame for 5 minutes.
- Finally add the roasted sundakkai vathal and cook for another minute and then switch off the flame.
- Serve the delicious Kara Kuzhambu with hot steaming rice and enjoy the Hotel Style Kara Kuzhambu.
Mam mouth watering receipt.can u PL tell me funnel seeds in Tamil.i am not able to understand.is t necessary to add cocunt.without coconut it can last long and carry for train journey.
fennel seeds is called "Sombu or perunjeeragam" in tamil. sure sir you can skip coconut and it will hold for long time
Hello, I am loving your recipes, they are so very well layed out so it is easy to be organised and follow accurately. My family thinks the curries I make now are much more delicious. I would like to ask a question about adding coconut. I saw in the comments that the curry would last longer if I didn't add coconut and I am wondering why this is. I have been using dried grated coconut, but I think after watching your videos that I should soak it first so it is more like the fresh grated coconut.
Thank you so much both of you for sharing your recipes in such a wonderful way.
Thank you so much Lisa for your lovely words. Fresh coconut has lesser shelf life. Especially if our weather is too hot, the dishes made with dal and coconut gets spoiled quickly. I too use desiccated coconut, i have never soaked, just used it in place of fresh coconut
Tried this recipe today morning. Came out amazingly well. Thanks for the recipe
Wow… such a wonderful curry. I always love kara kuzhambu when I goto hotels. Today I made it at home and tasted very good. Thanks
Mam pl arrange to share your receips through whatsup…. tnx
Excellent recipe. Tried it over the weekend and it turned out better than most restaurant stuff.
Thanks MG. Nice to hear your comments
Super recipe. It came out so good!!!
Thanks Kalpana. Glad that you liked it
Nice guidance
Thank You
I tried this recipe today and came it very well. My family loved it. Thank you so much.
So glad to hear Lasitha. Thanks
Nice and tasty
Thank you Deepa 🙏