Sodhi - A most common recipe you can hear when you travel down to Tirunelveli /Nellai.  Most of the vegetarian menus in the festive or Marriage functions end up with feast that is dominated by Sodhi. This Sodhi feast often called as "Mapillai Sodhi" ( Bride groom Sodhi). This is because, in many communities, on the second day of marriages, Groom's family has to invite the Bride's family and relatives for the Sodhi Lunch. This custom is called as "Maruveedu". The more Sodhi's grandness of taste is high, gets the first impression of Groom's family is love and affection.

After the marriage, both the married couple would be often invited by both sides of the family in first 4 to 6 months and 99% ,they are treated with Sodhi as the feast ( Virundhu). I would say, Sodhi is the richest of vegetarian dishes because of its preparation, plenty of coconut mixed with rich vegetables, aromatic with garlic & ginger flavor with a soft lemon  citric at a corner tip of your tongue. The vegetables are boiled and soaked in Coconut milk brings you a totally different taste. Most importantly, this Sodhi does not contain, chili powder,Masalas that you usually taste for any other feasting dishes. The spice comes again from the green chili paste with coconut and the green chilies in the Sodhi.

The Moong Dal paste makes sure that the Sodhi is thicker and does not get watery. The wait is over -> lets get into breaking the mystery of Sodhi Making now ....

As my pebble stone steps towards a launch of youtube channel , I have also posted a video in the below link. Kindly go through the blog and video of Sodhi ..

https://youtu.be/094uAbafTwc

Ingredients:

Coconut - 4 to 5 medium sized.

Onion  - 1 small sized

Moong Dal ( paasi paruppu) - 1/4 cup ( 60 ml).

Potato - 3 small sized

Green Chili - 3 ( vertically cut)

Small Onions ( Shallots) - 15 to 20 pieces.

Drumstick ( Moringa)  - 1

Carrot  - 1

Garlic - 6 pieces( cloves)

Beans - 8 to 10 pieces

Salt

Lime juice ( made from 1 full lemon)

Oil  - 2 tbsp ( gingley or coconut oil preferred)

Mustard seeds,

Urad Dal ( white Ulundu),

Curry Leaves.

Grinding:

Coconut - 1 small cup ( 3 tbsp)

Ginger - 1 inch

Cashew nuts - 10

Green Chili - 4

Cumin seeds  - 1 tsp

A pinch of Salt

Steps:

Add the above contents and make them into a paste and keep it aside.

Note:

Salt is added to the grinding contents to avoid the paste turning into black.

Preparation of Coconut Milk:

Take 4 to 5 coconuts and grate them all. Keep it separate. [ We need to extract 3 rounds of coconut milk]

Put some 1/2 of the grated coconut content in a mixer jar and add little amount of water.

Grind it and extract the milk with a thick texture. Keep this extract aside. Keep a note that this is our "1st" extract for rest of the steps.

Again continue to add grated coconut and grind it with some little water. This would be thinner than the previous one. This would be our "2nd" thin extract.

Again continue to add remaining grated coconut and grind it with some little water. This would be thinner than the previous one. This would be our "3rd" thin extract.

Method:

Take 1/4 cup of Moong Dal, wash it twice. Pour water in a vessel and add the Dal in it. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Take 3 potatoes,wash it and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

You can do the above pressure cook in 1 shot if your cooker can allow layered vessels.

After pressure is off, peel the potato skin and cut them into pieces. Remove the excess water from Dal and mash it to a paste.

Take a Kadai, add 2 tbsp of oil.

After Oil is heated, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

Now add Urad Dal,green chili and curry leaves. Then add small onions ( shallots) , garlic and cut onions. Fry it for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add drumstick,carrot and beans. Saute the contents for 5 minutes.

Now add the 3rd ( thinner) coconut milk and mix the Kadai contents well.

Boil the Vegetables in the Coconut Milk for couple of minutes.

After the Vegetables are cooked, add the cut boiled potatoes and mix them well. ( Make sure that you don't mash potato while stirring)

Now add the grind paste in the Kadai and mix it well.

Add the mashed Moong Dal into the Kadai and stir them well.

Now add the 2nd Coconut milk into the Kadai, stir  the contents well and cook for another few minutes well until the raw smell of the paste goes off.

Finally add the 1st extract - A thick coconut milk- into the the Kadai and cook for 3 minutes in a low flame.

Now add Salt to the Sodhi and stir well.

Switch off the flame . Let it cool for few minutes ( 10 to 15 minutes). Close with a lid.

The long process of the Sodhi making comes to an end.

While serving  add  the lemon extract prepared by squashing 1 full lemon and stir well.

Sodhi is ready !!! Serve it steamed rice, Idiyappam, Aappam or Dosa.

Note:

1. Demo is made with a Ready mix coconut milk. You can also try this method if it is available in your region/area. The taste may differ from brand to brand based on the thickness of the milk and also with the Sodhi prepared with original Coconut extract.

2. Since this is a rich content of Coconut and cashew, this served along with Ginger pachidi avoid digestion problems.

3. Potato poriyal & Potato chips are the usual side dishes served along with Sodhi.