Appalam Kuzhambu is a traditional Tamil Brahmin recipe. Kulambu is prepared with Papad in a tamarind base. If you don’t have vegetables in stock, this Kara kuzhambu is good option. This tangy kuzhambu tastes yum when mixed with rice and some sesame oil. Appalam kuzhambu is very popular in our house. Both me and my sister like it. My Amma learned this recipe from my grandmother. She tells us a story how she learned this recipe from my grandmother. Once when my grandparents visited us, it flooded in chennai and Amma couldn’t step out for buying grocery. She just had some mixed vegetable in small quantity. My grandmother pitched in and told she will do mixed vegetable thengai (coconut) curry and Appalam vethal kuzhambu. My amma almost forgot that dish, just remembered after my grandma made it in minutes. Now a days whenever I run out of vegetables, feel like having kuzhambu - papad kuzhambu comes to my mind. There are so many things I like about this Kulambu. If you don’t have any veggies this a saver. Need not spend minutes together cutting the vegetable. You can break the appalam randomly, and tada - it is ready to be added.
One specialty I like about our cuisine is even the oil we add give a lot of flavor to the dish. Tamarind based kuzhambu tastes great with sesame oil. Coconut based dishes goes to the next level with coconut oil. In this appalam kuzhambu sesame oil gives a nice flavor. Appalam Kuzhambu doesn’t need your frequent attention. Just temper and sauté appalam. Add the tamarind extract and take a break. Once in a while quick stir, kuzhambu is ready. In our home we like to pair puli kuzhambu with coconut based dry curry or paruppu usili. Tamarind based kuzhambu gets better over time. Whether you mix it with rice or have it as a side for arisi upma or curd rice yum yum yum!
Ingredients:
Appalam/Papad - 4 Kuzhambu varieties with tamarind Kuzhambu varieties without tamarind
Tamarind water - 4 cup (I used lemon size tamarind and extracted) Sambar powder- 1 tbsp Salt - as needed Asafoetida - generous pinch Jaggery - 1 tbsp Rice flour 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - pinch To temper: Sesame oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Venthayam | fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp Channa dal 1 tbsp Red chilli 2 Curry leaves few
How to make Appalam kuzhambu with step by step pictures:
Soak tamarind in warm water for 10-15 minutes and extract tamarind water, discarding the pulp Break each appalam into big random pieces In a heavy-bottomed pan, add oil and let it heat. Once when the oil is hot add the ingredients under to temper; let it crackle
Add appalam and let it roast in low flame for a minute, sauteeing them between. You need not fry the appalam
Add sambar powder and give a quick stir Add the tamarind extract, salt and turmeric powder; let it boil for 15 minutes on medium flame, stirring occasionally
Add jaggery, hing and cook for 5 minutes
Finally, make a slurry with rice flour and 2 tablespoon of kuzhambu and mix well. Add it to the kuzhambu and cook for 2 minutes
