Karuvattu Kuzhambu (Dry Fish Gravy with other veggies) - Rejuvenate your taste buds.

கருவாட்டு குழம்பு  (Dry Fish Gravy with other veggies) - Native Special

"Karuvaadu" is the Tamil word for dry fish. Karuvattu kuzhambu is our native food here in Tamil Nadu. I would top the karuvattu kuzhambu in list of native foods of my region.
I always wonder whether there is any ingredient in a recipe which contributes its flavour to the other ingredients which added along with it. Dry fish is the best example. 

This particular karuvattu kuzhambu is one such dish. today i have added few native vegetables like potato, brinjal, drumstick and mochchai kottai (dry Hyacinth beans) along with few pieces of (dry fish). you can also add green plantain and thick stem of amaranthus to this kuzhambu which is in season during summer.

Raagi porridge with karuvattu kuzhambu and shallots.

You have to soak the dry mochchai kottai over night and boil them next morning. Otherwise this is a one pot dish.

Have this karuvaattu kulambu with keppai kali, keppai koozh, white rice or tastes even better with previous days' rice left to ferment over night with water. (Pazhaiya saadham / Pazhaidhu).

Let us quickly go to the recipe..

Ingredients:

• karuvadu pieces (dry fish) - 5 or 6
• brinjal (small) - 4
• potato - 1 small
• drumstick - 1
• mochai kottai - 1 and 1/2 cup boiled
• onion - 1 big
• tomato - 1 big
• garlic - 8 cloves
• chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
• coriander powder - 2 teaspoons
• turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• salt to taste
• tamarind extract - from one big lemon size
• oil - 3 tablespoons
• mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves for tempering.

Procedure:

• To clean the dry fish: Take the dry fish pieces in a bowl and add hot water to it till it immerses. Leave it for 10 minutes. gently rub it and clean it. keep aside.
• Soak the mochchai kottai over night and pressure cook it with little salt and keep ready.
• Now heat oil in a kadai and add the tempering ingredients.
• Add onion, and garlic. stir.
• After 2 minutes add tomatoes.
• once the tomato is soft, add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. mix well.
• After few minutes add the drumstick pieces.
• Stir few times and add one cup of water.
• Cover it and let it cook for 5 minutes.
• When the drumstick is 75% cooked, add the other vegetables like potato, brinjal, mochchai kottai. give a good stir. 
• Add more water till the required consistency and cover it again to cook.
• After 10 minutes, the vegetables will be cooked perfectly and the kuzhambu or gravy too would have reached the right consistency. 
• Now add the washed dry fish (karuvaadu) to the boiling kuzhambu. today i used "vaalai" karuvaadu.
• Stir very gently so that the karuvadu doesn't break. 
• Instead of stirring with a spatula.. try to hold the handles of the kadai and gently swirl it few times.
• Let it boil for just 5 more minutes.
• The awesome country style karuvattu kuzhambu is ready to be served.

Tips:

1. The first best tip would be.. using boiled peanuts instead of mochchai kottai.. gives this kuzhambu another level of taste. you should try it to believe it. drooling already.. !
2. do not use spatula to stir once the dry fish is added. swirl the pan to mix it.
3. do not add coriander leaves as it might disturb the authentic karuvaadu flavour of the kuzhambu.
4. you can use any type of dry fish. 
5. this gravy has more of vegetables than gravy itself. have to mix all along with the veggies with rice and eat.

Important of all.. if you are a person who is not making karuvattu kuzhambu these days just because it is not present in supermarket shelves, then please go search for it, get them and make this nostalgic karuvattu kuzhambu and rejuvenate your taste buds.

Happy cooking !!