Vatha Kozhambu & Potato Kari

I guess I have a lot of fans for my Vatha Kozhambu .... mostly the bachelor guys...So here you go...This is mostly amma's way of making vatha kozhambu.... just that I let it reduce for a little longer... Eat it with "sutta Applam" (roasted pappad) or "Potato kari with onions"....
Its just DIVINE...
Amma... this reminds me of the enumerous saturday afternoons that we used to spend together... chatting and munching this deadly combo... Love it amma...and miss them a whole lot....

What I used

1 onion chopped
1 golf ball size tamarind
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds (methi)
2 tbsp of oil (sesame)
2 tsp of Toor dal
3 dry red chillies
1 tsp of sambar powder
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
2 cups of water

How I made it

Boil a cup of water and soak the tamarind for 10 minutes. Extract the pulp once it is cool. In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add the toor dal and fry this, then add the onions and saute them until they soften. Reduce the heat to low and add the sambar powder and another tsp of oil and fry until the raw smell of the sambar powder goes off. Then add the tamarind pulp and salt and mix well and allow the mixture to reduce. Check for the taste and add another cup of water.Once the mixture boils down, add another 2 tsp of oil and remove from the flame. For seasoning, in a pan heat a tsp of oil and add the mustard seeds, once they splutter add the methi seeds, red chillies and the curry leaves and pour this on the vatha kozhambu.

This is really easy, and if you reduce this mixuter until the oil seperates, you will be able to store it for 8 - 10 days. However, it tastes so good... you would not want to keep it aside ;)

Tips: You can also substitute, okra, drumsticks, pumpkin for the onions. The most famous ones are frying up a tbsp of manathakkali (black nightshade) vathal, or sundakkai (turkey berry) vathal and adding it finally while seasoning.

Ingredients

2 Cups of cut potato
1 cup of chopped onions
1 tsp of mustard seeds
2 tsp of oil
tsp of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
salt to taste
Curry leaves.

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and once the splutter add the cut onions and saute until they become transparent. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and fry for another minute. Now add the potato, salt and then place a lid and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Remove the lid and then cook on medium heat until the potatoes get crispy. Add the curry leaves and serve with rice and vatha kozhambu....

This is a deadly combination.... You will simply love this...