Cheppankezhangu kuzhambu / colacasia curry

Ingredients:
Colacasia / chepankezhangu - 1/4 kg (boiled, peeled and copped into thick roundels)
Small onions / shallots - 1/2 cup (peeled and crushed)
Green chilies - 4 (slit)
Tomatoes - 2 (diced)
Garlic cloves - 4 (peeled and crushed)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (crushed)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves - a handful (roughly chopped)
Kuzhambu milagai thool - 4 tbsp
or
Sambar powder - 4 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - medium lemon size (soaked in hot water for 15 mins)
Garlic cloves - 4 (crushed with skin)
Black Pepper - 10 (crushed)
Curry vadam - 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Vegetable oil - 4 tbsp
Gingely oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan and fry the colacasia pieces till they turn golden brown. Remove onto a plate.

2. Meanwhile squeeze out the pulp from the tamarind and throw away the waste.

3. Add tomatoes to the tamarind pulp and squeeze out the pulp of tomato. Remove as much skin as possible.

4. To this add the slit green chilies, curry leaves, crushed onion, crushed peeled garlic cloves, ginger, kuzhambu milagai thool, turmeric powder, salt to taste and jaggery and mix nicely. Check for salt.

5. Heat remaining vegetable oil in a vessel.

6. Add curry vadam and saute till nice aroma arises.

7. Pour in the prepared mixture and add 4 cups of water.

8. Add the fried colacasia after 5 minutes.

9. Let the mixture reduce to 1/3 and add the crushed garlic with skin, crushed pepper and the gingily oil.

10. Add the chopped coriander leaves. Give it a nice stir. Remove from fire.

11. Serve hot with rice with any kind of vegetable stir fry or an omelet as side dish.

:- this curry tastes excellent as a side dish for curd rice.

Happy cooking :)