Tambuli / Tambli / Flavoured Raitha

"Tambuli" is regular side-dish in Mangalorean meal. Its usually served in the beginning of the meal. Tambuli is prepared with various leaves and vegetables, each of them having its own taste and flavor. Its usually prepared using green leaves as main ingredient. The greens at times get replaced by ginger/onion/few seeds etc.

However today I want to share "tambuli" recipe prepared from leaves of Ivy gourd plant / "Tonde balli". Here we are using tender leaves (at the end of a branch) from plant that blossom during rainy season.




This is a very simple dish that scores high on nutritional values.

Ingredients

10 tender leaves of Ivy gourd plant (Tonde kudi)
3 tbs freshly grated coconut
1 tsp jeera
4-5 curry leaves
4-6 peppercorns
2 cups of Butter milk
1 tsp ghee

For tadka/Tempering
1 tsp mustard
3-5 curry leaves
1 pinch hing powder

Method

1. Chop the leaves into small pieces
2. Frey pepper in ghee in a pan. Add jeera for the same and fry for addition 1 min.
3. Now add copped leaves along with curry leaves into pan and fry it for about 2-3 mins.
4. Add grated coconut at the end and stir it for 1 min.
5. Let it the mixture cool (keeping lids closed). Grind this mixture into fine paste with little water.
6. Now add curd or butter milk to complete "tambuli"

Note

• I prefer having "tambuli" without tadka. However for those who prefer tadka could make one using mustard, curry leaves and pinch of hing in quantity mentioned above.
• At #3 is essential to give pleasant aroma for the dish
• Replacing pepper with green chillies or red chillies will give a different flavor and taste to same dish
• Curd could be used in place of butter milk.
• Green leaves such as Doddapatre/ Brahmi leaves/ Kaaki Soppu / Spinach could be used instead of "tonde soppu".
  

It is best served with hot rice. It has a soothing effect perticularly in summer.