Ulli Theeyal - Kerala style shallots curry

Ingredients:
Peeled Shallots (Sambhar onions) - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - 5 sprigs
Asafetida - 1 pinch
Tamarind extract - 1/4 cup
Sugar / Jaggery - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon
To roast and make paste:
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Black peppercorns - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chillies - 4
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Oil -2 tablespoon
For making the paste:
Heat oil in a pan.
Roast Cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns and red chillies.
Once all are roasted, add grated coconut and roast it till it turns brown. While roasting, add the turmeric powder.

Cool it and grind it to a paste.
Preparation
Heat oil in a pan.
Cut the shallots to half in case they are big.
Roast mustard seeds , red chillies, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and shallots.
Roast the shallots till they turn transparent.This will take around five minutes.

Now add the ground paste and tamarind extract.Add some water and let it cook.
Add salt, asafetida powder and sugar/jaggery.
Cook it in medium to low flame till it becomes thick.

Serve it hot with steamed rice and pappad with beans / cabbage thoran.