The Tam-Bram ubiquitous Thogayal

No meal in a Tam-Bram house is complete without a Thogayal atleast once a week. It is either consumed as part of the main course by mixing with rice and eating with a Kootu for an accompaniment or like a pickle with the main course. No amount of praise can do justice to the Thogayal. It stays for longer than Sambhar/Rasam/Kootu and it tastes just as yummy. When you have unannounced visitors dropping in for a meal, the Thogayal acts like a ready-mix that you can just mix with rice and serve as a 'Variety Rice" with a raita or papad or both. So here's my tribute recipe blog to this lovely find by our ancestors.

Most Thogayal is prepared in a similar manner, except for a variation in the main ingredient of a Thogayal. Hence for ease of understanding, I am mentioning the list of ingredients that are used for all the Thogayal's[pardon my apparent murder of the English language using the plural form for Thogayal...but in the matters of the tummy, such minor faux-pas must be ignored]

Ingredients
Oil-preferably Gingelly Oil or Nalla Ennai[else Sunflower oil is fine too]
Kadugu or Mustard Seeds
Ulutham Paruppu or Urad Dal
Kadla Paruppu or Channa Dal
Red Chillies
Tamarind paste or tamarind soaked in water
Salt
Asafoetida
Jaggery/Sugar[Optional]

Method
Roast all the above ingredients in oil until crisp and allow to cool.

1)Coriander or Kothamalli Thogayal

Blend all the roasted ingredients alongwith washed and cleaned coriander leaves to a fine paste.

2)Mint or Pudina Thogayal
Blend all the roasted ingredients alongwith washed and cleaned Mint leaves to a fine paste.

3)Onion or Vengaya Thogayal
Add sliced onions to the Thogayal ingredients and roast alongwith the other ingredients until the onion is transparent. Allow to cool.
Blend all the roasted ingredients in the blender to a fine paste

4)Curry Leaves or Karuvepillai Thogayal
Add washed curry leaves to the Thogayal ingredients and roast alongwith the other ingredients until the curry leaves are crisp. Allow to cool.
Blend all the roasted ingredients in the blender to a fine paste. Add water if necessary.

5)Coconut or Thengai Thogayal
Blend all the roasted ingredients alongwith grated coconut to a fine paste, adding water, as required.

6)Ridge gourd or Peerkangai Thogayal
Add skinned and chopped peerkangai the Thogayal ingredients at the end and roast alongwith the other ingredients . Allow to cool.
Blend all the roasted ingredients with a bit of grated coconut in the blender to a fine paste. Add water if necessary. The coconut gives a nice consistency to the Thogayal.

7)Brinjal or Kathrikkai Thogayal
If roasting Brinjal over gas, wash and coat the Brinjal with oil and roast directly on flame until the skin of the Brinjal is charred. Then drop the brinjal in water to be rid of its skin.
Blend all the roasted ingredients with roasted brinjal and some grated coconut to a fine paste. Add water if necessary. The coconut gives a nice consistency to the Thogayal.

8) Coriander and Mint Thogayal
Blend the roasted ingredients with a bunch of washed and cleaned Coriander and Mint leaves to a fine paste.

Chutney Attack

I can confirm that all cooks go through a crest and trough in their cooking moods. While it is an exhilarating high on some days and you want to cook all that you can, it is an abyssmal low on some when you are happy either doing a make-over of left-overs[to save that "good cook" reputation] or just making something plain and simple...well, for some reason, I dont seem to want to get away from cooking. So on low days I cook simple stuff and on high days...well, its not-so-simple stuff. And when i get into these "Attack" moods its simply experimenting all the way. Here are some tried and tested Chutney recipes that I have managed to post after a long time. I suppose I could post the pics later...But as for the recipes, here we go.

Coconut Chutney
Ingredients
Coconut
Green Chillies
Odacha Kadla[you can substitute this with Cashewnut or Peanut or roasted Channa Dal]
Salt
Coriander[optional]
Sugar[optional]
Water

Method

• Mix all the above ingredients in a blender/mixer to a fine paste.
• You can consume the chutney as it is as an accompaniment for Idly/Dosa or add a seasoning of Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Asafoetida and Curry leaves in oil.

p.s: I have not mentioned measures as you can add the ingredients depending on what taste you want dominating in the chutney

Peanut Chutney
Ingredients
Roasted Peanuts
Green Chillies
Big onions
Coriander[optional]
Salt
Asafoetida
Tamarind Paste/Tamarind the size of a small gooseberry soaked in hot water
Sugar[optional]

Method
Mix all the above ingredients in a blender/mixer to a fine paste.
You can consume the chutney as it is as an accompaniment for Idly/Dosa or add a seasoning of Mustard seeds and Curry leaves in oil.

p.s: I have not mentioned measures as you can add the ingredients depending on what taste you want dominating in the chutney

Chettiar Vengaya Chutney
Ingredients
Sliced Onions
Red Chillies
Tamarind Paste/Tamarind the size of a small gooseberry
Oil-to roast
Salt
Sugar[optional]

Method
Saute/fry all the ingredients in oil except Salt and Sugar. Allow to cool.
Mix all sauteed ingredients alongwith salt and sygar in a blender/mixer to a fine paste.
You can consume the chutney as it is as an accompaniment for Idly/Dosa or add a seasoning of Mustard seeds, Urad Dal, Asafoetida and Curry leaves in oil.

p.s: I have not mentioned measures as you can add the ingredients depending on what taste you want dominating in the chutney