Puli kolambu (Tamilnadu flavor)

Ingredients:
Balls

• Channa dal – Kadalai paruppu – 1 cup
• Toor dal / Thuvaram paruppu – a handful
• Chopped red onion – one handful
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Green chilly – 1
• Curry leaves – few
• Garlic – 1 crushed
• Coconut – 2 tbsp
• salt

Method :

Soak the dals in water for one hour and grind (drain all the excess water completely) coarsley along with fennel and green chilly. (as for masala vada). combine all the ingredients together and make small balls.

 Note: Dont add water while grinding. It should be dry. If you feel it is little watery , after grinding fry it in a tawa for few minutes so the water will be evaporate.

 For the gravy/kolambu :

Ingredients :

• Shallot onions – 10                                   
• Tomato – 2
• Fennel seeds / sombu- 1 tsp
• Fenu greek / vendayam- 1 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Corriander powder – 1 1/2tsp
• Tamarind – 1/4 tsp
• Drumstick -1
• Jaggery – a little piece
• Coconut – 3 tbsp

Method :

 Slice the Shallot onions and tomato. Fry the fennel seeds and the fenu greek and coarsely powder it.

 Heat 2tbsp of gingelly/sesame oil (any vegetable oil is good, but gingelly oil gives a better taste) and saute the onions until transparent and add the tomatoes.

 Once the tomatoes are mashed well add fennel fenugreek , turmeric, chilly and corriander powders and fry the masala until oil seperates from it. Now add the tamarind extract , drumstick pieces(if using, it is optional but it enhance the taste of the kulambu) . Cook until the drumstick is done.

 Now drop the dal balls one by one and close it with a lid and cook for few minutes. Don’t stir the kulambu after you add the balls otherwise the balls will break.

You can either steam the balls in idly steamer and add to the kulambu. But I prefer adding it directly to the gravy.(The kulambu must be little watery before you add the balls ) Cover it with a lid and cook until the balls are cooked well.

Finally add salt and a little piece of jaggery and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Grind coconut into a smooth paste and add it to the gravy.serve hot with rice and roti's

 Note :  If you are using coconut remove the balls out from the gravy and add the ground coconut. Cook it for few minutes and then add the balls and cook another few minutes. Adding coconut will enhance the taste of the kulambu