Sodhi

Sodhi - my all time favorite! Whenever I cook this, there are no leftovers.. This dish is suppose to be a Srilankan curry, but its famous in Tamilnadu as well, especially in Trinelveli region. I tasted this for the first time during my college days at my friend's wedding!. She is from Trinelveli and her wedding feast was one of the fantastic feasts I've ever experienced. All dishes were served with a touch of Trinelveli cuisine and had lots of authenticity. Fifteen years later, the flavor of that Sodhi is still lingering in my mind and I can never make it without thinking of my friend and her wedding.

I often make this for a sunday lunch. My mom had penned it for me in my recipe book (my life saver!) when I got married , since then I have been making it quite frequently. The right mixture and the balance of flavors is the essence of this dish, but taste and flavor have always been personal. So feel free to make slight changes in the quantity of spices. I make this a little extra spicy so that the flavor doesn't get buried in rice.

Ingredients:

• Whole Moong dal (Pasi Paruppu) - 1/2 cup
• G.chillies - 4
• Ginger - 1.5 inch
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• Mixed vegs (peas, carrots, beans, potatoes) - 1/2 cup
• Coconut Milk - 1 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few

Procedure:

• Pressure cook the moong dal, mash well and set aside.
• Cook the vegetables, along with 1/4 cup coconut milk , 1/4 cup water and 2 pinches of salt.
• Meanwhile, Fry 3 of the green chillies in a few drops of oil and grind to a paste.
• Grind the ginger with some water to a liquid consistency. Drain/squeeze the thick juice from the ginger and discard the pulp.
• Add the cooked vegetable mixture to the cooked dal and bring it to a boil.
• Now add the remaining coconut milk, g.chilly paste, 1 cup water, salt and mix well. Boil for 5 mins.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a separate pan, season with cumin seeds and curry leaves. Slit the remaining 1 g.chilly and toss it in. Fry for 2 mins. Add this to the boiling mixture.
• Finally add the ginger juice and lemon juice and boil for 2 mins. Turn off the heat and leave it covered until served.

Goes well with Rice or puris.