I know what you might be thinking, curry leaf gravy – won’t that be bitter? Let’s just say that the combination of black pepper, cumin, coconut and yogurt along with the curry leaves, just balances out all the flavors. My favorite part of this recipe, is that there is less than 5 minutes of cooking involved!
Curry leaf has a lot of medicinal properties as well. Specifically it is believed to help regulate blood sugar levels. So this dish is both healthy and tasty, why not give it a try?
Traditionally thambuli is had as a side with hot rice. But I have it as a side for chapathi as well. I normally don’t like using curry leaves in other dishes although they do add a lot of flavor. But somehow I love the taste of curry leaf in thambuli. Sometimes, I dilute the thambuli with lots of buttermilk and just have it as a refreshing drink on hot summer days. One of the most unusual ways in which I have tried thambuli is by dunking mini-idlis in them. Believe me, it makes an amazing combination.
Karibevina Thambuli (Curry Leaf in a mildly spiced coconut-yogurt gravy)
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20-30 curry leaves
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10-15 whole black pper
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1/2 tsp cumin seeds
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2 tbsp grated coconut
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salt to taste
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1 tsp oil
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1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Method
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In a pan, heat 1/2 tsp oil. Add cumin seeds and black pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes. Take this onto a separate plate.
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Add the washed curry leaves to the same pan and fry it for a few minutes.
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Then add the roasted cumin, pepper, curry leaves and coconut to a blender and blend it to get a smooth paste.
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Take the ground mixture into a large bowl. Add beaten yogurt or buttermilk and salt to this and mix well.
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To prepare the seasoning, heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds to the heated oil. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the seasoning to the yogurt mixture.
