Devasa Thogayal/Inji Thogayal/Puli Thogayal

Hope all are back to routine after a weekend of festivities. So here is a simple recipe that aids in digestion and is great for the taste buds after all the heavy sweets and snacks.

This Thogayal forms a part of the Devasa Chappadu (Shradha Meal) in our family. The Devasa chappadu consists of many kinds of thorans and pachadis with special vegetables like Raw Banana, Yam, Bitter gourd, Broad Beans etc. The method of preparation is also slightly different. There are different palaharams like appam, vadai, uppittu, sugiyan, ellu urundai etc. The menu and number of items differ from one household to other. Usually, the number of items is so much that it is difficult to finish the entire meal. Among all these different items my favourite is this thogyal. Like I said, each family has their own way of cooking, even my MIL’s version is different. But I like this one which my grandmother and mother make.

This thogyal is almost black in colour because of the tamarind and the curry leaves and has a tangy sweet taste with the slight kick from the ginger.

What you’ll need

1. Tamarind – size of a lemon
2. Ginger – 2 to 2.5 inch piece
3. Jaggery – same amount as tamarind
4. Fresh Curry Leaves – ¾ cup, tightly packed
5. Scraped Coconut Fresh/frozen – 2 tbsp
6. Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak the Tamarind in very little hot water if the tamarind is hard. If it is soft and can be ground without soaking then no need to soak.
2. Peel, wash and chop ginger. Wash the curry leaves and keep ready.
3. Add the chopped ginger into the small mixie jar and grind, then add the curry leaves and give a pulse, next add the tamarind and grind until everything is combined well and resembles a paste. Try to grind without adding water.
4. Now add the salt and jaggery and grind, until combined.
5. Do a taste check and add salt or jaggery if required.
6. Now heat a small kadai, with a tsp of oil, fry the scraped coconut until brown.
7. Add the ground paste to the Kadai and mix well and just stir on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl.

Serve with rice and Molagootal or with curd rice.