thayirsaadham

I have always wanted to make onion chutney and sambar like how we get at the restaurants. I thought I will start with the less daunting dish - onion chutney. This came out good. So, I will try the sambar some day.
In the meantime, if any of you have the recipe for hotel sambar, please point me to it.

Ingredients

1. Onion - 2
2. Red chillies - 3
3. Urad dhal - 2 tsp
4. Cilantro - 1 bunch
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. Coriander powder - 2/3 tsp
7. Salt - according to taste
8. Tamarind - a small ball
9. Oil - 1 tbsp
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
11. Asafoetida - a pinch

In the first picture, starting from the top (in clockwise direction) - urad dhal, cilantro, cumin seeds, coriander powder, red chillies and mustard seeds in the center.

Method

1. Dry roast 1 tsp of urad dhal and red chillies.
2. Cut the onions into very small pieces and roast them in 1/2 tbsp oil till they turn light brown. Set aside to cool.
3. Grind the onions with the urad dhal, red chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder, cilantro, tamarind and the salt. Add very little water to make a thick paste.
4. Take 1/2 tbsp of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add 1 tsp of urad dhal and fry till they are light brown. Then, add asafoetida and pour this on top of the chutney.

You can also add curry leaves while doing the tadka. I did not add any as I did not have any. So, I just added some cilantro

This makes an awesome combination with dosai, idly, pongal.