Chettinad Karunai Kizhangu Kuzhambu/Chettinad Tangy Elephant Yam Gravy

Chettinad cuisine is one of the well known and more popular cuisine of Tamilnadu. This cuisine is famous for its flavorsome cooking style. This cuisine is very much close to my heart. Though am a Pondicherrian, i have been pampered with delicious dishes from Chettinad cuisine as Pondicherrian cuisine is a lovely medley of various cuisines. Obviously this chettinad cuisine is one of my most favourite cuisine.There are so many variation of Kuzhambus aka tangy gravies in South Indian cuisines, however the cooking style and ingredients may varies depending upon the tastebuds. Karunai kizhangu aka Elephant yam is a tuber, which can be prepared as many different gravies, curries or else simply as fries. Coming to this chettinad style kuzhambu,this gravy tastes almost like Karakuzhambu or puli kuzhambu though this gravy is mild in taste.

Tomato is a must for making this tangy gravy, hence very less quantity almost small gooseberry size of tamarind is used in this gravy. You can serve this dish very well with hot piping rice or else simply as side dish for South Indian breakfast foods like idlis, dosas. Fried papads, boiled eggs or else fryums suits very much as side dish to relish this fingerlicking goodness gravy.This gravy is a signature dish of my maternal grandma. Am running this week's blogging marathon with Flavors of India as theme, obviously i will be sharing three different flavourful dishes from Indian cuisine, obviously i couldnt stop myself to post this Chettinad gravy.

2cups Cubed Elephant yam pieces
20nos Shallots (diced)
1/4cup Garlic cloves
3nos Tomatoes (chopped finely)
2tsp Sambar powder
2tsp Coriander powder
Small gooseberry size Tamarind
1tsp Mustard seeds
1tsp Fennel seeds
1/2tsp Fenugreek seeds
Curry leaves
2 Dry red chillies
Gingelly oil

Cook the cubed elephant yam with enough water and turmeric powder, once its half cooked, drain the water and keep aside.

Meanwhile extract the juice from tamarind with 2cups of water.

Heat enough gingelly oil, let splutters the mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies.

Add immediately the curry leaves, diced shallots, garlic cloves and saute until the shallots turns transculent.

Now add the cooked elephant yam pieces, cook for a while, add the sambar powder, coriander powder, salt to the tamarind juice and keep aside.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turns mushy. Now add the spiced tamarind juice and cook in medium high flame.

Once the gravy starts boiling, cook in simmer until the gravy turns semi thick. Put off the stove once the oil starts separately.

Serve warm with papads and boiled eggs.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#73.