Poondu Milagu Kuzhambu | Garlic Pepper Curry

A healthy savory vegetarian curry flavored with  garlic, pepper and tamarind. This is one of my favorite recipes of my Mom. I usually make it when I am bored of making sambhar and masala curries. 

"Poondu Milagu Kuzhambu" has many benefits. It helps to relieve nausea, stomach pain or indigestion. It is also given to lactating mothers.

Ingredients

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 pod Garlic, peeled

5 Curry leaves

1 dry Red Chili (optional)

1 Onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Jaggery (optional)

Tamarind, (lemon sized)

1 cup Rice

2 tsp Ghee

Salt

For spice powder

2 tsp Rice

2 tsp Toor Dal

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Methi seeds | Fenugreek seeds

5-6 Curry Leaves

Method

• For spice mix-  in a pan dry roast all the ingredients listed in spice mix. After it has cooled, make a fine powder of spice mix

• In a pot, heat a cup of water and add tamarind. Simmer for 10 minutes. After it has cooled, mash it by hand to extract pulp. Add water if required. Strain the pulp using a filter or by hand and discard contents in filter. Retain the pulp

• In a pot, wash rice with water and discard the water. Now, add some more water and wash the rice. Retain the water which will be used as rice stalk

• In a heavy bottom vessel, heat ghee, add mustard seeds, when it starts to crackle , add cumin seeds, curry leaves,  dry red chili and garlic. Fry for a minute. 

• Add onions. Fry until it turns transparent. Add Turmeric powder, chili powder, and coriander powder. 

• Add Tamarind pulp and spice powder. Simmer for 2-3 minutes
• Add rice stalk and jaggery. adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for 10 minutes

• Serve hot with steamed rice, ghee and omlet (optional)

 Tip-

• Tamarind pulp can be prepared in advance. If there is excess tamarind pulp, store in refrigerator in an air tight container
• The discarded contents while extracting tamarind pulp can be used to wash copper or bronze showpieces or utensils. Scrubbing tamarind on a copper dish helps to retain its luster