Cooking the Lentils

Wash and soak the lentils in water for about 30 minutes. After soking the lentils, drain the water used for soaking. Add the drained lentils to a pressure cooker. I have used a 3 liter cooker for this recipe. Add about 2 cups of water, half a teaspoon of salt, little oil and a piece of fresh turmeric. If you do not have fresh turmeric, you can omit it. Cover the cooker and add its whistle weight. Cook for 15 minutes on a medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. After the said time, remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure settle on its own. Open the cooker and discard the turmeric used. Set aside.

Making the Kuzhambu

Take a heavy pan and add in the vegetables and the cooked lentils. Make sure to chop the vegetables uniform in size so they cook evenly. Add little grated turmeric or dried turmeric powder and the salt. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the vegetables should be cooked but firm. At this stage, add the Aravai Masala. Add a cup of water and mix well to combine. Cover the pan and simmer the kuzhambu for 5 minutes. Finally, add the tempering. Serve hot with rice.

Here is how to make Aravai Masala

Add Indian sesame oil to a pan. Add in the chana dal and roast the dal on a low flame for a minute. Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chillies (adjust the chillies according to your taste), and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Add the chopped shallots. Saute for a few minutes till the shallots are soft. Add in the tamarind and fresh shredded coconut. Roast everything for a minute. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.
Transfer the mixture to a mixie. Add up to a cup of water and grind to a paste.

Tempering

Take a small kadai and add in Indian sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add the red chillies, curry leaves, and sliced shallots. Saute till the shallots are starting to brown. Once it’s lite brown, the tempering is ready.