greens curry
vaaLi is a kind of greens that is very common among Konkanis. It is called ‘basaLe soppu’ in Kannada. I am not sure about the English name. It tastes like spinach. However, this dish can be prepared with any greens.
Ingredients
- vaaLi - a bunchful (about 3 cups after cutting)
- Grated coconut - 1 cup
- Tamarind - apinch
- Red chillies - 6 to 7
- Garlic - about 7-8 cloves
- Salt - To taste
- oil
Method
- Wash the bhajji thoroughly. Separate the stems from the leaves
- Cut the leaves into small pieces and cut the stem into pieces of size about 1 inch.
- Cook the greens in a little water with some salt.
- Fry the red chillies with a little oil.
- Grind the coconut, chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Do not add a lot of water as it tastes good if the gravy is thicker.
- Add this to the cooked greens, add salt to taste and bring to a boil.
- Crush the garlic and fry with little oil till it starts turning slightly brown.
- Add it to the curry and close the lid immediately to retain the flavour of garlic.
Tips
- Do not add more tamarind as vaaLi bhajji has a tinge of sour taste.
Preparation time: 20 minutes