Kariveppila Podi (Curryleaves powder)

Kariveppila or Curry Leaves is mostly used as a garnish. It indeed enhances the flavor of the dish. But most of the times, it is not consumed and is always kept aside while the dish is served. This podi is a good way to consume curry leaves, which has fair amount of Vitamin A and good source of Calcium. Curry leaves has many medicinal properties too. You can read more about it here.

Ingredients

Urad dal- 4 tblspn

Chana dal - 4 tblspn

Red chilly - 12- 15 (adjust the nos to suit your palette)

Tamarind - lemon size

Hing - 1 tspn

Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 2 cups

Gingely oil - 2 tblspn for roasting

Wash and dry the curry leaves.
Dry roast urad dal and chana dal separately till they turn light brown

Add a teaspoon of oil and roast the red chillies.

Transfer the roasted chillies to a plate and roast the curry leaves in a tablespoon of
oil.

When cool, powder all together with required salt.

Store in an airtight bottle. It will stay fresh for more than 2 weeks without refrigeration.

Serve kariveppila podi mixed with hot rice and ghee. It can be served as a dip for idli and dosa.

Happy Vishu

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous VISHU

Coconut Burfi

Coconut/Thengai Burfi is one of the signature dish of Amma. She makes it often at home. Many variations can be done to this burfi. But amma always follows the traditional method. I sometimes add few tablespoons of roasted besan flour or some milk. This is the traditional recipe with a slight change in flavor. Usually, cardamom powder is added. My MIL adds cloves instead.Since it is always cardamom for sweets, I find adding cloves gives a very different flavor, which is nice for a change.

Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 1/2 cups

Ghee - 4 tblspn

Cloves - 6 nos

Water - 1 cup

Preparation

When you grate the coconut, grate only the white part. Don't grate the bottom brown part. This is to ensure the white color for burfi. Pulse the grated coconut for few seconds in mixie to get a fine texture. This is optional
Heat a kadai with water and sugar.

When sugar is fully melted, add a teaspoon of milk. Impurities, if any will float. Remove and boil the syrup to one string consistency. To test for consitency, if you drop a teaspoon of syrup , it should fall like a thread.

Stir in the grated coconut. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Keep stirring.

It will start thickening and it will froth from all sides.

Add crushed cloves.

When it starts crystallizing on the edges, transfer to a greased plate.

Flatten it evenly using a greased cup (katori/dawarah) which has a flat base.

When cool, mark and cut into pieces.

I am sending this to Think Spice -Think Cloves event hosted by Gretchen for April, originally started by Sunita