MOCHAKOTTAI KUZHAMBU - MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR

Click here to see how Mochai looks like..

     If you ask me,I would say this mochai kottai kuzhambu is the most flavorful in kuzhambu varieties...After I started cooking,in these 4 years,i would have made this one hardly 2 times...but when recently my MIL visited here to Singapore,she bought so many dried legumes from the foodworld supermaket,like karamani,double beans,white soya beans ..including these mochais...When I made this kuzhambu this time,I liked it somuch,I was asking myself,why I was not making this one often..Especially,rather than soaking for overnight,roasting it nicely and making kuzhambu,sure gives a lots of flavor!

Ingredients:

Mochai kottai (dried)	1/2 cup
Tamarind	small lemon sized
Shallots/small onions	1/4 cup (after chopping)
Garlic	1 whole
Sambhar powder(replace this if u dont have,with redchilli and dry coriander powder	1 tblsp
Tomato(optional)	1 no.
Jaggery(Optional)	small peanut sized
Turmeric	1/2 tsp
Salt	As needed
Curry leaves	2 sprigs

To Temper:

Fenugreek seeds/vendhayam	1/4 tsp
Mustard	1tsp
Thuvar dal	1/2 tsp
Jeera	2 tsp
Sesame oil	1 tblsp

Method:

1. Dry roast the mochai till the skin starts turning brown,till nice aroma rises.(If you want to soak and make,soak overnight).
2. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles,keep aside.
3. Extract tamarind juice from tamarind,by soaking it in warm water for atleast 1/2 hour.
4. Peel garlic,onion and if u want to chop,chop it or you can add whole also(both).
5. Heat kadai with oil and temper it with the items given under the To Temper table.
6. Add the curry leaves,followed by garlic and fry for a minute and then add onion and fry till golden brown.
7. then add the tamarind extract,turmeric,sambhar powder,salt,jaggery(if desired) and bring it to boil.
8. Add the pressure cooked Mochai kottai and add enough water and allow it to boil for atleat 12-15 mins.(Add water if necessary).
9. When the kuzhambu gets thick enough and the mochai gets well cooked in it,transfer to the serving bowl.Serve with Rice and accompaniment of ur choice!!.

           
                I am sending this to Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons,who is hosting the event My Legume Love Affair-Seventh Helping, originally started by Susan of The Well-seasoned Cook.