KonkaniRecipes

vaaLi bhajji bendhi

posted: 23.06. 2006, 11:31

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