KARNATAKA STYLE LENTIL GRAVY

At first glance, you might mistake this dish for buttermilk gravy/majigae huli/ morkozhambu.But on tasting,you can really make out the difference.This gravy is called ardha huli in Kannada.Ardha implies half. Since only small amount of tamarind is used, the dish has little sourness.When running short of buttermilk, I prepare this gravy as a substitute for mor kuzhambu as the ingredients are almost the same sans ginger and buttermilk.

 INGREDIENTS TO GRIND

TOOR DAL- 3 TSP

GRAM DHAL- 3 TSP

CUMIN SEEDS- 1 TSP

RED CHILLIES- 5-6 NOS

GREEN CHILLIES- 2 NOS

COCONUT GRATINGS- 1 1/2 TBSP

OTHER INGREDIENTS

LADY'S FINGER-  7-8 NOS

TAMARIND- GOOSEBERRY SIZE

TURMERIC POWDER- 1/4 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

FOR SEASONING

ASAFOETIDA- 1/2 TSP

MUSTARD- 1 TSP

CURRY LEAVES- 1 SPRIG.


METHOD

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract syrup and keep it aside.Soak the lentils for an hour.Grind the ingredients in the column cited ' to grind' to fine paste.

Wash and chop lady's finger. In a pan add 1 tbsp oil and saute the chopped veggie till crisp. Over this add tamarind syrup,turmeric powder,salt and boil till the raw smell of the syrup goes off.

Add the ground paste over the tamarind syrup and boil till the paste blends well.

Prepare the seasoning by heating 2 tsp of oil in a separate pan add mustard,when it starts to splutter,add asafoetida,curry leaves and switch off.

Add the seasoning to the prepared gravy and serve with rice.