I consider thengai thogayal to be the ultimate comfort food. I grew up eating this coconut thuvayal on top of steaming hot rice and a lot of ghee. Amma would usually make Milagu Jeera rasam to go with it and we will eat it either with some kind of roasted curry or just appalam (papad). There are days when we have no fresh produce and this thogayal is the perfect recipe for those days. My mother used to make it as a quick dinner on days when we travel and come home after a long day.
Why this recipe works?
First and fore most this is a very quick recipe with just the basic ingredients. We always have coconut available in the South Indian kitchen and that makes it even easier. The thengai thogayal tastes amazing with rice. We don’t need any fancy main dish to go with it. It is absolutely delicious. So delicious that you will come back for more. It is vegan and gluten free. Just make sure that the asafetida you use for the recipe is gluten free as it usually has some wheat flour mixed with it.
Ingredients needed
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes. Coconut - We need fresh grated coconut to make the thengai thuvayal. I have always been using grated frozen coconut and it works well. Check the notes in the bottom to see how to use the frozen coconut. Lentil - We use urad dal for thuvayal. We can use split ullutham paruppu or whole. Seasoning - We use mustard seeds and asafetida to season. Chilies - I use both fresh green chilies and dry red chilies when making my coconut thuvayal. We can skip the green chilies and just use the dry red chilies as well. But my mother always used fresh ones for flavor. Oil - We use a little oil to fry the ingredients. I prefer to use coconut oil but we can use any cooking oil. Tamarind - A little fresh tamarind is used when grinding the thuvayal. If fresh tamarind is not available, we can use the tamarind paste dissolved in a little water.
Step by step process
Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the ullatham paruppu, red chilies, green chilies and asafetida. Fry until the lentils are golden brown.
Now add the grated fresh coconut and fry it for 3-4 more minutes in low flame. Take care not to burn the coconut. The coconut need not be fried until it is brown.
Cool down the coconut mixture slightly and then put it in a blender along with salt and tamarind.
Grind it into coarse paste adding little water.
Serve with hot rice!
Expert Tips
Use fresh coconut to make the best tasting thengai thuvayal.Consume the thogayal as soon as it is made for the best flavors. Grind the thogayal adding as little water as possible. It is not necessary to fry the coconut until it changes color. Just fry it until it is aromatic.Serve with hot rice and ghee or sesame oil for best flavors.
More Thuvayal / thogayal recipes
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