U ~ Urad Dal Chutney / Minapappu Pachadi

Event: Blogging Marathon #32
Theme: Regional Recipe #5

I thought of finishing this post by afternoon and didn't realize that I hit the publish button while trying to save the recipe earlier. Imagine my surprise when I saw comments for the unfinished recipe. :)
Here is one more yummy chutney to go with Indian style breakfasts or rice. Everyone in our home expects variety when it comes to accompaniments paired with Indian style breakfasts. And even I, as a cook get fed up repeating the same chutney / chutney podi. To beat the monotony and to have happy faces around the table, I keep on trying to increase my chutney/sidedish repertoire. This particular recipe came from my husband's aunt. I must admit that this one was new to me though toor dal and moongdal chutneys are commonly made in Andhra kitchens. The coconut adds subtle sweetness to the chutney and in fact, this tastes almost like the coconut chutney.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup urad dal
6 - 8 dried red chillies (I used byadagi chillies. if using other variety, adjust the quantity.)
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut
1 -2 Tbsp freshly squeezed thick tamarind puree
1 tsp jaggery powder
Salt to taste
For tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp brown mustard seeds and a couple of pinches of asafoetida powder

Method:
* Dry roast urad dal until it starts to change the color. Add red chillies at the end and toast them for as well. Red chillies should turn crispy for easy grinding but shouldn't burn. Remove and let cool.
* Add toasted urad dal, coconut, chillies, tamarind, jaggery and salt to a grinder and blend until coarsely done. Add little water if needed to facilitate the grinding process. Taste and adjust tamarind / jaggery / salt if needed.
* Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard. When they start to splutter and pop, add asafoetida and turn off the stove. Remove and add it to the coarsely ground chutney. 
* This can be served with steamed rice or any south Indian style breakfast items. Cover and refrigerate the left over chutney.

Logo courtesy : Preeti

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