Paruppu Thogayal

Thick roasted lentil chutney paste — toor dal or chana dal dry-roasted in a few drops of oil until deeply golden and nutty, ground coarse with dried red chilli, tamarind, garlic (in Iyer preparation), and salt into a thick, grainy, intensely flavoured paste that holds its shape when placed on a plate. The thogayal is thicker and more intensely flavoured than any liquid chutney; it is eaten in small quantities mixed into rice with ghee, the richness of the roasted lentil carrying the meal's protein. Made fresh daily in traditional Tamil Brahmin kitchens; the roasting depth — how dark the dal is taken — is the primary flavour variable. The most nourishing of the Tamil Brahmin condiments.