Karuveppilai (Curry leaves/ Khadi paththa) kozhambu

This is one of those familial age old recipes that has  enlivened  our lives and revived our taste buds. This kozhambhu gets ready within 20 mins and doesn't demand presence much. This is a variation from the wildly popular molagu kozhambhu.

Ingredients:

Curry leaves/ Karuveppilai                                           25 sprigs
Tamarind                                                                       1 big lemon sized round
Black Peppercorns                                                       1.5 tblspns
Red chillies                                                                    2 nos
Asafoetida                                                                      1 pinch
Salt                                                                                 As needed

To temper

Canola oil                                                                       1 tsp
Mustard seeds                                                                 1/2 tsp


Method

1.)  Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes and extract tamarind syrup as we do for sambhar/rasam. *
2.) Grind curry leaves, black peppercorns, red chillies, asafoetida and salt in a blender adding just enough water to make it to a thick paste.
3.) Heat a saucepan in medium- low flame.  Add oil and mustard seeds to splutter.
4.) Add the ground paste to it adn mix well. Add tamarind syrup. Bring the heat to medium.
5.) Let the mixture come to a boil and let it simmer for 15 mins. It will get to the consistency of a thick kozhambu. Karuveppilai kozhambhu is ready.

Karuveppilai kozhambu can be had with hot rice. It goes very well with appalam (papad), vadaam(vathal), potato/arbi (seppankizhangu)/suran (senaikizhangu)/ raw plantain (kachcha khela/ vazhaikkai) fry and any vegetable poricha kootu.

Notes:

* If  hard pressed for time, or plain lethargic (like me),  to extract tamarind syrup from the pulp,  simply add the above mentioned quantity of tamarind to the blender  along with the other ingredients mentioned and make it to a paste and continue as mentioned above.