Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

It's an Authentic tasty dish that fulfills a lunch!

Ingredients:

For Paruppu urundai:

1. Toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu: 1/4 kg
2. Red chilly- 3 nos
3. Asafoetida/ perungayam: 1/2 tspn
4. Salt- as needed for this urundai alone.
5. Oil- 2 hollow spatula/ 2 kuzhi karandi for sauting grinded urundai

For Kuzhambu:

1. Tamarind- 1 medium gooseberry sized
2. Ripened tomatoes: 2 medium sized or 4 small sized: make it as a smooth paste [I used naatu thakkali for this; which gives you nice tanginess]
3. Sambar powder: 3 tspn
4. Turmeric Powder: 1 tspn
5. Salt: to taste
6. Oil- 3 tspn for kuzhambu
7. Water- As needed

To Temper / Thaalika:

1. Mustard seeds/ kadugu- 1/4 tspn
2. Methi seeds/ venthayam- 1/4 tspn
3. Urad dhal/ uluntham parupu- 1/4 tspn

Method:

1. Soak toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu in water for 1 hour.
2. Soak tamarind in 2 tumbler water for 1/2 an hour. {or} You can also slightly pre-heat the soaked tamarind and leave it to cool for half an hour and extract it in a bowl.
3. In a mixer grinder, add the soaked toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu, red chillies, asafoetida/ perungayam and salt for the balls AND coarse grind [ravai patham] them without adding water.
4. Heat a kadai and add 2 kuzhi karandi oil, and add items mentioned in "To temper" EXCEPT methi seeds/ venthayam.
5. Once tempering items splatters, add the coarsely grinded paste to it and saute well until some moisture goes. Do it in a medium flame for 10 minutes. Dont over or under cook it.
6. Wet your hands and try to roll the concoction after 10 minutes. If you can roll it without sticking in ur hands, you are done with the parupu urundai mixture. Switch off the flame.
7. Let it cool for few minutes until you prepare the base kuzhambu.
8. Now heat a kadai, add 3 tspn of oil and add items mentioned in "To temper" INCLUDING methi seeds/ venthayam.
9. Once tempering items splatters, add the tomato paste, tamarind extract, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Let this gravy cook until raw smell goes off and reduce it to its 3/4th. Do it in a medium flame for 7-10 mins. Dont make it too thick, please have an eye.
10. Add 1-2 tumbler of water and salt needed for the base kuzhambu to this gravy. This kuzhambu must be little watery. Because after adding the toor daal balls, it will become thick in consistency. Toor daal normally thickens the dish. 
11. Meanwhile the base kuzhambu is getting ready, roll the toor daal/ paruppu urundai mixture into small lemon sized balls and keep it ready. 
12. Once the base kuzhambu is all set after reaching perfect consistency, simmer the stove.
13. Add all the paruppu urundai/ balls to the base kuzhambu and keep the flame to medium. Let it cook for 3-4 mins in medium flame. Then switch it off!
14. Garnish with curry leaves/ karuveppilai or coriander leaves/kothamalli or both!!!
15. Your mouth-watering Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu  is all ready to fill your tummy!!!!!!!

Suggestions:

1. Many use bengal gram/kadalai paruppu for making balls instead of toor daal/ thuvaram paruppu. I avoid bengal gram/kadalai paruppu completely since it gives bloating and flatulence [vaaivu].
2. Dont roll the daal balls/ paruppu urundai's neither loosely nor tightly. 
3. Loosely rolled balls may broken while getting cooked in base kuzhambu.
4. Tightly rolled balls may under cook along with base kuzhambu.
5. If the base kuzhambu seems to be very watery, mix a tspn of rice flour/arisi mavu in little water without creating lumps and add it to the base kuzhambu. It'll give you the right consistency. Remember, baze kuzhambu should be LITTLE WATERY not much.
6. You may lavishly sprinkle asafoetida/perungayam if you like its taste for adding authenticity in this dish.. It really tastes good, but it depends on your taste!!! :P