Mochai kottai Puli kulambu / Mochai kai kara kulambu:

Mochai - Val dal / Field Beans or Hyacinth Beans.  A tamarind based curry famous in Tirunelveli of Tamilnadu, India. This curry is poured over rice on everyone's plate. It should be mixed with hands and enjoyed as main course meal during lunch or dinner. This rice and curry is accompanied with some vegetable curries or appalam. This is a spicy curry.

Ingredients:
Mochai kottai / val dhal -  3/4 cup

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder  - 1 tsp
water - 2 cups
salt - 2 tsp

Small Brinjal - 2
Tomato - 1
Tamarind - small lime size

To Grind:

Red onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)

Shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

Cumin - 1 tsp

To  Temper:
Mustard - 1 tsp
Methi seeds- 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Hing - 1 pinch

Note:
(If you are using the fresh beans then just start from the method.
otherwise go for pre soaking.)
Preparation:

Dry roast the mochai kottai, till u see dark spots on the outer layer and a nice aroma. (takes 5 mins)
Then rinse it with water twice. Add water till it gets well immersed. Soak for an hour (just 15 mins is enough).

While it is soaking, start cooking the other stuffs or make the side dish or rice.

Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract juice using 2 cups of water.

Pressure cook:
This mochai kottai can be cooked in stove top too, but it takes nearly an hour. It is also common to soak this dal overnight instead of dry roasting it. (dry roasting makes this curry more yummy).

So to save fuel, we are Pressure cooking it.

In stove top pressure cooker, let it make one whistle. Then reduce flame and cook for 5 minutes.

Instant pot:

In electric pressure cooker, touch the 'pressure cook' button. Set time to 5 mins. 

It will be ready within 15 mins.

Method:

After cooking the mochai kottai, add turmeric, salt, chili powder, coriander powder and keep aside.

Cut the eggplant / brinjal into long size pieces.

Chop the tomato finely.
Heat oil in a pan.
Crackle mustard seeds , add fenugreek seeds , curry leaves and asafoetida.
Add the cut chopped onion, brinjal and fry till eggplant gets semi cooked (wilt).
Then add the mochai kottai with masalas, Mix well.

Add the tamarind juice.

Let it boil till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes.

Add the prepared coconut masala and cook covered (5 mins).

Cook till the vegetables become tender.

Switch off and serve hot.
Yummy Mochai kottai kulambu is ready.

Serving suggestions:
Makes 3 cups of thick spicy Puli kulambu.
It can be served for 4 people.
Serve hot with steamed rice and and any vegetable side dish or with egg omelet.

மொச்சைக்கொட்டை புளி குழம்பு 

மொச்சைக்கொட்டை -  3/4 கப் 

மஞ்சள் தூள் - 1/2 தேக்கரண்டி 

மிளகாய் தூள் - 1 தேக்கரண்டி 

மல்லி தூள்  - 3 தேக்கரண்டி 

தண்ணீர்  - 2 கப் 

கல்உப்பு  - 2 தேக்கரண்டி 

கத்தரிக்காய் - 2 

தக்காளி - 1

புளி - சின்ன எலுமிச்சை அளவு 

அரைக்க : 

வெங்காயம்  - 1 /2 கப் 

துருவிய தேங்காய்  - 1/4 கப் 

சீரகம்  - 1 தேக்கரண்டி 

தாளிக்க :

கடுகு  - 1 தேக்கரண்டி 

வெந்தயம்  1/2 தேக்கரண்டி 

கறிவேப்பிலை  - 1 கொத்து 

நல்லெண்ணெய்  - 2 மேஜைக்கரண்டி 

பெருங்காயம்  - 1 சிட்டிகை 

Mochai payaru curry

Every simple dish in the Indian houses would have a story behind it, just like the dad bringing pakoda for rasam rice on a rainy night or brother's surprise parotta or loving aunt's instant vadai for curd rice etc.

I have seen this delicious mochai payaru curry in the households of Kovilpatti , Sivakasi (small towns of TamilNadu, India) etc, where each and every member of family would be employed in a cottage Industry. In that area, we can see small food stalls selling this curry wrapped in banana leaf in the late evening, which can reduce a bit of the females' burden after a long day. May be they can make a quick meal with some rice and rasam to have with this super spicy curry.

Here is the recipe for that spicy mochai kai curry.

Other names: Mochai payaru (Tamil), Val dal (Hindi),Hyacinth bean or field bean (English)



Ingredients:
Dry Mochai payaru - 1 cup (or) Fresh ones - 1/2 kg
Shallot onion - 4
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tsp
fennel seeds (sombu)- 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
coriander powder - 2 tsp
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
tomato - 1 (chopped)
salt - to taste

Preparation:
(If you are using the fresh beans then just start from the method.
otherwise go for pre soaking.)
Dry roast the mochai kottai to get dark spots on the outer layer and a nice aroma with some popping sound.
Then rinse it with water twice. Add water till it gets well immersed. Soak for an hour.
(We can soak it overnight also, if we don't want to roast it.)
Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
(we can cook it in stove top also, but it will take an hour).


Procedure:
Shell the val dhal , wash and clean the beans inside.
Bring to boil enough water and cook the beans to tender.

In a blender , grind the shallot, coconut and cumin seeds together to a coarse paste.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the fennel seeds and let it become red. Then goes the curry leaves.
Immediately add the cooked beans along with the remaining water.
Now add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Slide in chopped tomatoes. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes.

Then add the ground masala and keep stirring occasionally, till the koottu / curry becomes a thick gravy.

Mochai kottai koottu is ready.

Serving suggestions:
Serves 4 people .
Serve hot with chapathi, roti , curd rice, rasam rice or sambar rice.