Kondaikadalai Kaara Kuzhambu

When in India, I used to see cookery shows from all Tamil and Malayalam channels. One among them was "Arusuvai Neram" by Ms. Menu Rani Chellam. I like the way she gives the instructions. Even now, I check if her program is on the internet and watch it once in a while.
This "Konda kadalai kara kuzhambu" is one of her recipes. I have adapted it and modified it a little bit based on the ingredients I have or don't have at home. :)

  

Ingredients:

• Chole/Kondai Kadalai/Garbanzo beans - 1 cup
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Methi seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Chana dal - 1 tablespoon
• Red chilli - 4
• curry leaves - 3 sprigs
• Onion (chopped into small pieces) - 1 cup
• Tomato (chopped into small pieces) - 1 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Sambhar Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Chilli Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoon
• Tamarind - 1 smal lemon size ball
• Salt - As per taste
• Coconut - 2 tablespoon
• Cashew nuts - 5 or 6

Preparation:

• Soak the chole overnight and pressure cook it for one whistle.
• Add oil to heated pan.
• Add mustard seed and let it splutter.
• Add methi seeds
• Sitr it for few seconds and add asafoetida powder.
• Now add split red chillies and add curry leaves.
• Add cut onion and stir for couple of minutes.
• Once it becomes transparent,Add chole and fry it well.
• Add chana dal and fry it till it becomes light brown and the aroma comes.

• Make a thick paste with the coconut and cashew and keep it aside.
• Make the tamarind paste with 1 cup of water and keep it aside.
• Add turmeric powder , chili powder, coriander powder to the pan and fry it.
• Add tomato and fry it well till the tomatoes are soft and smashed.
• Now, add coconut paste and fry well till the raw coconut smell goes.

• Add salt now as per taste.
• Fry till the oil separates out.
• Once it is fried well, add tamarind water. Add little more water if you feel it is too thick.
• Let it boil well.
• Serve it with hot rice and pappad / potato fry.