This recipe, which I learnt from my grandmother, is generally made as an offering to lord Nataraja on margazhi tiruvadhirai and is served with Tiruvadhirai kali. It is also a Pongal favourite.
What you need
White and yellow pumpkin, sweet potato, radish, carrot, broad beans (cut into big cubes) - 2 cups
Boiled colocasia - 10
Dried peas, split chick-pea, black-eyed beans (soaked overnight and boiled) - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2
Tamarind (lemon-sized ball) - 1
Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 8tbsp
For the masala
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 4
Black gram - 1 tbsp
Black peppercorns - 4
For the seasoning
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies - 2
For the garnishing
Coriander leaves - a few
Cooking instructions
Par-boil vegetables and keep aside.
Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of hot water and strain.
Add the diced tomatoes, sambar powder, asafoetida and salt to the tamarind water and boil for about five minutes.
Roast the ingredients for the masala separately and grind to a fine paste with grated coconut in a blender.
Add the parboiled vegetables and the ground masala, to the tamarind water and boil till the vegetables are cooked.
Season and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
(Geetha Balakrishnan is an award-winning cookbook writer who also does live cookery shows on television.)
