Orange peel vatha kuzhambu is a south Indian gravy pairs with rice, prepared in a tangy tamarind base, no onion no garlic orange peel vatha kuzhambu that is so simple to prepare.
A reader friend (Bhavadharini Krishna) sent me Orange peel vatha kuzhambu recipe couple of months back, I wanted to try it out as I love such citrus fruit fragrance when we prepare something from it. Lemon pickle, narthangai pachadi, orange peel rasam.
Now since it is Chinese New Year nearing by, I was so tempted to buy oranges from Fairprice as there are variety of oranges available during this time in Singapore. Orange peel rasam was totally different flavour by which orange peel blends with those spices. Vatha kuzhambu was tasting really delicious, I loved it best. So if you have not tried this yet, please go ahead and try it out.
She asked me to try it out with idli milagai podi prepared with sesame seeds, I used my sambar powder too along.
Orange peel vatha kuzhambu
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Orange peel chopped
- 1 tablespoon Tamarind packed
- 3 Green chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 teaspoon Sambar powder
- 1 teaspoon Idli milagai podi
- ½ teaspoon Jaggery
- Salt
To temper
- 2 tablespoon Sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon Methi seeds/ vendhayam
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Toor dal
- 1 Red chilli
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 Curry leaves
Instructions
- Soak tamarind in hot water and extract tamarind juice. Make it 2 cups. I usually pressure cook it when I cook rice, keeping separately in a small bowl. It is easy for extraction.
- Heat a kadai with oil, temper with ¼ teaspoon methi seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon toor dal, 1 torn red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Add ¾ cup chopped orange peel, 3 slit green chilli. Stir fry for a minute.
- Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric, little salt and cook further more for a minute.
- Add to tamarind extract. Add 2 teaspoon sambar powder, required salt and boil for 4-5 minutes or until it reduces half in volume.
- Once it reduces in volume, add idli chilli powder, mix well.
- Add jaggery, boil until the kuzhambu thickens. Switch off flame.
Notes
- Peel the orange skin, soak in water for 5 mins and wash to use. I used mandarin orange's skin.
- If kuzhambu does not thicken, add 1 teaspoon rice flour dissolved in water.
- Do not have sambar powder, but you have idli chilli powder, you can skip sambar powder. use just 1 tablespoon of idli chilli powder towards end in step 6.
- You can use kashmiri red chilli powder in place of sambar powder for a lovely colour. Jaggery balances all the spices. so don't skip.
How to make orange peel vatha kuzhambu step by step:
- Wash and chop the peeled orange skin roughly.
- Soak tamarind in hot water and extract tamarind juice. Make it 2 cups. I usually pressure cook it when I cook rice, keeping separately in a small bowl. It is easy for extraction.
- Heat a kadai with oil, temper with ¼ teaspoon methi seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon toor dal, 1 torn red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add ¾ cup chopped orange peel, 3 slit green chilli. Stir fry for a minute.
- Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric, little salt and cook further more for a minute.
- Transfer to tamarind extract. In goes 2 teaspoon sambar powder, required salt and boil for 4-5 minutes.
- Once it reduces in volume, add idli chilli powder, mix well.
- Add jaggery, boil until the kuzhambu thickens. Switch off flame.
Serve with hot rice, sutta appalam and potato curry (suggestion by the reader)
Unknown
Do you use the orange peel zest or the entire peel (with the white stuff on the inside intact)?
Raks Kitchen
Used the skin as such 🙂
Sneha
Hi Raks, I follow your blog very closely and always find innovative recipes.. Tried this orange kuzhambu and it came out beautifully. Thanks for sharing!
Raks Anand
Thanks a lot Sneha 🙂
Sneha Anand
Hi Raks, I follow your blog very closely and always find innovative recipes.. Tried this orange kuzhambu and it came out beautifully. Thanks for sharing!