Garlic Kuzhambu
Also known as Poondu Kuzhambu · Veg · Curries & Gravies, Kuzhambu, Sambar & Rasam
Curries & GraviesKuzhambu, Sambar & RasamVeganGluten-freeDairy-free
Cook along
8 steps, each one filmed
A short video for every step, so your hands never have to leave the pan.
Garlic kuzhambu, or poondu kuzhambu, a Tamil Nadu tamarind gravy of garlic and shallots in gingelly oil. Medium-spicy, serves 4, 35 minutes, with video.
Low calorie
Ingredients
17 itemsSalt¾ tsp
Water1 cup
Sunflower Oil1 tsp
Cumin½ tsp
Black Peppercorns½ tsp
Fenugreek Seeds¼ tsp
Curry leaves3 sprigs
Tomato, Roughly Chopped1
Gingelly Oil3 tbsp
Mustard Seeds½ tsp
Small Onion (Shallots)½ cup
Turmeric Powder¼ tsp
Coriander Powder2 tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder2 tsp
Jaggery1 tsp
Garlic45 cloves
Tamarind1 tbsp
Contains: sesame.
Nutrition
One serving, and the whole batch of 4. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per serving | All 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 211kcal | 844kcal |
| Protein | 3.6g | 14g |
| Carbohydrate | 20g | 82g |
| Fat | 14g | 56g |
| Fibre | 2.9g | 12g |
| Sugar | 5.2g | 21g |
Cookd masalas for garlic
Method
- 1
Soak the tamarind in water for 15 mins. Set aside. You can continue with the remaining steps while it is soaking.
WaterTamarind
- 2
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin, black peppercorn, fenugreek seeds, garlic and curry leaves. Cook on low heat until the garlic starts to brown lightly.
Sunflower OilCuminBlack PeppercornsFenugreek SeedsCurry leavesGarlic
- 3
Turn off the heat and allow it to cool down slightly. Then add it to a mixer jar along with tomatoes. Grind it into a paste.
Tomato
- 4
Heat gingelly oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds. Then add small onion, curry leaves, garlic and salt. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, or until the onion and garlic softens.
SaltGingelly OilMustard SeedsSmall Onion (Shallots)Curry leavesGarlic
- 5
Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and Kashmiri chilli powder. Saute on low heat for 2 minutes.
Turmeric PowderCoriander PowderKashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 6
Add the ground paste and saute for a minute.
- 7
Drain and add the tamarind pulp. Cook it on low heat until the oil starts to float on top.
- 8
Add jaggery and mix. Remove from the heat and serve with rice, idli or kal dosai/uthappam.
Jaggery
Before you start
- How long does Garlic Kuzhambu take?
- 35 minutes from start to finish. That is 15 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Garlic Kuzhambu serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Garlic Kuzhambu vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Garlic Kuzhambu spicy?
- It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Garlic Kuzhambu?
- 15 cloves Garlic, 1 tbsp Tamarind, ½ cup Small Onion (Shallots), 1 Tomato, 3 tbsp Gingelly Oil, 1 tsp Sunflower Oil, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Garlic Kuzhambu?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Garlic Kuzhambu?
- About 211 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
7 notes- K
Kirthana JeyachandranMarch 2025
authentic and yummyy!!
- K
Kirthana JeyachandranMarch 2025
authentic and yummyy!!
- N
Natheem YousufDecember 2024
wow tasty
- R
Rajeshwari AravarasanNovember 2024
Tasted good...
- T
THANUSSHAA SRITARANAugust 2024
love from Malaysia
- C
A Cookd cookJuly 2023
nice
- C
A Cookd cookFebruary 2023
🤤
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