Thalagam Aka Ezhu Thaan Kuzhambu (7 Vegetable Curry/stew)…
An authentic vegetable curry made out of 7 seasonal vegetables served with thiruvathirai sweet kali during the festival of Thiruvadhurai. These winter festivals are amazing because these also celebrates the local and seasonal vegetables and bounty that the nature provides us and symbolic way to thank the nature for the abundance during this time. It’s so relevant and throughout if you look a little deeper isn’t it?
The seven vegetables used for this recipe more or less depends on what is in season. These vegetables usually include creeper veggies like flat beans,green beans, cluster beans, broad beans etc, root veggies like potatoes, Banana, taro, carrot and different types of Pumpkins but not limited. It’s ok to add anything that is available in your local market. It is simple and easy dish to make and one of my favorites with loads of vegetables….. here I have used some traditional and local in season veggies.
Coming to the spices, it is freshly roasted and ground masals that fills the house with a great aroma. The thick consistency to this curry simply comes from the ground masala paste as this does not have cooked dal for binding agent. That is what makes this different from regular sambar…
This does not have to be a recipe only for the special occasion or only for winters. This can be made any time of the year to enjoy the with pongal around the corner as well. this curry can be served as a side to the traditional pongal and this also doubles up as a stew/soup, perfect winter recipe that can be served with some toasted 🍞…
Now lets get to the recipe….
Ezhu Thaan Kuzhambu | Vegetable stew – Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Yellow pumpkin diced
- 1/2 cup green beans cut to 1″ pieces
- 3 Nos. eggplant
- 2 small Carrots diced
- 1/2 Plantain diced
- 2 small Potatoes diced
- 1/4 Tbs Turmeric powder
- 1-2 TbsTamarind paste
- As required Salt
To roast & grind
- 2 Tbs Toor dal
- 2 Tbs Channa dal
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 2 Tbs grated coconut fresh or dries
- 2-3 Tbs Coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Jeera
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 5 No. Red chili
Tempering
- 2 Teaspoons Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 Sprig Curry leaves
- A pinch Asafoetida
Instructions
- Throughly wash the vegetables, cut into big equal size chunks and set it aside.
- Turn on the Instatpot in manual mode and add all the chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, required salt and enough water to cover the vegetables and let it cook for 2 minutes in pressure mode. Naturaly relese pressure.
- Meanwhile heat a pan dry roast toor dal, channa dal, urad dal until it turns slightly brown and fine aroma arises. Remove it on a plate. .
- Now add coriander powder, red chilis, black pepper and the jeera and roast aroma is released and transfer it to the plate.
- In the same pan, finally roast freshly shredded coconut. Roast it until it becomes light brown and transfer it to the same plate. Let the roasted ingredients cool down before grinding.
- Once the mixture is cooled down ( about 5 minuts), add these roasted spices to mixer jar and grind to a fine paste. Add water as needed to grind it into a smooth paste.
- The instant pot should be ready to open now. Once open tur the IP into saute mode and add the tamarind paste and masala paste to the vegetables. Cook for good 15-20 minutes. Mix it now and ten to avoid it from sticking to the bottom.
- Add salt at this point if needed or else temper kulambu by heating oil in a small pan, and adding the mustured, asafoetida and curry leaves.
Notes
- I found that cooking 2 min in Instant pot was perfect time to cook the vegetables and still not loose the shape.
- If you are using fresh soaked tamarind i would recommend adding it to the vegetables in the instant pot while pressure cooking allowing the tamarind to cook as well.
- Skip the tempering part if you making it as soup and also reduce the heat (chillis) level so it is good to eat by itself.
Tried this recipe? I’d love to know your feedback. Tag @amomscookbook on Instagram and hashtag it #amomscookbook. You can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for more such recipes.
One thought