Ingredients

• For the base:
• 1 cup (about 120 gm) - onion, coarsely chopped, optional
• Large pinch asafoetida
• 2 tsp - tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp - sambar powder
• 2 cups - water
• Salt to taste
• A few curry leaves to garnish
• For tempering:
• 1-2 tsp - sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp - mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp - fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp - pigeon peas (toor dal)
• 1/2 tsp - black gram (split and skinned)
• 1 - dried red chilli, broken (optional)

How to Make Vendhayam flavored Kuzhambu

• In a deep saucepan, add the sesame oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When it starts popping, add the remaining dals and fenugreek to it.
• Keep the heat on low-medium. You do not want to burn the dals or fenugreek, which turns bitter when even slightly burnt.
• When the dal gets reddish brown, add the onions.
• Add salt and asafoetida and give it a stir.
• Add the water along with curry leaves. (You can also add it along with the onions instead of now or add half the water then and half now.)
• Increase the heat to medium-high.
• When the water starts boiling, add the tamarind paste.
• After around 2 minutes, add the sambar powder.
• Stir until combined and continue cooking until the raw smell of tamarind is replaced with a tangy aroma.
• You can at this point continue cooking (simmering) for another 6-7 minutes until the mixture thickens or (after reducing heat to low-medium) mix 1 tsp of rice flour along with 1 tbsp cold water into a paste and add it to the stew.
• This will thicken it in less than 1-2 minutes.
• Serve this with steamed rice.
• Recipe Courtesy: http://chefinyou.com/