Vathal Kuzhambu

There would be very few South Indians(esp. Tamils) who do not like Vathal Kuzhambu. It is my all time favorite. My kids love it any time. They would always ask me to give curd rice in their hand with a spoon of kuzhambu in it. My mom used to make us kids sit in a circle on the floor, and feed us all by hand. She would also tell us stories. We would never know how much we ate. Those were the days. Some of my friends might remember it.  Yesterday I made sundakai vatal kuzhambu with red pohi with toor dal. It was amazing! :)

Ingredients:
lemon size tamarind, soaked in 2 Cups water

2 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
little methi seeds
1/4 teaspoon channa dal and toor dal
2 dried red chili, broken
1 Tablespoon vathal ( sundakai or manathakkali)
asafoetida
2-3 teaspoon sambar powder
salt to taste
curry leaves

Method:
1. Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the next 4 ingredients; when mustard seeds splutter, add vathal and saute for a minute. Add asafoetida and sambar powder and stir for a few seconds.
2. Extract tamarind juice and discard tamarind. Stir in the tamarind water to the saucepan.  Add salt and curry leaves. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer till kuzhambu thickens and tamarind smell leaves. Remove from heat. Serve with plain rice. It could also be eaten with dal rice(parripu sadham) and curd rice.

Notes:
1. Vathal is dried berries. They can be salted or unsalted. Vathal can be made from okra, beans, bitter squash (karela), manathakkali or sundakai.
2. Typical accompaniment for vathal kuzhambu is parripu thuvayal.