Roasted Vanpayar Curry

Roasted vanpayar / red gram curry makes a delicious curry to have along with rice. In conversation with my father, he recollected a vanpayar curry that his mother used to make. Along with my father i cooked this vanpayar curry and we enjoyed a good meal.

Ingredients

1 cup - Brown vanpayar

To grind

1/2 shell - Coconut, grated
6 - Shallots / small onion
1/2 tsp - Jeera / Cumin seeds
5 -  Dry red chilli Or 1 tsp -  Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
4 - shallots, sliced
4 - Dry red chili
2 tbsp - Grated coconut
2 to 4 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Wash the vanpayar well and drain off the water. In a big pan dry roast the payar, on low flame, till you get the roasted smell. Cool the payar. Then transfer the payar into a blender and pulse, two to three times to crush it. Do not powder it, just have to get it crushed and split.

2 ) In a pressure cooker, add two cups of water and make it warm. When warm, add the crushed payar to it. Close the lid and pressure cook. After the first whistle, simmer and cook for 3 more whistles. Turn off the cooker.

3 ) Grind in a blender the ingredients listed to be ground with enough water. Open the cooker and add ground paste. Add enough water to get a thick gravy. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes and turn off the stove.

4 ) In a pan heat 2 to 3 tbsp coconut oil. Add mustard, then dry chili, then shallots and fry it to light brown color. Then add the grated coconut and fry it to a light brown color. Add curry leaves and pour this seasoning on top of the payar curry. Cover with lid.

Serve along with rice to make a delicious meal.