Food & Drink Magazine

Appala Kuzhambu (Stew with Urad Pappads)

By Harini
Today's post is on a request.Yes I am very excited to post my first requested recipe-ask for a recipe :). Few days back one of readers Preeti had mailed me through ask for a recipe page asking for appala kuzhambu.In her mail she mentioned-I once tasted a dish in Chennai a kuzhambu kind of stew with papads in it,can you please help me with the recipe. Thanks a lot Preeti for being my regular visitor and initiating this page.This mail means a lot to me :). The only stew with papads I know is appala kuzhambu.This is something I grew up with.My grand mom and mom often make this and this is one of my favorites too. This is a gem among tambrahm recipes. very simple to prepare dish and it is often where there are no vegetables handy to make vatha kuzhambu or sambar. Give it a try and let me.
Appala kuzhambu (Stew with urad pappads)
Ingredients:
4-5 urad dal
2 teaspoons thick tamrind extract
1 small tomato chopped fine
2 teaspoons sambar powder
2 dried red chilles
1 teaspoon toor dal
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
10-12 curry leaves
Salt
Method:
1.In a kadai, add 1 teaspoon oil,temper mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds and red chillies.Add toor dal,asafoetida,turmeric powder and curry leaves.Once tempered,tear the papads into four quarter each and add them
2.Saute for just two minutes,papads should not get fried,just the raw smell should go.Add the sambar powder and saute for 1 more minute.
3.Now add the tamrind extract,3 cups of water and let it boil.Add salt and continue boiling.The mixture should become quite thick. Once reduced in volume considerably,switch off the heat add the remaining sesame oil and fry well.Serve hot with steamed rice.
Time:30 minutes
Serves:4
Notes:
1.You can add a small piece of jaggery if needed
2.Usually my mom doesnt add tomato to this,but I like to add for colour
3.In few homes they use urad dal to temper instead of toor dal
4.If you have any sun dried vegetables like okra or egg plant try adding them with appalam.

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