Togaribele/ Pigeon pea Chutney

Chutneys are incredibly versatile condiment. Of course chutney assumes a different dimension in the western world. In India chutney mostly conjures up images of freshly ground, fragrant sweet-sour-spicy condiment that goes well with practically everything from breads like Roti to hot rice. In the western hemisphere Chutney instead conjures up images of bottled sugary jelly like substance that has a hint of some spice and fruit! That is how different chutney can be.
Well now for an authentic old time Kannada recipe. This is a Chutney mom seldom made because it was simply forgotten and kind of old fashioned. This is one more recipe that she had to dig out from her memory chest. Like all recipes this one too brought back some memories. Apparently my grandmother who is a fabulous cook (all grandmothers are for some reason fabulous cooks!!!) never made chutney this way. All legume chutneys like toor dal, green gram, Channa dal chutneys are poor people’s food. After all during those days, legumes and grains were the staple food of poor people. Not many could afford expensive spices or ingredients like coconut, assorted fresh vegetables and fruits. My grandmother whose father was the village headman hailed from a wealthy family and knew to cook the more elaborate dishes like sweets. But she was married to a less fortunate household and her MIL, i.e. my great grandmother taught her to eat like the unprivileged majority!!! This is what it was back then. Once the fortunes of the family improved these legume chutneys gradually took a back seat and were made occasionally. Mom tells me that when one of the children in the family, there were six of them, fell sick and recovered they were served these chutneys as the chutney tends to tickle the bland sick palate. In fact mom says they got to eat white bread only when they fell sick and prayed to fall sick so that they could get to eat white bread with coffee and subsequently legume chutney!



We will need,
Toor dal/Split Pigeon peas   1/2 C
Dried Red Chillies  5-6 (adjust according to taste, but chutney should be on the spicier side)
Tamarind                1/2 tsp (extract)         
Garlic                     1 clove
Curry Leaves          5-6
Coconut                 1 tbsp
Salt to taste


Method:

1. Toast Toor dal on a skillet till golden in colour and fragrant.
2. Toast the chillies, curry leaves on a skillet. Combine all ingredients, little water and pulse till combined but still coarse. Serve with hot rice or breads like Naan/Roti