Melagu (Pepper) Kuzhambu

Ingredients :

Tamarind -1 lemon sized ball
Garlic -50 grams
Gingelly oil -3 tbsp (Sesame seed oil)
Curry leaves -handful
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Mustard-1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/4 tsp
Asafoetida/ hing -a pinch
Red chillie-1
Curry leaves -little
Salt -as required

For grinding:

Whole black Pepper-2 tsp
Coriander seeds-2 tsp
Toor Dal -1 tsp
Red chillies-2
Raw rice-1/4 tsp
Garlic- 2 cloves

Preparation Method:

Fry the above ingredients mentioned under grinding in a tsp of gingelly oil and grind it to a smooth paste along with a handful of curry leaves.Keep aside.Peel garlic and keep aside.Soak tamarind in warm water and extract thick tamarind juice. Discard the pulp.Heat 3 tbsp of gingelly oil/ sesame seed oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, hing, red chilli, peeled garlic, curry leaves and saute for a few minutes.Add the tamarind extract, salt needed, a pinch of turmeric powder and the grounded paste and bring it to boil.After it boils, simmer and cook till it thickens and leaves oil. Serve with hot steaming rice.