Thatta Payir or Karamani Kuzhambu (Cowpea Curry)

Ingredients:

• Cowpea (Thatta Payir or Karamani) – 200 g
• Onion – 1
• Tomato – 1
• Tamarind – 1 Table spoon
• Garlic cloves – 10
• Fenugreek seeds – ½ Tea spoon
• Turmeric powder – ¼ Tea spoon
• Red chili powder – ½ Table spoon
• Coriander powder - ½ Table spoon
• Grated coconut (ground) – 1 Table spoon
• Oil – 2 Table spoon
• Mustard seeds – ¼ Tea spoon
• Cumin seeds – ½ Tea spoon
• Urad dal - ½ Tea spoon
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaf - 1
• Coriander leaves - few

 Method:

• Soak cowpea over night in water. Discard soaked water and rinse them well in fresh water.
• Cook them with little salt and water. Keep it aside.
• Chop onion and tomato.
• Soak tamarind in 100 ml water and extract juice.
• Heat oil in a vessel and add mustard seeds. When they pop up add fenugreek seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and slightly crushed garlic cloves. Sauté them well.
• Add onion and a pinch of salt. Fry till onion is slightly brown.
• Add tomato, curry leaves, tamarind juice, turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook them well.
• Now add cooked cowpea with its water. Adjust salt, add enough water for the gravy and cook the mixture until it is done.
• Add ground coconut, cook few seconds and turn off heat.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• It goes very well with steamed rice.