Papad Ki Sookhi Sabzi

Ingredients

  • Papads (Moong special) – 8
  • Tamarind – 1 lemon-sized ball
  • Fenugreek seeds – 1½tsps (whole or coarsely ground)
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Jaggery powder – 1 tsp
  • Water – 3/4 cup
  • Coriander powder – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½tsp
  • Red chili flakes – 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
  • Salt–to taste
  • Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
  • Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
  • Mustard oil – 2 tsps
  • Fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

Method

  • Soak tamarind in half a cup of water for 30 minutes. Extract the juice and discard the seeds if any.
  • Dry-roast the fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds together on a low heat. When the seeds turn a couple of shades darker, turn off the heat. Allow the seeds to cool to room temperature. Grind them to a powderin a blender or using a mortar & pestle.
  • Roast the papads on an open flame, for a few seconds each side, till they turn crisp. Crush the roasted papad roughly – about 1-2 inch pieces, and don’t worry if the sizes aren’t uniform. A little bit of unevenness adds character.
  • Heat 2 tsps of mustard oil in a thick-bottomed pan.
  • Add mustard seeds, asafoetida and cinnamon stick in that order.
  • When the mustard seeds splutter, add red chili flakes, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
  • Stir and pour in the tamarind juice, jaggery and half a cup of water.
  • Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the salt at this stage if required, because papad tends to be generously salted and usually no added salt is needed in this curry.
  • Add the cracked roasted papad and mix well. The papad will absorb all the moisture and spices in 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Take it off the heat at this stage.
  • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve papad ki sookhi sabzi as an accompaniment to an Indian meal. As a variation, stir papad ki sookhiSabzi into plain yogurt and serve it as a raita with pulao or biryani.