One of the main sources of recipes till I married and moved cities was of course mom’s recipes or some basic recipes cut out from magazines. Until I discovered there was a difference between sambhar and kozhambu (some terms that we used interchangeably back home, in a Mysore influenced Kannada-tamil cuisine at home, but not in my newly married home) !! It was harakiri to call Kozhambu as Sambhar or vice versa, I discovered in my Tamilnadu-palate seeking inlaws’. Mom was still 1200 kms away, and a long distance call wasn’t always possible, so I looked around and by then Google was lifeline for me 🙂 But the net wasn’t always on, especially while you cooked ! So, on a few friends’ reco, hopped on to the nearest South Indian Store in Matunga and picked up Meenakshi Ammal’sSamaithu Par– a treasure trove of South Indian Cooking.
This book was published way back in 1951 when cookbooks or even sharing recipes was rare ! Like millions of homemakers across the world, I have picked up quite some recipes from this book and look up for guidance frequently, especially to make bhakshanams too.. It also includes simple home making tips, including grocery shopping tips – all of which are available in this cookbook which are published in 4 parts ! I shall be referring to this book next few days of the BM under “Cookbook specials” for week 2 ofBlogging Marathon. The first of this is a simple Karivepalai Thogayal (Tangy Curry leaf chutney) which goes amazingly well with steamed rice and ghee / sesame oil.. Look up the health benefits of curry leaf in my previous post –Curry leaf Spice Powder.
That’s quite a lengthy anecdote, so shall we quickly move to the recipe 🙂 ? Check out similar chutneys / condiments here
Update: Sending this to Priya Mahadevan’s The Big Chutney Chowdown
Prep time : 10 minutes. Serves : 3
Ingredients:
- Karivepalai / Curry leaf – packed 1/2 cup
- Channa Dal / Bengal Gram – 2 TBSP
- Urad Dal / Split Black gram – 3 TBSP
- Tamarind – 1 small lemon sized
- Red chillies – 2
- Hing – 1/2 tsp
- Jaggery – 1 tsp (opt)
- Grated coconut OR dry copra – 2 TBSP
- Salt – to taste
- Sesame Oil – 1 TBSP
Method:
1) In a pan, heat 1/2 tsp oil. Fry the dals till golden brown. Transfer.
2) Add 2 more tsp of oil and fry the curry leaves, tamarind, red chilles one by one till the tamarind is half crisp and the chillies coat in oil.
3) In a spice grinder, add the above fried ingredients and salt and jaggery and pulse till finely powdered. Now add coconut and hing and pulse again. Then add little water and grind to a thickish consistency.
4) Transfer and serve as it is. Optionally, you may prepare tempering with mustard seeds and urad dal and pour over the thogayal and serve immediately.
Check out my fellow marathoners for this weekhere
yummy looking dish
want to try,coz curry leaves good for hair growth…bookmarked!
One of my favorite thogayal..Lovely click
gee- I still use the terms interchangably (sshhhh !); the thogayal looks yummy and Meenakshi ammal's book is a treasure trove indeed !
I used to make the same chutney when we were in India and we had a curry leaf plant (tree) at home. Not now not here not anymore:( I love the curry leaf flavor!!
that chutney looks so tempting..
Must be delicious. We make the powder not the chutney.
looks great… an authentic recipe from the south.. will try it …
Hi …I just saw your blogs…Its a very nice space…Very nice recipes…Chutney looks yummy…Do visit me at http://muchmorethanahomemaker.blogspot.com/
Cheers
Neha
I love this thuvaiyal but its ages since I made it. Am tempted right now. Btw, I too have a copy of samaithu paar 🙂
@ Neha – Thanks for dropping by this space…
Thogayal Looks awesome! I would love to mix it with rice and have at it!
Wow.. published in 1951, that's a really old cookbook, I'm sure it's been passed down from generation to generation. Thogayal looks delicious.
Nice, tangy thuvaiyal…
Lovely and yummy looking..
Nice recipe
Happy Blogging
Rujuta
http://theworldaccordingtorujuta.blogspot.com/
lovely colour and what a treasure of a cookbook!
super duper chutney!!!! love it and thanks for linking both your yummy chutneys to my event 🙂 the chutney world is richer for it 🙂