Serves - 2

Prep Time - 15 minutes | Cook Time - 30 minutes

Sothi is a popular side dish for dosas, idiyappams, appams, idlies in the southern part of Tamil Nadu where my family comes from. This style of making it, is from a town called Tirunelveli where my mum was raised. Tirunelveli Sothi is such a hearty, warm, subtle alternative for a Sambar. Sri Lanka has its own style of Sothi too. The clay pot really adds such a beautiful depth of flavour to this dish. It's sadly not the same with a steel pot...

1 cup mung dal (soaked overnight)

1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, potatoes, green beans, cauliflower — cubed and boiled

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 sprig curry leaves (about 14 leaves)

1.5 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 red onion, diced

2 cups fresh coconut milk

Juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)

Salt, to taste
 

Drain and wash the mung dal. Add it to a pot and with plenty of water and cook with the lid off on medium to high heat until it's soft, this may take about 20 minutes. Scoop of and discard any foam that rises to the surface.

Strain the mung dal and set aside.

In a clay pot, combine the cooked mung dal, boiled vegetables, and coconut milk. Let it simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate frypan or wok, heat the coconut oil. Once hot, add the curry leaves and let them splutter. Then add 1 tablespoon of the chopped ginger and the diced red onion. Sauté until the onions turn fragrant and golden brown.
 

Add this sautéed mixture to the simmering mung dal and vegetables in the clay pot. Stir well.

Season with salt to taste. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of ginger and give it a final stir.

Turn off the heat and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.