Cooking the Mochai

Wash and soak the mochai in water overnight. Drain the soaked mochai and add it to a cooker. Add in the turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and a little oil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. Remove from heat and let the pressure settle on its own. The beans should be cooked tender. Set aside.

Mochai Kuzhambu Paste

Heat a teaspoon of sesame oil in a pan. Add in the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. Add in the garlic and the Indian shallots / small onions. Sauté on a low flame for a few minutes till the onions are light brown in colour. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and cook for a minute. Set aside to cool. Add a cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Making the Kuzhambu

Soak the tamarind in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, garlic and the Indian shallots / small onions. Add in the green chillies and curry leaves. Cook for a minute. Add in the tomatoes and the salt. Cook until the tomatoes are mushy. It will take about a couple of minutes. Add in the spice powders and cook for a minute more. If you cannot get kuzhambu milagai powder, sambar powder can be used.

Add in the drumsticks, brinjals and the potato. Mix well to combine. Add in the tamarind extract and the jaggery. Mix well to combine. Add in a cup of water. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the curry on a low flame for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, check if the potatoes are cooked. If not, cook for some more time till the potatoes are tender. Add in the cooked mochai along with the water used. Add in the ground masala paste. Mix well.

Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes more for all the flavors to come together. Finally finish with a generous sprinkling of coriander leaves.