Masal Vadai Kuzhambu

For Gravy/Kuzhambu

• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 2
• Tamarind - 1(small) lemon size
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp (coarse powder)
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 2 pinch
• Fenugreek seeds - 2 pinch
• Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - as need
• Oil - 3 to 4 tsp

For Masal Vadai

• Kadalai Paruppu/Channa dhal - 2 cups
• Ulutham Paruppu/Urud dhal - 5 tsp
• Onion - 2 big 
• Dry Chillies - 4 (chopped finely)
• Green chillies - 2 (chopped finely)
• Garlic - 6 cloves (chopped finely)
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon stick - 2" (crushed to pieces)
• Curry leaves - few
• Coriander leaves - few
• Oil for frying
• Salt as per taste

Method


To prepare gravy

• Soak the tamarind for 10min in hot water.
• In a pan, add oil, and when it is bit hot, add fenugreek seeds.
• Take half of the onion and garlic and keep aside.
• Now add onion and salt and fry for 2 to 3 min.
• Add tomato and garlic(crushed) and saute well.
• Now add the tamarind water, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and allow it to boil.
• In mixie, add the remaining half of the onion, garlic, pepper and cumin seeds and grind to a fine paste.
• Add this to the boiling gravy and allow to boil for another 20 min.
• Add coconut milk and again allow to boil in less flame.

To prepare Masal Vadai

• Soak the dal (kadalai paruppu)  for nearly 3 to 4 hours.
• Filter the water throughly.
• In the mixie or food processor, grind the soaked dhall. (do not add water).
• Transfer this into a big bowl and mix the other ingredients except oil.
• In a kadai, pour enough oil and heat it keeping in medium flame.
• Make them in to vadai shape and put it in the oil slowly. 
• Fry them till golden brown and put it in the boiling kuzhambu/gravy immediately, so that it soaks nicely.

Brinjal fry

Ingredients
Brinjal - 4 to 5 ( I used small ones )
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt - as per taste
Oil - for frying

Method
Mix the chilli powder, rice flour, turmeric, salt together.
Wash and cut the Brinjal into circle shape.
In a flat bottomed pan, add oil n heat it.
Now mix the Brinjal's into the mixture so that it is well coated on both sides.
Add the brinjal's in the oil one by one and shallow fry it.
Now dry in the kitchen towel to absorb excess oil if any and serve.
Goes well with any rice dish.