VADAI CURRY

[This is a famous side dish for Aappams in the Madras side]
Ingredients:
Onions‐3[nicely sliced]
Tomatoes‐½ kilo [crushed]
Garlic flakes‐12
Garlic paste‐1sp
Ginger paste‐1sp
Turmeric powder‐1sp
Enough salt to taste
Shredded coconut‐1 cup
Cardamom‐1
Clove‐1
Oil‐3 or 4 tbsps
FOR VADAI:
Bengal gram‐½ cup
Thur dal‐½ cup
Red chillies‐2
Green chillies‐2
Aniseed‐½ sp
Sliced onion‐1 cup
Coriander leaves and curry leaves‐¼ cup
METHOD:
Soak the dhals for an hour and grind coarsely with the chillies, enough salt
and the aniseeds. Do not add much water. The batter should be thick.
Mix the onions, curry leaves and the coriander leaves with the batter.
Pour the batter in an oil coated idli plate and steam them for 15 minutes.
Let it cool for some time and then cut it into small, even pieces.
Grind the coconut with the cardamom, clove and 2 cups of water, and
then extract the milk from it.
In a hot pan, pour the oil. When it is heated, add the onions, ginger and
garlic pastes, garlic flakes and the tomatoes.
When they are cooked and the oil floats on the surface, add the coconut
milk, turmeric powder, enough salt and 3 cups of water.
When the gravy is thickened slightly, add the vadai pieces and cook for
some more minutes.