Curry Leaves
Curry leaves are commonly used in most Indian recipes. These flavorful and highly aromatic leaves add happiness to any dish though most of us (including me) ditch the leaves while eating. I always question this act, and I even thought about chopping the curry leaves and adding it to the curry so it will be difficult to pick the leaves and throw it away. Curry leaves are good for you! Well, there are some recipes you cannot discard the leaves while eating. This chammanthippodi is one such recipe in which curry leaves are ground along with other ingredients. You will not even find the leaves anywhere in this podi/powder, so how are you going to pick it up?
To make chammanthipodi, take the following ingredients in a big heavy bottomed vessel or a wok. (Measurements given are approximate. I really don’t measure anything for this recipe.)
Coconut, grated – 3 cups
Dried whole red chillies – 10-12 (more or less to suit to your taste. Remove the seeds if you want it less spicy.)
Curry leaves – About 1 ½ cups, loosely packed
Shallots/Red Onion, finely chopped – 2 tbsp
Ginger, finely chopped – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp, optional
Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Heat it up, and cook it on a medium-high flame. You may need to stir continuously to prevent it from burning. Adjust the heat if it tends to burn. Cook it until the coconut is golden brown color. Remove from the stove and let it cool.
When the mixture is cold, grind it to a coarse powder using a mixer or a coffee grinder. Add tamarind(about a small gooseberry size) while grinding.
You may use dried grated coconut but fresh ones taste better.
This chammanthipodi stays good for a very long time, even longer in the fridge/freezer.
To serve, sprinkle over hot rice. It makes a big difference to any boring meal!
