Raw Tomato Kootu - Thakkali kai kootu

Raw to half ripe tomatoes tastes better if made into a kootu.

Ingredients 

1. Half ripe tomatoes - 7 -8
2. Coconut - 1 table spoon
3. Toor dal 1/4 cup 
4. Jeera - 1 teaspoon
5. Green chillies - 4
6. Channa dal ( kadalai paruppu) - 1 teaspoon
7. Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
8. Curry leaves - a few
9. Coriander leaves - a few
10. Oil -1 teaspoons
11. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon 

Pre-preparation:

1. Clean the toor dal and put it in the cooker vessel.
2. Add 1 cup of water.Pressure cook for 20 minutes ( till the dal becomes soft and mash able). Keep aside.
3. Grind the coconut, green chillies and jeera to a fine paste sprinkling water.Keep aside.      

Preparation:

1. In a kadai or thick bottomed vessel add 1/2 cup of water. Put in the channa dals first. Then add turmeric powder and the cut tomato pieces.
2. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the ground paste and the cooked dal. Mix well.
4. Cook for a few more minutes till the raw smell of the coconut - chilli paste disappears.
5. Using one  teaspoon of oil in a skillet ( kadai) put in the mustard seeds. Wait till they splutter.
6. Pour this to the cooked kootu. Add the curry leaves, Coriander leaves. 

This goes well with plain rice or just as an accompaniment.