Green Toordhal Curry (Pachai Thuvarai Kulambu)

This is my First post on new year and am expecting to post a lot and lot more. 

First of all I wish everyone a VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2009 and also thanks everyone for visiting my blog. A special thanks to Spice Club Cham who always visits my site and leave a comment for each of my post, which is an energy tonic for my site. I celebrated my new year by visiting so many temples in and around Thanjavur. My Trip Details are updated in Kayalsworld. 

OK lets get into work, after new year when I checked my mail, there was a mail from Srivalli regarding the MLLA Seventh Helping event. I thought my first post in this new year should go for an event and am proudly sending this for Srivalli's event(You know my first ever entry for an event was also for this MLLA only!!!).

Everyone will be knowing Toor Dhal, but many of you wouldn't be knowing the bean version of 

it. Because this is the first time I saw it. It looks like a bean family and we got to use the dhal inside, which is similar to green peas. These peas will be dried up, processed and packed as toor dhal, which we use for sambar. My MIL got this and its her recipe, but I prepared and posting it here. 

Ingredients:

Green Toordhal Peas - 1 cup

Tamarind - lemon sized

Pearl Onion - 10

Garlic - 10 pods

Aesfoetida - 1 pinch

Salt to taste

To Grind:

Red Chillies - 20

Coriander seeds - 2 table spoon

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Pepper Corns - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for 1/2 hr and get a thick extract. Dry roast all the items mentioned to grind one by one. Grind it to a smooth paste. 

In the kadai, add 2 tbsp of Gingelly oil, add the seasoning items and then the onion and garlic and saute well. 

Add the Thoor Peas and saute well. Now add the ground paste and tamarind extract. Add turmeric powder and salt. Close it with a lid and cook till the required consistency. This peas will take only less time to cook. 

If you like you can also add 1/2 cup of coconut milk at the end. But the taste will be different. Both the ways it will be delicious.

Serve this curry with hot rice, vegetable kootu and pappad. Now am sending this to Susan  Srivalli's MLLA Seventh Helping and

I am sending this to Grammathu Kaimanam/Village Special Recipe Event hosted by Shama.