Mochai kuzhambu recipe |South Indian gravy recipes

Mochai kuzhambu | மொச்சை குழம்பு in tamil, is a tamarind based gravy made using fresh mochai(field beans) which is in season now. From the child hood, whenever we get mochai in the market, amma used to buy so often and make kootu, sambar and vatha kuzhambu using it. Later she also learnt a new way of making Mochai curry also and we also loved it. Recently i saw fresh mochai, we used to say pacha mochai, in the little India market and picked up the same. It is always good to take out the mochai from inside and store in a air tight box and keep inside the refrigerator for later use. I wanted to try a gravy, similar to a puli kuzhambu recipe and made this last week. This mochai kuzhambu goes well with rice and even with dosai too. Check out my collection of South Indian Kuzhambu recipes.

Mochai kuzhambu recipe

  Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 Mins |Serves: 3-4

     Mochai | Field beans   3/4 cup
     Small onion   7-8
     Garlic    6-7 cloves
     Sambar powder  1 and 1/4 tblsp
     Sesame oil   1 tblsp
     Tamarind  gooseberry sized.
     Mustard seeds  1/4 tsp
     Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
     Curry leaves   few
     Jaggery  1/2 tsp
To grind
      Coconut  1/2 cup
      Tomato  1
      Shallots | small onion  2
      Fennel seeds  1/4 tsp (optional)
Method:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract tamarind extract using 1 and 1/2 cup water.
• Peel the skin of the garlic and onions and keep aside.
• Pressure cook the mochai for 3-4 whistles by adding little water and salt.
• In a pan add oil and add the mustard seeds.
• Once it splutters add the shallots and garlic.
• Cook till it becomes golden brown.
• Add the sambar powder to this and cook for a minute.
• Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and salt.
• Add the cooked mochai to the pan.
• Grind the coconut,tomato and 2 shallots into a fine paste. If adding fennel seeds add now. 
• Add this ground paste to the pan. Add 1/2 cup water.
• Mix well and allow this to boil.
• Add the jaggery to this.
• Mix well and boil for 5 minutes till the gravy comes to the right consistency.
• Switch off the flame and garnish with curry leaves.

   
   
     
     

Method with step wise pictures:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract tamarind extract using 1 and 1/2 cup water.
• Peel the skin of the garlic and onions and keep aside.
• Pressure cook the mochai for 3-4 whistles by adding little water and salt.

• In a pan add oil and add the mustard seeds.
• Once it splutters add the shallots and garlic.
• Cook till it becomes golden brown.

• Add the sambar powder to this and cook for a minute.

• Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and salt.
• Add the cooked mochai to the pan.

• Grind the coconut,tomato and 2 shallots into a fine paste. If adding fennel seeds add now. 

• Add this ground paste to the pan. Add 1/2 cup water.
• Mix well and allow this to boil.

• Add the jaggery to this.
• Mix well and boil for 5 minutes till the gravy comes to the right consistency.

• Switch off the flame and garnish with curry leaves.

Notes:

1. You can add little pepper while grinding the coconut mixture. 
2. If you do not have sambar powder, add 2 tsp of red chili powder and 1 tsp of coriander powder.
3. You can add drumstick also in this mochai kuzhambu recipe.