Vendhaya Keerai Kara Kuzhambhu | Methi Leaves South Indian Curry

Vendhaya Keerai Kara Kuzhambhu

Vendhaya Keerai Kara Kuzhambhu / Fenugreek (Methi) leaves Curry is a perfect curry for mid week blues. I love the tangy taste of this curry and its just perfect when paired with a vegetable stir fry and appalam. Total comfort food that is just amazing, today I made this for lunch and in no time the curry got over. This combination might be new of adding greens/ keerai to a kara kuzhambhu. I am not sure if you can add any other keerai to this curry but I remember Amma making this over one of my visits. I simply loved it and ended up clicking pictures and lost them :(. So today I had a bunch of fenugreek/ methi leaves waiting to be used. Without second thought I made this yummy tangy spicy curry for lunch. The important tip before making this curry is that you must use only the fenugreek leaves, the more tender the better flavour and do not chop them, just wash and add to the curry base. If you chop them they will have a slight bitter taste.

Fenugreek leaves South Indian Curry

Vendhaya Keerai / Methi leaves Tangy tamarind curry

VENDHAYA KEERAI KARA KUZHAMBHU | METHI LEAVES TAMARIND CURRY

Recipe Source - Amma
Prep time - 5 mins
Cook time - 20 mins
Serving suggestion - White rice, kootu, poriyal and appalam
Serves - 4 generously

Ingredients

Gingelly oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/3 tsp
Hing - 1 pinch
Black pepper cons - 5 nos
Curry leaves - 1 spring (8-10 leaves)
Dry red chilli - 1 no
Green chilli - 2 no slit
Small onions/ shallots - 10 nos, chopped
Garlic cloves - 4 nos, finely chopped
Tomato - 2 large, made into a paste.
Fenugreek/ methi/ Vendhaya keerai - 1 cup leaves
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - 1 lemon size ball, soaked in 1 cup water
Jaggery - 2 small pieces, blueberry sized
Rock salt - to taste

To Grind

Coconut shredded - 2 tbsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Method

1. In a wide pan heat oil, once hot add mustard seeds, let it splutter. Add in the hing, curry leaves, pepper cons, fenugreek seeds. 
2. Now add in the dry red chilli and green chilli and the chopped onions. Saute it and let it cook until transparent.
3. Now add in the chopped garlic and saute well. Once the flavours release, add in the tomato paste.
4. Once the tomato paste is well cooked, add in the spices - red chilli, corriander, turmeric powder and once it begins to boil add in the fenugreek/ vendhaya/ methi leaves and mix well. 
5. Let this cook for 2 minutes until the leaves wilt. 
6. Add the tamarind water, jaggery and salt, mix well and bring this to a boil. Let it cook in high flame for 5 minutes, reduce the flame and cook for further 5 minutes.
7. Prepare the paste of coconut and poppy seeds (soaked in 1/3 cup water for 10 mins). Add this to the curry and mix well.
8. Cook for 3-4 minutes until well combined. Check for salt and spices. Cover with lid for the flavours to mingle.

Serve warm with white rice, kootu and applam.

Methi leaves South Indian Curry

Cooks Wisdom

Tip 1

1. You can use vadagam instead of mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds in this curry.

Tip 2

2. Make sure you use only the fenugreek leaves and not the stalks. Do not chop the leaves else the curry can turn a little bitter.

Tip 3

3. You can use vatha kuzhambhu powder / sambar powder too for additional flavour.

Tip 4

4. I recommend using gingelly oil for this curry, else use coconut/ sunflower oil.

Tip 5

5. You can skip the coconut paste and add in 1 tbsp rice flour mixed in 2 tbsp of water to add thickness to the curry.


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