Vendaikai vathakozhambu

Ingredients:

=========

• Tamarind - tightly packed lemon size ball
• Ladies finger - 250 grams
• curry leaves - few
• gingelly oil - 4 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Chana dal - 1 tablespoon
• Red chilli - 2
• Sambar powder - 2 tablespoon
• salt to taste
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• jaggery - a pinch
• asfoetida - a pinch

Method:

======

• Soak tamarind in hot water and extract a thick juice out of it.
• Chop ladies finger into small pieces and saute them well with a teaspoon of oil in a kadai.
• Set aside.It has to be roasted.
• Add 3 tablespoon of oil to the kadai.When its hot ,add mustard seeds.
• When it splutters add chana dal and saute till its golden brown
• Add red chillies,asfoetida,curry leaves and sambar powder and saute for only 2 sec.Do not saute for a long time as it may get burnt.
• Add the tamarind juice extract,salt,turmeric powder,jaggery and cook well till raw smell goes off.
• Now add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water and cook till it becomes slightly thick.
• You can have it watery or thick as per your wish.Some people prefer to have it watery ,but it is normally made thicker.You can store it in refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

• Note :To get a thicker consistency,dissolve a teaspoon of rice powder in little water, add it to the kozhambu afer adding water and then boil it.

You can make vathakozhambu with brinjal or any vathals like manathakali,sundaikai .When you use vathals,the recipe is slightly different.Add a teaspoon of ghee in a kadai,add vathals and fry them till it becomes crisp but do not burn them.After the kozhambu is prepared add the fried vathals to it just before serving so that it does not become soggy.

Serve with rice and pappad or paruppu thogayal.