Basale Tambli

I got red spinach (kempu basale) from NTUC today to cook basale tambli. They say, kempu basale is a very effective medicine for curing mouth ulcers.

This tambli can be prepared using normal basale(malabar spinach) also. Tambli turned out very tasty, unfortunate that I had cold, I had to restrict myself from eating. My husband enjoyed this tambli. He even drank it after finishing the dinner ;)

Let's see the recipe for this tambli.

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch of kempu basale finely chopped (use only the leaves & discard the stem)
1.5 tablespoons of grated coconut
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1.5 cups of curd/yogurt ( buttermilk can also be used for this)
1 green chilli
1 tsp oil

For tempering:
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
a pinch of hing
1 red chilli

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, when oil is hot, add jeera.
• When jeera becomes golden brown, add onions & saute for 45 secs. (Onions need not be sauted till golden brown)
• Add chopped basale(spinach) leaves to it & saute for 2 mins. No need to cook the leaves completely by adding water. Saute till the leaves become soft. Allow it cool.
• Make a paste of the spinach leaves (together with onion & jeera), coconut, green chilli by adding buttermilk/majjige/curd/yogurt
• Now add salt according to taste & add enough curd. The tambli should have the consistency of thick milkshake.
• Prepare the tadka/tempering. In a seperate pan, add oil, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal, red chilli, hing & add this tadka to the hashi prepared.
• Basale tambli is ready to be served.

Tamblis (various kinds) are consumed as an appetizer. If I try to recollect, festive food for the people from north canara, starts from tambli or appe huli & then followed by rasam/sambar.