Appa’s porichakozhambu |Mixed vegetable in pepper gravy

My father( appa) rarely cooks, however his tastebuds are so strong that they detect the smallest change in the recipes he has had from childhood. It is his memories that have fueled some of the recipes that my mother has perfected, like the sadhya style aviyal. Without a recipe to start with and constantly tweaking as per what he reflects is really a hard job. From her, I learnt this unique recipe that was made in my house during heavy rains, appa’s porichakuzhambu.

What is a porichakuzhambu?

Porichakuzhamu is a mixed vegetable gravy preparation that we make as per my father’s recollection of his childhood meals. It is a tangy curry using country vegetables in a black pepper and lentil based gravy. Unlike the Thanjavoor or Thirunelvei styles of porichakuzhambu this gravy has no added coconut, increasing its life in the fridge. The curry pairs well with rice or as a side with other dishes.
In summary this curry is

• Moderate difficulty to make
• Spicy
• Fibre rich
• Gluten free
• Nut free
• Dairy free
• And  vegan. 

Ingredients to make appa’ s porichakuzhambu

For the vegetables:

The basic locally available vegetables are the ones that made into this curry. Wintermelon, raw plantain snakegourd, bittermelon, elephant yam are common to most of South Indian households. These are the same vegetables used in this curry. If winter melon availability is poor, you can try the peel of watermelon with the white part. The watery vegetables are mixed with the starchier elephant yam and plantain so the curry will have the necessary thickness. You can avoid the elephant yam if  allergic to it, however, the bitter gourd and raw plantain are absolutely needed in this recipe to give it the right flavour.

For the chickpea addition

Black or white chickpeas are soaked cooked and added to add volume and protein factor.  The black chickpea (kadala) is firmer and withstands the double cooking process well. However, the taste is not greatly altered with white chickpeas. You can use canned chickpeas after draining and rinsing them too.

For the tamarind pulp:

Dried tamarind is available in most Indian or Asian grocery. This is soaked in water to extract the pulp. The pulp gives the tangy  element to this curry.

For the masala paste:

The curry flavours depends on a mix of roasted dals and spices. The main ones here are split gram dal, chickpea dal, dried red chillies, black pepper and curry leaves. Though it is made as a fiery curry the spice levels can be toned down by reducing the chilli and black pepper.

 

 

Lets make mixed veg porichakuzhambu

Just like most South Indian curries, the poricha kuzhambu also comes together with freshly ground masala paste, tamarind pulp and loads of vegetables.

Cook the chickpeas

Wash and soak the dried chickpeas over night. Pressure cook this for 3 whistles and let the pressure release naturally. Drain and set the chickpea aside.

Make the tamarind pulp:

Soak half a lime sized ball of tamarind in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Squish out the liquid and strain the pulp to get the liquid. The liquid part is what we use for the curry.

Prep the vegetables

The vegetables are usually diced in slightly larger pieces as they slow cooked for a while. Peel and dice the wintermelon, plantain and elephant foot yam. Core the bittermelon and snakegourd. Now set them aside till ready to cook.

Make the masala mix

Roasted together black gram dal (urad dal) chickpea dal(channa dal) red chillies and black pepper till the dals are golden and aromatic. add the curry leaves and roast further till the leaves are crispy. Cool this and grin this into a fine paste with a bit of water.

Bring the curry together

Into a deep cooking pot add the chopped vegetables, tamarind pulp, water, salt and turmeric and set this for the vegetables to cook. Once the vegetables cook to fork tender, add the cooked chickpeas and masala and cook further till the gravy thickens.

 

Meal prep and storage

A double batch of porichakuzhambu is a fantastic idea. As for meal prep it stays good for 6 to 7 days in the fridge.  It freezes incredibly well and thaws beautifully in the microwave. I prefer to pack it in the portion size suitable to thaw for two people at a time. In this way it is much more easy to finish the thawed portion.

How to serve porichakuzhambu?

Porichakuzhambu being a curry tastes lovely with cooked grains like rice or  quinoa. A small bowl of yogurt to valance out the peppery heat and some crispy sago vadams along with the rice make it a complete meal. Alternatively , it is a wonderful side to thair saadam.
You can have it with breads as well. The thick gravy can be mopped up by the bread or roti.