Ingredients:

• Rice – 1 cup
• Dal – 1/2 cup
• Vegetables – 1 cup
• Tamarind – size of a small Lime
• For Masala Paste:
• Grated copra (dry coconut) – 4 tbsp
• Red Chillies – 5
• Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
• Peppercorns – 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon – 2 pieces
• Maratha moggu – 2
• Black gram dal – 1 tsp, heaped
• Bengal Gram dal – 1 tsp, heaped
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• For Seasoning:
• Ghee – 3-4 tbsp
• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts – a few
• Curry leaves – a few

Method:

1. Wash dal and place in a thick bottomed pan with 4 cups of water.
2. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp ghee. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the fire and let the dal simmer gently.
4. Meanwhile wash and cut the vegetables.
5. Roast the masala ingredients with a little ghee and grind to a coarse paste with some water.
6. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water and extract the juice (or use 1 tbsp ready-made tamarind paste).
7. Wash the rice and drain. Add it to the dal when it is cooked. Add more water if necessary.
8. When rice is cooked, add the vegetables.
9. When the vegetables are cooked, add salt and tamarind juice. Simmer without covering for 5 minutes.
10. Add the masala paste. Simmer for 3 more minutes and remove from fire.
11. Heat ghee in a small frying pan and season with mustard, cashew nuts and curry leaves.
12. Add to the rice and cover immediately.