Looking for a mixed vegetable gravy recipe that’s not your regular one? Here’s a South Indian special for you – the Kara Kuzhambu (also called Kara Kulambu) is a simple, earthy, and tasty gravy that is flavored with a roasted coconut-spice paste. This spiced and tangy Kuzhambu is a delicacy from the cuisine of Tamil Nadu in South India. Since this recipe is completely made with plant-based ingredients, it is really nutritious.
About Kara Kuzhambu
In addition to the flavors, the mixed vegetables, pearl onions and urad dal (split black gram) bring in a great texture in this Kara Kuzhambu. These also turn the dish into a wholesome and delicious South Indians tyle mixed vegetable preparation. Along with these ingredients, the dominant flavors from the roasted coconut-spice paste elevate the flavors in this gravy.
Kuzhambu or Kulambu is a typical South Indian curry based dish from the cuisine of Tamil Nadu. There are a number of varieties and variations in preparing kuzhambus.
In addition to this Kara Kuzhambu, I also have the Mor Kulambu, Vatha Kulambu, Poricha Kulambu and Ennai Kathirikai Kulambu recipes on my blog.
A unique kulambu preparation is the vathal kuzhambu that is made with unripe green berries of the rare black nightshade plant. Just like this Kara Kuzhambu, any other kuzhambu gravy may or may not have lentils added to them.
The fact that you can have an array of veggies in this Kara Kulambu recipe in the most tasty as well as healthy way, is what makes this dish a complete favorite with my folks at home too.
So, just like the other North Indian mixed veggie preparations, I also often make this Tamil style veg curry at home.
The best way to relish this Kara Kuzhambu or any other authentic kulambu is to pair it with steamed rice or even idli or dosa. You can add a side of some fried or roasted pappadums and turn it into a deliciously warming and comforting meal.
For this recipe of Kara Kuzhambu, I have used vegetables like drumsticks, pearl onions, brinjals, carrots and potatoes. You can add more of your favorite veggies in this simple kulambu gravy and make it heartier and filling.
Some of the other vegetables that you can add in this recipe are a mix of okra, radish, beans, bottle gourd, cauliflower, pumpkin, plantains or yam.
This vegan recipe of Kara Kulambu also has a rustic paste made with coconut and some whole spices. This imparts the typical South Indian essence in the dish. The gravy also has sour notes from the addition of tamarind in it.
As I mentioned before, whenever I have mixed vegetables at home, Kara Kuzhambu is one dish that happens to be there on the menu by default. You can cook this gravy in sesame oil, coconut oil or any other neutral flavored oil.
How to make Kara Kuzhambu
Preparation
1. Heat a small pan on low flame and add the following spices:
- 3 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon 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 till fragrant.
3. In a small bowl, soak ½ tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind in ½ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Add the roasted spices in a grinder jar along with ½ cup chopped or grated coconut.
5. Add ½ to ⅔ cup water and grind to a fine and smooth paste. Keep aside.
6. Quarter brinjals and soak in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Also, chop the other vegetables.
Cook Vegetables
7. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Lower the heat, add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon urad dal.
8. On low heat, crackle the mustard seeds and brown the urad dal.
9. Add 9 to 10 pearl onions or shallots and 8 to 10 curry leaves. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes or till the onions soften and get slightly golden from the edges.
10. Then, add 1 chopped medium tomato. Stir and sauté for a minute or two.
11. Next, add 1.5 cups of mixed chopped vegetables. I used drumsticks, brinjals, carrot, and potato.
12. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon red chili powder.
13. Stir well and sauté the vegetables for a minute or two.
14. Add 1.5 cups water.
15. Add salt as required.
16. Stir and cover the pan. On low to medium heat, simmer till the vegetables are almost cooked.
Make Kara Kulambu
17. Squeeze the extract from the soaked tamarind.
18. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the tamarind extract.
19. Add the prepared ground coconut and spices paste. If the gravy looks thick, then you can add some water.
21. Stir very well.
21. Simmer Kara Kuzhambu on low heat for 7 to 8 minutes, without the lid.
22. Serve Kara Kulambu with steamed rice, idli or dosa.
Expert Tips
- Apart from the vegetables I have used in this recipe of Kara Kuzhambu, you can also add any other vegetable of your choice. Cauliflower, okra, plantain, yam, radish, french beans, bottle gourd and pumpkin work well in this curry.
- For okra, sauté them in some oil until they are almost cooked and then add them later when you add the coconut and spices paste to make the gravy.
- Generally in restaurants, they use drumsticks, brinjals and pearl onions (small onions that is added in Sambar). But you could use vegetables that you have. You can also use regular onions.
- The best and most authentic flavor in the dish comes by using sesame oil (gingelly oil). But feel free to use any neutral flavored oil that you have. You can also use coconut oil.
- You have to grind the paste to a fine and smooth one. Do not keep it coarse or semi-fine. Feel free to swap fresh coconut with frozen coconut.
- The quantity of water in the gravy can also be adjusted. If it is too thick, add some more water to get the desired consistency.
More South Indian Vegetable Preparations!
South Indian Food
Kerala Recipes
Curry Recipes
Karnataka Recipes
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Kara Kuzhambu | Kara Kulambu
Ingredients
For kara kuzhambu gravy
- 2 tablespoons oil – sesame oil or preferred neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (hulled and split black gram)
- 9 to 10 pearl onions or 4 to 5 shallots or 1 medium to large onion – diced
- 8 to 10 curry leaves or 1 sprig of curry leaves
- 1 tomato – medium-sized, chopped
- 1.5 cups vegetables – chopped; brinjals, potatoes, carrots or your preferred veggies
- 1 or 2 drumsticks peeled and chopped in 2 to 3 inches batons
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1.5 cups water – to add to kuzhambu gravy
- salt as required
For making tamarind extract
- ½ tablespoon tamarind – tightly packed
- ½ cup water – hot, for soaking tamarind
For roasting and grinding to paste
- 3 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ¼ teaspoon whole black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup coconut – chopped or grated, fresh or frozen
- ½ to ⅔ cup water – for grinding or blending
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat a small pan. Keep the heat to a low and add the following spices – coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black pepper and cumin seeds.
- Stirring often, dry the roast spices till fragrant. Set aside and allow the roasted spices to cool.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl, soak tamarind hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add the roasted spices in a grinder jar along with grated coconut or chopped coconut
- Add ½ to ⅔ cup water and grind to a smooth and fine paste. Set aside.
- Quarter the brinjals and keep them in soaked salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Also chop the other veggies.
Making kara kuzhambu
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pot or pan.
- Lower the heat and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
- On a low heat crackle the mustard seeds and brown the urad dal.
- Add the pearl onions or chopped shallots and curry leaves. Stir and sauté for a minute on low heat.
- Then add chopped tomatoes. Stir and sauté till the tomatoes soften.
- Add the chopped veggies. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder.
- Stir well and saute the veggies for a minute or two.
Making kara kuzhambu
- Add 1.5 cups water. Also add salt as required.
- Stir to mix. Cover the pan with lid. On a low to medium heat simmer the veggies, till they are almost cooked.
- Squeeze the tamarind extract from the soaked tamarind and set aside.
- Once the veggies are almost cooked, add the tamarind extract.
- Add the ground coconut and roasted spices paste. Stir and mix very well.
- If the gravy consistency looks thick, add some water and mix.
- Simmer the kuzhambu gravy for 7 to 8 minutes on a low heat without the lid. Stir at intervals.
- Serve Kara Kuzhambu with steamed rice or even with idli or dosa.
Notes
- While I have used drumsticks, brinjals, carrots, potatoes, you can opt to use any other vegetable of your choice like cauliflower, okra, plantain, yam, radish, french beans, bottle gourd and pumpkin.
- For okra, sauté them in some oil until they are almost cooked and add them later when you add the coconut and spices paste.
- Instead of pearl onions (or sambar onions), use shallots or regular onions.
- The best and most authentic flavor in the dish comes by using sesame oil (gingelly oil). But feel free to use any neutral flavored oil that you have.
- You could use frozen coconut instead of fresh coconut.
- The consistency of the gravy can be medium-thick to medium, so adjust by adding less or more water.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Kara Kuzhambu recipe from the archives, first published in February 2015 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
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.