Murungakkai Kuzhambu /Drumstick In Spiced Tamarind Gravy

Perfectly balanced with fresh blend spices ,this preparation with green drumstick will surely win many hearts. Serve it with rice or as a side-dish to Dosa ,it will work wonderfully everywhere. You can also try with ven-pongal ... Very first time i was introduced to this by my neighbor Aunt in Bangalore ,she is a Tamilian married to a Kannada. Very soft spoken and a good cook .On any festival day she used to invite me for the delicious South-Indian spread which she always cooks with great love .And this Drumstick dish was one of her best. To prepare this make the fresh Masala by dry roasting the spices. You may think why dry-roast is needed before blending the spices ? Harold James McGee is an American author who writes about the chemistry and history of food science and cooking says "When cumin or coriander are toasted on their own, for example, their sugars and amino acids undergo browning reactions and generate savory aroma molecules typical of roasted and toasted foods , thus developing a new layer of flavor that complements the original raw aroma.When roasting for flavor roast until the spice releases an aroma and turns a shade or two darker” "The toasting on a hot pan of whole dry spices, typically mustard, cumin or fenugreek, for a minute or two until the seeds begin to pop, the point at which their inner moisture has vaporized and they are just beginning to brown. Spices cooked in this way are mellowed, but individually; they retain their own identities." And if you search in any popular cuisine this is the method they follow to bring your palate all those traditional delicacies.