Vengaya Thuvayal (onion thuvayal)

Cooking time - 10 minutes

You'll need

Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
Dried red chillies - 2
Tamarind - 1 tsp, soaked in warm water (or about the size of a pound coin or 5 rupee coin)
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Here's how to
1. Heat oil (saving a tsp for later) and toss in the onions. Saute for about a minute and then add red chillies and urad dal (save 1/2 tsp for later)
2. Cook until onions are browned. Don't burn them though
3. Wait until it has cooled, grind to a paste along with soaked tamarind. Add a little water while grinding. Season with salt
4. Heat the rest of the oil in a small pan. When hot, drop mustard seeds and once they stop crackling, add the remainder of urad dal, turn off heat. Pour on thuvayal . Can be served with rice, dosai, idli or try spreading it inside pita bread pockets and filling it with salad

Note: Use the same recipe and replace onion with carrots, coconut or brinjal. Or even do a carrot-onion or coconut-onion combo.