Pepper Curry – During Winter !

Milagu kozhambhu/ Pepper Curry: With Mumbai experiencing a decade low colder nights, every one at home are getting affected by the terrible cold. I have been making some South Indian home remedies like kashayam(herbal decoction) and milagu kozhambhu(pepper curry) besides the relishing soups & hot coffees.

Pepper curry gives a complete relief for cold . It’s extremely hot and goes well with steamed rice.

Here’s the recipe….

Ingredients:
2 tblspn pepper corns
A Gooseberry sized tamarind (soak for 10 minutes and extract the juice)
1 tblspn cummin seeds.
1 tblspn urad dal
2 tblspn coriander seeds
2 red chillies
1-2 sprig of curry leaves
2 full garlic
1/4 tspn turmeric powder
Pinch of hing
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast all the spices(pepper corns, cummin seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies, curry leaves) in a pan and blend them in a mixer along with hing, half of the garlic pods(use remaining pods for initial tempering) and salt. Add little water and blend them into a paste.
    
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard  seeds to splutter. Now add the remaining garlic pods and sauté for half a minute. Then add the paste and sauté for another minute or so.
3. Now add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, salt and let it cook in medium flame for 7-8 minutes. Switch off the stove. Now your pepper gravy is ready.
4. Heat 1 tblspn gingelly oil in a pan, add 4-5 crushed garlic pods & few curry leaves. Let the curry leaves splutter. Add this tempering over the pepper gravy and serve hot with steamed rice.

Note:

1. Final tempering is optional.