Mint Chutney


1 cup cilantro leaves
6 mint leaves
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1 tsp asafoetida
3 green chillies
4 cloves of garlic
salt
12 - 15 curry leaves
1 tsp jeera
juice of 1/2 lemon

Add everything to a mixer except the lemon juice and add sufficient water and grind it all together. Add the lemon juice and mix it.

Tastes great on kebabs, broiled fish or fried paneer.

Urundai Kozhambu (Lentil Balls in Tamil Curry) 

Ingredients

Lentil balls 

1. 1/4 cup thuvaram paruppu soaked in water for 1 hour
2. 1/4 cup kadala paruppu soaked in water for 1 hour
3. 1 tsp sombu 
4. 3 dried red chillies or cayenne 
5. 2 tsp oil 
6. 1 small onions finely chopped
7. a bunch of cilantro 
8. salt 

Grind the first four ingredients in to a rough paste. Add the onions, cilantro,  and salt and make them in to small 2 inch size balls. 

Reserve one of these for the gravy

Steam them in a pressure cooker for 12 minutes in a lightly oiled plate.

Kozhambu

1. 1 tsp mustard seeds 
2. 1 tsp jeera 
3. 1 tsp sombu
4. 5 - 10 small onions finely chopped 
5. 5- 7 garlic pods sliced 
6. 1 tomato
7. 1/2 tsp turmeric
8. 2 tsp coriander powder
9. 2 tsp chilli powder 
10. 1 tomato 
11. 2 tsp tamarind paste
12. coconut cream 1/2 - 1 cup 
13. 20 curry leaves 
14. good pinch asafoetida 
15. 1/2 lemon juice 
16. 3 tbsp oil 

Heat oil in a skillet. Add mustard, cumin and sombu and roast until they crackle. Add curry leaves, asafoetida, garlic and roast for a minute. Add the onions and cook till caramelized for 7 min. Add the spices and roast for 30 seconds. 

Now add the chopped tomato and cook until mushy. Now add the reserved lentil mixture. Add 2 cups water and the tamarind paste and cook for 10 min. Oil should float on the top. Now add the coconut cream and cook for 4 - 5 min. Add the lentil balls and cook for another 4 min. Finish with curry leaves and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve warm with rice and ghee.