Thani kootu

Ingredients:

Puli (Tamarind)                                    lemon sized ball

Vellam (Jaggery)                                 3-4 tablespoon

Uppu (Salt)                                          to taste

Dhaniya (Corainder seeds)                1 1/2 tblsp

Kadalai Paruppu (Split gram dal )      1 ½ tblsp

Vatral Milagai (Red chillies)                5 or 6

Thengai Thuruval (shreddedCoconut) 3 tblsp

Perungaya podi (asafoetida Powder) a pinch

Ennai (oil)                                            2 tsp.

Method:

Extract pulp of tamarind, add salt and jaggery and bring the mixture to a boil until the smell of raw tamarind is gone and the mixture thickens.

Heat a spoon of oil in a pan and fry the coriander seeds, dal, red chillies and coconut.Add a pinch of asafoetida powder and grind to a paste.

Add paste to the mixture.

As it is, the Thani kootu makes a good side dish for Pongal, Idli etc.

Any vegetable such as Kothavarangai ( cluster beans), Kathirikkai (brinjal) or even Pandhal avaraikkai (hyacinth beans) can be cut and boiled and added to the gravy. I like to sauté some onions and add it to the thani koottu and it tastes like Gothsu or Gojju.

If you are adding vegetables, then give the mixture a good stir and bring it to a boil.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds and pour it over the kootu. Add curry leaves, if desired.