Milagu Kuzhambu

Describing this dish as 'pepper sauce' in English is such as travesty. For one, 'sauce' always conjures up an image of something bottled and ready-to-eat. Whereas milagu kuzhambu is fresh, tangy and fires up the insides like no readymade sauce can. Ever.
My grandmother used to make milagu kuzhambu in an 'uruli' (a traditional cooking pot) and let it soak in the flavours for hours before serving it. This is a calorie-rich and nutrionally-dubious recipe. So if you're cholestrol conscious, go away and nibble on some celery sticks. But for the intrepid, milagu kuzhambu can open up parts you never dreamt of.

Milagu Kuzhambu
(About 30 minutes to cook)

You'll need
Tamarind - the size of a small lemon

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Toor dal - 1 tbsp

Dried red chillies - 3

Pepper corns - 1.5 tsp

Shallot onions - 2

Jaggery - 1 tsp (optional)

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Here's how to -

1. Soak tamarind in warm water for about 15 minutes

2. Meanwhile, heat a pan, add the oil and when it's hot, add the onions, urad and toor dals, red chillies and the pepper corns. Saute till onions are transparent (for about 5 minutes)

3. When cool enough to handle, drain the above masala and grind to a paste. Save the oil for later

4. In a pan heat the same oil and when hot, add mustard seeds. When they finish popping, add curry leaves and asafoetida

5. To this, add extracted tamarind juice, turmeric, jaggery and bring it to a boil

6. Now add the ground paste, mix well, add salt and bring to a boil. Turn off heat

7. Serve hot with rice and papad