Pongal Puli Curry Recipe is specially prepared on the day of ‘Thai Pongal’ – a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God. This day coincides with the Makara Sankranthi which is celebrated throughout India. Usually, all the country veggies are used to prepare this curry and veggies like carrot, beans (English Veggies) should never be used. This kuzhambu is always paired with Paal / Milk Pongal, Khara Pongal and taste good with Sweet Pongal too. It is completely different from the 7 Kari Kootu which is also prepared on the day of Pongal. As we don’t use coconut, this curry stays good for even a week if kept outside also and the taste increases from the next day. I have shared this Pongal Kuzhambu Recipe with step by step pics, a short YouTube video, If you like it, share it and please don’t forgot to subscribe to my channel.
Find my other Rice Recipes like
1. Idli Sambar Recipe
2. Soft Idli / Idli Dosa Batter
3. Lady’s Finger / Okra / Vendakkai Kootu
4. Mixed Vegetable Sambar
Pongal Kuzhambu Recipe
Pongal Kuzhambu Recipe | Pongal Puli Curry Recipe
Ingredients
For the Gravy
- 1 tbsp Oil / எண்ணெய்
- 6 Shallots / சின்னவெங்காயம்
- 4 to 5 Flakes Garlic / பூண்டு
- 2 Tomato / தக்காளி
- 1 Small Lemon Sized Tamarind / புளி
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder / மஞ்ச தூள்
- 1.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder / மிளகாய்த்தூள்
- 1.5 tsp Sambar Powder / சாம்பார் தூள் Link for sambar powder
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder / கொத்தமல்லிதூள்
- 1/4 Cup Toor Dal / துவரம்பருப்பு
- Salt / உப்பு As Required
- 1 tsp Jaggery / வெல்லம்
Veggies
- 1 Small Piece Pumpkin / பரங்கிக்காய்
- 1/4 Piece Raw Banana / வாழைக்காய்
- 5 Broad Beans / அவரைக்காய்
- 2 Brinjal / கத்திரிக்காய்
- 1/4 Piece Sweet Potato / சக்கரவல்லி கிழங்கு
- 1 Arbi / சேப்பங்கிழங்கு
- 1/4 Cup Lima Beans / மொச்சை
To Temper
- 1 tbsp OIl / எண்ணெய்
- 1.5 tsp Jeera / Fennel Seeds / சீரகம்
- 1/4 tsp Methi Seeds / வெந்தயம்
- 1 Red Chilli / வரமிளகாய்
- 1 Small Piece Karuvadagam (Optional)
- Few Curry Leaves / கருவேப்பிலை
Instructions
- I used 7 veggies to prepare this Kuzhambu. You can use little in each veggie, as it yields a lot after cooking. Also, chop all the veggies in the same size, for even cooking. Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes, extract tamarind water and discard the pulp. Then pressure cook toor dal with 1/2 cup of water for 3 to 4 whistles and mash it slightly.
- Measure and keep all the other ingredients ready. To the boiling water, add pumpkin, potato, raw banana, avarai and brinjal. These veggies get cooked easily. Once it is 3/4th cooked, switch off the flame and drain the water (I used the same water when boiling the kuzhambu). I cooked arbi, sweet potato and mochai separately in the pressure cooker.
- Pour 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add shallots, garlic and saute till it turns translucent. Then add tomatoes and saute until mushy. Now pour the tamarind water and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add all the 7 veggies and pour 1 cup of water.
- Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, sambar powder, coriander powder and required salt.
- Mix everything well and boil for 2 minutes in low flame.
- Add the cooked toor dal and give a boil for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add jaggery.
- To a small pan, pour 1 tbsp of oil, add all the items listed in the table 'To Temper'. Pour it over the curry and mix well. Give at least 1 hour resting time for the kuzhambu, so the flavours get infused well.Serve this Pongal Puli Curry Recipe with Millet Pongal.
Video
Notes
Tips for Pongal Kuzhambu Recipe
- Use only country vegetables for this Pongal Puli Curry Recipe, don't use veggies like carrot, beans, cauliflower, peas etc.
- Other country veggies like yam, cluster beans, chayote, snake gourd, white pumpkin, bitter gourd etc can also be used.
- If using dry mochai soak and pressure cook separately. I used fresh mochai, so didn’t do that step.
- Don’t skip pumpkin, as it lends nice taste and colour to the Pongal Kuzhambu Recipe.
- Use only very little quantity in each veggie, as it yields a lot after cooking.
- Also chop all the veggies in equal size, for even cooking.
- If you need the dish a bit sweeter, add sweet potato and pumpkin little extra.
- Cook the veggies till soft but not mushy, it should retain the shape.
- Addition of jaggery helps to enhance the taste of the kuzhambu.
- Toor dal can be replaced with moong dal. Addition of dal gives thickness to the curry, but you can skip it too.
- Tempering, at last, helps to retain the aroma for a long time. I used sesame oil which lends more taste.
- This Kuzhambu taste too good on the next day. Also, it stays good for a week at room temperature itself, as we don't use coconut.
1. I used 7 veggies to prepare this Kuzhambu. You can use little in each veggie, as it yields a lot after cooking. Also, chop all the veggies in the same size, for even cooking. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water for 20 minutes, extract tamarind water and discard the pulp. Then pressure cook toor dal with 1/2 cup of water for 3 to 4 whistles and mash it slightly.
2. Measure and keep all the other ingredients ready. To the boiling water, add pumpkin, raw banana, avarai and brinjal. These veggies get cooked easily. Once it is 3/4th cooked, switch off the flame and drain the water (I used the same water when boiling the kuzhambu). I cooked arbi, sweet potato and mochai separately in the pressure cooker.
3. Pour 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add shallots, garlic and saute till it turns translucent. Then add tomatoes and saute until mushy. Now pour the tamarind water and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add all the 7 veggies and pour 1 cup of water.
5. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, sambar powder, coriander powder and required salt.
6. Mix everything well and boil for 2 minutes in low flame.
7. Add the cooked toor dal and give a boil for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add jaggery.
8. To a small pan, pour 1 tbsp of oil, add all the items listed in the table ‘To Temper‘. Pour it over the curry and mix well. Give at least 1 hour resting time for the kuzhambu, so the flavours get infused well.
Serve this Pongal Puli Curry Recipe with Millet Pongal.
Pongal Puli Curry Recipe
Welcome to my blog www.asmallbite.com. Thanks for reading my blog! I hope you’re enjoying my recipes to make the taste forever. I am Priya Santhamohan, writer and photographer (with hubby’s help) of this blog. 
Leave a Reply