Kadamba Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tablespoons split Bengal gram (chana dal)
• 1½ tablespoons split skinless black gram (dhuli urad dal)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 5-6 green chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
• 5-6 dried red chillies, broken
• 1 lemon sized tamarind ball
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 1 large tomato, quartered
• 1½ cups roughly chopped coriander leaves
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves
• ¼ cup scraped fresh coconut
• Salt to taste
• Tempering
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 2 dried red chillies, broken
• 5-6 curry leaves
• Idlis for serving

Method

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add asafoetida, split Bengal gram and split skinless black gram, mix and sauté till the dals turn golden brown.
2. Add onion and garlic to the same pan, mix and sauté till onion turns translucent.
3. Add green chillies, ginger, dried red chillies, tamarind and curry leaves, mix and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add tomato, coriander leaves, mint leaves and coconut, mix well and saute for 2-3 minutes. Let the mixture cool down.
5. Transfer the dal mixture and coconut mixture into a grinder jar, add 1 cup water and grind to fine paste. Transfer into a bowl.
6. To make the tempering, heat oil in a small non-stick pan, add mustard seeds and once they begin to splutter, add asafoetida, dried red chillies and curry leaves and mix well. Pour this tempering over the prepared chutney and mix well. Add salt and mix well.
7. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve with idlis.