Ingredients

• 1 cup - chickpea
• 1 cup - black gram
• 1 tbsp - raw rice
• 2 - green chillies, finely chopped
• 10 - shallots, finely sliced
• 1/2 tsp - salt
• 6 spring - curry leaves, finely chopped
• 200 ml - oil
• For spicy tamarind gravy:
• Soak small lemon size dry tamarind in 1.25 cup water for half an hour and extract 1 cup tamarind juice or mix 2 tsp thick tamarind paste with 1 cup water.
• Stir well and make a smooth tamarind juice.
• For other ingredients:
• 1 tsp - oil
• 1 tsp - mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp - fenugreek seeds
• 1 - onion, finely chopped
• 10 - garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 - well ripe tomato, finely chopped or 2 tbsp - tomato puree
• 1 tsp - red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp - coriander powder
• 2 pinches - turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp - hing
• Extra 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp - salt
• 1 tsp - chopped coriander leaves (optional)

How to Make Masala Vadai Kuzhambu

• Soak chickpea, black gram and rice for 3 hours in 3 cups of water.
• Drain out water and make a thick paste.
• Sprinkle very little water when making batter.
• Transfer the batter to another bowl and mix with green chillies, shallots, salt and curry leaves.
• Stir well continuously for 2-3 minutes.
• Heat oil and drop in the batter with a spoon and deep fry till golden.
• Dilute red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder in 3 tbsps water (spice mix) and keep aside.
• Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
• When they crackle, add fenugreek seeds and stir well.
• Add finely chopped onion and fry for a while.
• To this add chopped garlic and fry for 3 - 4 minutes.
• Add chopped tomato or tomato puree and stir well for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Add diluted spice mix and hing.
• Stir continuously for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Add tamarind extract or juice, extra 1/2 cup water and salt
• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Cover and cook on a low to medium heat for 15 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
• Add the fried dumplings to this gravy and cook again for 3 minutes on a low heat.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Recipe Courtesy: Niya's World