Today I am posting an interesting recipe from Chettinad cuisine. Chettinad refers to a locality in my home state in India, Tamilnadu (the most famous town being Karaikudi) The name Chettinad derives its origin from the phrase, the country of chettiars, a community in Tamilnadu known for their business acumen. Chettinad cuisine is very popular in south Indian diaspora around the world and there are dedicated restaurants catering to this particular cuisine. The dish I have posted here is called the Dosai Kuzhambu (Dosa gravy). Interesting name, right?
Dosai Kuzhambu is a gravy comprised of dosa, not the regular dosa but from the one made specifically for this dish. In Chettinad weddings you are always served with three distinct varieties of Kuzhambu (gravy), a thick one, a thin (watery) one and one more that I could not remember. Dosai kuzhambu comes under the thick variety. It is a very easy recipe to prepare and tastes similar to tomato gravy a.k.a Thakkali Kuzhambu.
As with all dishes in Chettinad cuisine, Dosai kuzhambu is made from a wide variety of ingredients. And I believe each one of them contributes to the taste. Try this authentic Chettinad recipe in your home and let me know how it goes. Also, don’t forget to suggest a complimenting side dish for this gravy in the comments section 🙂
- Oil – 1 ½ tbsp
- Bay leaf – ½
- Fenugreek seeds – 7 nos
- Fennel seeds – 5 nos
- Shallots, cut to thin round slices- ½ cup
- Garlic, whole – 7 nos
- Tomato, small, finely chopped – 1 no
- Red chilli powder – 3 tsp
- Coriander powder – 5 tsp
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Tamarind – medium gooseberry size
- Crystal salt – as required
- Coconut milk – 1 tbsp
- Gram flour - 5 tbsp
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp
- Coriander powder – ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds – a generous pinch
- Crystal salt – a pinch
- Water as required
- Heat oil in a wide pan and add bay leaf, fenugreek and fennel seeds and allow them to sizzle.
- Add garlic and chopped shallots and sauté until they turn translucent.
- Next add in chopped tomatoes and sauté until they turn mushy.
- Now add in all the masala powders (chilli, coriander, turmeric) and give a quick stir. Add very little water like ½ a cup and sauté until the raw smell of the masalas disappear and oil separates.
- Make a juice of tamarind and add it to the gravy. Add a cup of water and salt and bring the gravy to boil.
- Meanwhile, make a thin (not so thin) batter of gram flour and all the above mentioned ingredients.
- Heat a dosa pan and make a medium thin dosa. Smear few drops of oil around the dosa.
- Flip the dosa cook for a very few seconds and take it out – make sure the dosa(s) are half done so that the remaining will be cooked when added to the gravy.
- Role the dosa and apply little more batter on the end and make the roll stick together without coming apart.
- Cut the rolls to thin slices and keep it ready.
- Now when the gravy starts to boil, add a tbsp of coconut milk and mix well.
- Add the dosa roll slices carefully into the gravy. Do not use spatulas at this time. If you want to mix the gravy, just hold two ends of the pan and tilt them slightly without using spatulas. Cook for another five minutes and switch off the flame. Serve the yummy dosa kuzhambu along with hot rice and some fryams. Enjoy! 🙂
