Vadagam - Tasty Tempering Balls

All I can say is that the secret of the tastiest South Indian Sambhar or Kuzhambu is revealed here!























Ingredients:
  • Small onions - 5 kg very finely chopped
  • Black mustard seeds - 100 gms
  • Fenugreek seeds - 10 gms
  • Jeera - 100 gms
  • Urad dal (broken) - 50 gms
  • Kadalai Paruppu (Bengal gram) - 50 gms
  • Crushed Garlic - 1/2 kg
  • Rock salt - 3 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - 2 bunches
  • Castor Oil - 5 tbsp

Method:

  1. Take a huge bowl, mix onion and crushed garlic.
  2. Then add all the other ingredients except oil. 
  3. Keep mixing until all the ingredients even out.
  4. Press it firmly into the bowl, almost forming a cake.
  5. Pop a lid and leave it for 2 days. 
  6. On the third day, squeeze out all the water from the mixture and add to another dry plate. Do not discard the water.
  7. Sun dry the tempering mixture for 8 - 9 hours ( 7 am to 4 pm), then add this again to the water and soak till next morning.
  8. Squeeze the water out again (quanity may have reduced), and dry the mixture again.
  9. Repeat this cycle, till no water remains. Once this happens, dry it our for  3 days. Ensure a little moisture remains.
  10. Now take the castor oil, pour 1 tbsp and a time and mix. the consistency should be sticky enough to make balls.
  11. Dry this out for 10 days. This process is important for tempering balls to have great shelf life (2 - 3 years)
  12. Use this little by little for tempering in sambar, kuzhambu, gravies and more!