Appalam Puli Kuzhambhu

Prep Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients

1. Appalam / Kerala pappadam (roughly torn in to medium sized pieces) - 4
2. Dilute tamarind extract (neither thick nor too thin) - 1 cup
3. Thick jaggery extract - 1 to 2 tbsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Sambhar powder - 4 tsp
6. Water - 2.5 cups
7. Salt - to taste

For seasoning

1. Sesame oil - 3 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Curry leaves - few

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan/kadai on medium flame for about 2 min.
2. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add curry leaves and saute for few sec.
4. Reduce flame to low; add the roughly torn appalam/pappadam pieces and deep fry them.
5. Dilute sambhar powder in half cup of water & set aside.
6. Add dilute tamarind extract, two cups water, half cup diluted sambhar powder water, salt and turmeric powder; stir well.
7. Allow above mixture to boil for about 15 min in high flame.
8. Add jaggery extract, reduce flame to medium & boil for another 5 to 7 min until fairly thick.
9. Switch off gas & transfer contents in to a serving bowl.
10. Serve hot with steamed rice along with few teaspoons of sesame oil, pappadam thoran, bhindi stir fry or with any other stir fries of your choice.

NOTE

• Can also replace dilute tamarind extract with half cup of thick tamarind extract.
• Do not add sambhar powder directly in to boiling tamarind water as it would form lumps.
• Can use any brand of appalam such as Bindu / MTR / Ambika.
• The brand name for the pappadam I generally use in my cooking is "Kerala pappadam"; voted for its best quality & taste.