Kathrikai Rasavangi

What you’ll need

1. Brinjal (use the purple round ones) – 1.5 cup, chopped into small cubes
2. Tamarind – gooseberry sized
3. Black channa - a hand full
4. Tuar Dal – 2 tbsp, heaped (cooked)
5. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
6. Jaggery – 1 tbsp, powdered
7. Salt to taste

To roast and grind

1. Bengal Gram Dal/ Kadala Paruppu – ½ tbsp
2. Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
3. Dried Red Chillies – 2
4. Black Peppercorns – 15 to 20
5. Fresh scraped coconut – ½ cup

For tempering

1. Oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
3. Curry Leaves – few torn

Method

1. Wash the tuar dal and cook it. Cool and mash. Keep aside.
2. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes.
3. Add another cup of water and squeeze out a thin tamarind extract.
4. Heat a Kadai, with a tsp of oil, fry all the ingredients mentioned under “roast and grind” till the coconut turns brown.
5. Grind it along with coconut into a smooth paste adding about ¼ cup of water.
6. In the same Kadai, fry the brinjals for 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Next add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, and salt to taste.
8. Let this boil on medium flame till the brinjals are cooked and the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
9. Now add the cooked and mashed dals. Mix well and let it come to a boil.
10. Then add the ground coconut paste and jaggery  and  mix well and let it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
11. Heat a small  frying pan with remaining oil. Add the mustard seeds once they crackle, put in the groundnut .   Fry till the groundnuts turns crisp.  Pour it over the prepared rasavangi
12. Garnish with curry leaves.

Serve hot with plain rice and any vegetable stir fry of your choice.