Chettinad Poondu Kulambu

There’s nothing that beats serving this spicy and tangy kulambu over white rice. This Chettinad poondu kulambu special is a must try, especially for all the garlic lovers out there.

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Chettinad Poondu Kulambu

There's nothing that beats serving this spicy and tangy kulambu over white rice. This Chettinad special is a must try, especially for all the garlic lovers out there.

Course: Curry

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup red onion (chopped)
• 1 cup garlic (around 25 garlic cloves cut lengthwise)
• 1 cup tomato (chopped)
• 3 inch tamarind piece (soaked in 1 cup water)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp urad dhal
• ½ tsp methi seeds
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ⅛ tsp asafoetida (also known as hing or perungayam)
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp sambar powder
• 1 tbsp kulambu milagai powder (optional)
• 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 6 tbsp gingelly oil
• 2 cups water (adjust as needed)
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, methi seeds, black pepper and asafoetida.
• Once mustard seeds crackle, add chopped onions and saute for 1 minute.
• Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until the raw smell fades.
• Next, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder and sambar powder. Mix well.
• Then, add tomatoes and curry leaves. Saute for 1 minute.
• Add tamarind extract and salt. Add kulambu milagai powder, if using, and mix well. This will enhance the flavor of the kulambu.
• Cover the kulambu with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.
• Dissolve the rice flour in 1 cup of water. Make sure there are no lumps. Set aside.
• Add the rice water mixture to the kulambu. Adjust salt, spice and consistency as needed.
• Add 2 tbsp of gingelly oil to the kulambu. Let it boil for 5 minutes on medium flame.
• After a few minutes, the oil will start to separate. The kulambu is now ready.
• Serve hot with rice, idli or dosa.

Notes

• If kulambu milagai powder is not available, use sambar powder. 
• You can use pearl onions or shallots instead of red onions to make the kulambu more flavorful.