Vatha Kulambu is without doubt one of the easiest recipes that I usually make at house, from the delicacies of Tamil Nadu. Often known as the Vatha Kuzhambu, this dish makes use of a singular ingredient referred to as ‘manathakkali,’ about which I’ve talked about extra on this publish. Do give it a learn. Moreover this, this tongue-tickling major course dish is sort of easy to make and will get performed too in about half an hourish. The recipe is vegan and fairly nutritious as properly due to the standard ingredient utilized in it, which has many well being advantages.
About Vatha Kulambu
‘Vathal’ is mainly a Tamil phrase for sun-dried greens or berries. These veggies or berries are soaked in buttermilk for some hours or in a single day, and later stored within the solar to be dried. On this recipe of Vatha Kuzhambu, I’ve used a typical Tamil ingredient, that’s ‘manathakkali.’
In English, manathakkali is named black nightshade berries. These are additionally referred to as as ‘makoy’ in Hindi language and is a particular kind of herb. Similar to different vathals, the unripe inexperienced berries of the black nightshade are additionally soaked in buttermilk after which solar dried.
These dried berries or manathakkali can then be fried with little or no oil and served with Curd Rice or rasam-rice. A easy Vatha Kulambu just like the one shared on this publish, will also be made with these sun-dried berries of the black nightshade herb.
This Manathakkali Vathal Kulambu is a tangy curry through which tamarind is used to usher in the specified sourness. Along with these main components, entire spices, dried purple chilies, curry leaves, sambar powder are different components that go within the preparation of this kuzhambu from Tamil Nadu delicacies.
This kulambu is sort of healthful and nice on your well being. It additionally improves urge for food. It is because the black nightshade has many advantages – starting from aiding digestion, enhancing the immune system, lowering physique warmth and stimulating kidney capabilities to eliminating abdomen infections, curing muscle and again ache, rheumatism and rather more.
Extra on this recipe
The flavour profile of the Vatha Kuzhambu is sort of advanced. You get to have spicy, bitter, bitter, salty and astringent tastes, all collectively on this curry. So, it’s best served with some steamed rice the place the flavors do get mellowed a bit.
Savoring Vatha Kulambu is an acquired style and chances are you’ll or might not prefer it within the first go. Whereas having this black nightshade tamarind curry with steamed rice, you do get hints of saltiness, sourness and slight bitterness from biting onto the softened berries.
Typically, if I don’t have the manathakkali berries, then I additionally use the identical recipe to make an identical curry with Turkey berries or ‘sundakkai.’ At instances I additionally add pearl onions (sambar onions) and garlic to this preparation. Nonetheless, on this publish, I’m sharing a no onion, no garlic Tam-Brahm model of the recipe.
As I discussed earlier, Vatha Kuzhambu pairs greatest with steamed rice. Accompany a aspect vegetable dish/stir fry like Vazhakkai Poriyal, Beans Poriyal, potato fry or suran fry with it. With this kulambu, I’d recommend to serve a aspect veggie dish with faint candy notes, not spicy or bitter.
Step-by-Step Information
Easy methods to make Vatha Kulambu
Soaking tamarind
1. In a bowl, take 1 lemon sized tamarind ball or 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind. Ideally use aged and darkish tamarind.
2. Add 1 cup scorching water. Cowl and soak tamarind for 20 to half-hour.
3. Squeeze the tamarind and extract the tamarind pulp within the water. Preserve apart.
Making Vatha Kulambu
4. Warmth 3 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) in a pan. Preserve flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
5. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
6. Preserve warmth to a low after which add ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 to 2 dried purple chilies, halved and seeds eliminated, 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing).
7. Fry and stir until the purple chilies change coloration.
8. Holding the warmth to low, now add 3 tablespoons Manathakkali vathal (solar dried black nightshade).
9. Stirring repeatedly, fry for some seconds until the colour of vathal adjustments. Be certain to not burn them.
10. Now, swap off the warmth and add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons sambar powder.
11. Fry for 1 minute on warmth switched off. You’ll be able to even fry at low warmth. Guarantee that the sambar powder doesn’t get burnt.
12. Add the tamarind pulp.
13. Pour 2 cups water.
14. Give a stir.
15. Add salt as per style.
16. Combine properly and let this Vatha Kuzhambu boil on medium-low warmth for about 25 to half-hour.
17. Proceed to simmer until the gravy thickens barely. You will notice some oil specks on the highest.
18. Then, add 1 teaspoon rice flour. Including rice flour is non-compulsory and might be skipped.
19. Add ½ teaspoon jaggery. Including jaggery can also be non-compulsory.
20. Combine properly and proceed to simmer Vatha Kulambu for 4 to five minutes extra. After you turn off the warmth, you need to clearly see a layer of oil as soon as the kuzhambu has rested for 1 to 2 minutes. Verify the style and add extra salt, if required.
21. Serve Vatha Kulambu with steamed rice. Accompany a aspect vegetable dish like a carrot or vendakkai poriyal or a stir fry like vazhakkai fry or child potato fry.
Skilled Ideas
- Whereas utilizing tamarind for this recipe, use aged and darkish tamarind ideally. This provides a stunning deep sourness to the kuzhambu.
- Be beneficiant with oil. There ought to be a skinny layer of oil on high of the kulambu. This helps in holding the dish good for a few week within the fridge and likewise provides a very good style.
- For the very best genuine style, use sesame oil (gingelly oil) which is chilly pressed oil constituted of uncooked sesame seeds.
- After including sambar powder, it ought to be fried in oil in order that it releases its flavors.
- For slight thickening of the gravy, you may add some rice flour. A little bit of jaggery will also be added to steadiness the sourness and bitterness. Nonetheless, each these are non-compulsory.
Extra Kulambu Recipes To Attempt!
Curry Recipes
Curry Recipes
Tamil Nadu Meals
Brinjal Recipes
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Vatha Kulambu | Vatha Kuzhambu
Black nightshade tamarind curry recipe – South Indian recipe of tasty and tongue-tickling kuzhambu made with solar dried black nightshade berries. These berries are also called manathakkali in tamil language.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Prepare dinner Time 25 minutes
Complete Time 30 minutes
Forestall your display screen from going darkish whereas making the recipe
soaking tamarind
In a bowl take 1 lemon sized tamarind ball or 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind. Ideally use aged and darkish tamarind.
Add 1 cup scorching water. Cowl and soak tamarind for 20 to half-hour.
Squeeze the tamarind and extract the tamarind pulp within the water. Preserve tamarind pulp apart.
making vatha kuzhambu
Warmth 3 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) in a pan. Preserve flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Preserve the flame to a low after which add ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 to 2 dry purple chilies, 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing).
Fry and stir until the purple chilies change coloration.
Holding the flame to a low, now add 3 tablespoons manathakkali vathal (solar dried black nightshade).
Stirring repeatedly, fry for some seconds until the colour of manathakkali adjustments. Ensure you don’t burn them.
Now swap off the flame and add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons sambar powder.
Fry for 1 minute switching off the flame. You’ll be able to even fry at a low flame. However do be sure that the sambar powder doesn’t get burnt.
Add the tamarind pulp and a couple of cups water. give a stir.
Add salt as per style. combine properly and let this vatha kuzhambu come to a boil on medium-low flame for about 25 to half-hour.
Proceed to simmer until the curry or gravy thickens barely. You will notice some oil specks on the highest.
Then add 1 teaspoon rice flour. Including rice flour is non-compulsory and might be skipped.
Add ½ teaspoon jaggery. Including jaggery can also be non-compulsory.
Combine properly and proceed to simmer vatha kulambu for 4 to five minutes extra. After you turn off the flame you need to clearly see a layer of oil after permitting the kuzhambu to relaxation for 1 to 2 minutes. Verify the style and add extra salt if required.
Serve vatha kuzhambu with steamed rice.
Vitamin Info
Vatha Kulambu | Vatha Kuzhambu
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 119 Energy from Fats 99
% Day by day Worth*
Fats 11g17%
Saturated Fats 2g13%
Sodium 301mg13%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 109IU2%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 23mg115%
Vitamin C 41mg50%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin Okay 1µg1%
Calcium 58mg6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 235µg59%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 3mg1%
Phosphorus 11mg1%
* P.c Day by day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss program.
This Vatha Kulambu recipe from the archives was first printed in Might 2018. It has been up to date and republished in April 2024.
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