Allergens in Chettinad Kara Kuzhambu: sesame, mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 2, cut into 7cm lengths Drumstick
- 4 small purple brinjals, quartered lengthways but left joined at the stem Eggplant
- 15 small, peeled and left whole Shallot
- 10 cloves, peeled and left whole Garlic
- 1 medium, chopped Tomato
- lime-sized ball, soaked in 500ml warm water Tamarind
- 2 tbsp Sambar Powderor 1 tbsp chilli powder plus 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp, coarsely cracked Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 tsp Toor Dalfried in the tempering for nuttinessoptional
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep this gluten-free
- 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
- 3, broken Dried Red Chilli
- 5 tbsp Sesame Oilgingelly oil, and be generous. It is the body of the dish
- 1 tsp, grated Jaggeryto round the sournessoptional
- to taste Salt
- 150ml Water
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the tamarind in 500ml warm water for 20 minutes, then extract and strain it.
- Keep the quartered brinjals in water until the moment they go in, or they will darken.
- Peel the shallots and garlic whole. This kuzhambu is about biting into soft whole aromatics, not a smooth gravy.
Method
- Heat the gingelly oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds; when they pop, add the toor dal, fenugreek, cumin and fennel.
- Fry 30 seconds until the dal is golden, then add the asafoetida, red chillies and curry leaves.The fenugreek should stay pale gold. Browned fenugreek makes the whole pot bitter.
- Add the whole shallots and garlic and fry 8 minutes over medium heat until browned and softening.Take the full eight minutes. Half-cooked shallots stay squeaky in the finished gravy.
- Add the tomato and cook 4 minutes until it breaks down into the oil.
- Lower the heat, add the sambar powder, chilli powder, turmeric and cracked pepper and fry 1 minute.
- Add the drumstick pieces and turn them in the masala for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the tamarind extract and 150ml water, season with salt and bring to a rolling boil.
- Simmer uncovered 12 minutes until the raw tamarind smell is gone and the gravy has darkened.
- Add the brinjals and simmer a further 8 minutes until they are tender but still holding their shape.
- Stir in the jaggery and simmer 2 minutes more, until the oil floats clear on top.That ring of oil on the surface is the sign it is done. Stop before it and the kuzhambu tastes thin.
- Rest 15 minutes off the heat and serve with rice and a spoonful of the oil from the top.
Storage
Keeps 4 days refrigerated. The sesame oil and tamarind preserve it well. Reheat on the stovetop; it thickens as it sits, so loosen with a little hot water.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Chettinad Kara Kuzhambu (163 g) is about 233 calories, or 144 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 3 g a serving, 5% of the calories
| Per serving163 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 233 kcal | 144 kcal |
| Protein | 2.9 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 13.8 g | 8 g |
| of which sugars | 4.3 g | 3 g |
| Fibre | 5.5 g | 3 g |
| Fat | 20.0 g | 12 g |
| of which saturated | 2.8 g | 2 g |
| of which unsaturated | 16.2 g | 10 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for asafoetida, curry leaves, jaggery, sambar powder. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Tamil Nadu recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.