Name: Vatha Kulambu
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lemon sized tamarind ball (or 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind); 1 cup hot water; 3 tablespoons sesame oil ((gingelly oil)); 3 tablespoons sundried black nightshade berries ((manathakkali vathal)); ½ teaspoon mustard seeds; ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds; 1 to 2 dry red chilies, (broken and seeds removed); 8 to 10 curry leaves; 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing)); 1.5 to 2 tablespoons sambar powder; 2 cups water; salt (as required); 1 teaspoon rice flour (– optional); ½ teaspoon jaggery (– optional)

Vatha kuzhambu recipe with step by step pics. One of the simplest recipe I make at times is vatha kulambu. This vathal kuzhambu recipe and method gives you a really tasty and tongue-tickling kuzhambu.

Vathals is the tamil word for sun dried vegetables or berries. The veggies or berries are soaked in buttermilk for some hours or overnight and later sun dried. In this recipe post I have shared the method of making manathakkali kuzhambu. Manathakkali is the tamil word for black nightshade berries. These are also called as makoy in hindi language.

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The unripe green berries are soaked in buttermilk and then sun dried. Later these sun dried berries can be fried with very little oil and served with curd rice or rasam-rice. A simple kuzhambu can also be made with these sun dried berries.

Manathakkali vathal kulambu recipe does have health benefits. the berries help in digestion as well as even help in getting rid of stomach infections. This kuzhambu also improves the appetite.

The taste of manathakkali kuzhambu is complex. you get to have sour, bitter, spiced, salty and astringent taste in the curry. So its best served with some steamed rice where the flavors do get mellowed a bit. Savoring vathal kulambu is an acquired taste and you may or may not like it in the first go. When having manathakkali kulambu with steamed rice, you do get a bite of the softened berries with a hints of saltiness, sourness and slight bitterness in them.

Apart from manathakkali kuzhambu recipe, I also use the same recipe and make it with sun dried turkey berries (sundakkai). At times I also add pearl onions (sambar onions) and garlic. But in this post, I am sharing a no onion no garlic recipe which is a tamil brahmin version. Few other kuzhambu variations i have already posted on blog are:

A few points have to be remembered when making a perfect vatha kuzhambu.

If possible use dark tamarind or old tamarind as it gives a lovely deep sour taste.
Be generous with oil. There should be a thin layer of oil on top of the kuzhambu. This helps in keeping the kuzhambu stay good for about a week in the fridge and also gives a good taste.
For the best and authentic taste, use sesame oil (gingelly oil) which is cold pressed oil made from raw sesame seeds.
After adding sambar powder, it should be fried in oil so that it releases its flavors.
For a slight thickening of the kuzhambu gravy, you can add some rice flour.
A bit of jaggery can also be added to balance the sourness and bitterness.

Vatha kuzhambu is best served with steamed rice. Accompany a side vegetable dish like a poriyal or stir fry like vazhakkai poriyal or potato fry or french beans poriyal or suran fry. With this vatha kuzhambu, I would suggest to serve a side vegetable dish which has faint sweet notes and not at all spicy or bitter.

How to make vatha kulambu or vatha kuzhambu

A) soaking tamarind:

1. In a bowl take 1 lemon sized tamarind ball or 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind. Preferably use aged and dark tamarind.

2. Add 1 cup hot water. Cover and soak tamarind for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Squeeze the tamarind and extract the tamarind pulp in the water. Keep aside.

Making vatha kulambu

4. Heat 3 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) in a pan. Keep flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.

5. Let the mustard seeds crackle.

6. Keep the flame to a low and then add ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 to 2 dry red chilies (halved and seeds removed), 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing).

7. Fry and stir till the red chilies change color.

8. Keeping the flame to a low, now add 3 tablespoons manathakkali vathal (sun dried black nightshade).

9. Stirring continuously, fry for some seconds till the color of manathakkali changes. Make sure you do not burn them.

10. Now switch off the flame and add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons sambar powder.

11. Fry for 1 minute switching off the flame. You can even fry at a low flame. But do make sure that the sambar powder does not get burnt.

12. Add the tamarind pulp.

13. Pour 2 cups water.

14. Give a stir.

15. Add salt as per taste.

16. Mix well and let this vatha kuzhambu come to a boil on medium-low flame for about 25 to 30 minutes.

17. continue to simmer till the curry or gravy thickens slightly. you will see some oil specks on the top.

18. Then add 1 teaspoon rice flour. Adding rice flour is optional and can be skipped.

19. Add ½ teaspoon jaggery. Adding jaggery is also optional.

20. Mix well and continue to simmer vatha kuzhambu for 4 to 5 minutes more. After you switch off the flame you should clearly see a layer of oil after allowing the kuzhambu to rest for 1 to 2 minutes. Check the taste and add more salt if required.

21. Serve vatha kulambu with steamed rice. accompany a side vegetable dish like a poriyal or stir fry like vazhakkai fry or baby potato fry or vendakkai poriyal or carrot poriyal.