Tirunelveli Appalam Vendhaya Kuzhambu | Appalam Mendhaya Kuzhambu | Gluten Free and Vegan Recipe

Hi Supermoms,

Vathal Kuzhambu is a tasty , spicy and tangy South Indian curry. It is usually served as the first course during a traditional Tamil lunch. Hot rice with plain paruppu ( cooked, mashed and salted plain pigeon peas ) , ghee and few drops of Vathal Kuzhambu can transport one to food heaven. 

And the best part of the kuzhambu is that, it really helps on a day you are out of fresh vegetables. "Vathal" in Tamil language means 'Dried'. A Kuzhambu or tangy curry , usually made using sun dried vegetables, and seeds is called as Vathal Kuzhambu. I usually have sun dried cluster beans, black night shade seeds, Turkey berries , Karu vadam ( sun dried urad dal balls) in stock to make this kuzhambu. Even Drumstick Vathal Kuzhambu tastes great.

Recently when I was talking to my friend Radha, she shared that 'Appalam Vendhaya Kuzhambu ' is the favourite Vathal Kuzhambu at her home. Our conversation immediately changed to the details of the recipe and she so sweetly shared the entire recipe with me . I have known Radha for more than ten years now and she is the person who introduced me to the world of Cakes & Pastas. We used to live in the same apartment complex and I was always fascinated and inspired by Radha's wide knowledge in cooking , arts and spirituality just to name a few. 

She is such a cheerful person, always ready to share her knowledge with everyone. I vividly remember her fun cake workshop one winter where she taught a group of friends to bake a delicious carrot cake. Till date , I follow her fool proof recipe to make tomato pasta . She is also a great teacher and she loves to spend time teaching underprivileged children. 

This Vathal Kuzhambu is her son's favourite and she makes the kuzhambu a little watery so that it can hold a lot of appalam/papad. Another interesting fact is that, this Appalam Vendhaya Kuzhambu is her grandmother's recipe . 

I am so happy to share this heirloom recipe with all of you. 

Recipe Courtesy : Mrs. Radha Ramabhadran

Tirunelveli Appalam Vendhaya Kuzhambu Recipe:

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 25- 30 minutes

Serves : 4

1 cup = 250 ml cup 

Note : You can also break the appalam ( instead of deep frying ) and add it to the tempering . 

Ingredients : 

2 appalam /papad ( fried)

lemon size tamarind ( soaked in 1 cup warm water ) or 1/4 cup thick tamarind paste 

3 cups of water 

2 &1/2 teaspoon sambar powder

rock salt to taste

For tempering :

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon urad dal/husked and split black gram 

1 teaspoon channa dal /bengal gram

1/4 teaspoon methi seeds/fenugreek

pinch of asafoetida

1 sprig curry leaves 

Method:

1. Heat a kadai with oil and temper with the ingredients given for the same. 

2. Add the sambar powder , salt and immediately add the tamarind juice.

3. Add water, cover and allow the kuzhambu to simmer for 20-25 minutes or till the time the kuzhambu thickens.

4. Crumble the fried papad/appalam and add it to the kuzhambu.

Chef tip : Add the appalam just few minutes before serving the kuzhambu. 

Your delicious Appalam Vendhaya Kuzhambu is now ready to be served along with your lunch.

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom