Milagu Kuzhambu ( Black pepper spicy gravy )

Milagu / Black pepper kuzhambu is a mouth watering recipe. This spicy gravy is very helpful during winter in relieving common cold and cough as its main ingredients are black pepper and garlic. So its one of a kind recipe which has medicinal value at the same time super tasty. You can make this gravy and store it in fridge for upto 2 weeks. I will always enjoy this kuzhambu with steamed rice and chundangi thogayal (check out my blog for recipe) with fried appalam /pappad. Hearty thanks to my friend Kavitha who actually shared this wonderful recipe with me. 


Ingredients

• small onions (8-10 shallots) or medium sized onion -1 
• Tamarind - 1 gooseberry size
• garlic - 5-6 cloves
• pepper - 2 tablespoon
• cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
• fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
• curry leaves - few
• oil - 1/4 cup ( taste good with sesame oil)
• turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• chilly powder -  1 tsp
• salt

Method:  

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 1/2 cup of water, extract the juice and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions, pepper, cumin seeds, garlic and curry leaves.
3. Saute on a medium flame until the onions translucent and soft. 
4. Remove the pan off the flame and let the mixture cool down to room temperature and then grind them into a fine paste. ( do not add water)
5. Add the ground mixture, chilly powder, turmeric, salt to the tamarind extract and mix well. 
6. Now heat oil in a deep pan, and add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. 
7. Once the fenugreek seeds turn little brown, add the tamarind mixture. 
8. Cover and cook for few  minutes and once the sauce starts to boil, add ginger garlic paste. (this is very important,adding ginger garlic paste at this stage will give more flavor than adding it in the beginning )
9. Now reduce the flame to low medium and allow it cook covered for 15-20 min until the oil oozes out.
10. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot steamed rice.