Postpartum Garlic curry | Pathiya Poondu Kuzhambu | Instant Garlic Gravy

Garlic is the best breastmilk booster for sure. Eat 5 garlic cloves a day in any form and just witness the milk splash !! U could actually hear the milk flow and baby’s swallowing sound will be louder than usual !! Breastmilk secretes naturally as per your baby’s demand. But, galactagogues like garlic helps in increasing the milk secretion and thus the feeding time will be less and babies will sleep little longer. And that’s the reason our ancestors always gave garlic to new moms. 🚨 Warning🚨 U will smell garlicky 😜 Who cares 🤪Baby gets more milk in less suckling time 😄 Happy baby 👶 and so happy mom 😁 But, do eat garlic in moderation. Not more than 2 raw or 5 to 10 cooked cloves(not whole pods just cloves) of garlic a day. Overconsumption might cause discomfort/indigestion in babies. Some babies might not like the smell of garlic and might be fussy during breastfeeding. Observe for the cues and act accordingly. If your baby is gassy or colicky(click here to read), then avoid garlic.

Just after my delivery, my paternal aunt sent a big bag of garlic(Mala poondu in below pic) from Madurai.. Whatever the food is, I take this garlic curry in any one of my meal on the first month, post delivery.. You can have this often for the first 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. You shall have this once in a week for the first 2 years or more, until you breastfeed. This goes well with rice, idli, dosa.. Alternatively, once in a week, my mom makes yummy garlic paalkova(click here for recipe) or garlic kanji/porridge(click here for recipe).. Though this garlic curry is a Postpartum recipe made for breastfeeding moms, anyone can make this and enjoy for its simplicity and taste. Or you shall refer to my usual Garlic curry here(click for recipe)

Postpartum Garlic Curry Recipe:

There are two methods to make this garlic curry. One is traditionally roasting and grinding the spices. This is actually ground using hand in Ammikkal(Grinding stone) but we can grind using mixie as well. The other method is an instant one using spice powders. Both curries will taste so good. As this curry is made for delivered moms, chillies are not used and Peppercorns are the only hot spice used in the curry. You shall use red chilli/chilli powder after 10 days or 1 month of delivery, as per your family custom. See tips section at the end for more details.

This garlic(above pic of Mala Poondu) variety is famous for Lactation but it will be hard to peel.. So, soak in water for half an hour which will make the peeling easier.. If you couldn’t source this variety, you can very well use normal garlic.

Instant Postpartum Garlic Curry :

Postpartum Garlic curry | Pathiya Poondu Kuzhambu | Instant Garlic Gravy

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Base gravy

• Small onions - Handful
• Garlic cloves - Handful but less than onions
• Tomato - 1

For flavor:

• Tamarind - 1 small gooseberry size
• Jaggery - ½ tsp

To temper

• Sesame oil/Nallennai - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds/Kadugu - ¼ tsp
• Split white Urad dal - ¼ tsp
• Fenugreek seeds/Vendhayam - ¼ tsp(If not using Fenugreek powder)
• Curry leaves - Few

Spice powders:

• Fenugreek powder - ⅛ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Peppercorns powder - ½ tsp
• Cumin powder - ½ tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - ½ tsp(Optional)

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Recipe for instant Postpartum Garlic Curry :

1. Soak a small gooseberry sized tamarind in 1/2 cup hot water for 10 mins. After 10 mins, mix the soaked tamarind well with water and then strain the tamarind water without pulp/seeds/fiber.
2. In a pan, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds.
3. Once mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal and fenugreek seeds(if not using fenugreek powder).
4. Once urad dal slightly changes to golden color(do not darken the dal or fenugreek seeds), add small onions, garlic cloves, curry leaves and fenugreek powder. Just add peeled onions and garlic, no need to cut.
5. Once onions are fried well, add chopped tomato and 1/4 tsp each of turmeric powder and rock salt..
6. Once tomato turns mushy, simmer and add coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, chilli powder(only after first 10 days of delivery).
7. Cook for a minute and then add tamarind water and 1/4 tsp rock salt. Cook closed in low-medium flame for 10 mins.
8. Check for salt and add more, if required.
9. Add 1/2 tsp jaggery and give a quick mix.
10. Simmer the stove and cook closed until gravy thickens and oil separates.. See tips below..

Traditional Postpartum Garlic Curry :

Postpartum Garlic curry | Pathiya Poondu Kuzhambu | Instant Garlic Gravy

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Base gravy

• Small onions - Handful
• Garlic cloves - Handful but less than onions
• Tomato - 1
• Jaggery - ½ tsp

To temper

• Sesame oil/Nallennai - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds/Kadugu - ¼ tsp
• Split white Urad dal - ¼ tsp
• Fenugreek seeds/Vendhayam - ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves - Few

To roast & grind

• Sesame oil/Nallennai - Few drops
• Peppercorns/Milagu - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds/Jeeragam - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Dry red chilli - small piece without seeds(Optional)
• Turmeric(Verali Manjal) - 1 inch piece or Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Tamarind - 1 inch

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Recipe for traditional Postpartum Garlic Curry :

1.  In few drops of sesame oil, roast coriander seeds, peppercorns and very lil dry red chilli(only after 1st 10 days of delivery).
2. Once coriander seeds slightly start to change color, add cumin seeds, turmeric (verali manjal) piece and lil tamarind.
3. Once cumin seeds slightly start to change color, add turmeric powder(if you haven’t used turmeric in the above step), give a quick mix and immediately transfer the contents to a plate and let it cool down.
4. Once cooled down, grind in ammi or small mixie jar. First powder it and then add water to grind it to a paste..
5. In a pan, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds.
6. Once mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal and fenugreek seeds.
7. Once urad dal slightly changes to golden color(do not darken the dal or fenugreek seeds), add small onions, garlic cloves and curry leaves. Just add peeled onions and garlic, no need to cut.
8. Once onions are fried well, add chopped tomato and 1/4 tsp rock salt..
9. Once tomato turns mushy, add ground masala and 1/4 tsp rock salt. Rinse mixie jar with 3/4 cup water and add.
10. Cook closed in low-medium flame for 10 mins.
11. Check for salt and add more, if required.
12. Add 1/2 tsp jaggery and give a quick mix.
13. Simmer the stove and cook closed until gravy thickens and oil separates.. See tips below..

Tips for Postpartum Garlic Curry :

• Do not use Red chilli/chilli powder for the first 10 days post delivery. Gradually increase the spiciness for new moms from 1/4 red chilli(without seeds) to 1/2 and then to 3/4 and finally to 1. If using Red chilli powder, go gradually from 1/4 tsp to 1 tsp. Just the peppercorns/pepper powder is enough for the first month or the first 10 days.
• Do not add more tamarind during the first month of postpartum. Just use as specified.
• U shall refrigerate the curry and use for 2 to 3 days.. Heat it before eating.
• U shall fry(in lil oil) and add sundakkai (turkey berries) and manathakkali vathal (sun berries) too.. Add these once masala/spices are cooked well. Reduce salt as these dried berries will already have more salt.
• Jaggery is added just to balance the flavors.
• Overconsumption of garlic might cause indigestion in babies. Pls read the first paragraph of this post for more information. Moderation is the key.