Poondu Milagu Kuzhambu / பூண்டு மிளகு குழம்பு / Garlic in Pepper Gravy

Poondu Milagu Kuzhambu is one dish i wish to have right after a week of heavy meal because of its medicinal values.

Benefits of Garlic:

- help reduce heart disease
- lower blood pressure by dilating or expanding blood vessels
- helps prevent blood clots 
- reduce pain and other symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis
- an antibiotic killing a range of microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites

Benefits of Pepper:
- treats constipation, diarrhea, earache, heart disease, hernia, indigestion, insect bites, insomnia, joint pain, lung disease, sunburn and toothaches. 

Garlic and pepper together simmered in tamarind has been found to 

- aid digestion 

- cleanse digestive system

- relieve abdominal bloating, nausea, vomiting, anemia 

- they also help lactating mothers in the production of breast milk.

As kids,I and my elder brother had most similar tastes when it comes to food or may be it was like i got inspired to try by looking at him relishing his food;-).Either ways thanks to him for making this wonder kuzhambu a part of my food palette:-).

Ingredients:

Garlic pods - 10

Curry leaves - 7

Tamarind - lemon sized

Jaggery - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp

Gingely oil / Nallennai - 3 tbsp

Salt - as required

To grind into a fine paste:

Garlic pods - 3

Channa dal - 2 tbsp

Urud dal - 2 tbsp

Peppercorns - 2 1/2 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Whole dried red chilly - 2

Raw rice - 1 tsp

Preparation:

1.Pour 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and roast the items below 'to grind' one after another for 2 minutes.

2.Grind the above mix with little water and make it into a fine paste.

3.Soak tamarind in hot water and keep the pulp aside.Let the pulp be thick as it reduces the time while thickening the gravy.

4.In the same kadai,pour 1 tbsp oil and add fenugreek powder.Make sure you don't burn them as it will give a bitter taste to the gravy.

5.Then add curry leaves followed by garlic pods.Let it fry for a minute till the garlic pods turns light golden brown.

6.Add the thick tamarind pulp and turmeric powder.Mix well till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.

7.Now mix in the ground paste.

Here, i like adding freshly coarsely ground pepper,may be 1 tsp,to give the freshness of the pepper to the gravy.

8.Add required salt and let the gravy thicken.

9.Finally add jaggery to counter the hot n sour taste.

9.When you see oil appear on the gravy your kuzhambu is ready to be served.

As this gravy is prepared as pathiya saapaadu(Non fatty diet food to cleanse the digestive organs), i dont prepare any side dishes.Just a microwaved appalam will do best!:)

You can store this gravy in the refrigerator.Stays good up till a week's time.

Healthy Lunching!!! :-)