Soak tamarind in a small quantity of hot water.

Add ½ cup of water to it, crush well and squeeze out the essence. Repeat this process 2 or 3 times more.

Roast fenugreek till it splutters. Fry asafoetida in 2 tsp oil. Powder the two.

Fry mustard in oil on a medium fire.

As the spluttering starts subsiding, add turmeric followed shortly by green chilli.

Sauté for a while and add capsicum.

Sauté for 2 minutes and add tamarind essence [or paste with 1 cup of water].

Add salt [and turmeric if not used in the tempering] and allow it to simmer on a low fire for a while.

Add jaggery and cook stirring at intervals.

When it attains a semisolid consistency, remove from heat, add the powder, mix and allow it to cool.

Store it in a dry, clean container.

Serve with chappathi, poori and the like or with dal - rice, curd - rice or rice mixed with mulaku koottal of Kerala.