Kara Kuzhambu

This Kara kuzhambu is one of my favourites and I learnt it from my Grandmother.It tastes great with hot steaming rice accompanied by Potato curry and Papad.

Ingredients:

Tamarind	Small lime size
Salt	As needed
Gingelly oil	1 tblsp
Small onions	½ cup
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry  leaves	As needed
To Roast and grind
Channa dhal	2 tsp
Coriander seeds	3 tsp
Red chilli(see Note below)	4
Methi seeds(Vendayam)	½ tsp
Asafoetida	A generous pinch
Oil(for roasting the spices)	½ tsp

Method:

• Take a fry pan,add oil and roast the items given under 'To roast and grind' table.Cool and grind to a fine powder.
• Take a kadai,add little gingelly oil and fry the small onions till it turns golden brown.
• Extract two cups of tamarind juice from the tamarind extract.Take this tamarind juice,salt,fried small onions and cook for few minutes till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off completely.
• Now mix the ground spice powder with little water to make a paste and add to the kuzhambu.Mix well and cook in low flame for about 5 mins.
• When the kuzhambu thickens in consistency,switch off the flame.
• Take some oil in a pan,add mustard seeds followed by curry leaves and once the mustard seeds splutter add it to the kuzhambu.Kara kuzhambu is ready to serve.

Note:

• Increase or decrease the red chilli to suit your spice level.
• You can also add some cooked baby potatoes roasted in oil for some time and add to the kuzhambu along with small onions.