Pinch the leaves off them stem and pat them dry on a clean kitchen towel.

Heat oil in a pan or kadai over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough or shimmering, pop in the red chillies and saute until brown spots appear. Do not let it smoke or burn.

Remove the chillies to a plate reserving the oil in the pan. In the same oil, saute the mint leaves until the hissing subsides and they are wilted but not burnt. Next, gently roast the tamarind for a minute or two just to remove any remnant moisture in it.

Transfer the roasted red chillies and mint, tamarind, salt and Ellu bella into a small jar grinder or blender in that order and grind to a paste with just enough water. The order is to make sure that the red chillies are completely fine ground, in case of lack of spinning space in a small jar. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.