For Making Vadai:

Chana dal 1 cup, soaked
Chana dal 3 spoons
Fennel seeds 1+1 spoon
Dry red chilies 6
Ginger 2″ size peeled and chopped
Garlic 4-5 cloves peeled and chopped
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Curry leaves ffewinely chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped few
Green chilies 2 finely chopped
Salt
Rice flour 2 spoons(optional)
Oil for deep frying.

For Making Gravy:

Tamarind 1 Tsp
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Rice powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves

Method:

Vadai Preparation:

1. In a blender…dry grind fennel seeds(1spoon) along with dry red chilies.
2. Then to the same blender add ginger, garlic and soaked chana dal…wet grind these to thick batter. Use limited water.
3. Now to this batter, add chana dal, fennel seeds, chilies, onion, curry and coriander leaves. Further add salt too. Mix them well.
4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Make small fritters from the above batter…and fry them.
5. Leave these vadais over kitchen tissue for some time.

Kuzhambu Preparation:

1. In a deep pan, heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic, fry till its raw smell goes off. Further add onions, fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.
2. Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar and rice powder. Blend them together.
3. Later add tamarind paste and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium flame.
4. Once the gravy consolidates…drop the above prepared ‘vadais’ in it carefully. Never load the gravy. Drop one by one. Allow it to boil once.
5. In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chana dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well. Run this seasoning over the gravy.
6. Serve this along with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon full of ghee over it…just before serving.