Hotel Vethal kuzhambu

serves 4

Ingredients:
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Coconut 2 tbsp
poppy seeds 1 tsp
Red chilli 4
Chana dal 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
asafoetida 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
curry leaves handful
small sambhar oinions 100g or one big onion
Manathakaali 1 tbsp
Tomato big 1
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
turmeric powder 1 tsp
Tamarind lemon size
salt to taste
 Sesame Oil

Method:
Soak the tamarind in water for 10 minutes and take the tamarind water extract for use.
Roast the redchili, coconut, coriander seeds and poppy seeds separately in a teaspoon of oil and grind it.
Take a vessel. add 2 tbsp of oil to it, Add mustard seeds and asafoetida and allow it to splatter.
Add Urad dal and chana dal and fry it till light brown. Add curry leaves and Manathakaali to it .
Add sambhar onions to it and fry it till transparent.
Add tomato to  it and fry it till the tomato is completely mashed.
Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder to it and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the tamarind extract and cook well till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.
Add the ground mixture to it and required salt to it and cook till the semisolid consistency is reached.

Note: Use of Sesameoil enhances the taste and aroma of the dish. If not available any other oil can be used.
Manathakaali ( Withania somnifera) are dried southindian berries, with lot of medicinal properties.  The use of this berry enhances the taste alternatively this vethal kuzhambhu can be prepared without it, by adding the rest of the ingredients.