Kuzhambu

Kuzhambu, is a common dish in Tamil and Sri Lankan cuisines, and is a tamarind based dish that can include a variety of meat, vegetables, and in some cases, dal.

Kuzhambu is a watery dish based on a broth made with tamarind, a blend of spices that include ground coriander seeds, fenugreek, and toor dal, and can include fresh or dried vegetables, blended fresh coconut, or dried lentil balls (vadagam, Tamil: வடகம்). It can be made watery like a broth or thick like a gravy. The dish is very popular as a side for rice in the northern regions of Sri Lanka and the southern regions of India especially in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. In Andhra Pradesh, kuzhambu is called pulusu. The number of varieties of kuzhambu are countless, with each region and community of Tamil Nadu preparing it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.

It is a common misconception that lentils (dal) is a staple ingredient in kuzhambu. There are varieties of kuzhambu, such as paruppu (Tamil: பருப்பு, meaning dal) kuzhambu and pattani kuzhambu that contain lentils, but the vast majority do not use dal beyond the small quantity used as a spice or during tempering.