The Homemade cooking

Appalam Kuzhambu is a very simple “Vatha Kuzhambu”, Just using appalam, that’s the Indian fritter we commonly use. This is tasty and most preferably cooked on days when we run out of vegetables. I believe this is quite an authentic and easy recipe in traditional households in South India, and indeed a recipe from my household. This has very common ingredients like from my kitchen. On days, i feel lazy, or on days i just want to keep it simple yet tasty, this recipe is definitely on the board. I could say not all Sundays are for biryani and pulao. Some Sunday’s call for this simple meal too. This simple authentic homely recipe goes well with “potato fry”, “thayir pachadi”, “Vathal”. Hey, but don’t forget our showstopper “parupusilli” will be a great accompaniment for real.

INGREDIENTS

4-5 nos- Urad dal (Indian papad/ Indian Fritter)

Tamarind – lemon size

Asafetida powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Salt- as required

Sambar powder- 1 & 1/2 tablespoon

Rice flour- 1 tablespoon

TEMPERING

Sesame Oil- 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons

Red chilies-2

Mustard-3/4 teaspoon

Thuvar dal- 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 teaspoon

Steps

First fry the appalam in oil and keep them stored in an airtight container.

In a pot, add the sesame oil, add the chilies and mustard. Add along the thuvar dal, fenugreek seeds and allow it to splutter.

Then add the asafetida powder, saute for few seconds and add the salt.

Then add the sambar powder and saute for few more seconds, make sure the flame is low not to burn the sambar powder.

Add the rice flower and saute for few seconds.

Extract 3 cups of tamarind water with the tamarind. Add this to the tempering.

Allow it to boil and cook for straight 8 minutes. You would see the kuzhambu thickening and reduced in quantity. And also notice the oil separating.

Now add the appalam to the kuzhambu. Turn off the stove.

Transfer this to another bowl or vessel and cover it with lid. Serve this hot with rice & ghee and your favorite vegetable, raita or just vathal.

NOTES:

I used extra oil for this kuzhambu for the shelf life of it as i will be preserving and using this for longer time. You can use less according to your needs.

My version of making it is by frying the appalam first in oil like how we fry other fritters keeping oil in a pan and separately doing it. Some would add it in the oil that is there to temper, and fry and continue cooking adding the spice powders and tamarind water. Either ways it is the same.

Turmeric powder is excluded, as my Sambar powder has good color infused with turmeric grounded along while preparing it.

I sauteed sambar powder and rice flour and sauteed before adding tamarind water, but it can be added after we boil the tamarind water for 3 minutes. And, Rice flour is to thicken the kuzhambu. It can be finally mixed with water making it as a paste and added to the kuzhambu at last.