Muringakka curry

A Kerala style drumstick/ muringakka curry that goes well with rice. This curry gets its tanginess from tomato and gambooge/kudam puli pieces added and hence this curry imparts the flavour of a fish curry. So all the fish curry lovers can make this one, on those days when you go for a vegetarian diet.

Ingredients

2 drumticks/muringakka cut into two inch long pieces
 2 tomatoes cut into medium sized pieces
2 pieces gambooge/kudampuli(washed and soaked in  warm water)
1 onion sliced thin
1 " ginger piece, crushed
2 green chillies, slit
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp chilli powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 1/2 cup thin coconut milk
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
2 Tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste
For tempering
1 Tbsp coconut oil
3 shallots, crushed
2 whole red chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
few curry leaves

Method

• In a deep bottomed pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the sliced onions, crushed ginger, green chillies and curry leaves to it. Saute  on a medium flame for one minute.
• Once the onions turn pink and soft, reduce the flame and add turmeric powder. Saute for one minute so that the turmeric powder gets roasted slightly with the onions.
• Add coriander powder and saute well so that the coriander powder also gets roasted well. Then add the chilli powder and fry well , until the raw smell is gone.
• Now add the tomatoes and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook on a medium flame for about 6-7 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and mashed well, stirrring in between.
• Once the tomatoes are cooked well, add the drumsticks and the kudampuli, followed by the thin coconut milk. Mix everything well and cook covered on a medium flame until the drumsticks are cooked well.
• Finally add the thick coconut milk and mix well. As it begins to boil, switch off the flame and keep aside.
• For the tempering, in a small kadai , heat the coconut oil. Add  red chillies (broken into pieces) and fry until it attains a dark colour. Now add the crushed shallots and curry leaves. Fry until the shallots turn golden brown in colour. Reduce flame to low and add the turmeric powder and chilli powder. Fry for 2-3 seconds and pour this immediately on the prepared drumstick curry and mix well.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.