To prepare Menthya Matvadi Palya, wash the chana dal well and soak it in a bowl of water for 2 hours. Drain the soaked dal and grind to a coarse paste with green chilies, ginger and salt. Keep aside.

Wash the methi leaves 2-3 times by swishing in a sink or tub of water. Drain well and chop it finely.

In a large non-stick pan, heat oil. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies and stir until seeds splutter.

Add the finely chopped methi leaves and turmeric and stir fry on high flame until the leaves are wilted.

Add the ground dal paste to this, breaking it into smaller clumps using a spatula.

On a low-medium flame, allow the dal crumble to cook and turn golden brown. This process takes around 20 minutes, with a bit of supervision.

Garnish with fresh coconut and serve hot with rice or rotis.