Pepper / Milagu Kuzhambu

Pepper /  Milagu Kuzhambu

First Method: 

Red Chilly --  5

Black Pepper – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 4 tsp

Tur Dal – 4 tsp

Hing  – ¼ tsp

Fenugreek seeds -- ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – 2 Arc

Jaggery powder -- ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Rice flour --  ½ tsp

Turmeric powder -  ¼ tsp

Tamarindpaste --  4 tsp

Ghee --  2 tsp

Til Oil --  2 tsp

Mustard seeds --  ½ tsp

Water --  1+1/2 cups

Pepper kuzhambu powder :  In a small cooker ( 2 ltr ),  add a tsp of ghee and fry coriander seeds, tur dal, red chilly, pepper, fenugreek seeds, Hing and stir fry for few minutes till the dal gives nice aroma.

When it comes to room temperature,  Grind with curry leaves.

          Using  same cooker, add rest of the ghee and oil and temper with  mustard seeds .

     Add water + tamarind paste + rice flour + Kuzhambu powder + salt + turmeric powder + jaggery powder and mix nicely without any lumps.

Cook for a whistle in medium flame.

Very healthy and tasty Pepper Kuzhambu is ready to serve with Paruppu Thogayal ,hot rice and roasted Papad.

Variation:  Use Black gram ( urad dal ) in place of Tur dal .

Note:  If you are open cooking, using Kadai,  add enough water and cook for 15 mts to form a thick gravy. 

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Second Method : 

Recipe courtesy : Yogambal Sundar.

Serves : 4

Tamarind / puli / Imli :   Lemon size

Pepper/ Milagu/ Kali mirch : 3 tsp

Red chilly/ Vara milagai / lal mirch : 2 or 3

Split pigeon peas / Thuvaram paruppu/ toor dal : 1 tsp

Black gram lentil/ Ulutham paruppu/ Urad dal : ¼ tsp

Curry leaves/ karuveppilai / kari paththa : Handful

Cumin/ Jeeragam/ jeera : ½ tsp

Mustard seeds :  ½ tsp

Asafoetida/ katti perungayam / Hing : ½ tsp

Jaggery/vellam/gud : ¼ tsp

Garlic / Poondu/ lahsun :  10 cloves ( Optional )

Sesame oil/ Nallennai/ Til ka tel : 2 tbsp

Rock Salt/Kal Uppu/Chendha Namak :  to taste

Water / thanni/ paani : 1 cup

Rice flour/ arisi maavu/ chawal ka atta :  1 tsp

Soak tamarind in water for half an hour and extract juice.

In Pan/Kadai, in oil add garlic and sauté for few minutes till it changes its colour lightly. 

Remove from pan and keep it aside.

In the same pan , using left over oil, fry lentils, pepper, red chilly , asafetida and when lentils become golden brown, add curry leaves and saute them lightly . Remove and when this mixture gets cool down, grind them into fine powder along with rice flour.  If needed can add little water while grinding.

In Pan temper with mustard, cumin seeds and add tamarind juice, salt, jaggery powder, garlic and ground paste.  Mix it nicely without any lumps.

Cook till the gravy becomes thick and oil oozes out.

Very healthy, Spicy Milagu Kuzhambu is ready to serve with rice and some fresh sesame oil.

Milagu kuzhambu with paruppu thogayal make a great combination to have with rice.

This Milagu Kuzhambu have more shelf life than usual Sambar or Rasam as we are not adding cooked lentils at the end.