Paruppu Thogayal | Paruppu Thuvayal - Spicy Lentil Dip - a heirloom recipe

Each home in India has its own share of accompaniments - be it thogayals (thuvayals or chutneys), pickles, spicepowders - both for everyday meals as well as those made for occassions. I was recently reading a wonderfully chronicled book called "The Imperial Cholas" by the ITC Group (5 star hospitality chain) and there it mentions that these accompaniments were mostly made both to tickle the palate (with its blend of spices) as well as standins when vegetables were scarce. 

I think both the reasons are so true : How else can the simple Idli reach to greater heights with a wonderfully divine Molagapudi (fiery lentil spice powder) ? Or how many days have you (in a typical south indian home) craved for just Paruppu Thogayal with just roasted papad, steamed rice topped with a dollop of ghee or sesame oil with no other vegetables to complement the meal ? 

Well, dont dream anymore... coz this is a lipsmacking Paruppu Thogayal today. Team it with white rice for a fulfilling meal .Every Tamilian household has their own version of Paruppu Thogayal, but this is my grandmom's recipe, and am very proud to present this here for another week of Blogging Marathon under "Accompaniments" theme and Vardhini's Healthy Side Dishes. Check out the other BMers here. Also sending this to my own event - Kitchen Chronicles Heirloom Recipes hosted by Saras. In case you have similar recipes posted in the month of April, rush your entries to Saras here.

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Prep time - 10 mins 

Cook time - 5 mins (To roast the ingredients)

Serves - 3

Difficulty level - Easy

Serving suggestions - Steamed rice + any Rasam of your choice, Roasted papad

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Ingredients:

• Sesame Oil - 1 TBSP
• Toor Dal - 1/4 cup
• Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - a handful
• Tamarind  - a small gooseberry sized unit
• Jaggery - half the quantity of jaggery
• Grated coconut - 5 TBSP
• Salt - to taste
• Dry Red chillies - 4 to 5 (adjust spice)
• Hing / Asafoetida - a generous pinch
• Tempering: Oil (1 tsp), Mustard seeds, Curry leaves

Method:

1) In a large pan, heat the Sesame oil. Roast the dals (lentils) on medium heat one by one till they turn golden brown and slightly crispy. Transfer to a plate. In the remaining oil, fry the tamarind, red chillies and transfer to the lentils plate. Cool completely. 

2) In the hot pan (without any oil), roast the coconut once for 1 mins (with flame switched off). This is crucial to improve the shelf life of the chutney,especially in summers. 

3) Now, DRY grind the dals, asafoetida, salt, jaggery to a very coarse powder (remember this is NOT a smooth chutney, but a rather coarse one, used to mix with the rice). 

4) Now add tamarind and about 3 - 4 TBSP of water and grind to a thick kind of consistency.

5) Transfer to a serving bowl.

6) Heat 1 tsp of oil. Splutter mustard and curry leaves. Pour onto chutney and serve immediately.