Thengai Paal Kuzhambu Mochai Kuzhambu Coconut Milk Beans Curry

How many kuzhambu recipes are too many kuzhambu recipes? Sorry folks, I really don’t know the answer. :-) Kuzhambu or the tangy tamarind-based stew is an integral part of Tamil cuisine and a part of everyday cooking in our household. That said, I have many kuzhambu varieties to share. And today, I am going to share a straightforward recipe of mochai (Tamil word for field beans) kuzhambu. There is no exact English word for “Kuzhambu”. You can call it curry or gravy or stew. :-)

Adding beans to kuzhambu-

When you don’t have veggies, you can very well make kuzhambu/kulambu with dried beans. I love to include beans in my cooking regularly. Adding it to kootu and kuzhambu is the best bet. I went with mochai or the dried field beans for this kulambu. I found several names for mochai on the internet. Some say hyacinth beans, some say lablab beans, and some say field beans, and some say lima beans. Super confusing, right? Let’s just say field beans or lablab beans and keep it simple. Instead of field beans, you can use dried beans like cowpeas, garbanzo beans, and black chickpeas for this kuzhambu. I used ⅓ cup of dried field beans. But you can add up to ½ cup of dried beans of your choice for this measure.

Not so spicy kuzhambu | Kid-Friendly-

This kuzhambu is excellent for kids as it is very mild. Thanks to the coconut milk. Having coconut milk can comes in handy for many recipes, including this kuzhambu.

The coconut milk suppresses the spiciness and adds a unique flavor. Also, I used fenugreek powder instead of fenugreek seeds. That brings out the full flavor-profile of fenugreek and make it more like vendiya kuzhambu/fenugreek kuzhambu. If you love kuzhambu, then do check out my other kuzhambu varieties-

Sodhi Kuzhambu Vathal Kuzhambu Poondu Kuzhambu Milagu Kuzhambu Dhaniya Kuzhambu

Let me get into the recipe right away. Please check the recipe notes for homemade fenugreek powder and coconut milk.

How to make thengai paal kuzhambu-

Soak & cook the beans-

Wash the beans and soak it overnight or atleast for 6 to 8 hours and pressure cook by adding ⅔ to ¾ cup of water for three whistles. Do not drain the water. Set it aside.

Prepare the Thengai Paal Kuzhambu-

Heat a pan or kadai and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. As they start to splutter, add the fenugreek powder, half of the curry leaves, and asafoetida.

Let it cook for 30 seconds and add the chopped onions.

Cook until the onions turn soft. Then add the tomatoes, salt, and turmeric powder. Cook until the tomato becomes soft and mushy.

Now mix 1.5 tsp of tamarind paste in 1 cup of water and add it to the tomato-base. Add the jaggery as well.

After about 3 minutes, add the sambar powder and mix it well. You can even mix it with ¼ cup of water and add it to the kuzhambu. Bring it to a boil.

Now add the cooked beans with the water and mix thoroughly.

Simmer it for two to three minutes.

Finally, add the coconut milk and mix it all. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer it. You can add the remaining curry leaves.

As it becomes frothy on top turn off the heat. You don’t need to let it boil for a long time.

Serve hot with rice.

Recipe Notes-

Prepare Fenugreek powder (Skip if you are using store-bought) Roast about a tbsp of fenugreek seeds without adding any oil until it turns light brown. Let it cool and grind it coarsely. We need 1 tsp of this powder for this recipe. You can use the rest for tamarind rice or pickle or for other kuzhambu recipes. Homemade Coconut Milk- (Skip if you are using store-bought) For this recipe, I went with store-bought coconut milk (chaokoh brand). You can prepare the same at home too. For one-half of freshly grated coconut (break the coconut into two halves and grate the one-half), add 1 cup of lukewarm water and grind it. Squeeze out the milk, and this is the first and thick coconut milk. Grind again by adding 1 cup of water and extracting the liquid, which is the second and thin coconut milk. Use the first milk for this recipe. As I mentioned before, you can use any dried beans of your choice. Adjust the sambar powder, salt according to your preference. The coconut milk balances the spiciness and tanginess. So add the tamarind and sambar powder accordingly. Jaggery is optional. I did not include garlic. Five to ten garlic cloves can be added for this recipe.

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