Orange Gravy- Orange kolambu
This gravy is one of my most favorite, because of the burst of flavor it has sweet, tangy, sour and spicy.
This recipe can be made without sesame seeds/ sesame oil, if you have problem with sesame seeds, you substitute sesame oil with olive oil and leave out sesame seed step completely.
Ingredients
Tangerine oranges -4
Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Dry Red chilly – 2 to 3
White Sesame seeds – 1 cup
Vatha kolambu powder – 2 to 3 tablespoon
Fresh ginger – small quantity
Tamarind paste – 1 1/2 tablespoon in 1 large cup of water
Jaggery – few pieces
Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Salt
Fresh cilantro
Sesame oil/ olive oil
Step-1
Cut the oranges as shown along with ginger and set aside
Step-2
Sauté white sesame seeds dry in a pan( without adding any oil).
Step-3
Once the sesame seeds turn light brow color. You could transfer it to bowl and allow it to cool. If you have problem with sesame seeds, you can skip step 2 and step3 itself. Then you could use olive oil to make the recipe without sesame seeds or sesame oil .
Step-4
Take two tablespoons of Sesame oil in a pan. Add mustard and dry red chilies.
Step-5
When mustard seeds starts to pop add diced orange and ginger and sauté.
Step-6
The sesame seed which you have cooked in step 3. Take that and put it in a dry blender and grind it till you get a smooth texture. Beware to over grind, because the oil would ooze out and the powder will not be dry flakes, it would feel like u added water. So grind just enough to be dry flakes. Set aside the mixture.
Step-7
Once the orange and ginger or cooked in step 5, add tamarind paste in a large cup of water and pour the mixture into the pan. Add turmeric powder and allow the mixture to start boiling.
Step-8
This is the Vatha kolambu powder I mentioned in the ingredients, add 2 to 3 tablespoons to mixture boiling in step 7. You could reduce the amount based on the spice level you can take. But don’t go above 3 tablespoon since the gravy will get more spicy. You can find this Vatha Kolambu powder in Indian grocery stores.
Step-9
After adding Vatha kolambu powder allow the mixture to boil for some time on Medium flame. Add the sesame seed mixture which you made in step 6 to the mixture. Add little by little so you could stop once the mixture seems thick enough. Add required salt
Step-10
Remember this gravy is a burst of flavor like sweet , tangy, sour and spicy. You add some amount of jaggery (cane sugar). Allow the mixture to boil.
Step-11
Taste the mixture to make sure there is enough salt and then add fresh cilantro and serve hot with rice . Enjoy it hot and with potato curry.
Looks yummy!
Thanks