Ulunthanchoru(Rice and urad dal medley) with Black Chutney and Egg Avial

Ulunthanchoru is a medley of rice and lentil(urad dal)-one of the traditional dishes of nanjil nadu.Its accompanied by varuthu aracha thovaiyal(chutney made with roasted coconut) and egg avial and also pappad(am).Our family also likes eating it with crushed jaggery and ghee-a divine combination.Some people also make meat curry with this rice though i havent tasted that combo. This is a nutritional dish too,since urad dal is high in protein.

Ulunthanchoru

Ingredients:
Rice 3/4 cup
Urad dal 1/3 cup
Grated Coconut 1/2 cup
Dry ginger powder(chukku) 1 or 2 pinches
Salt to taste
Water 2 1/4 cups (i.e. 3cups of water for every cup of rice)

To Season:
Ghee,Mustard seeds,Curry leaves

Method:
1.Slightly toast the dal in a pan and let it cool.Wash the rice along with the cooled dal and add them to a pressure cooker.
2.Add all the remaining ingredients including the seasoning and switch on the stove.
3.When steam starts coming out,place the weight and lower the flame to sim.Wait for 3 whistles and switch off the flame.Once all the steam escapes,open the cooker and transfer the rice to a serving bowl.

Black Chutney

This is a spicy chutney made with roasted coconut and hence it stays fresh for long without refrigeration.I remember my mom packing this thovaiyal along with hot idlies for our train journeys.Before the prevalence of aluminium foil,amma used to pack tiffin in banana leaves which gives a wonderful aroma to any food.Gone are those days...

Ingerdients:
Grated Coconut 1/2 cup
Corrinader Seeds 1 tbsp
Red Chillies 4 no.s (or according to taste)
Garlic 2 big cloves
Curry Leaves 1 sprig

To Season:
Oil,Mustard Seeds,Hing.

Method:
1.Roast all ingredients except the seasoning with a tsp or two of oil.Let it cool
2..Grind them in a mixie with little water to make a paste.
3.Heat some oil and add mustard seeds and hing and add it to the chutney.

This also goes well with idly,dosa.

Egg Avial

Ingredients:
Boiled Egg 3
Coconut 2 handful
Red Chilly 2-3
Turmeric 1/8 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Shallots/small onions 2

Seasoning:
Oil,Mustard Seeds,Curry Leaves,1/8th of a big onion -thinly sliced

Method:
1.Grind coconut,chillies,shallots,turmeric,cumin to a coarse paste by adding little water.
2.In a pan,splutter mustard seeds in hot oil and also add curry leaves.You can also add vadagam if u like the flavour.Now add the sliced onions and saute it for 2 mins.
3.Add the ground paste to the pan with little water.Boil it for 3-4 mins and then add the boiled eggs.Slightly slit the eggs before adding ,so that the masala seeps inside the egg.Switch off the stove after 2 mins.Serve hot with ulunthanchoru.