Vazhaikkai thuvattal - classic dish from Nagercoil, which is simple yet tasty. Vazhaikkais are one of the vegetables that are widely used in South Indian foods. There are so many side dishes made with vazhaikkai which goes well with all kuzhambu or rice varieties. No one can say no to the side dishes prepared with vazhaikkai. The coconut masala grounded along with small onions and cumin add more flavor to this dish. Generally for vazhaikkai or any other roasts the vegetables must be roasted in a hard kadai on medium until crisp. Then only it tastes good. In this dish, the vazhaikkai cubes are precooked and then roasted in a kadai along with the ground masala. In most of Nagercoil dishes, the turmeric powder is added along with the vegetables while cooking. This helps to get uniform colour to the dish. You can also add turmeric powder while grinding the coconut also. This is similar to our Tirunelveli vazhaikkai poriyal dish with a few variations. I like this vazhaikkai thuvattal...
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