Veg kuzhambu recipe with step by step photos – spiced and tangy mix vegetable kuzhambu recipe.
Kuzhambu is a South Indian curry based dish from the Tamil Nadu cuisine. There are quite a number of varieties and variations in preparing kuzhambu. The kuzhambu gravy may have lentils or entirely skip them. This mix veg kuzhambu does not have lentils.
Few other kuzhambu varieties which are posted on blog are:
In this veg kuzhambu recipe tamarind as well coconut is added to the gravy. its a simple gravy preparation made with mix veggies like brinjals, potatoes, carrots and drumsticks. To make this recipe, you can use a mix of veggies like okra, radish, beans, bottle gourd, cauliflower, pumpkin, yam or colocasia roots.
Serve vegetable kuzhambu with steamed rice or even with idli or dosa.
Preparation to make veg kuzhambu recipe
1. Heat a small pan on a low flame & add the following spices – 3 tsp coriander seeds, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cumin seeds.
2. stirring often, dry the roast spices till fragrant. Keep aside and allow the roasted spices to cool. No need to brown the spices. Just lightly roast them till they become fragrant.
3. Meanwhile in a small bowl, soak ½ tbsp tightly packed seedless tamarind soaked in ½ cup of hot water for 30 minutes.
4. Add the roasted spices in a grinder jar along with ½ cup grated coconut or chopped coconut.
5. Add ½ to ⅔ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
6. Quarter the brinjals and keep them in soaked salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Also chop the other veggies.
Making veg kuzhambu
7. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. lower the flame and add ½ tsp mustard seeds & 1 tsp urad dal.
8. On a low flame crackle the mustard seeds and brown the urad dal.
9. Add the 9 to 10 pearl onions or shallots and 8 to 10 curry leaves. Stir and saute for two minutes or till the onions soften and get slightly golden from the edges.
10. Then add 1 chopped medium tomato. Stir and saute for a minute or two.
11. Then add the chopped veggies – I used 1.5 cups of mix vegetables like brinjals, carrots and potatoes. Apart from these veggies, I also add 2 drumsticks, chopped.
12. Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ½ tsp red chili powder.
13. Stir well and saute the veggies for a minute or two.
Making veg kuzhambu gravy
14. Add 1.5 cups water.
15. Add salt as required.
16. Stir and cover the pan. On a low to medium flame simmer the veggies, till they are almost cooked.
17. Squeeze the tamarind extract from the soaked tamarind.
18. Once the veggies are cooked, add the tamarind extract.
19. Add the ground coconut and roasted spice paste. If the gravy looks thick, then you can add some water.
21. Stir very well.
21. simmer veg kuzhambu gravy for 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame without the lid.
22. Serve vegetable kuzhambu with steamed rice or even with idli or dosa.
veg kuzhambu recipe
Ingredients
for veg kuzhambu gravy
- 1.5 cups diced mix vegetables
- 1 or 2 drumsticks peeled and chopped in 2 to 3 inches batons
- 9 to 10 pearl onions or shallots or 1 medium to large onion - diced
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 8 to 10 curry leaves or 1 sprig of curry leaves (kadi patta)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind soaked in ½ cup of hot water for 30 minutes
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
for roasting and grinding to paste
- 3 teaspoon coriander seeds (sabut dhania)
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- ¼ teaspoon whole black pepper (sabut kali mirch)
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera)
- ½ cup chopped coconut or grated coconut
- ½ to ⅔ cup water for grinding
Instructions
preparation for veg kuzhambu recipe
- Heat a small pan and add the following spices - 3 tsp coriander seeds, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- Stirring often, dry the roast spices till fragrant. Keep aside and allow the roasted spices to cool.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl, soak 1/2 tbsp tightly packed tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup of hot water for 30 minutes.
- Add the roasted spices in a grinder jar along with 1/2 cup grated coconut or chopped coconut
- Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
- Quarter the brinjals and keep them in soaked salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Also chop the other veggies.
making veg kuzhambu
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.
- Lower the flame and add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds & 1 tsp urad dal.
- On a low flame crackle the mustard seeds and brown the urad dal.
- Add the 9 to 10 pearl onions or shallots and curry leaves. Stir and saute for a minute.
- Then add chopped tomato. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften.
- Add the chopped veggies. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp red chili powder.
- Stir well and saute the veggies for a minute or two.
making veg kuzhambu gravy
- Add 1.5 cups water. Also add salt as required.
- Stir and cover the pan. On a low to medium flame simmer the veggies, till they are almost cooked.
- Squeeze the tamarind extract from the soaked tamarind.
- Once the veggies are cooked, add the tamarind extract.
- Add the ground coconut and roasted spice paste. Stir very well.
- Simmer veg kuzhambu gravy for 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame without the lid.
- Serve vegetable kuzhambu with steamed rice or even with idli or dosa.
I tried this kulambu a few days back and it was awesome. I should say that it was a different version of kulambu recipes. Some hotels serve this type.
Thanks for the recipe.
thanks much shruthi. glad you liked the kulambu.
In vegitable stew recipe if I want to use ready made coconut milk then how to use it n wt will be the quantity
first cook the veggies with water. then add the thick coconut milk once the veggies are cooked. simmer for half a minute. use the same amount as mentioned in the recipe.
Hi amit,
I love your cooking from south indian to northindian. My first choice is your site I look for recepies in your site if not available I look for other options. I must say this site is in my bookmarks
thanks a lot lavanya.
This recipe looks amazing, but I want to know, what are brinjals and what are the drumsticks? The brinjals look like baby eggplants and the drumsticks look like either okra or chopped up sticks of zucchini. Please help the white person who likes indian food!!
aleisha, brinjal are eggplants. drumsticks are moringa pods.
Excellent!! Great flavours. Thank you, Dassana. We had kuzhambu with dosas.
welcome sari
Thanks for your lovely recipes, Dassana. I liked everything I tried from this site!!! I would have given more often positief feedback or a good rating, but most of the times the discussion was already closed. So, all in one; THANK YOU!
Just one question; are the brinjals part of the 1.5 cups of veggies we are supposed to use? If not, how much brinjals should I use? I see clear instructions for brinjals, but not a separate amount of them.
Take care and keep on posting. Your Indian recipes are great!!!
thank you sari. we had closed the comment on older posts as we are really short of time these days. but for some days again we have opened it. 1.5 cups includes the brinjals. 10 to 12 small brinjals can be added.
Great looking recipe. You’re website is great and really helping me with South Indian recipes. Unfortunately South Indian cooking is relatively rare in Britain!
I’ve not got any fresh coconut. Do you think I could substitute it with some canned coconut milk?
Cheers!
thanks daniel. you could easily add canned coconut milk. add the coconut milk right towards the end and then simmer till the kuzhambu is hot. no need to boil.
Lovely recipe dassana! I love ur website. Its the top on my list of frequent websites.
My husband and I learn ur recipes and we cook together. Thank u :). He loves ur presentation and photos.
welcome karunya. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes presentation.
Hi, I like the your recipes. The step by step processes help someone like me who is not good at cooking. Thanks for all the recipes. I was wondering if you can post some chicken recipes. I am hoping you are a non vegetarian.
Welcome SKhan. Good to know that recipes are helping you. We only cook vegetarian food at home. So won’t be able to post chicken recipes.
Hii dassana i m a cllg student i m doing C.S. i am a boy so i was not having much interest in cooking. But after reading ur recipes i got much inspiration nd i started cooking. Nd now my neighbours like my cooking more than of my mom
So thank u
welcome mrinal. thats nice to know. its always good to know cooking. because it helps you to eat tasty food of your choice and not be dependent upon restaurants.
Hi Dassana….I live in NCR with my mummy and papa…I’ve found your Punjabi recipes very much similar to the ones we made at our home….we are mainly non-vegetarian but when we want to eat South indian meal, I go straight to your website. This is my first response to you.you make veg recipes in very easy way….and same I can say for bajiyas for the non veg.thank you for all your recipes.
welcome mrignayni. good to know this. thanks for sharing positive review on recipes.
My husband and I love using your blog and making the dish recipes together. By any chance do you use the method of making monthly meal plans? if so please do share your monthly meal calendar with us. Even though you have such a huge selection, we are always at a loss of what to eat LOL
Thanks PkT for sharing your positive feedback. i don’t have monthly meal plans. i just plan for next day as per my spontaneity and ingredients available in the kitchen.
Hi, I was wondering If I could use 1/4 cup shredded coconut instead of half cup? I would like to make the curry low fat and If you would recommend adding anything else. Also, I am a vegan. Thx Aneesha
welcome aneesha. yes you can add but the taste will change. because coconut gives lot of flavor in the dish. then reduce on the tamarind and water also.