KOVAKKAI USULLI

Ingredients

1/2 cup toor dal
2 tbsp chana dal
2 dried red chillies
1/4 tsp hing
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 spring curry leaves
1 tbsp oil

Little coconut grates
2 cups length-wise slit kovakkai
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds for tempering
Salt to taste

Preparation for Usuli:

Soak 1/2 cup toor dal with 2 tbsp chana dal, either overnight or for 3 hours in warm water. Grind this to a coarse paste with 2 broken dried red chillies, 1/4 tsp of asafoetida powder, pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt and a few coconut without adding any water.
Steam this paste in an idli-steamer or a regular steamer for 10-15 minutes until the lentil paste is cooked. Remove to a bowl once cooled and crumble into small pea-sized pieces. Keep aside.

Directions:

Place the slit pieces of kovakkai in microwave safe bowl, sprinkle some water ,add little salt and cook them on high for 5 minutes. Keep aside.
In a non stick pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, and put in the crumbled usili. Stir them around on medium flame till golden and slightly crispy.
In the same pan, take 1 tsp oil, put in the mustard seeds and broken red chilli pieces. Once they crackle, put it the cooked kovakkai, salt to taste, stir around for 2 minutes.
Add the stir fried usili and stir together for 2 minutes until they have come together.
Serve hot with Mor Kozhambu ,Mor Kootu and rice along with some appalams.

Notes:

Mor kozhambu is the best combination with Usuli as this dish is already heavy with lentils. Combining this with sambhar, which is again made with lentils, makes it a very tough to digest combination.