Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu

Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu is a classic South Indian dish known for its bold, tangy, and spicy flavours. Made with baby onions (shallots) and a tamarind-based gravy, this traditional recipe is a staple in Tamil cuisine. The combination of sautéed shallots, tamarind extract, and freshly ground spices creates a rich and flavourful kuzhambu that pairs perfectly with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee. It’s a comforting, lip-smacking dish that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

What Makes Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu Special?

Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu stands out for its unique taste that combines the sweetness of baby onions with the sourness of tamarind. The dish is packed with flavour thanks to a tempering of mustard seeds, fenugreek, and curry leaves, with the richness of sesame oil adding depth. It is an ideal choice when you’re looking for a tangy, comforting dish to enjoy with rice or dosas.

How to Make Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu

The preparation begins with tempering mustard seeds, fenugreek, and curry leaves in sesame oil, followed by sautéing the baby onions until they turn golden brown. Tamarind extract is then added to create a tangy base, along with a mix of red chili powder, coriander powder, and sambar powder for spice. Let it simmer until the gravy thickens and the flavors meld together. The result is a hearty, flavourful dish that’s best served hot.

Health Benefits of Small Onion

• Rich in Antioxidants: Baby onions (shallots) are known for their high antioxidant content, helping to boost overall health.
• Good for Digestion: Tamarind aids digestion and provides a natural laxative effect, making this dish both tasty and beneficial for your gut.
• Immunity Boosting: The combination of shallots and tamarind, both rich in vitamins and minerals, strengthens immunity.

Serving Suggestions

Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu is typically served with steamed rice, a drizzle of ghee, and crispy appalams (papad). It can also be paired with dosas, idlis, or even rotis. For a complete meal, enjoy it with a side of Kootu or a simple stir-fry vegetable.

Why You’ll Love Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu

• Comfort Food: The tangy, spicy flavours of this dish make it the ultimate comfort food, perfect for any day of the week.
• Easy to Prepare: With just a few simple ingredients, you can make this traditional kuzhambu that’s rich in flavour and nutrition.
• Long Shelf Life: You can store Vathakuzhambu for a few days, and it often tastes even better the next day as the flavours deepen.

This timeless South Indian recipe is sure to become a favourite, offering a burst of traditional flavours in every spoonful!

You can also check my Sundakkai Arachuvitta Vathakuzhambu made with ground masala and Orange skin kuzhambu.

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Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu / Shallots in Tamarind gravy

Niranjana Sankaranarayanan

Vathakuzhambu is a famous and popular gravy from South that uses dried vathal like dried Manathakkali, dried sundakkai in the gravy. But we can also make this gravy without vathals. Instead we can use shallots. The tanginess of the tamarind and mild sweetness of the shallots makes this gravy a lip smacking one. This gravy tastes better the next day because the flavour of shallots penetrate deeper with time. This gravy can be had with dosai too. It can also be had with curd rice.

Check my other gravies

Murungai keerai molagootal

Sundakkai arachuvitta Vathakuzhambu

Mambazha Pachadi

Nellikai Arachukalakki

Thengai varuthu kottina porichozhambu

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 minutes mins

Total Time 22 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 4

Equipment

• Pan

Ingredients

  

• Gooseberry size Tamarind
• 1 cup Shallots
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• As req Salt
• 2.5 tsp Sambar powder / Rasam powder

For Tempering

• 2 tsp Gingelley oil
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 1 tsp Urad dhal
• 1 tsp Channa dhal
• 2 Nos Red chilli
• 1 No Green chilli
• few Curry leaves

Instructions

 

Preparatory work

• Soak shallots in a cup of water for 2 hours. Peel the skin out and keep the shallots aside.
• Take tamarind and add little water, boil it for two minutes and keep aside. Then extract juice from it. Tamarind extract is ready.

Method

• In a heavy bottomed vessel or kadai, add gingelley oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Once they crack, add urad dhal, channa dhal, red chillies, green chilli, curry leaves.
• Saute until they turn golden brown in colour.
• Then add the peeled our shallots, saute until they are transparent.
• Once the shallots look transparent, add the extracted tamarind juice.
• Add turmeric powder, salt, sambar powder or rasam powder and allow it to boil.
• Cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu is ready.
• Serve it with hot rice, papad and Potato curry.

Video

Notes

• If the gravy is watery, take a tsp of rice flour in a cup, mix it with little water and add it into the vathakuzhambu.
• I have added homemade Sambar powder. You can adjust the quantity of sambar powder, according to its spiciness.

Keyword Chinna vengaya vathakuzhambu, Easy recipe, Shallots in tamarind gravy, Vathakuzhambu

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparatory work

• Soak shallots in a cup of water for 2 hours. Peel the skin out and keep the shallots aside.
• Take tamarind and add little water, boil it for two minutes and keep aside. Then extract juice from it. Tamarind extract is ready.

Method

• In a heavy bottomed vessel or kadai, add gingelley oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Once they crack, add urad dhal, channa dhal, red chillies, green chilli, curry leaves.
• Saute until they turn golden brown in colour.
• Then add the peeled our shallots, saute until they are transparent.
• Once the shallots look transparent, add the extracted tamarind juice.
• Add turmeric powder, salt, sambar powder or rasam powder and allow it to boil.
• Cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Chinna Vengaya Vathakuzhambu is ready.
• Serve it with hot rice, papad and Potato curry.

Note:

• If the gravy is watery, take a tsp of rice flour in a cup, mix it with little water and add it into the vathakuzhambu.
• I have added homemade Sambar powder. You can adjust the quantity of sambar powder, according to its spiciness.

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