Vadagam( Tempering used for South Indian dishes).

Many of my blogger friends were enquiring about the Vadagam and its preparation method. This an aromatic tempering used in many of South Indian and Chettinad dishes like Sambar, Kuzhambu and Kootu. This is my granny's recipe, which is passed on to my mother and to me.

Ingredients

Chinna Vengayam/ Shallots( Small onions)-1kg

Ulli Poondu/ Small garlic-1/2kg

Green chilles-1/4kg

Mustard seeds-50gms

Split Urad dal/ Split black gram dal-1/4kg

Jeera/ Cumin seeds-50gms

Fenugreek/ Methi seeds-25gms

Curry leaves-2 sprigs

Nallennai/ Gingelly oil-50gm

Velakennai/ Castor oil-50gm

Turmeric powder-4tsp

Method

Remove onion and garlic skins. Chop green chilles. Mince onion, garlic and green chilles in a mixer grinder( should be rough and coarse). To the onion mixture, add rest of the above said ingredients. Mix in both the oils to the mixture and make medium sized balls. Keep these balls in direct sunlight for 10 days. When these balls are fully dried, store it in airtight jars. You can store these vadagam balls for a year. 

Tips to prepare

Take 2 balls of vadagam, crush them and store it in small container. When used as tempering, to the medium hot oil add 1tsp of crushed vadagam and allow it to turn golden brown, then add the rest of the ingredients.( Do not burn the vadagam as they may turn bitter).

Lentil Soup for Idly and Dosa/ Paruppu Thakkali Soup

Preparation time-5mins

Cooking time-25mins

Serves-5

This is one of our traditional family recipe, i had not tasted this soup anywhere else. This soup is served along with hot idlys and crispy dosas. I also like eating this soup with steamed rice. This soup will be mild and great in taste. This soup is perfect for all ages. Its great food for the toddlers too. When feeding the toddlers you need to mash the steamed rice very well and add this soup generously to the rice and feed them.

Ingredients

Toor dal/ Split pigeon peas-1cup( washed and soaked for 1/2 hour)

Tomatoe-100gms( finely chopped)

Onion small-1( finely chopped)

Ghee-2tbsp

Red chilly powder-1/2tsp

Turmeric powder-1/4tsp

Pepper powder-1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Vadagam-1/2tsp

Method

Pressure cook the toor dal and tomatoes for 15 mins. Once the toor dal is well done, allow to cool and mash well with lentil masher. Strain the juice of the mashed toor dal with help of fine hole strainer. Add water to the toor dal residue and strain again, follow this step again and again till you get enough juice form the toor dal. Throw away the toordal residue since all the nutrients has been extracted through the juice. Collect this lentil juice in a deep vessel, add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt. Place the vessel on heat and bring to boil, simmer the soup for 5 mins. In the meantime heat a tadka pan and add ghee, when hot add the vadagam and onions, fry for few seconds. Add the onion tempering to the simmering soup. Turn off the heat and Serve this hot soup with Idly, Dosas or Steamed rice.