For this dish, called karivepaku pachchadi in Tamil, choose fresh, tender leaves for this blend of nutrition and flavour
INGREDIENTS
Curry leaves: 2 cups
Thick tamarind pulp:3 table spoon
Jaggery (optional): 1 tablespoon
Oil: 4 tbsp
sale to taste
1st tempering
split black gram (husked): 1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds:1 tbsp
Cumin seeds:1tsp
Red chillies: 8-10; nicked at tail with stalks retained
Asafoetida powder or paste: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder:1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 cup; chopped roughly
2nd tempering
Split black gram (husked): 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds:1/2
METHOD
Wash the curry leaves and pat dry. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok on a low flame and roast the curry leaves until crisp. Ensure they remain green. Set aside. In another wok, heat on-and-a-half tbsp oil for the first tempering. Add the gram; as it turns golden,add the mustard and then the cumin. Switch off the flame and add red chillies. As they turn bright red, stir in the remaining ingredients for the 1st tempering. Grind this along with curry leaves, tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt into a coarse paste. Do not add water while grinding. Heat the remaining oil for the second tempering. Garnish the chutney with this crunchy tempering. If you want to preserve for a longer period,avoid the coriander leaves.