Sorakkai thatta payiru kuzhambhu

Serves: 4

You need:

Bottle gourd/Surakkai– 1cup (cut into small cubes)

Karamani/thattai payiru/cow peas – 1/4cup

Onion – 1

Tomatoes – 1

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Red Chilli powder – 1 ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp

Tamarind – lemon sized

Water – as needed

Salt – as needed

Sesame Oil – ¼ cup

To grind:

Grated coconut – 4tbsp

Garlic pods - 4

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Shallots – 6

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2tsp

Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp

Few curry leaves

Preparation:

Peel the skin of the bottle gourd. Cut into two halves. Remove the white inner soft part of the veggie. Cut into small cubes.

Soak cow peas/karamani/thattai payiru overnight and pressure cook them with about 1.5cups of water for 3whistles. Save the water to be added to the kuzhambhu.

Take thick extract from tamarind.

Dry roast grated coconut and cumin seeds. Roast shallots and garlic pods in little oil. Grind everything together.

Cooking:

Heat oil in a pan.

Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves when the oil is hot. Saute for a minute.

Add chopped onions. Saute well till the onions are cooked.

Add bottle gourd cubes and salt. Cook until the veggie becomes soft.

Now add tomatoes and all the powders. Fry for a minute.

Add tamarind extract. Maintain medium heat. Let it boil for few minutes.

Now add cooked karamani/thatta payiru/cow peas along with the water and ground paste. Add water if the kuzhambhu is thick.

Reduce the flame and cook till oil floats on the top.

Kuzhambhu is ready!