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South Indian · Indian

Kara kuzhambu

Vegetarian

காரக் குழம்பு

A tangy, spicy Tamil tamarind gravy simmered with whole shallots and garlic in sesame oil. Made without lentils, it keeps for days and is eaten with rice.

Kara kuzhambu is a South Indian curry, ready in about 45 minutes and made with tamarind, toasted sesame oil and shallot. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
186

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the sesame oil (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pan. Add the mustard seeds (opens in a new tab) and let them pop, then the fenugreek (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Add the shallots (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) and sauté until the shallots turn golden and soften slightly.

    • 7 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomato (opens in a new tab) and cook until mushy, then stir in the coriander, chilli and turmeric (opens in a new tab) and fry for a minute on low heat.

    • 5 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Pour in the tamarind (opens in a new tab) water with the salt and jaggery and simmer until thick and the oil floats to the top.

    • 17 min
    • medium-low heat

About this dish

Origin
Tamil Nadu, India · Well documentedAlso popular in Sri LankaMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Side dishes
Cooking method
Sautéed, Simmered
Taste
sour, spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, savoury
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Tamarind · Toasted sesame oil · Shallot · Mustard seeds · Fenugreek · Cumin
Techniques
Sautéing · Simmering

Allergens

  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

186 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 242 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 43%
  • Fat 51%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy186 kcal77 kcal
Protein3.1 g1.3 g
Carbohydrate21.3 g8.8 g
Net carbohydrate17.6 g7.3 g
Sugars9 g3.7 g
Added sugars1.1 g0.4 g
Fibre3.7 g1.5 g
Fat11.2 g4.6 g
Saturated fat1.6 g0.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium744 mg308 mg
Salt equivalent1.9 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
389 mg
Calcium
80 mg
Iron
2 mg
Magnesium
37 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
28 µg
Vitamin C
13 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
25 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Kara kuzhambu tastes better on day two, once the shallots have soaked up the gravy.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling it off the heat too soon — it should simmer until the oil floats on top and the raw tamarind taste has gone.

Serve with

  • Mix with hot rice and a little ghee; serve with appalam (papad) and a poriyal.

Storage

  • Keeps 4–5 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Bring back to a simmer.

Variations

  • Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu: Small whole aubergines fried in sesame oil and simmered in the same gravy.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Tamarind, soaked in 500 ml hot water, squeezed and strained30 g
  • Shallot, peeled, left whole200 g
  • Tomato, chopped1 piece · 120 g
Used in steps 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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