Red Chili Chutney / Varamilagai Thuvaiyal

It is an easy to prepare Tamil home recipe, also called Milakai / Chilli / Lal mirchi / Lal mirch / tuvaial / thohaiyal / thovaiyal / thovial / thovaial.


Ingredients:

• Red chili (Varamilakai): 7
• Tomato (Thakkali): 2
• Onion (Vengayam): 1
• Tamarind (Puli / imli): A little (A small lemon sized ball)
• Curry leaves (Karuveppilai / kari veppilai / kari patha): About 10
• Mustard (Kadugu / Rai / Sarson): ½ tsp
• Black gram (Uluntham paruppu / uluththam paruppu / Urad dhal / dal): ¼ tsp
• Split chick peas (kadalai paruppu / Channa dal): 1 tsp
• Oil for frying: 1 table spoon
• Salt: As required
  
  

Method of preparation:

• Cut the onion.
• Cut the tomatoes.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok (iruppu chatti / tawa).
• Add split chick peas, curry leaves and red chilies.
• Wait for spluttering and add onion.
• Sauté well.
• Add the tomatoes.
• Continue sauté for a while.
• Add the tamarind ball and stir.
• Remove from flame.
• After cooling, finely grind all the ingredients with salt.
• Heat again 2 tsp of oil in a wok.
• Add mustard followed by black gram.
• Allow to splutter.
• Mix this with the chutney and transfer to a serving dish.
  

Tastes good with hot idli / idly, dosai / dosa, Puri, purotta / barotta / parantha, vellai paniyaram, kulipaniyaram, etc.

Thengai Mangai Pattani Sundal

It is a tasty evening snack, also called chundal, rich in protein.

Ingredients:

• Dry green peas (pattani): 2 cups
• Raw mango (mangai / kachcha aam): 1
• Coriander seeds( malli / dhania) : 4 tsp
• Coconut (thengai / nariyal): 1/4 cup
• Mustard (kadugu / rai / sarson): 1/4 tsp
• Red chili (vara milakai / lal mirchi): 8
• Asafetida (Perungayam / Hing): one pinch
• Husked black gram (Ulundham paruppu / Urad dal): 1 tsp
• Oil: 1 tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp

Method:

• Soak peas overnight in four cups of water, pressure cook in medium flame for two whistles, strain the excess water and keep it aside.
• Grind coriander seeds, coconut, and red chilies.
• Fry mustard, black gram and asafetida in oil and add the ground masala.
• Keep frying until a pleasant flavor comes out.
• Now add peas and salt.
• Cook for a few minutes.
• Remove from flame.
• Garnish with chopped mangoes.
• Serve hot or cold.
• Suitable to serve during festivals like Navarathri and Ayudha puja / Saraswathi puja. During non season of mangoes, mango powder can be used effectively.