1. Dry roast the ingredients for the masala until the raw smell disappears.
2. If you are new to roasting masalas, you might want to roast each of the ingredients separately to avoid over roasting them.
3. Powder the masalas in a blender without adding any water.
4. Add coconut and some water to the powdered masala and grind to a smooth paste; keep aside.
5. Add a couple of drops oil and a pinch of turmeric to the washed toor dal.
6. Dal is supposed to cook faster with some oil and turmeric.
7. Add enough water to cover the tur dal and pressure cook until done for about 3-4 whistles.
8. Meanwhile, clean and cook veggies with some salt and water, until done.
9. You could even combine the veggies with the dal and pressure cook them, provided, you take care not to mash the veggies.
10. Combine the cooked dal, veggies, coconut-masala paste and mix well.
11. Add water to get the desired consistency.
12. Boil on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
13. Add salt, jaggery, tamarind and mix well; Boil further, for another 3-5 minutes and remove from stove.
14. Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.
15. Serve hot with rice/idli/dosa and enjoy.

Tip: