Whenever we have an overdose of marriages or functions in the family or if there are a lot of festivals one after the other, sometimes, we all do get tired of eating rich food filled with ghee or oil and spices.  Many times, amma then makes a simple menu like Jeera Pepper Rasam to go with Paruppu Thogayal. Thogayal, is almost like a chutney that we have for dosa and idlis…Only thogayals are made to go with rice too. There are a gazillion varieties of thogayals that are made with all sorts of vegetables.

This is almost like eating the lentils uncooked, as they are simply dry roasted and then ground to a paste with spices and coconut.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup of Bengal Gram

1/4 cup of Toor Dhal.

1/3 – 1/2 cup of coconut (The more the coconut, the tastier)

7-8 black peppers.

4-5 Red Chillies.

Salt

A pinch of Hing

PREPARATION:

• Dry roast the bengal gram , toor dhal, black pepper and the red chillies in a clean kadai on a medium low flame. The secret is to slowly roast it until the aromas  are exuded. Increasing the heat, will only burn the lentils and lead to loss of flavour and time.
• Set aside to cool for a few minutes and then pop it in to a dry mixer jar.
• Add the coconut (fresh coconut would be very tasty). dessicated would also do.
• Add salt and then grind with as little water as possible. The consistency should be as shown.
• Serve with Jeera Pepper Rasam or Milagu Kuzhambu.