Tomato Kuzhambu / Thakkali Kuzhambu without coconut

 Today's recipe is Tomato Kuzhambu or Thakkali Kuzhambu. I am making this without coconut. It is simple to make and goes well with Rice, Idli/Dosa. Let us go to the recipe.

Tomato Kuzhambu/ Thakkali Kuzhambu

Yield: 4 servings

Cuisine: South Indian          Coarse: Side dish

Prep time: less than 10 minutes when you have all ingredients ready

Total time: prep < 10 minutes + cook time< 10 minutes

Ingredients

Onion – ½ cup chopped

Tomato – ½ cup crushed (approximately 3 plum tomatoes)

Garlic -8-10 (peeled)

Ginger paste- ½ tsp

Turmeric – ¼ tsp

Sambhar Powder – ½ tsp

Red chili Powder – ¼ tsp ( optional)

Salt to taste (around 3/4 tsp or less)

Coriander – few washed and chopped

Tamarind- a small gooseberry/ marble size (Soak it in water. Take the juice from it. It should be around ½ cup)

Cooked mashed dhal (Thuvar)- 2 tbsp.

Rice flour- ½ tbsp.( Mix it with water)

Seasoning/Tadka

Oil – 3 tsp

Mustard – ½ tsp

Urad – ¼ tsp

Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida- 2 pinches

Curry leaves - few

Directions

Heat a pan.

 Add oil.  Add the mustard, asafetida, and fennel seeds. After it starts popping, then add onion

Stir it & add turmeric to it .add the ginger paste, and garlic and mix it and stir by adding a little bit of tamarind water. Then add the curry leaves to it.  Then add the sambhar powder.

Then add the ½ cup of crushed tomatoes. It is around 2-3 plum tomatoes. Then add the remaining tamarind water.  Add salt according to your taste

Add 2 tbsp. cooked and mashed dhal. Mix

Take 1 tbsp. of rice powder and mix it with water. Add it

Let it boil for a few minutes and it will thicken.

Then add the coriander and switch off the stove

Serve it with Hot Rice or Idli/Dosa

 

Tips

You can omit tamarind and add extra 3 tomatoes/ another ½ cup crushed tomatoes

I used rice powder to thicken the gravy.

You can do it without the rice powder and thicken more and add a little more mashed dhal.

When you are not using tamarind water and need more tanginess after adding 6 tomatoes/ 1 cup crushed tomatoes, add little lemon juice after you switch off the stove.

When adding tomato juice, make sure it is not thick juice( it has to be watery)