Bharathi Aunty's Mochai Kuzhambu

This is a special kuzhambu that a close family friend of ours makes and it's so tasty and creamy. I tasted this about 3 years ago and loved it... so when she visited us a while ago, I was sure to get this recipe from her. This uses dry mochai beans and so I made it a point to get a pack during our recent trip to India.

This recipe can be made with white channa, rajma beans & dried green peas as well besides mochai. You may have to lower the amount of tamarind accordingly for these however.

MOCHAKOTTAI KUZHAMBU

Ingredients:
Dried mochai beans - 1 cup
Tamarind - small lemon sized (lesser than what is used for puli kuzhambu), soaked
Garlic cloves (whole) - 6 to 8, peeled
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Brinjals - 1 or 2, small (optional, I didn't use)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Coconut milk - 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Grind to a fine paste (with water as required):
Chilli powder - 2.5 tsp
Coriander powder - half tsp
Cumin powder - 2.5 tsp
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Method:
1) Dry roast the mochai for a few mins and soak for 3 hours atleast or overnight. Pressure cook the soaked mochai beans with a bit of salt, till soft - about 3 whistles. Extract tamarind juice from the soaked tamarind piece.


2) Heat the oil, season with cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida, toss in the garlic cloves and chopped onion. Fry this till golden brown. Also add brinjal and fry (if using)

3) Now add the ground paste and fry this for a minute. Next add the tamarind extract and salt. When this boils, add the cooked beans and allow this to boil for another 5 minutes.

4) Add the coconut milk and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or till oil separates.

Serve this delicious curry with rice.

I would like to send this to JFI-Tamarind hosted by Sig and also to AFAM-Coconut event hosted by Suganya. JFI was started by Indira and AFAM by Maheshwari.

Also check out
1) Seema's version of the same recipe (from the same source) and
2) My mom's version of Mochai Kuzhambu.