Chettinad Milagu Kuzhambu/Chettinad Pepper Gravy

Do you love to have a fingerlicking,peppery,tangy and delicious kuzhambu for your lunch,then you have to give a try to this tonguetickling peppery gravy from Chettinad cuisine. As i told earlier, this week's blogging marathon is going to be gravies served for lunch  cooked from Chettinad cuisine as my theme of this week's is Course wise meal from any State.After Authentic Vendaikkai Mandi,here comes an another traditional pepper gravy from chettinad cuisine, the most important part of this gravy is the freshly grounded masala paste.

In most of the Chettinad dishes, black peppers have their important place and this cuisine is incomplete with these wonderful medicinal value rich spice.Obviously most of the South Indian pantry will definitely have whole black peppers. Freshly grounded pepper will definitely enhance the flavour of any dishes.Coming to this gravy, i prepared this gravy as per my grandma's recipe. She makes quite often this gravy .This gravy stays prefect  for almost a week if they are conserved properly in fridge and tastes super delicious always after a day.Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this 29th edition.

20nos Shallots or 2nos Onions (diced)
10nos Garlic cloves
2cups Tamarind extract
1/4cup Gingelly oil
Salt
1/2tsp Cumin seeds
1tsp Fennel seeds
Few curry leaves

To roast & grind:
1tbsp Black pepper
2tbsp Coriander seeds
1tsp Fennel seeds
1tsp Cumin seeds
1/4cup Grated coconut
5nos Dry red chillies
5nos Garlic pods
1no Onion
1/2inch Cinnamon stick
1tbsp Roasted channadal/pottukadalai

Heat a teaspoon oil in a pan, dry roast all the ingredients given under the list 'to roast & grind', grind as smooth paste with enough water.

Heat gingelly oil, add the cumin seeds,fennel seeds and curry leaves, fry until they turns brown.

Add immediately the diced onions or shallots, garlic pods, saute everything for few minutes.

Now add the tamarind extract,salt to the cooking veggies, bring it to boil.

Add now the freshly grounded masala to the boiling tamarind water, add half a cup of water and cook everything in medium flame.

Cook the gravy with lid closed until the oil gets separates from the gravy.

This gravy will be bit thick, serve this pepper gravy with rice and papads.