Make way for the Queen - "Sodhi"

This is one dish that is a specialty of a sect of Tirunvelvelli community..When a newly wed couple come home, guess what the dish is ..Sodhi, Inji Pachadi (ginger relish) and then the rest follow suit. Imagine the plight of the newly wed who have to eat this dish almost everytime someone invites them home :(.

I think the dish attained this status coz we are primarily vegetarians and this dish calls for coconut milk which makes it very rich and was a tiresome dish to make. They had to grate a whole bunch of coconuts and then blend it for coconut milk. It was a huge affair at home and was very rare to see Sodhi made. And since the dish is kind of heavy, Sodhi is the only dish cooked. Believe me when I say Sodhi is an acquired taste, after our wedding Rajesh had Sodhi at my sister's place and he was not a big fan of it, but over time, he has come to love it.

Now lets plunge into Sodhi.

Ingredients

Coconut milk (canned) - 1.5
Ginger grated - 2 Tbsps ( If you want it spicy add a little more)
Moong Dhal boiled with one pod of Garlic - 1/2 cup
Lime/lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Carrots - 1 cut in long slices
Drum Stick - 1
potato, - 1 cut in cubes
Onion - 1 cut in large cubes
Cabbage - 1/4 of a medium sized cabbaged cut in large pieces.

Ground Mixture

Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green chilies - 2-3 (depends on how spicy you want it)

• Take the 1/2 can of coconut milk and dilute it in water to make one can and let the vegetables cook in the diluted coconut milk.
• In the meanwhile take the juice of the grated ginger and set it aside.
• Grind the ingredients of the ground mixture.
• When the vegetables are tender add the ground mixture and 1/2 can of coconut milk and let it cook for some time. (remember to cook all this in medium to medium low flame).
• Now add the cooked dhal ( mash the dhal and garlic well) and the remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk.
• Just before you switch off the stove add the ginger juice and cook for a minute and take it off the stove
• When Sodhi cools down add salt and lemon juice and temper with mustard and urad dhal

Note: Try not to heat the sodhi and have it with piping hot rice. Sodhi is normally made for lunch as it is a very heavy dish, but it taste awesome the night it is cooked and goes well with plain idiyappam.

Ginger Relish
Ginger cut into tiny pieces - A handful
Tamarind - Size of a lemon soaked in water and take the extract
Coriander seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chilly - 4
Grated Coconut - 4 tbsps

• In oil saute the ginger till it turns brown
• Fry the red chilly, Coriander seeds and coconut gratings separately
• Grind the ginger along with the items that were fried separately.
• Add the thick tamarind extract and salt and let it blend for a second.
• In a pan with 2 tbsps oil, temper mustard seeds, Uradh dhal and add the mixture and let it boil for a atleast an hour in medium low.
• Just before you take it off the stove, add a tbsp of jaggery.
• 
  This relish is definitely made with Sodhi not only coz they pair up well, but because ginger is good for digestion.

Lemme know if you make it and how you like it!