Black pepper is one of the most popular spice that is used in all kinds of savory cooking. In order to keep their fragrance and flavor intact, they are generally ground fresh just before preparing dishes and added at the last minutes in the recipes. Black pepper is a very good home remedy for people who are suffering from cold. We can make kuzhambu or rasam with freshly ground black pepper. I made milagu kuzhambu in chettinad style and here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 10 nos – Sambar onion / Shallots / Small onion (chopped finely)
• 3 nos – Garlic (chopped)
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 1 no – Tamarind (gooseberry sized) (soak and squeeze out the juice)
• Salt as needed

For grinding:

• 1 tsp – Oil
• 2 tsp – Black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp – Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp – Fennel seeds
• 1 no – Dry red chilli
• 3 tbsp – Coconut grated
• 5 nos – Sambar onion
• 2 nos – Garlic

Seasonings:

• 2 tbsp – Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp – cumin seeds
• Fresh curry leaves
• 1 pinch – Asafoetida

Preparation method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, roast all the items given in the list “for grinding” and grind them to a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, heat sesame oil and season with items given for seasoning. Add chopped onion and garlic along with required salt, saute until transparent.
3. Add ground masala paste and tamarind juice along with turmeric powder and salt. Pour 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. Cook until oil separates from the gravy. Serve hot with white rice and appalam.

Notes:

• You can avoid using dry red chilli if you want more pepper flavor.
• While grinding, you can also add few cashew nuts and one small piece of cinnamon.