I have been posting root vegetables lately on this blog. Just few weeks before, I prepared this Karunai Kilangu Kozhambu at home, so that of posting this here. This recipe belongs to Tamil Nadu where root vegetables are given special importance as a food and for traditional beliefs. South Indians offer root vegetables to god on festive occasion since, they believe it directly connects human with god since it grows under earth and earth is worshiped as mother goddess in India. I don't know what is its English name. It comes from the Yam Family and though people called karunai Kilangu as Yam too, I am not sure about it's right name in English. So, am attaching the pic to let you people know how exactly Karunai Kilangu looks like. The second and third pic shows a vegetable which is the main ingredient called Karunai Kizhangu.
This is Karunai Kilangu (shown in the above pic). Sorry for dim light, i clicked it using my mobile.
This root vegetable usually causes some pain in the throat, which is due to the calcium which is deposited in its roots. So make sure to cook them well and don't forget to add tamarind pulp which removes that itchness which causes pain thus making it good enough to consume.
Ingredients:
Karunai Kilangu - 1/2 kgGrated coconut - 1/2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves- 8-10
Chana dal - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Onion - 1 big, chopped
Tomato- 3 medium, chopped
Tamarind Pulp - 1lemon sized tamarind ball (soak them in hot water and squeeze them to take the pulp)
Salt - to taste.
oil - 1 tablespoon
For Thadka:
oil - 2 tablespoonCurry leaves - 8-10
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Onion- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion
Method:
- Wash the karunai kizhangu properly, since roots vegetables have lots of mud and soil sticking to them along with other fertilizers. So wash them properly and clean them and set aside.
- In a steamer or pressure cooker, steam the kilangu for some 15 minutes. Some 2 whistles if you are using whistles or for some 15 minutes approximately if you are using steamer. Remove them from flame and let the pressure cool down which allows the vegetable to get cooked nicely which takes some 12 minutes on the go.
- Meanwhile, add some hot water to the lemon sized tamarind ball. Well, lemon sized because the tamarind is balled into lemon sized using hands , the way ladoos are balled. Take a bowl and add some hot water in it and place the tamarind ball in it. This hot water will soften the tamarind and give a good pulp. So let them soak in the hot water for 10 minutes. Later, squeeze the tamarind in the hot water (don't throw the water, it is need to get the pulp) , and you can see the extract which is the tamarind pulp. After squeezing them nicely, filter out and throw out the root like left out tamarind substance and keep the pulp aside.
- Now, open the cooker and take out the karunai kilangu. The skin would be softer and comes easily, so peel them off using the fingers and seperate the kilangu from its skin.
- Cut the karunai kilangu into 1/2 inch slices. Keep it aside.
- In a pan, take 1 tablespoon of oil. Allow it to heat. Then add ginger, curry leaves and onions. Saute them till the onions turn pinkish and the raw smell of ginger leaves. Then, add the chana dal and saute it till it turn pinkish. Add tomatoes and asafoetida and saute it for a minute. Then add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilly powder and saute them for a minute. Lastly add the grated coconut and saute them well for 3-4 minutes on low flame.This is the masala which will used to make the karunai kilangu kozhambu or the curry.
- Remove this masala in a plate and let them cool which takes around 5-7 minutes.
- Once it cools down, grind them with enough water to make it a fine paste.
- Now for the curry. Take a big kadai or big deep bottem vessel. Heat it over flame and add 2 tablespoon of oil. Insead of making thadka lastly, i prefer making them while cooking which saves some time. So, add 2 tablespoon of oil and allow it to heat. Add mustard seeds, curry leavesand finely chopped onions and saute them till it turns golden brown. The thadka is ready.
- Add the paste to the thadka and mix well. Also add the kilangu and the tamarind pulp. Mix them nicely by stirring with the help of a big spoon. Add 1- 11/2 cup of water and salt to this and again mix well. Bring it to boil. But do keep a constant check since, coconut grated paste tend to foam and might spill out of vessel while being cooked. Let the gravy to cook for some 15-20 minutes.
- Make sure that the it gets cooked nicely, the smell of tamarind and coconut must disappear when its ready. If not cooked nicely , you might feel a pain on the throat while eating it. Tamarind helps this settle down so it should be allowed to cook (boil) nicely for 15-20 minutes.
- The curry is ready. Serve it hot with rice.
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4 persons
Shelflife: 1 day
Serving suggestion: Serve hot with rice and papad.
Note:
- Wash the kilangu nicely before using them. Root vegetable tend to have soil and mud sticking to them.
- Steam the kilagu for 20 minutes and let the steamer cool down so that the vegetable is cooked tender soft.
- Karunai Kilangu has calcium deposit in its roots which gives a pain while consuming them. Tamaraind has the properties which makes those deposits to lay back and avoids causing any pain in the throat.
- Let the gravy boil for some 15 mins on minimum.
Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes.
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