WADI AMBAT

Wadi Ambat,is my entry to Nupur from "One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables" event.This week's letter is "W", thanks for hosting Nupur!:)

Wadi Ambat:
What's Ambat? It's a Konkani/South Canara dish from Karnataka. Ambat means sour(Tamarind or Kokum) coconut gravy and Wadis are just an additional ingredient I chose to add bcos it fits "W"!;D You can add any beans like sprouted green Moong or veggies or meat if you like, to the gravy or traditionally served just like that as a spicy Coconut gravy with rice.
My grandmother makes it as "Tenginakai Saaru"(coconut saaru) as we call it in Mysore and it's always been my favorite although I don't make it often unless I have sprouted Moong. It's delicious with rice, hope you try!:)


Moong wadis; dried on the left and fried on the right:



You need:


1/4 cup Moong dal wadis(store bought or home made,make sure they are freshly dried within two months,not stale), fried until golden,salt and cilantro.
For seasoning: 1 tbsp oil and ghee mixed, 1/2 tsp each Mustard seeds and cumin seeds, few curry leaves,1-2 green chillies,slit lengthwise,1/2 onion,minced and a pinch of Hing.




For Ambat masala paste: Toast 2-3 red dry chillies,1 tbsp Coriander seeds,1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds(methi),1" cinnamon, 2 cloves and grind these with 1/8 tsp Turmeric,4 Cashews,1 cup fresh or coconut grated or cut,1 small piece of tamarind or 2 tsp thick tamarind juice,salt.




How to make Ambat:
1. Grind the masala paste with the above ingredients until you get a very smooth paste with 1/2 cup water and keep it aside.
2. Shallow fry the Wadis until golden,drain on the paper towel and cool.
3. Heat ghee and oil,add seasoning ingredients.When they splutter and the onion is reddish,add 1 cup water to cool the pan before adding masala,turn down the heat.
4. Add coconut paste, wash the blender bowl with 1/2 cup water and add to the pan along with salt.You must keep this on simmer to prevent the coconut from curdling.
5. Let it cook for 10mins until you see little ghee on top ,sauce is thickish and when you get a good smell of cooked coconut masala, Ambat ready! Take it off the heat.
6. Add fried wadis , minced cilantro and serve with plain rice and any side dish.

Note: You can skip the Cashews if you don't want your Ambat.You can also replace fresh grated coconut with 1 can of thick coconut milk,canned + water,but fresh coconut tastes best.

Another look:
Moong wadis do not float like that on top like in the photo,but sink to the bottom, become plump and soft when they are soaked for a while.You can also use sprouted and cooked green Moong instead of Wadis too.


How to make Moong wadis at home:
Soak 1 cup Moong dal until soft,drain all the water.Add salt, 2 tsp crushed cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp Chilli pd or flakes ,1/2 tsp Ajwain(Carom seeds)and grind it to a thick dough without adding water.Spread a wide plastic in the sun(in Summer of course!),drop small marble sized Moong wadis and let them dry until they are completely dry inside out.Store in a airtight jar.Fry in oil to use to add to any gravy.That's it!

Enjoy, have a great weekend and see you next week!:))