Chettinad Kalyana Vathal Kulambu Recipe with Video. An authentic arachuvitta vathal kulambu from the chettinad cuisine that is served at their wedding luncheons.
I love Chettinad Cuisine. Period. They way they use the spices in their cooking to bring out the delicate flavors always fascinates me.
This Chettinad Kulambu will always hold a special place in my heart. I learned this recipe from an Aachi (Aunt) while visiting my MIL’s place. She happened to be her neighbor whose husband has come there on transfer.
I was pregnant with Arun and she took such good care of me and cooked up some delectable unni appams and other chettinad specialities and used to serve with so much love.
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I very dutifully jotted down all the recipes from her and tried out many of them over the years.
I have made this kulambu umpteen number of times and my whole family enjoys this very much.
Manathakali vathal is nothing but the berries of the black night shade plant which are harvested when ripe, soaked in salted buttermilk for some time and then dried under the hot sun to preserve them for later use.
While homemade is better, it is also available in many supermarkets in 100 or 200 gms packets.
While you can go easy on the usage of salt when sun drying at home, remember that the store bought ones are very high in salt to increase the shelf life.
So while adding salt to the kulambu, use less when using the store bought vathal.
Chettinad Kalyana Vathal Kulambu recipe with step by step photos:
1. Soak tamarind in hot water. I use a combination of new and old dark tamarind for good taste. Extract pulp and keep aside.
2. Heat a pan with oil. Add coriander seeds and dry red chilies. Roast over low flame till they turn color and the aroma arises. Drain and transfer to a plate.
3. Add urad dal to the same pan and roast till it becomes golden in color. Transfer to the same plate.
4. Add sliced onion and sauté it turns translucent. Transfer to the plate.
5. Add grated coconut to the same pan and roast over low flame for few seconds.
6. Add poppy seeds and roast together till the coconut color changes and the aroma arises. Transfer to the plate.
7. Once cool, transfer the roasted ingredients to a mixie jar and grind to a smooth paste using 2-3 tbsp water.
8. Heat a pan. Add gingelly oil, asafoetida, mustard seeds, once it splutters add fenugreek seeds, whole red chillies and channa dal.
9. After it gets roasted add the sambar onions, curry leaves, manathakkali vathal, chopped tomatoes and saute.
10. Add the ground paste and sauté over a low flame till the tomatoes become mushy and oil starts to ooze out.
11. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and tamarind pulp. Mix well and let it come to a boil. Close the pan with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 mins over low flame and take off stove.
12. Chettinad kalyana vathal kulambu is ready.
13. Serve with hot rice and a dash of ghee or sesame oil accompanied by vadams or appalam for side dish.
You can also check out this authentic yet simple and flavorful Manathakkali Vathal Kulambu
Instead of using manathakkali vathal, you can also use sundakkai vathal (turkey berry) or kothavarangai vathal (cluster beans or vendakkai vathal (okra).
There is also no need to fry them before hand while preparing by this method.
Check out other Chettinad Recipes,
Chettinad Kalyana Vathal Kulambu Recipe Video:
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Chettinad Kalyana Vathal Kulambu recipe details as follows:
Chettinad Kalyana Vathal Kulambu Recipe
Ingredients
- Manathakkali Vathal – 2 to 3 tbsp
- Tamarind – small lemon size
- Shallots / sambar onions – 1 handful
- Tomato – 2
- Asafetida – 2 pinch
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Chana dal – 1 tsp
- Dry whole red chilli – 4
- Chillli powder – 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
- Gingelly Oil – 1/4 cup
- Salt – to taste
To Grind to a paste:
- Onion - 1 medium
- Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- Dry red chillies – 6
- Fresh grated coconut – 1/4 cup
- Poppy seeds or khus-khus – 2 tsp
- Oil – 1 to 2 tsp
Instructions
Preparation:
- Soak tamarind in hot water. I use a combination of new and old dark tamarind for good taste. Extract pulp and keep aside.
Make the paste:
- Heat a pan with oil. Add coriander seeds and dry red chilies. Roast over low flame till they turn color and the aroma arises. Drain and transfer to a plate.
- Add urad dal to the same pan and roast till it becomes golden in color. Transfer to the same plate.
- Add sliced onion and sauté it turns translucent. Transfer to the plate.
- Add grated coconut to the same pan and roast over low flame for few seconds.
- Add poppy seeds and roast together till the coconut color changes and the aroma arises. Transfer to the plate.
- Once cool, transfer the roasted ingredients to a mixie jar and grind to a smooth paste using 2-3 tbsp water. Set aside.
Make chettinad kalyana vathal kulambu:
- Heat a pan. Add 1/4 cup gingelly oil.
- Add asafetida, mustard seeds, once it splutters add fenugreek seeds, whole red chillies and channa dal.
- After it gets roasted add the sambar onions, curry leaves, manathakkali vathal and chopped tomatoes. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the ground paste and sauté over a low flame till the tomatoes become mushy and oil starts to ooze out. This may take 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and tamarind pulp.
- If it is too thick, add 1/4 cup water approx., Mix well and let it come to a boil.
- Close the pan with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 mins over low flame and take off stove.
- Chettinad kalyana vathal kulambu is ready.
- Serve with hot rice and a dash of ghee or sesame oil accompanied by vadams or appalam for side dish.
Video
Notes
What a dish.. vatral and shallots floating together happily in a tangy sizzling gravy,wow,...use fo khus-khus is new to me should try this version,thanks.
Kulambu looks droolworthy... Delicious..
This looks goood but wat is Manathakkali Vatral ??
very intriguing...sounds like a must try..:D
karasara chettinadu style- who wouldn't love it- good one Radhika
Looks yummy and what a lovely colour ur curry has got Radhika, v nice recipe as well:)
I have never tried vatha kuzhambu in chettinadu style. Looks delicious. Will try this
what is Manathakkali Vatral??
It means sun dried night shade berries.
I tried this kulambu this weekend and everyone at home loved it so much. i can still smell the aroma on my fingers. thanks for sharing such a lovely recipe and for making all my family members happy.
I tried it..really it came well
Happy to hear it. Thanks for trying it out Paul.
Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe. Can I use sundakai vathal instead of manathakali vathal?
yes of course, you can use sundakkai vathal too.
I tried this receipe and it came very well
My family members enjoyed it a lot,
Thank you for the wonderful kulambu
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. Glad to hear that your family liked it.
I tried this today. Yummy mass hit in my house . Hotel taste.
Mouthwatering. Bookmarked this page.
Hi. Your recipe looks and sounds yummy. I live in a place where I can't get manathangali vattral. Can you please tell the way to make okra vattral instead. Thanks
Substitute for poppy seeds and khus khus ?