Milagu Kuzhambu / Pepper Kuzhambu

Pepper Kuzhambu / Milagu Kuzhambu is an authentic South Indian Cuisine very popular and often made in the Tamil Brahmin households.

A very comforting food for winter and monsoon days when we feel under the weather. Paired with hot steamed rice with a slight drizzle of ghee and some vegetable stir is the general combination.

Today's recipe is dedicated to my Mom. I have very very vivid memories of seeing her prepare this kuzhambu but never had any authentic recipe.
With those vivid memories in my mind I started this preparation this morning and Viola !! it was just the same taste and texture that was lingering on my taste buds for which I was craving...

Preparation Time : 10 min
Cooking Time : 45 min
Cooking level : medium
Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

1 tsp pepper corns / milagu/ kalimirch
1 tsp dhaniya / corriander seeds
3-4 dry red chilly
1/2 tsp thoor dhall /thuvaram paruppu
1/2 tsp Channa dhall/kadalai paruppu
10 - 12 curry leaves/karvepillai/kadipatha
2 tsp grated coconut (optional)
pinch of asafoetida/hing/perungayam
2-3 tsp gingelly oil/til oil/ nallennai
Tamarind - a small ball
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jaggery

Method

• Soak the tamarind in hot water and let it rest until you roast and grind the ingredients.
• In a kadai heat about 1 tsp oil and add the channa dhall and thoor dhall along with the pepper corns and saute until you feel the aroma of roasted dhalls and pepper.
• Add in the dhaniya,red chillies,curry leaves and saute till the curry leaves becomes crisp.
• Finally add the coconut and asafoetida,saute well and turn off the stove.
• Let it cool and then grind all the ingredients with a little water to a fine paste.
• By now,the tamarind would have soaked well,squeeze a thick paste of tamarind juice from the soaked tamarind and nicely filter it. Add about 1 cup water to this thick paste of tamarind juice.

• Heat a kadai and add one teaspoon of gingelly oil and temper mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Add the tamarind juice,haldi,salt and jaggery and bring to a nice rolling boil till the raw smell of tamarind is lost.
• Add the ground paste and quickly mix it to avoid formation of lumps due to presence of dhall.
• Now adjust the salt and boil it until you see the oil oozing out from the center.
• Turn off the stove at this point and transfer into a bowl and serve with steamed rice and roasted papads

Notes:

1. Those who like garlic ,can also add one or two pods of garlic while roasting other ingredients.
2. Not much oil will ooze out in this recipe as I have used very little oil.
3. The jaggery part is optional,but it will enhance the flavor of tamarind and give a very good taste.

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