Kadala Kozhambu (Chick peas in tamarind-coconut milk gravy)

This is a recipe passed on through generations. My grandma makes this tangy, coconut-milk rich gravy and adds cooked chick peas to it. My hubby loves this too, as he has tasted this from his grandma as well :) So yeah, it's an old recipe, propagated well.

What You Need -

Chick peas/ Garbanzo beans/ White Channa - 1 cup
Tamarind - a small ball of 2" diameter
Thick Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Asafoetida/Hing - 2 drizzles
Sambar powder - 2 heaped teaspoons (Available in Indian stores)
Turmeric powder/ Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

To Temper -

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 tsp

Preparatory Steps -

1. Soak Channa overnight. If you're pressed for time, then soak them for 2-3 hours and pressure-cook with a pinch of baking soda.

2. Soak tamarind in hot water and extract juice from it. Strain the impurities and seeds away.

3. Extract coconut milk from coconut and use the first and second grade milk in this recipe. Or, you may just use store-bought coconut cream/milk. You'll need only 3 tbsp of commercial brands, as these are very thick.
Please check out my notes here on how to get different grades of coconut milk. 

Method -

• Take tamarind water in a pan.
• Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, hing and salt and boil for 5 minutes.
• Add cooked channa and boil together for 10 minutes.

• Simmer and add second grade coconut milk.

• Next, add thick coconut milk and switch off.
• If you find the gravy to be too thick, add some channa stock (water in which channa is cooked). Alternatively, you may soak tamarind in that water to save some nutrients :)

• Take a mini-kadai, heat 1 tsp oil and splutter mustard seeds. Tear and throw some curry leaves. Pour this to the gravy that's ready.

This is a variety of kozhambu or sambar that's eaten with rice. You can enjoy this with any dry curries  like Potato fry or Colocasia roast.