Vatha Kuzhambu is a very traditional recipe in any Tamil Brahmin Kitchen. Vatha Kuzhambu has the balanced mix of tangy, spice and sweetness. Serve the delicious Vatha Kuzhambu with hot steaming rice along with a teaspoon of sesame oil or ghee and enjoy the traditional Kuzhambu.
Vatha Kuzhambu is a traditional kuzhambu variety. It is delicious and spicy gravy. Fresh Peppercorns brings out a nice flavour to the kuzhambu. This is one of the main dish served in many tamil marriage occasions. we use to add fried manathakali vathal which is called as Black night shade in english. but you can also add sundakkai instead. Vathakuzhambu with sutta appalam and any fried poriyal is a best combo.
There are 2 ways to make Vatha Kuzhambu.
Making Vatha Kuzhambu using Sambar Podi : This method is simple and easy. We first start with tempering of mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves in sesame oil. Following to the tempering, we add sambar powder to the oil and roast the sambar podi till it becomes dark brown. Then we add vegetables like drumstick, yellow pumpkin, carrot, ladys finger and sauté for a minute. Once vegetables are cooked, add tamarind juice along with salt. Boil in low flame for 10 mins and finally mix rice flour with water and add it to kuzhambu to make the kuzhambu thicker. This is a quick way to make Vatha Kuzhambu.
Making Vatha Kuzhambu using Freshly Ground Spice Paste : Here we fry urad dal, red chili, pepper, fenugreek and grind it to paste. Adding this fresh paste makes rich and thicker. Given below is this method of making Vatha Kuzhambu.
Vatha Kuzhambu is a very traditional recipe in any Tamil Brahmin Kitchen. Vatha Kuzhambu has the balanced mix of tangy, spice and sweetness. Serve the delicious Vatha Kuzhambu with hot steaming rice along with a teaspoon of sesame oil or ghee and enjoy the traditional Kuzhambu.
2tbspSundakkai vathalWe can also use Manathakali Vathal
1tspGrated Jaggery
1tspSaltAdjust As Needed
3tspSesame Oil(for frying Vathal)
For Grinding
1tspSesame Oil
6Red Chili
2tbspUrad Dal
1tspPeppercorns
FewCurry leaves
For Tempering
1tspSesame Oil
1tspMustard seeds
1tspCumin Seeds
¼tspFenugreek seeds
FewCurry leaves
Instructions
Preparation
Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice
Pour 3 teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the sundakai vathal (or manathakkali vathal). Fry the vathal in medium flame till it becomes dark brown. Take the fried vathal aside.
Making of the Spice Paste
Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan. Fry the pepper, red chillies, urdhal, curryleaves and hing and grind it into a paste in a mixer. Set aside this spice paste
Start with Tempering
Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add the cumin seeds, and hing and fry till it becomes light brown color.
Making the Kuzhambu
Add the tamarind extract along with salt and allow it to boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.
Now add ground paste to the kuzhambu. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency with water if needed. The urad dal makes the kuzhambu thicker so add water to adjust the consistency.
Add jaggery and give a mix. Switch off the flame.
Now the delicious vathakuzambu is ready to serve with hot rice and Fried/sutta Appalam.
Video
Notes
Adjust red chilies as per your spice level
Jaggery is optional. But it will bring out a nice balance of tangy and spice taste.
Nutritional Info
Nutrition Facts
Vatha Kuzhambu | Kalyana Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 150Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Protein 1g2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Method with Step by Step Pictures:
Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice
Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan. Fry the pepper, red chillies, urdhal, curryleaves and hing and grind it into a paste in a mixer. Set aside this spice paste
Pour 3 teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the sundakaivathal. Fry the vathal in medium flame till it becomes dark brown. Take the fried vathal aside. Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add the cumin seeds, and hing and fry till it becomes light brown color.
Add the tamarind extract along with salt and allow it to boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. Now add ground paste to the kuzhambu. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency with water if needed. The urad dal makes the kuzhambu thicker so add water to adjust the consistency.
Add jaggery and give a mix. Switch off the flame. Now the delicious vathakuzambu is ready to serve with hot rice and Fried/sutta Appalam.
I like your recipes and have tried a few of them. I wanted to try vathakuzhambu. After point 5, I am confused. In point 6, it says grind ingredients with little water. Which ingredients are to be ground? In point 5, we are boiling tamarind water and salt to remove the raw smell.
Hai Mam, Can you please suggest a variation /new recipe for making vathakulambu mix that can be stored for a month in refrigerator and used directly on rice .(Something similar to the ready made mix we get in grand sweets ) .
Hai mam, Can you suggest a variation/recipe for making vathakulambu mix that can be stored in refrigerator for a month and more .Something similar to kothamalli thokku which we can directly mix with rice .We usually buy from vathakulambu mix from grand sweets but unfortunately now I've got bored of it as I feel all the mix from grand sweets tastes the same no matter if it is tomato pickle/vatha kulmabu mix everything has got a common flavour .
What is Sundaikavathal ? Please advise .. How long does this recipe stay if referigerated ? If you could post the recipe for a longer lasting version . Thank you so much
Hi Anitha, Sundakaai is Turkey Berry in english. The turkey berry is soaked in buttermilk with salt and dried in the sun and made as sundakaai vathal. You can get this in any indian shop.
In all the recipes how much water (in ml ) should be the tamarind extract. That is not very clear to me. Even in this vathakuzhambu recipe, we are not adding water other thanin the stage where we make tamarind extract. Your input would be helpful
For Vathakuzhambu, the tamarind extra needs to be thick, so add 2 cups of warm water and soak tamarind for 10 mins and then squeeze nicely to extract the juice
it is very new to hear , the ghee for frying,, if we fry the things in ghee the smell and taste of ghee stood first,, so, I feel it is better to cook with sesame [gingely] oil to give the very good taste
yes Chari, thats correct, use ghee to fry the manathakali vathal and add it to vatha kuzhambu. Manathakali vathal gets fried quickly so do it in low flame so that its not getting burnt
Once it is made how long can it stored without refrigeration and with refrigeration, I intend making it a quantity and carry it over 2 weeks. Will it hold.
very authentic preparation of vathakuzhambu… love it..
Hi,
I like your recipes and have tried a few of them.
I wanted to try vathakuzhambu. After point 5, I am confused. In point 6, it says grind ingredients with little water. Which ingredients are to be ground? In point 5, we are boiling tamarind water and salt to remove the raw smell.
Please clarify.
Thank you,
Jaya
Hi Jaya
After point 5, grind all the ingredients which we fried on step 2 to a nice paste and then follow the rest of steps.
Thanks
Hai Mam,
Can you please suggest a variation /new recipe for making vathakulambu mix that can be stored for a month in refrigerator and used directly on rice .(Something similar to the ready made mix we get in grand sweets ) .
Hai mam,
Can you suggest a variation/recipe for making vathakulambu mix that can be stored in refrigerator for a month and more .Something similar to kothamalli thokku which we can directly mix with rice .We usually buy from vathakulambu mix from grand sweets but unfortunately now I've got bored of it as I feel all the mix from grand sweets tastes the same no matter if it is tomato pickle/vatha kulmabu mix everything has got a common flavour .
What is Sundaikavathal ? Please advise .. How long does this recipe stay if referigerated ? If you could post the recipe for a longer lasting version . Thank you so much
Hi Anitha, Sundakaai is Turkey Berry in english. The turkey berry is soaked in buttermilk with salt and dried in the sun and made as sundakaai vathal. You can get this in any indian shop.
When are we adding the fried Vathal and the seasoning of step 3 to the actual Kuzambu?
I have the same question. When do you add the vathal to the kuzhambu?
You need to add at the end so it will remain crispy.
In all the recipes how much water (in ml ) should be the tamarind extract. That is not very clear to me. Even in this vathakuzhambu recipe, we are not adding water other thanin the stage where we make tamarind extract. Your input would be helpful
For Vathakuzhambu, the tamarind extra needs to be thick, so add 2 cups of warm water and soak tamarind for 10 mins and then squeeze nicely to extract the juice
it is very new to hear , the ghee for frying,, if we fry the things in ghee the smell and taste of ghee stood first,, so, I feel it is better to cook with sesame [gingely] oil to give the very good taste
Isn’t dhania seeds needed for the paste prepared for Kalyana vathakuzhambu?
No we don’t add dhania seeds for vathakuzhambu
Hello madam, I don’t have sundakkai vathal. I have only Manathakkali vathal. Should I fry Manathakkali vathal just like sundakkai vathal?
yes Chari, thats correct, use ghee to fry the manathakali vathal and add it to vatha kuzhambu. Manathakali vathal gets fried quickly so do it in low flame so that its not getting burnt
Thank you madam
How much water should the tamarind soak in?
Use 1 cup of water and extract thick juice. If you feel still the tamarind has juice add 1/2 cup more water and extract again
Good recipe, nicely presented
Thank you so much
Can we use green chillies in place of red ones for vatha kuzhambu? Please guide
Conventionally we use red chili, but definitely we can try with green chili
Mami, unga vatzha kuzhambu is awesome. Inga New York la nanga oru chinna oorula irukkom. Nan unga recipe than follow pannuven. Thank You.
Many thanks 🙏🙏🙏 So happy to hear 😊🙏
Forgot to rate.
Thank you once again 🙏
Once it is made how long can it stored without refrigeration and with refrigeration, I intend making it a quantity and carry it over 2 weeks. Will it hold.
we can cook the vatha kuzhambu till the oil gets separated that way the kuzhambu will have more longer shelf life.