Arai Pulikulambu (Spicy tamarind gravy with green peas and yam)

Fresh Spring produce has just begun to trickle into markets - I've started spotting my favorite spring fruits like fresh mangoes and berries in my local grocery stores. One other vegetable that I wait for in spring is fresh Green peas in shells - Sweet peas, Pod peas, Green Peas - however you want to call them. Fresh peas are the best and I enjoy the fresh taste of a pod peas which is the only version I have tasted in my chilhood, unlike the frozen and canned peas that are available now. I used to have immense pleasure in popping out the peas from their shells in my younger days because they are so much easier than chopping onions or any other vegetables. Anything easy in the kitchen, I can do it.

This recipe is from my good friend who cooks some amazing dishes. I fall for her authentic south indian dishes that taste awesome and bring those traditional flavors back to my memory. I have got quite a few nice recipes from her which I obviously would love to share in my blog and here comes one of them. This dish is similar to vathal kulambu or kara kulambu, but uses only half of the tamarind quantity of the regular vathal kulambu and hence the name Arai Pulikulambu meaning "light tamarind gravy". It has a unique combination of coconut milk, lentils, peas and yam. Peas can be substituted with chick peas too. I've tried both versions and both are equally tasty. The peas version nicely brings out the mild yet vibrant flavor of peas combined with coconut milk and I fully enjoyed a couple of servings of this gravy with white rice.

Ingredients

1. Peas - 1 cup

2. Yam (Chenaikilangu) - chopped into 1 inch cubes - 1 cup (Frozen is fine)

3. Cooked Tuvar dal - 1 cup

4. Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup (not too thick)

5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

6. Sambar powder - 1 tsp

7. Chana dal - 1 tbsp

8. Dry red chillies - 2

9. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

10. Coconut Milk (not too thick) - 1 cup

11. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

12. Urad dal - 1 tsp

13. Curry leaves & Corriander leaves - a few

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the tuvar dal and set aside (cooked dal should be about 1 cup)
2. Take a wide pan and roast the chana dal, cumin seeds and red chillies in medium heat until a nice aroma rises. Cool and grind to a coarse powder.
3. In the same pan, boil together Tamarind juice, Yam, peas, turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt. You can add additional water (about 1 cup) to this mixture and let it boil for 10 - 15 mins or until the vegetables are almost cooked.
4. Now add the cooked dal and the ground powder to this mixture and mix well. Let it boil for a few mins.
5. Add the coconut milk and let it boil.
6. Finally heat oil or 1 tbsp ghee in a separate pan, season with mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add it to the boiling mixture.
7. Mix well and boil it for 2 or 3 mins. Garnish with corriander leaves.

In fact, this dish is best when left overnight and consumed the next day!