Karamani Kuzhambu
Karamani Kuzhambu is an easy to make and protein rich South Indian gravy made with black eyes peas. Perfect with white rice and a teaspoon of ghee.
Ingredients
- Dry Karamani (Black-eyed bean) - 1 Cup
- Tamarind - 1 Big goose berry size
- Salt - 2 tsp (adjust as needed) + 1 small pinch
- Ripe tomato - 1 large
- Turmeric - ¼ tsp
- Asafoetida - ¼ tsp + 1 small pinch
- Sambar powder - 2 tbsp ( Red chilli powder - ¾ Tbsp + Coriander powder - 1 ¼ Tbsp)
- Onion - 1 Medium (Finely sliced)
- Brinjal - 3 Medium
- Potato - 1 Large
To Temper
- Oil - 3 Tbsp
- Mustard - ¼ tsp
- Broken urad dal - ½ tsp
- Fenugreek seeds - ¼tsp
- Jeera - ½ tsp
- Curry leaves - 1 Sprig
- Garlic - 5 Cloves (Skinpeeled and crushed)
To Grind
- Coconut - ¼ Cup (Roughly chopped)
- Coriander seeds - ½ tsp
- Fennel seeds - ½ tsp
Instructions
- First wash and soak the bean for atleast 30 minutes. Then pressure cook the bean for 3 whistles with sufficient water along with a pinch of asafoetida and salt (one small pinch). Once done keep it aside. The bean should be ¾ cooked.
- Also, Grind the ingredients listed under "To grind" with little water into a smooth paste.
- Also in parallel, soak the tamarind in warm water along with salt (about 2 tsp) for atleast 15 minutes. Then extract the tamarind juice and make it to measure five cups by adding sufficient water. Add the whole tomato, turmeric, asafoetida, sambar powder to the tamarind extract and mix nicely with your hands. Crush the tomato, making sure that the tomato gets mixed well with the tamarind extract.
- Now heat a pan with oil, add the mustard and once it splutters, add all other ingredients listed under "To temper" in the given order. Saute until the garlic turns golden brown. Then add the onion and saute until the onion turns golden brown. Add the brinjal and potato and saute for 2 minutes.
- Now add the prepared tamarind mixture, give a nice stir and bring it to a boil. Now add the cooked bean along with the water used for cooking. Turn the flame to medium and let the kuzhambu keep cooking until the veggies are ¾ done.
- Once the veggies are ¾ done, add the ground paste and stir well. Keep cooking until the bean and veggies are fully done. By this time the kuzhambu would have slightly thickened and the raw smell of the masala powders would have gone. Turn of the flame and transfer to the serving bowl.
- Enjoy hot with rice, idli, dosa.
Notes | FAQ
- Karamani (Black eye bean) need not be soaked over night. Just 30 mins or so is sufficient.
- In case, you not adding any veggies and making a plain kuzhambu. Pressure cook the bean until they are fully done, tender and then add it to the kuzhambu.
- Adding drumstick along with other veggies will give you an extra flavor.
- While caramelizing the garlic and onion i.e. golden brown, make sure you do not burn them. They will make the kuzhambu taste bitter. But caramelizing onion and garlic is important to achieve the best taste.
- You can use any other dry bean as a substitute of black-eyed bean.