Thoothuvalai Keerai Chutney

Thoothuvalai(Solanum Triobatum Leaves) is one of the greatest herbal that cures cough and cold. Almost every hold household in my native have this herbal at their backyard or at their terrace garden. I remember my mom would prepare a kashyam out of it when we suffered with cough, cold and fever during chilhood days. She grows it in a small pot in her terrace. That is the reason she picks few leaves quite often and add it to the rasam or make chutney. Learnt few recipes from mom and my grandma using this leaves and also, on my own experiments I now have a good collection of recipes using it and they follow one by one at this place.

This creeper itself has many thorns in its stem and leaves. It is fine to use tender leaves without cleaning its thorn. It tends to become soft while sauteing. If the thorns are bigger one, then you need to carefully remove it using a knife on both the sides of the leaves. There are many variation of preparing this chutney. You can either make this as thogayal by adding very little water and make it is chutney by adding more quantity of water. I would suggest to prepare a thogayal for rice or prepare a chutney which goes well with idly or dosa.

Basic Information:

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3

The first picture is the thoothuvalai creeper from my grandma’s garden and the second picture on right is from my mom’s terrace garden.

Ingredients:

Thoothuvalai – 1 cup, optimum packing

Red Onion – 1 no, medium size, roughly chopped

Garlic – 3 cloves

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Tomato – 1 nos, big size, chopped

Dry red chillies – 3 nos

Oil – 2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons

Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

1) Pick young leaves of thoothuvalai which are free from thorns. After cleaning it properly, you can use it directly in any recipe. If you get the matured leaves, you need to carefully scrape down the thorns from the front and back side of it. Remove the stem from leaves.

2) Take a pan and dry roast the dry red chillies.

3) Once done, add 2 teaspoons of oil and add thoothuvalai leaves. Saute till it shrinks in its size and leaves nice aroma. Transfer to a plate.

4) To the same pan, add ginger, garlic and onion. Saute it till the onion becomes soft.

5) Add tomato and saute again till everything becomes soft and cooked well. Cool this mixture for a while.

6) Grind this mixture to a paste along with salt. Add sufficient water to help grinding. The chutney consistency is based on your personal preference and accordingly you can change it by adjusting the water level.

7) Prepare seasoning separately and add to the chutney.

8) Serve with idly or dosa.

Notes:

1) You can add a pinch of tamarind if the tomato added is not sour enough. The tomato I added is very ripe and sour and hence I didn’t add tamarind to the chutney.