Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Toor Dal
• 2 tbsp Chana dal
• 2 Dried red chillies
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida powder / Hing
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 cups length-wise slit kovakkai
• 1 tsp oil
• 2 Dried red chillies
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds for tempering
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Preparation for usuli:
2. Soak 1/2 cup tuvar dal with 2 tbsp chana dal, either overnight or for 3 hours in warm water.
3. Grind this to a coarse paste with 2 broken dried red chillies, 1/4 tsp of asafoetida powder, pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt and a few curry leaves without adding any water.
4. Steam this paste in an idli-steamer or a regular steamer for 10-15 mins until the lentil paste is cooked.
5. Remove to a bowl once cooled and crumble into small pea-sized pieces. Keep aside.
6. Place the slit pieces of kovakkai in microwave safe bowl, sprinkle some water and cook them on high for 5 mins. Keep aside.
7. In a non-stick pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and put in the crumbled usili.
8. Stir them around on medium flame till golden and slightly crispy. This will take around 5-7 mins. Keep this aside.
9. In the same pan, take 1 tsp oil, put in the mustard seeds and broken red chilli pieces.
10. Once they crackle, put it the cooked kovakkai, salt to taste, stir around for 2 mins.
11. Add the stir-fried usili, stir together for 2 mins until they have come together.
12. Serve hot with mor kozhambu and rice along with some appalams.

Recipe courtesy of shilpa