INGREDIENTS:
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Dry red chillies - 3 or 4
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tsp.
Hing
Tamarind - half the size of lemon
Rasam powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
Tomato - 1 big
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
To temper:
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig
METHOD:
For the urundais (balls):
Soak toor dhal and red chillies in water for 1 hour. Drain the water completely and grind to a coarse paste alongwith salt. Heat oil, add this paste and saute well till the colour changes and well cooked. Alternatively, you can steam in idli plates for 10 minutes. When cool, shape into small balls. Keep aside.
For the rasam:
Grind tomato to puree. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water and extract juice from it. In a deep vessel, add pureed tomato, tamarind extract, salt, and hing. When it boils, add rasam powder. Allow it to boil till the raw smell is diffused. Now add 3 1/2 cups of water. When it is slightly hot, "simmer the stove" and add the balls (koftas) one by one gently. Now, cook in "medium flame" till the balls float on top ( approx. 6-7 minutes).
Transfer to a serving dish and temper with the given ingredients. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.