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Karuveppilai Poondu Kulambu with step by step pictures. A lip smacking, tangy and healthy kuzhambu that is served with rice for lunch. It also goes well as a side dish with idli or dosa.
Karuveppilai (Curry leaves) is a rich source of iron and calcium and it prevents pre mature graying of hair at a young age. This is my Grandma’s recipe and she would ritually make this gravy every Friday as she had several curry leaves shrub in her backyard.
As this karuveppilai poondu kulambu tastes better the next day and continues to do so for another 2-3 days after making it, she will make it before every week end and keep reheating it every day to serve as an extra side dish with idli and dosa.
I used to hate it as a kid as she would simply compel me to eat it with rice stating that curry leaves are good for my health and it would prevent my hair from becoming gray soon.
But now I simply love it. More than me, I’m glad to see my kids enjoy eating it unlike me when I was their age. I have just made it the way in which my grandma makes this kulambu. But you can omit or include the shallots and garlic in this gravy according to your liking.
Do check out this Karuveppilai Saadam which is apt for lunch box and Karuveppilai Milagai Podi to serve with idli or dosa.
Karuveppilai poondu kulambu with step by pictures:
1.Heat a pan with ½ tsp oil. Add all the ingredients mentioned under “To Roast and Grind”.
2. Roast over low flame till golden brown and keep aside to cool.
3. Soak tamarind in hot water and extract juice. Discard the pulp.
4. Peel the skin of shallots and garlic. If you have a mortar and pestle pound both together till they are coarse else pulse in a mixer jar till coarse. Keep aside.
5. Take the roasted ingredients in a mixer jar and powder finely.
6. Add curry leaves and grind to a thick, smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.
7. Heat sesame oil in a pan. Season with vengaya kari vadagam, add coarsely pound sambar onions (shallots) and garlic.
8. Saute over low flame till the onions turn pink. Keep mixing often to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
9. Add the ground karuveppilai spice paste and mix well.
10. Cook over medium flame till the raw smell goes off and the oil separates from the sides.
11. Add tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder, water (1/4 cup approx.,) and mix well.
12. Close the pan with a lid and let it cook over low flame for 5-7 mins till it becomes frothy on top and the oil separates.
Karuveppilai poondu kulambu is ready. Serve hot with rice to which a dollop of ghee. This tastes even better the next day and the next but you have to reheat it to prevent it from spoiling as we have added sambar onion.
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Karuveppilai Poondu Kulambu recipe details below:
Karuveppilai Poondu Kulambu Recipe
Ingredients:
- Curry leaves – 2 cups loosely packed
- Sambar onion or Shallots - 1 cup
- Garlic pods – 1/2 cup
- Tamarind – 1 lemon size
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
- Vengaya Kari vadagam – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Sesame Oil – 4 tbsp
To Roast and Grind:
- Whole dry red chillies – 10 to 12
- Channa dal – 2 tsp
- Coriander seeds – 3 tsp
- Black pepper corn – 1-1/2 tbsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Oil – 1/2 tsp
Instructions:
Preparation:
- Soak tamarind in hot water and extract juice. Discard the pulp.
- Peel the skin of shallots and garlic. If you have a mortar and pestle pound both together till they are coarse else pulse in a mixer jar till coarse. Keep aside.
For the paste:
- Heat a pan with oil. Add all the ingredients mentioned under “To Roast and Grind”.
- Roast over low flame till golden brown and keep aside to cool.
- Take the roasted ingredients in a mixer jar and powder finely.
- Add curry leaves and grind to a thick, smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.
Make karuveppilai poondu kulambu:
- Heat sesame oil in a pan.
- Add vengaya kari vadagam and let it crackle.
- Add coarsely pound sambar onions (shallots) and garlic.
- Saute over low flame till the onions turn pink. Keep mixing often to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
- Add the ground karuveppilai spice paste and mix well.
- Cook over medium flame till the raw smell goes off and the oil separates from the sides.
- Add tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder, water (1/4 cup approx.,) and mix well.
- Close the pan with a lid and let it cook over low flame for 5-7 mins till it becomes frothy on top and the oil separates.
- Karuveppilai poondu kulambu is ready.
- Serve hot with rice to which a dollop of ghee.
Notes:
Maayeka
June 26, 2012 at 10:14 amvery different curry.. looks very tempting..
PT
June 26, 2012 at 10:20 amspicy and delicious kuzhambu…
Sangeetha Nambi
June 26, 2012 at 10:33 amMouth watering… Yummy !!!
Tina
June 26, 2012 at 11:09 amLooks tempting..
Supriya's Rasoi
June 26, 2012 at 11:56 amradhika this is compeltely new to me the pics are very yummy and inviting. Curry leaves indeed are very good for health my mother says they are very good for eyes.
anusha praveen
June 26, 2012 at 12:36 pmlovely kuzhambu radhi..its a burst of flavors and oh how much i love that garlic shallot duo
Saraswathi Tharagaram
June 26, 2012 at 12:51 pmkuzhambu looks yumm Radhika…I too realize my granny advice but no use 🙁
Jay
June 26, 2012 at 2:09 pmthat looks real good & tempting
Gayathri NG
June 26, 2012 at 3:05 pmExcellent curry n very flavorful too…
Ez Cookbook
June 26, 2012 at 4:20 pmlooks very spicy and tempting…
runnergirlinthekitchen.blogspot.com
June 26, 2012 at 6:21 pmSpicy, flavour full and nice combination of ingredients!
Meg's Delicious Adventures
June 26, 2012 at 6:32 pmmust be really flavorful.
Spice up the Curry
June 26, 2012 at 6:46 pmlooks very delicious. awesome recipe
Priya
June 26, 2012 at 7:13 pmWat a comforting food, serve me with papads and this kuzhambu i’ll sit and eat anytime.
Cookwell
June 26, 2012 at 7:38 pmlooks lovely, awesome clicks :).
Shailaja Reddy
June 26, 2012 at 8:02 pmNice recipe… very useful in rainy season.
Anonymous
June 26, 2012 at 11:52 pmHi,
When to add curry leaves.Do we need to grind curry leaves with the roasted ingredients?
Shabbu
June 27, 2012 at 2:41 amYummy and tempting curry for rice…
Sangeetha
June 27, 2012 at 4:14 amkuzhambu sounds finger-licking good! love this kind of authentic recipes, after coming US, haven’t tried any recipe with curry leaves mainly becoz of its price n availability…3sprigs costs $1.29 !!
Ansh
June 27, 2012 at 7:32 amBeautiful Pics.. and I can almost smell the curry leaves
Kaveri Venkatesh
June 27, 2012 at 3:58 pmThe gravy is so thick and looks really yum…I should definitely try this one…atleast to slow down the already started process of greying 🙂
Kavitha
June 27, 2012 at 10:07 pmvery healthy and flavorful curry 🙂
Veni
March 27, 2014 at 8:50 amI tried this for the first time and loved it. Wrote down the recipe to my recipe notebook as well. This one is a keeper 🙂
aarthi
March 13, 2016 at 12:42 pmHi,
thanks for sharing the recipe. Can this be stored for about a week without refrigeration?
I want to give this to my daughter who stays in college hostel.
Any suggestion?
Radhika
March 22, 2016 at 10:41 pmYou can store for a week without refrigeration but you need to reheat it daily. The garlic in the kulambu will spoil if its not kept refrigerated or not reheated daily.