Kadalai Paruppu (Channa Dal) Chutney

Kadalai Paruppu chutney is my all time favourite chutney. I think my mom first made this when I was in grade 5, from then on if my mom made this chutney I never missed breakfast. I have even taken idly and kadalai paruppu chutney for lunch to school. That's how much I like it :)

Ingredients:

To cook:

• Red onion - 1 sliced (Small red onion a.k.a pearl onions are actually great for this)
• Tomato - 1 Roughly chopped
• Kadalai Paruppu (Channa Dal) -  about 3 handful heaps (Sorry, I'm not used to measuring these, I just eye ball them)
• Ginger - 1/2 inch, sliced
• Dry Red Chillies - 3 or more as per taste
• Curry leaves - 1 or 2 strands (optional)
• Tamarind - 1/2 inch strip
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tblspn
• Salt - 1Tsp

For seasoning:

• Oil - 1/2 Tblspn
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ulundhu (Urad dal) - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies- 2
• Curry leaves- 1 strand

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wok/pan, when hot lower heat to medium and add all the ingredients one by one, to cook.  
• Saute now and then to keep them from sticking to the bottom. (Add more oil if too dry).
• Cook till the tomatoes are nicely cooked. Turn off heat and cool a while.
• In a blender /mixer grinder, grind the cooked mixture to a paste by adding water slowly as needed. Grind to desired consistency.
• Transfer contents to a serving bowl, taste and add more salt if needed.
• Now season it. In the same pan, heat oil and when hot add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the rest of the ingredients. Turn off heat and add the hot oil mixture to the ground chutney. It will sizzle.
• Mix and serve with hot idlies or dosai.