Vengaya Thogayal (Onion Thogayal)

Thogayal is a rice accompaniment made with different types of lentils and/or vegetables. It is similar to a chutney, but has a more thicker consistency, usually mixed with rice and partaken.

Some types of thogayal I have tried so far: Vengaya(Onion) Thogayal, Thengai(Coconut) Thogayal, Peerkangai(Chinese okra) thogayal, Paruppu(Toor dhal) Thogayal , Pudhina(Mint) thogayal and some mixed thogayals.

Here is my recipe for Vengaya Thogayal. The same method can be used for most of the other types of thogayal.

Ingredients
Red Onion (Vengayam) - Chopped into medium size (1'' x 1'') about 2.5 cups
Red Chillies (Chaeppu milagai) - 4
Split Urad Dhall (Udacha Ulutham paruppu) - 4-5 teaspoons
Asofoetida powder (Perungaya podi) - 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder (Manjal podi) - 1/4 teaspoon
Tamarind (Puli) - 1 small piece (1'' x 1'')
Salt - less than 1/4 teaspoon
Vegetable/Canola Oil (Ennai) - 1.5 teaspoons


Heat Oil in a non stick pan. Add Asofoetida powder, red chillies, urad dhall and saute it for about a minute. Once the Urad Dhall turns light brown, empty the contents(except the oil) from the pan to a plate.

Add the chopped onions , Turmeric & Tamarind to the pan and saute well. Cover the pan with a lid for 2-3 minutes and let the onions cook on medium heat. Sprinkle little water and mix well. Alternately saute and cover with a lid till the onions are well cooked. Let the onions cool down after they are cooked.

Now in a blender or Mixer, coarse grind the Urad Dhall/Red Chilli and empty the contents to a bowl. Grind the cooled onions into a paste. Add this paste to the dry powder in the bowl.
Mix well, and add salt to taste.

Vengaya Thogayal goes well with Chapathi, Dosai, Idlis, Adai and Rice.

Serving Size: 4

Other ingredients that you can use to make Thogayal are : Chow Chow (Chayote Squash), Pusanikkai (pumpkin), Thakkali (Tomato), Cilantro (Kothamalli), Curry Leaves(Karuveppilai)
Note: Some of the ingredients listed for making Thogayal might not need cooking as described above for the onions.