Gongura Thokku

Ingredients:
Gongura leaves – 1 bunch
Tamarind – 1 lemon size
Jaggery – small piece
Garlic – 6 cloves
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 1/2 cup

Dry roast and pound:
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Channa dhal - 1 tbsp
Black sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Dry red chillies – 15


Method of Preparation:

• Pick out leaves alone from the gongura plants, wash and spread them in a cloth for about 1 hour to dry.
• Dry roast mustard seeds, cumin, coriander seeds and sesame seeds individually.
• Then roast the dhals together with the dry red chilies. Spread in a plate and pound everything together with the roasted seeds and keep aside.
• Soak the tamarind in half a cup of water and squeeze out the pulp and keep aside.
• Now heat a wok and saute the gongura leaves without any oil until they change color. Let it cool and grind to a course paste and keep aside.
• Heat half a cup oil in a wok. Add a tsp of mustard seeds.
• Once it splutters add the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Then add the tamarind pulp and saute till all the water evaporates.
• To this add the gongura paste followed by the pound dhal mixture.
• Add jaggery, salt to taste, asafoetida and turmeric and saute till the moisture evaporates and oil starts leaving the sides of the mixture.
• Check for salt and remove from fire.
• Cool the thokku and save in a moisture-free air-tight container.

Happy cooking :)