Garlic Gravy Curry – Tamil Nadu Style

Step 1: Prepare Ground Masala - Sauté Ingredients

Take a pan and add 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, and 4 Byadgi red chillies. Next, add 15 garlic cloves and 15 shallots. Mix well and sauté the ingredients on medium flame for about 5 minutes until the raw smell is gone. Add 2 roughly cut tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few fresh curry leaves. Mix and sauté until the tomatoes are soft and slightly mushy. Turn off the heat and let these ingredients cool down completely.

Step 2: Grind Masala Paste

Once cooled, transfer the sautéed ingredients to a mixer jar. Grind them to a rough mixture. Add some water and grind it all to a nice fine paste. Set aside the ground masala paste.

Step 3: Temper Spices

Take a wide pan (kadai) to make the curry. Add 5 tablespoons of oil to the kadai. Add 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorns, 3 roughly cut red chillies, and about 1/4 teaspoon of hing (asafoetida).

Step 4: Sauté Shallots and Garlic

Now add about 1/4 kg of shallots and 170 grams of garlic cloves. Mix well and sauté them until they are slightly golden brown, for about 5 minutes. These two are very important for this recipe to achieve the right taste.

Step 5: Add Spice Powders

After 5 minutes, add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 3 teaspoons of red chilli powder, and 2 teaspoons of coriander powder. Mix well, ensuring the spice powders are thoroughly combined with the sautéed ingredients.

Step 6: Incorporate Ground Masala and Cook

Keep the flame on low and add the ground masala paste prepared earlier. Just mix this masala paste with the spice powders. Add the water from the mixer jar (used for grinding) to the pan and mix well, as the gravy is a bit thick. Add 2 teaspoons of rock salt to the pan and give it a nice mix. Keep the flame on medium and cook the gravy for about 5 minutes.

Step 7: Add Tamarind Juice and Cook

After 5 minutes, you will see the oil has separated, indicating the gravy is nicely cooked. At this point, add about one bowl of tamarind juice, extracted from a lemon-sized tamarind quantity soaked in water for about 15 minutes. Gently mix everything. The gravy is still thick, so dilute it with about 1/2 cup of water. Mix well, cover the kadai with a lid, and cook the gravy on medium flame for about 10 minutes.

Step 8: Final Touches and Simmer

After 10 minutes, you will be able to see bubbles forming in the gravy. Taste the gravy to check for seasoning. Add 2 teaspoons of jaggery powder to balance the flavors in the gravy and mix. Lastly, add a few fresh curry leaves for a nice aroma. Cook this for another 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Once the oil has come up completely, the curry is ready.

Step 9: Serve

Serve the absolutely delicious and tangy garlic gravy curry nice and hot with some steaming rice. You can also enjoy this with some nice fryums or papads by the side.

• This gravy can be cooled completely and refrigerated for up to a week.

• It tastes good even after refrigeration and can be used whenever needed.

• This gravy is also great for lunchboxes.