Last week I went to Salem after 10 months. Had a good time with my in-laws and parents. While coming back to Bangalore, my MIL gave me some vegetables that were grown in our house backyard. She gave me some pachai sundakkai / raw Turkey berry too.

After a long time, I am so happy to cook an interesting recipe with pachai sundakkai. Usually I make pacha sundakkai poricha kuzhambu learning from my MIL. But this time, I tried pachai sundakkai puli kuzhambu referring some YouTube channels. It came out so well in the first attempt itself as its more like our arachuvitta vatha kuzhambu.

If you don’t have fresh sundakkai in hand, you can use dried turkey berry/ sundakkai vathal too. It tastes and smells so good. You can make and store this pacha sundakkai kuzhambu in refrigerator and use it for 2 to 3 days. Its taste and flavor improves say by day.

Friends, do check out this easy and yummy pachai sundakkai puli kuzhambu with step by step pictures. Enjoy mixing with plain rice and serve it with some papad and kootu / poriyal as side dish. You will love it !

Other common names for turkey berry include:

prickly nightshade
devil’s fig
shoo shoo bush
wild eggplant
pea eggplant
susumber

Pachai sundakkai kuzhambu recipe

Pachai sundakkai kuzhambu / Fresh turkey berry gravy for rice.

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Kuzhambu recipes

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Gingely oil – 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Methi seeds / fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Toor dal – 1 tsp
Small onion – 10 OR big onion – 1 (cubed)
Garlic cloves – 15
Curry leaves – few
Pachai sundakkai / Fresh, raw turkey berry – 1 cup
Tamarind – Small lemon size
Tomato – 1 (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder – 1 tsp
Jaggery – 1 tsp
Salt & water – as needed

To dry roast and grind

Coriander seeds / Dhania – 1 tbsp / 3 tsp
Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
Red chilli – 5 to 7

HOW TO MAKE PACHAI SUNDAKKAI KUZHAMBU

Wash and chop pachai sundakkai into two or crush with mortar and pestle slightly. Set aside in water till use.
Wash and peel onion, garlic cloves. Chop tomato.
Heat a kadai. Dry roast dhania seeds, red chilli and coconut till nice aroma emits. Cool and grind to a smooth paste adding water.
Heat the kadai adding oil. Splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds, cumin seeds and toor dal.
Saute onion, garlic cloves and curry leaves. Add pacha sundakkai and saute for 5 minutes.
Now add tomato and saute till mushy. Add 1 cup of water and cover cook sundakkai for few minutes.
Add ground masala paste and 1 cup of tamarind extract. Add sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder and jaggery.
Let the kuzhambu boils till oil floats on top. Switch off the flame and transfer to a vessel.
Serve with plain rice along with kootu and appalam/ papad.

METHOD – STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and crush the sundakkai lightly or chop into two halves. Keep them in water till use. Wash and chop onion, tomato and garlic cloves. Set aside.

Heat a kadai and dry roast coriander seeds, red chilli and grated coconut till nice aroma arises. Let it cool and grind to a smooth paste adding required water.

Heat oil in the kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds, toor dal or chana dal and cumin seeds. Saute for a minute without burning them.

Add onion, garlic and chopped sundakkai. Saute till onion becomes transparent. Sundakkai shrinks and becomes dark green in color. Add tomato and saute till mushy.

Add 1 cup of water and cover the kadai. Boil and cook sundakkai is soft and well cooked. After sundakkai is cooked, add 1 cup of tamarind extract, ground masala paste, required salt, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Mix well.

Add jaggery. Mix well and check for taste. Boil till oil floats on the top. Kuzhambu will become thick by this time. Check for taste and thickness, add little water if required. Switch off the flame. Transfer the kuzhambu to a vessel and cover it. Serve after 30 minutes to one hour to enjoy its best flavor and taste. Enjoy !