Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Curry Leaves Chutney



Curry leaves are extensively used in Southern India and are necessary for the authentic flavor. I fell in love with curry leaves after I started living in Hyderabad, India.
Chutney of fresh curry leaves can be prepared by grinding curry leaves with cilantro and chilies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup curry leaves (removed from the stem)
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 2 green chilies
  • 3 whole red chilies
  • 2 tsp skinned split Black gram / Urad dal
  • 1 tbsp tamarind pulp or 1 tbsp dry mango powder
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp asafetida powder
  • 1 tsp oil
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Heat oil in a frying pan and add mustard seeds to it.
  • When these stop splattering, add Urad dal and asafetida. Fry, on low flame, until the Urad dal becomes reddish in color.
  • Grind the tamarind pulp / dry mango powder and red chilies finely. Then add curry leaves, cilantro leaves, and green chilies and run it in the mixer. Now, add rest of the seasoned ingredients, along with little water and salt.
  • Grind into a thick paste.
  • Curry Leaf Chutney is ready. Serve it with hot snacks.


Do You Know?

The curry leaves have many medicinal properties.
Liberal intake of curry leaves is useful in preventing premature graying of hair. These leaves have the property of nourishing the hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier with normal pigment. Eating ten fresh fully-grown curry leaves every morning for three months will help to prevent diabetes due to heredity factors. It also cures diabetes due to obesity, as the leaves have weight reducing properties. As the weight drops, the diabetic patients stop passing sugar in urine.

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