Ulutham Paruppu Kuzhambu/ Uluntha Paruppu Kuzhambu/ Urad Dal Gravy

                               Opps! I am too lazy to cook today, but still I want to give my family a healthy food. It might be the mind voice of many homemakers and mothers, sometimes. Your search for easy, simple, quick yet too healthy dish will end up with uluntham paruppu kuzhambu/ urad dal gravy.

             This recipe may sound new to many and it belongs to Tirunelveli (down south district of Tamil Nadu,India) cuisine. It is same as the dal recipe we make using toor dal or moong dal. Urad dal has abundant nutrients in it; calcium, iron, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, etc,. It is highly  recommended for pregnant women and girls who attained their puberty. Urad dal can be taken in various forms like ulunthu kali , ulunthu kanji. and kuzhambu.                         

Prep Time 2-3 mins
Cooking Time 12-15 mins
Ingredients

1/2 cupUrad Dal (without skin)  
1 tsp Chilly Powder (or as per taste)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
A pinch Asafoetida
As per Taste Salt

To grind

1 tbsp coconut grated
2 nos Green Chilly
2-3 nos Small Onion
1 tsp Cumin Seeds

To Temper

1 tbsp  Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Small onion Chopped
1 sprig of Curry Leaves
Procedure

1) Pressure cook the urad dal with turmeric and asafoetida added. It takes around 10 minutes.2) Once the urad dal is pressure cooked, now we can temper it, using mustard seeds, chopped onions and curry leaves. 
   
3) Once the added onion for tempering has turned into brown colour, pour the cooked urad dal into it. 
4) Then coarsely grind the coconut along with onion and cumin seeds. Now add the coarsely grinded paste and salt to the urad dal mixture.
   
5) Allow it to boil for 10 minutes for the raw smell of coconut to go off.
6) Now you are done with the urad dal gravy.

                            Note:

• Even little amount of urad dal will yield more when cooked. So take the lesser amount than the normal amount (of dal you take) during cooking.
• Green chilly and chilly powder can be increased or reduced as per your taste.
• Need not be worried of the sticky texture of the gravy, it is it's property.

                        This gravy will be sticky, because of the mucinous of the urad dal. The mucinous property is good for diabetics and anti-cancerous too.
                        When taken along with hot steamed rice and ellu thuvaiyal, you will fall in love with this new dish.