Chettinad Pongal Kulambu

Pongal Kulambu (Chettinad)
Pongal Kulambu is a Special dish prepared during the time of Thai Pongal only. It is a mixture of several vegetables prepared in a side dish. Pongal Kulambu is prepared with many vegetables because it is the time when lots of vegetables come and it is the Harvest Festival.

In villages it is prepared and offered to the Sun God to mark and the Harvest period and as a gesture to God for the bumper harvests.

Pongal Kulambu is usually prepared with lots of vegetables and just the Red Chilli  Powder with tamarind. But it has also got lot of variations and it varies from region to region and from district to district in Tamil Nadu.

The Pongal Kulambu which we are going to make today is the orthodox Chettinad Style Pongal Kulambu. Come let us see how to make Pongal Kulambu

Pongal Kulambu Ingredients:
Drumstick                                             – 1

Brinjal                                                  – 4
Potato                                                   – 1
Raw banana(Vazhakkai)                        – ½
Sweet potato (Sakkaravalli kizhangu)       – 1
Karunai kizhangu                                     – 1
Bottle gourd (Surakkai)                         – ¼
Pumpkin (Parangikai)                          – 1 cup
Beans                                                – 10
Karamani                                            – 10
Broad beans (Avaraikkai)          – 10
Carrot                                               – 1
Field beans (Mochai )                          – 1 cup
Small onion                                        – 20
Tomato                                             – 2
Tamarind                                           – lime size
Salt                                                  – to taste
Kulambu powder                                – 4 tsp

For tempering:
Gingelly Oil – 3 tblsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 20

Pongal Kulambu Method:
Wash all the vegetables and cut in to cubes. Peel small onion, potato, carrot, vazhakkai, surakkai and karunai kizhangu and cut in to required shape.

Soak tamarind in water and extract the pulp. Take  tamarind pulp in a large pan and add kulambu powder, salt and boil in the gas stove.

 Add all chopped veggies in the pan and cook till done.

 Heat gingelly oil in the small pan and add cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.

When they crackle switch off the stove and pour it in to the kulambu and boil for some time and serve.
Note:
If you want you can add cooked tuvar dal also. (one cup)
You can make this kulambu in the pressure cooker also.(one sound)
Whatever vegetables you have you can add.
You can add all the village vegetables.