1.Cook the pre-soaked black channa in the pressure cooker with 2 cups water and a tsp of salt over medium flame for 8-9 whistles. Keep it aside.
2. Roasted coconut mixture:
In a pan, on medium flame, sautée the sliced garlic and shallots in a tsp of oil till the raw smell disppears and starts browning. To this, add the grated coconut and roast till they turn a golden brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Once it turns golden brown, switch of the flame and add all the spice powders. Mix well. Turn on the flame and give the coconut mix a final roast for 1-2 minutes, by stirring constantly on medium flame until the raw smell of the spices disappear. Cool the mixture. Grind the mixture to a fine paste in the blender using 1/2 a cup of hot water.
3.In another pan, heat 2tsps of oil and sautee the onions until nicely browned. To this, add the cooked black channa reserving a bit of the stock in which it ws cooked (if any left). Mix well and let it come to a boil.
4.Once boiling, add the roasted coconut paste and the reserved stock (if any) or 1 cup of water, salt and let it come to a boil again. simmer on medium flame for 5-10mins so that the gravy thickens.* Then add the grated jaggery to it, stir welk and let it simmer for a minute. Switch off the flame.
5.To temper : Heat a tsp of oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds.Let it splutter.Add in the curry leaves followed by the sliced shallots and the dried red chillies.Sautee til slightly brown and pour over the curry.
Can be served along with Roti/ Appam / Puttu/ Idiyappam.
* for a thinner gravy, the amount of water can be adjusted.
