Paruppu Thogayal Recipe, How to make Paruppu Thogayal

Recipe for Paruppu Thogayal, the dal or lentil chutney from TamilNadu using toor dal. Before I even go into the recipe, let me start off by saying that I know my paruppu thogayal looks like hummus. Imagine making something so drab and brown look pretty! I just ran out of ideas so make a dent with the back of the spoon, sprinkled some Kashmiri chilli powder over it and then poured some nallennai on top.

I can't think Paruppu Thogayal without thinking of Kavya, my niece. This is her absolute favourite! The sis makes it super well and this is one of those recipes that I learnt for TH. Super easy, very versatile, and you can find a few good uses for it apart from just mixing it with rice.

Also check out:
Moong dal thogayal recipe
Kothamalli thogayal recipe
Chow chow thogayal
Eggplant chutney
Thakkali Chutney
Peanut chutney

Paruppu Thogayal / Lentil Chutney Recipe

Makes about 1.5 cups 
Serves 4
Preparation time: 2 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
1 cup of toor dal / thuvar dal
¼ to ⅓ cup of grated coconut
3 cloves of minced garlic (optional)
3-4 of dry red chillies
A pinch of hing / perungaayam / asafoetida
2 tablespoon of oil
Salt

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a wide pan and add the toor dal. Fry until reddish golden brown - about 3-4 mins.

2. Switch off flame and add the coconut and minced garlic (you can also add chopped garlic pieces since you are going to grind it anyway). Mix well.

3. Next, add the red chillies and the hing. Mix well with salt. Set aside to cool completely.

PS: You can combine steps 2 and 3 and add everything in one go.

4. Grind to a coarse paste with enough water.

Done! Goes best with rice and vatral kuzhambu. Absolutely yum! TH also lives paruppu thogayal and curd rice.

Notes:

- You can add a hint of tamarind if you wish, and omit the garlic if you don't like the flavour. Also, use this as a dip for pita bread or chips, will taste great and will be a good change from the traditional party dips.

- If you prefer a more smooth paruppu thogayal, soak the roasted dal mixture for about an hour and grind to a smooth paste. You can omit the coconut if you wish too. Another idea that my sis does is to powder the dal mixture, add water to the mixie jar and let it soak in the jar for 30 mins. Grind a bit more, add a bit more water, let it soak, and then after another 30 mins, grind it fully. This will reduce the need for more bowls and you can get it all done in the mixie jar - soaking and grinding.