Amma's Pulikuzhambu

I meant to post these recipes a little while ago but life's been really busy and I totally forgot about that until now. So, here comes my Amma's Pulikuzhambu made with my own twist to it. Ohhh, I can just live with it and I'm drooling as I type up the recipe :)

This has so much garlic in it, so if you don't like garlic (too bad for you, ha ha ha!) feel free to substitute red pearl onions. If I have them on hand, I would mix that as well.

Garlic cloves - 24 (I used almost 2 big heads)
Orange capsicum - 1/2 (that's what I had on hand, any other color is fine too)
Sesame oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 7/8
Tamarind pulp - 1 cup (soak tamarind in water and strain for the juice)
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 1 tbsp (I used homemade but storebought works fine too)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida powder - a few pinches

Using a heavy bottom pan is an ideal choice for this. I use "karchati" - Indian style stone pan which renders a great flavor. Heat the sesame oil and add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds when the oil gets hot. Once it splutters, add curry leaves, garlic cloves and chopped capsicum. After a couple of minutes, a nice aroma hits your nose. Train your nose, I say, you cook with your senses and the food will taste great! Now, add the tamarind pulp and water. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder to the gravy. Then, when it starts to boil vigorously, add the sambhar powder, salt and asafoetida(perungayam). It takes around 10 more minutes for it to come to a gravy consistency (that's how I like it!). You can add some rice flour paste to speed up the process but I don't do that to my pulikuzhambu.

There are like a zillion variations of doing the same recipe once you know how to do this basic one. You can do with pearl onions or ladysfinger/drumstick, different varieties of vathals (sun dried veggies) like manathakkali, sundakai, etc. Enjoy!