Raw Tomato Paruppu Usili | Thakkali Kai Paruppu Usili
Raw Tomato Paruppu Usili - the traditional and authentic recipe from Tamil Nadu prepared with channa dal and toor dal and with the green tomatoes.
Servings: 4
Calories:
Ingredients
For the Curry
- Chopped green tomatoes – 2.5 cups
- Oil – 2 tbsps The lentils and green tomatoes absorbs the oil. We need min 2 tbsps of oil for this recipe
- Mustard Seeds – 2 tsps
- Urad Dal – 2 tsps
- Hing – ½ tsp
- Salt – ½ tsp
For the Paruppu Usili
- Toor Dal – ¼ cup
- Channa Dal – ¼ cup
- Red Chillies I used the Byadage chillies – 5
- Hing – ½ tsp
- Salt – ¾ tsp
- Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Water for soaking + grinding
Instructions
Prep - work
- Soak the lentils (both toor dal and channa dal) and red chillies in water for about 1 hour.
- Chop the green tomatoes and set aside.
Preparing the Usili
- Grind the soaked lentils and red chillies along with ¾ tsp of salt, turmeric powder and hing coarsely by adding 3 to 4 tbsps of water. (Do not add too much water, just drizzle as required)
- Meanwhile, grease the idli plates with oil and add 1 cup of water to the idli cooker.
- Take a handful of the ground lentil mixture and place it in the idli plate. I got four handful balls.
- Now place the idli plates inside the cooker and cover it with lid. Steam it for 10 minutes.
- Once the pressure is off, remove the cooked lentil cakes.
- Crumble them nicely like below and set aside. That’s it. The usili is ready.
Preparing Raw Tomato Usili
- Heat the kadai and add oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal and hing.
- As they start to splutter, add the chopped green tomatoes and mix well.
- Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Do no add any water and also do not cover and cook for more than 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add salt. Let it cook until ¾ of the water gets evaporated.
- Now add the crumbled usili mix and incorporate it nicely with the veggie.
- Roast it under low flame until all the water is absorbed and until light crust is formed.
- That’s it Raw tomato paruppu usili is ready.
Notes
If you notice, I didn’t add any cilantro or curry leaves. Curry leaves can be added during tadka, but adding cilantro completely changes the taste. So if you prefer, add curry leaves alone.
Taste the tomato and depending upon on the sourness adjust the spice and salt. Mine was slightly sour, so I used about 5 big byadage variety chillies. (They are not that spicy also)
You can prepare usili with other veggies like Cluster beans, cabbage, green bell peppers, banana flower, beans etc.
Enjoy it with vathal kuzhambu and sutta appalam. :-)
Taste the tomato and depending upon on the sourness adjust the spice and salt. Mine was slightly sour, so I used about 5 big byadage variety chillies. (They are not that spicy also)
You can prepare usili with other veggies like Cluster beans, cabbage, green bell peppers, banana flower, beans etc.
Enjoy it with vathal kuzhambu and sutta appalam. :-)