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Home » Asian » Indian

Published: Jan 26, 2017 · Modified: Feb 17, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Iru Puli Kuzhambu - Tirunelveli Special

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This Iru puli kuzhambu had the sourness from tamarind and buttermilk which makes this dish very interesting. A simple spice mixture with fenugreek seeds make this very aromatic.

Iru Puli Kuzhambu in a pot

Being a South Indian, sambhar and kuzhambu are something that we make on regular basis. Different sambhars and kuzhambu are what my family makes every day, but I am an exception in that. I don't just cook South Indian food but we prefer to go on a good rotation around India and also the world before we come back to our cuisine.

Having said that, I also have to admit if I see some different kind of sambhar or kuzhambu, I have to try it out right away. This iru puli kuzhambu was absolutely mouthwatering when I first saw it in Nisha's space.

The kuzhambu was something that you don't come across often. The kuzhambu usually has the sourness from tamarind with the exception of Mor Kuzhambu that gets its sourness from sour buttermilk.

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This Iru puli kuzhambu had the sourness from both tamarind and buttermilk which was very interesting. Also, the simple spice mixture with fenugreek seeds (vendhayam) was very aromatic.

I used drumsticks and eggplants as my vegetables for the kuzhambu, but you could use any other vegetable of your choice or also a combination of mixed vegetables. This is a specialty from Tirunelveli region of Tamil Nadu just like this Sodhi with Puli Inji and Tirunelveli Sambhar. This is my second recipe under Bookmarked theme for the BM.

Iru Puli Kuzhambu in a kadai

Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 40 minutes
Difficulty level - easy
Recipe adapted from - The Magic Saucepan

Ingredients to make Iru Puli Kuzhambu - Serves 4

  • Eggplant / Kathirikkai - 1 cup (cubed)
  • Drumstick / Murungaikai - 10 pieces
  • Tamarind - A lemon size ball soaked in 1 cup of hot water
  • Buttermilk (sour) - ½ cup
  • Oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Red chilies - 2 or 3
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Salt - to taste

For grinding together - 

  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • Red chilies - 2 or 3
  • Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam - ½ tsp
  • Coconut - ¼ cup (grated)
  • Raw rice - 2 tsp

Procedure - 

  • In a small frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and fry the red chilies and fenugreek seeds until aromatic and light browned. Let it cool down a bit and then add the raw rice and coconut to the mixture and grind it into a paste adding little water.
Cooking the spices in a pan
  • Soak the tamarind in hot water and squeeze the pulp out. Whick the buttermilk well and keep it ready.
  • In a sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and then add the mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves.
  • Add the chopped vegetables and saute them for couple of minutes.
  • Now add the extracted tamarind pulp and salt to the pan and let it boil until the vegetables are cooked and the smell of the tamarind goes away.
  • Next add the ground paste and let it come to a boil. Let it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the chopped vegetables in a ground paste
  • Now turn the flame to the lowest and add the whisked buttermilk. Mix well and let it cook until the kuzhambu froths up on top. Do not let the kuzhambu boil too hard after adding the buttermilk as it could split.
  • Serve hot with rice.
Served in a pot Iru Puli Kuzhambu

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter

Iru Puli Kuzhambu - Tirunelveli Special in a pot

Iru Puli Kuzhambu - Tirunelveli Special

This Iru puli kuzhambu had the sourness from tamarind and buttermilk which makes this dish very interesting. A simple spice mixture with fenugreek seeds make this very aromatic.
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Course: Lunch Box Recipes, Side Dishes
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 222kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • Pot
  • pan
  • bowl
  • Grinder
  • Kadai
  • spatula

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Eggplant / Kathirikkai cubed
  • 10 pieces Drumstick / Murungaikai
  • 1 cup Tamarind A lemon size ball soaked in hot water
  • ½ cup Buttermilk sour
  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • 2-3 Red chilies
  • few Curry leaves
  • to taste Salt

For grinding together -

  • 1 teaspoon Oil
  • 2-3 Red chilies
  • ½ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam
  • ¼ cup Coconut grated
  • 2 teaspoon Raw rice

Instructions

  • In a small frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and fry the red chilies and fenugreek seeds until aromatic and light browned. Let it cool down a bit and then add the raw rice and coconut to the mixture and grind it into a paste adding little water.
  • Soak the tamarind in hot water and squeeze the pulp out. Whick the buttermilk well and keep it ready.
  • In a sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and then add the mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves.
  • Add the chopped vegetables and saute them for couple of minutes.
  • Now add the extracted tamarind pulp and salt to the pan and let it boil until the vegetables are cooked and the smell of the tamarind goes away.
  • Next add the ground paste and let it come to a boil. Let it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Now turn the flame to the lowest and add the whisked buttermilk. Mix well and let it cook until the kuzhambu froths up on top. Do not let the kuzhambu boil too hard after adding the buttermilk as it could split.
  • Serve hot with rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chef Mireille says

    February 02, 2017 at 5:56 pm

    lovely combo - and isn't it nice to eat so many different cuisines so we dont get bored 🙂

    Reply
  2. Srivalli Jetti says

    February 02, 2017 at 1:04 am

    Sounds fantastic Sandhya, I have bookmarked the entire series from Nisha..

    Reply
  3. Suja says

    February 02, 2017 at 12:42 am

    Yummy and delicious

    Reply
  4. Pavani says

    January 30, 2017 at 8:54 pm

    Very interesting kuzhambu Sandhya. Will have to try it out some time.

    Reply
  5. Priya Srinivasan says

    January 29, 2017 at 9:50 am

    Wow sandhya, this is totally new to me. Bookmarking right away! Looks delicious!

    Reply
  6. Priya Suresh says

    January 28, 2017 at 6:27 am

    Slurp slurp, fingerlicking kuzhambu, feel like dishing this delicious dish very soon.

    Reply
  7. srividhya says

    January 27, 2017 at 9:37 am

    This is very interesting Sandhya... kuzhambu with both puli and mor sounds interesting. Bookmarking. Will try this one pretty soon.

    Reply

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Sandhya

I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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