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
Coiander 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:

1. Pick out leaves alone from the gongura plants, wash and spread them in a cloth for about 1 hour to dry.
2. Dry roast mustard seeds, cumin, coriander seeds and sesame seeds individually.
3. 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.
4. Soak the tamarind in half a cup of water and squeeze out the pulp and keep aside.
5. 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.
6. Heat half a cup oil in a wok. Add a tsp of mustard seeds.
7. Once it splutters add the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
8. Then add the tamarind pulp and saute till all the water evaporates.
9. To this add the gongura paste followed by the pound dhal mixture.
10. Add jaggery, salt to taste, asafoetida and turmeric and saute till the moisture evaporates and oil starts leaving the sides of the mixture.
11. Check for salt and remove from fire.
12. Cool the thokku and save in a moisture-free air-tight container.

Happy cooking :)

Reference: http://sujeescuisine.blogspot.com/2008/08/gongura-thokku.html