manathakali vathakuzhambu (black nightshade in a spicy sauce)

"Vathal" in Tamil refers to vegetables soaked in a yoghurt-spice mixture and sundried for several days until its dehydrated completely. This "vathal" is used to make vathakuzhambu along with tamarind and sambar powder. During the last manathakali season, I prepared some manathakali vathal. So there I am posting proudly my recipe with some home made manathakali!*.

My daughters like manathakali very much. Now my son-in-law also joined this "like" group. Manathakali can be roasted with 1 tsp of ghee and mixed with steamed rice. Besides being extremely tasty, the manathakali, also aids digestion.

MANATHAKALI VATHAKUZHAMBU
(Tamil to English: manathakali - black nightshade, vathakuzhambu - spicy sauce)

INGREDIENTS


Home made manathakali -  ½ cup (50gm measuring cup)
Tamarind -  lemon size 20 gm soak in water and extract the juice
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Sesame oil -  8 tsp
Red chili - 2, split in half
Mustard seeds ¼ tsp, fenugreek seeds ¼ tsp, turmeric powder ¼ tsp,
jaggery as per taste, asafoetida, curry leaves, and salt to taste




METHOD


1. Soak the tamarind in water (approx. 2 to 3 glasses) for half an hour, then extract the juice by gentle pressing.
2. Heat sesame oil in a thick bottom vessel, add the manathakali to it. Allow it to be roasted until golden brown, then season with mustard seeds.
3. Add fenugreek, chili, asafoetida, curry leaves, turmeric powder. Saute for one min.
4. Now add tamarind juice, sambar powder, salt and jaggery. Stir occasstionally and cook on medium flame until the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.
5. The final sauce should be semifluid.
6. Serve with hot rice or curd rice (recipe follows soon).

TIPS
 
1.Vathakuzhambu can be prepared with vegetables, dry herbs, kuzhambu vadams and vathal.
2. Vegetables like pearl onion**, drum stick, lady's finger/okra, pumpkin or mixed vegetables can also be added
3. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week.
4. Manathakali vathakuzhambu plus keerai masiyal is the best combination with steaming white rice!

* manathakali "vathal" is prepared during the season, it can be stored for many years :).
**pearl onion - chinna vengayam

vendayakeerai sambar (METHI/ fenugreek LEAVES lentil gravy)

Vendayakeerai (fenugreek leaves/fenugreek greens) were stacked up neatly in the market. I was very much tempted to make a dish out of the fresh leaves. Today I made 'sambar'. with the greens (recipe Source: my mother-in-law) More recipes with fenugreek leaves are in the pipeline ;).

VENDAYAKEERAI SAMBAR:

          (Tamil to English: Vendayakeerai - fenugreek greens/leaves, Sambar - Lentil gravy)

INGREDIENTS:

Toor Dal – 1 ½ cum (75 gm) Soak in water for 15 mins with a pinch of turmeric powder, cook until mashy*.

Tamarind – ¾ lemon size (15 gm) Soak in water and extract the juice.

Fresh Vendayakeerai/fenugreek leaves/fenugreek greens – 4 small bunches – cleaned, washed and chopped.

Tomato – 2 Medium size cut into pcs.

Red chilly – 8 to 10 nos cut into pcs.

Oil to fry (I always use sesame oil for making sambar varieties. The aroma will be good, and also sesame oil is more healthy and tasty compared to refined oil)
Mustard seed-1tsp, 

Asafoetida - as per taste

Curry leaves and salt.

METHOD:
1. Heat the pan with 4 tsp sesame oil.
2. Add mustard seed, red chillies, vendayakeerai/fenugreek greens, pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida & sauté for few minutes.
3. Add tomato, salt and sauté until the tomatoes are cooked.
4. Add tamarind juice and cover the pan. Cook until the raw smell goes off.
5. Now add the cooked* and mashed toor dal and cook for few min.
6. Crackle mustard seed, curry leaves and if you like you may add 1/2 red chillies.**
7. Serve with steamed rice mixed with 1 tsp sesame oil.

What other recipes do you make with the fenugreek greens?

Let us know!

happy cooking!

-Jay

*I will soon write up about how to cook different varieties of dal
**Also a post of the crackling/seasoning method of South Indian cooking follows soon :)

recipe tries:

Lata Raja from the cheerful Indian cooking blog "flavors and tastes" told in FB that she tried this recipe and it was a "breeze". In her words, "True to my comment, i have cooked your venthaya keerai sambhar...that was a breeze...yet to have lunch."

Thank you Lata, I hope to try many recipes from your blog too! I am so glad to make friends here through common hobby interest. Happy cooking :)