Inspiration really does strike in the strangest ways. This one was strong enough to pull Girish back into the kitchen after months away. The trigger? A bottle of the famous Grand Sweets Kaara Kuzhambu paste that we picked up last Sunday at our local Indian store here in Singapore.
Anyone familiar with Grand Sweets in Chennai will swear by their sweets and savories. I had only discovered their newer line of pickles and pastes during my last visit to Chennai, and this Kaara Kuzhambu paste instantly stood out.
We were completely blown away by how authentic it tasted. That immediately prompted a comment from Amma that she had a Kaara Kuzhambu recipe tucked away somewhere in her handwritten collection. That was challenge enough for Girish to take this on the following Sunday.
The best part was that the entire family ended up in the kitchen. Amma couldn’t locate her recipe, but we did find one from the Spicy Tasty blog that sounded spot on. Appa took charge of peeling the shallots, Nikhil handled peeling and chopping the potatoes for the Urulai roast (adapted from Kurry Leaves), Amma and I prepped the spice powders, and Girish “directed” the whole operation by actually cooking and adding his finishing touches.
In short, the four of us crowded into the kitchen to make two dishes and happily debunked the myth about too many cooks in one kitchen.
Both dishes turned out beautifully and stayed true to classic Chettinad flavors. Chettinad cooking is known for its bold use of fennel, pepper, and chilies, and these recipes deliver that signature heat. For anyone not used to very spicy food, you can reduce the pepper and red chilies slightly. But keep in mind that the beads of sweat and the sinus-clearing heat are all part of the Chettinad experience. You might miss out on some of the magic otherwise.
Recipe for Kaara Kuzhambu
(Serves 5–6)
Ingredients
- Shallots: 2 cups
- Tomatoes: 2
- Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tbsp
- Green chilies: 3–5 (adjust to taste)
- Sesame oil: 4 tbsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Curry leaves: a small bunch (10–15 leaves)
- Red chili powder: 1 tsp
- Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
- Sambar powder: 2 tbsp
- Tamarind water: 2 cups
- Salt, to taste
For Grinding
- Coriander powder: 1 tsp
- Shredded coconut: 1/4 cup
- Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
- Poppy seeds: 1 tbsp (optional; I didn’t use these as they’re hard to find in Singapore, and the dish still turned out excellent)
Method
1. Peel the shallots and trim both ends. Halve them if they’re large.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep, thick-bottomed pan or kadai.
3. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, and shallots. Fry until the shallots turn translucent.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the green chilies and chopped tomatoes.
5. Cook until the tomatoes soften completely and the raw smell disappears, or until oil begins to separate at the edges.
6. Add red chili powder, sambar powder, garam masala, and salt.
7. Mix well and let the masala cook for about 5 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, grind the coconut, fennel seeds, poppy seeds (if using), and coriander powder into a smooth paste with a little water.
9. Add the tamarind water to the pan and allow the mixture to boil and thicken into a gravy.
10. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and let it sit for a minute.
11. Stir in the ground paste and cook for 5–8 minutes over medium heat, adjusting cooking time based on desired consistency.
12. Make sure the kuzhambu cooks until the raw smell of tamarind and sambar powder disappears.
13. Serve hot with steamed rice and Urulai roast.
Recipe for Urulai (Potato) Roast:
- Potatoes (half boiled and diced)- 4
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Asafetida – 1 pinch
- Garlic – crushed- 1/2 tsp
- Onion chopped finely – 1 small
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
- Oil
To roast and grind
- Split urad dal- 2 tsp
- Dry red chillies-3-5
- Whole black pepper corns-5 to 6
Method:
- Heat a pan and dry roast the urad dal until it changes color to a light brown.
- Now add dry red chillies and pepper corns. Roast until urud dal turns golden brown.
- Allow this to cool and grind to form a coarse powder.
- Heat oil in the same pan – add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Now add asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Add garlic, onion and turmeric powder. Saute till the onion turns golden brown .
- Add the boiled potato and stir carefully. Add salt to taste and saute for 5 minutes.
- Now add the spice powder and mix well.
Note – Do not stir the potatoes too frequently. You can lift the pan with the potatoes and just shake it a bit so the potatoes mix well with the spices and oil. Let it simmer on low heat for about 5-7 minutes. This will ensure an even roast.
Where in Singapore did you get the Grand Sweets’ kaara kuzhambu paste? Pleaseeee.
Hi- you can get all Grand Sweets pastes and sweets etc at this distributor called Abdul Rahim on Upper Dickson Road at Little India. Or there is another store called Lavan Agro opposite Mohd Mustafa who also sells them. Hope this helps.
Yummy food 😋 . Please post authentic dishes recipes especially Chettinad ones.