Thakkali Kuzhambu/ Tomato Gravy for Dosai and Idly.

This is my mom's recipe specially prepared as side dish for Dosa and Idly.

Ingredients
Tomatoes petite diced-1cup
Onion medium chopped-1/4cup
Garlic clove sliced-2
Green chilly slit-2
Coconut paste/ Milk-1cup
Chilly powder-1tsp
Kuzhambu powder-1tbsp
Turmeric-1/4tsp
Mustard seeds-1tsp
Salt to taste
Sesame/ Gingelly oil required

Method
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds when crackles add the onions, garlic and green chilly, fry for few minutes. Add the tomatoes and fry till they are mashed. Now add the chilly powder, kuzhambu powder, turmeric and salt, add enough water, cover with lid and simmer for 8 mins. Finally add the coconut paste, bring to boil and serve hot with dosa or idly.

Dosa
Ingredients
3 cups parboiled rice
1 cup white Urad Dal (white lentils)
Salt to taste

Method
Wash and soak the urad dal and parboiled rice in water for 6 hours.
First make a smooth batter of urad dal in a Wet grinder or Blender, next make a smooth batter of rice. Combine the rice batter with the urad dal batter in a big bowl and add salt. Mix well and keep the batter to ferment overnight for minimum 12 hours. This is both Idly and Dosa batter. To prepare Dosa, heat a tawa smear 1tsp of oil. When tawa is hot, take a ladle full of batter and spread from the center to the corner in circle motion (it should be like pancakes). Smear with 1tsp of oil around dosa. Cook dosa on both sides and serve hot with Thakkali Kuzhambu/Sambhar/Chutney