Indian cuisine has lots of gravies and curries and this milagu kuzhambu or pepper gravy is one of the less known gravies you will come across. Unlike a sambar or north Indian curry, this milagu kuzhambu cannot be seen in restaurant menus and buffets. But this spicy tangy kuzhambu is quite a popular recipe from the tambram cuisine, a small community in the Southern part of Inida. This no onion – no garlic version is perfect with some hot rice and ghee or sesame oil.
Black pepper has a lot of beneficial properties. They are great for people who are suffering from cold / cough. The anti bacterial properties of pepper help in fighting infections and they are used in a lot ayurvedic preparations.
Pepper kuzhambu for new mothers:
This milagu kuzhambu / pepper gravy is usually given to new mothers as a part of their pathiyam diet ( the diet usually followed by new mothers after labour )
Some people add garlic to this kuzhambu and you can do so if you wish to. But the traditional Tambram version is done without garlic. If you are making this kuzhambu for breast feeding mothers / ladies who have just given birth, it is recommended to add some garlic as garlic helps with milk production and pepper with its anti bacterial properties, help the mothers recover fast after labour.
You don’t have to be a breast feeding mom to enjoy this kuzhmabu. They are perfect for anybody. I especially like to enjoy this milagu kuzhambu on a cold day with some spicy potato fry or cool aviyal. The hot pepper, tangy tamarind and the aroma of curry leaves makes this such a delicious dish to have any day.
Spice powder for this kuzhambu
We don’t use store bought ready made masala to make this gravy. The spice powder is made fresh by roasting basic Indian pantry essentials like black pepper, chana dal, coriander seeds, curry leaves and asaofoetida. Since the spice powder is made fresh , the gravy has a delicious aroma. You could make a small batch and store it in an airtight container. But I would recommend not storing it for a long time so that you don’t lose the wonderful aroma.
Here’s a pinnable image to make it easy to pin this recipe for later use 🙂
This kuzmabu is like any vathalnkuzhambu and can be stored for a week or so if handled properly. Since we use considerable oil and don’t use ingredients like onions, coconut etc, they can also be kept outside for a day or so without getting spoilt. But make sure to use clean spoons/ ladles and keep it closed.
Lets jump in to the recipe
Tambram style spicy pepper gravy made with tamarind and aromatic spoces like curry leaaves, coriander etc.
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
-
1 or 2
Dried red chillies
(optional)
-
1
tsp
Urad dal
-
1
tsp
Chana Dal
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
(optional)
-
1
small lemon sized tamarind
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 big pinches asafoetida
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- 2 tbsp nalla ennai (sesame oil)
- salt to taste
- jaggery as needed (optional)
-
Soak the tamarind in 2 cups hot water for 10 minutes and extract the tamarind juice from it. Set it aside.
-
In a pan dry roast all the ingredients for the spice powder until nice and aromatic. Grind them to a somewhat smooth powder using your spice grinder.
-
In a pan add the oil. When oil becomes hot add mustard seeds, turmeric pwder, asafoetida and curry leaves.
-
When the mustard splutters add the tamarind juice, salt, 1 more cup water and let it boil a medium flame for 6 to 7 minutes until the raw smell is gone.
-
Then add the ground spice powder to it and let it simmer in a low medium flame until the oil separates from the gravy and the mixture thickens. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your stove.
-
Adjust salt as needed and add jaggery if it is too tangy to balance out the tanginess. Serve with some rice / kootu or vegetable kari.
If you are adding garlic, add it after you add the mustard seeds , curry leaves while tempering and saute the garlic for a minute or so before you add the tamarind juice.
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Very Good!!
Thank you 🙂
Nice and looks chatpata too
definitely going to try this 🙂