I remember the first time I ever had it in my Mom in law`s place in Srirangam….She had made her special dishes, as we were visiting and when I had it, my senses simply shot up. It was all the more tantalising as she had used teeny tiny whole brinjals, to float and take in the flavours of the gravy. That trip I told her that I simpy had to have the recipe and she more than generously passed it on to me. Since then its been a favourite of mine, as it can be made as a spicy side for Pongal, to mix with rice, or  simply in its thicker form to take with delicious “thayir sadam”…I usually make a lot of it ahead so it is an inclusion to my husband`s plate almost everyday.

To all my friends in Enclave, here it is…to look up and try, whenever….

INGREDIENTS:

Black Pepper          – 1 spoon

Bengal Gram           – 1 spoon

Red Chillis                – 3

Dhania                       – 3/4 spoon

Coconut                    – 3 spoons

Hing

Tamarind                 – Ball sized soaked or eqv Tamarind Paste.

Brinjals                     –  4 – 5 small ones washed and cleaned.

Curry Leaves, Salt.

PREPARATION:

• First saute the pepper alone in a spoon of ghee and set aside to cool in the mixer jar.
• Fry the remaining ingredients in oil, ie,  bengal gram, dhania, red chilli and finally add the coconut in the end just for a few seconds.
• Add a  little water and grind all this  is to smooth paste.
• Take a container, and add the required quantity of the tamarind paste and dilute. Optionally extract the tamarind juice and keep.
• Add the ground paste, salt, turmeric, hing, curry leaves to the tamarind juice and keep on stove.
• Slowly add whole small brinjals along with stalk in to the vessel.
• Keep the kuzhambu on medium low and allow to simmer enough to reduce by one third.
• Delicious Milagu Kuzhambu is ready to be eaten with rice or as a side for Venn Pongal.

Sending this delicious home made preparation to Think Spice Think Pepper – hosted by Dil Se of Divya Vikram and started by Sunita.