A tangy and healthy recipe made of garlic and tamarind which can be served with rice. I have seasoned the curry using vadavam (vadouvan), french derivative for this masala. The spice blend is thought to have originated from the colonial influence of the French in the Pondicherry region of India. (Pictured below)
The spice blend contains pounded onion, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds which are sun dried, then crushed and mixed with castor oil, rolled into balls and dried for several more days.
If you do not have vadavam, you could use the items mentioned “under seasoning” which would be readily available in your pantry.
Ingredients:
Peeled garlic pods – a handful
Onion – 2 small chopped
Tomatoes – 4
Milk – 1/2 cup
Tamarind – a small ball
Chillie powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp (Gingeley oil preferred)
Water – 1 cup
Salt- as required
For seasoning:
Vadavam : 1 tsp optional (see picture below)
or
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Udad dal – 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
vadagam/vadouvan
Saute onion, tomatoes and garlic.
Preparation:
Soak the tamarind ( lime sized ball) in water for 10 minutes and make it pulpy.
Take a wide bottomed pan or kadai. Heat it and add oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute it well until the onions becomes slightly brown. Next, add the tomatoes and saute again. Add milk and cook the tomatoes. Take it off the heat and keep it aside.
When it turns cool, grind it in a mixer and keep it aside.
Heat oil in another pan, add the vadavam or the items listed under “seasonings”. Now add the ground paste to this and add the chillie powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and mix it well. Next, add the tamarind paste or juice, discarding the flesh. Add a cup of water and salt and let it boil for 5 minutes. When it thickens a bit, take it off the flame and serve it with rice.
Meal Haven 