Kathrikkai kara kuzhambu

   If anybody asks me what cuisine/which country's food you love, my only answer is Indian food, especially south-Indian food.  A one shot of  hot kara kulambu with appalam would drool my tongue and I can firmly say that it won't be equal to McD's Burgers or KFC chicken. :P  :P

 

When I came across karakulambu from Swathi Iyer's blog, I could hardly resist than giving this godly curry, an try.  You can view her post here.  She has prepared an mixed vegetable curry, since I am an brinjal-freak I prepared kulambu with brinjals.  I must say that I fell in love with them.  Thanks to Swathi Iyer, for introducing this godly curry to me :) 

 

As the name goes, Kara kulambu means 'spicy curry'  The bright colour of the curry would confirm the same.  They taste great the next day and has striking combo with hot dosa too :)   Perfect karakulambu lies in balance between spice, imli and salt.  Since I added country tomatos initially, I added very little imli here.  I, also recommend using gingelly oil, since it imparts perfect flavour to this curry.   Let us move to our recipe

 

 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves 2

 

Ingredients required

To temper

• 11/2 tbspn gingelly oil
• 1 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp jeera/whole cumin seeds
• 1 green chilly, slit
• Pinch of hing/perungayam
• Handful of curry leaves
• 6-7 garlic pods

To grind

• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tbspn fennel seeds/ sombu

Other

• 1/2 cup of finley chopped onions
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped country tomatos
• 250 gm of brinjal, cut into four
• 1 tsp sambar powder
• 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 1 tbspn dhanya powder
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tsp jeera powder
• 1 tbspn imli extract
• 1/2 tsp crushed jaggery
• Finely chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

 

Method

Blend coconut with fennel seeds, keep aside.  Heat gingelly oil in kadaai.  Add mustard seeds, let them splutter. 

 

 

This is followed by adding rest other ingredients for temper. 

 

Now add in finely chopped onions.  Saute till they turn pink. 

 

Now, add in tomatos, brinjal followed by all the spices.

 

Sprinkle water, cover and cook till brinjals are well done. 

 

After brinjals are cooked, add in tamarind extract, simmer flame for five minutes after which coconut-sombu paste is added.

 

Simmer the flame for two minutes.  Now add in crushed jaggery.  Switch off the flame

 

Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves. 

 

 

Happy cooking :)