Tambuli & Wheat Flour Rotti

 Tambuli is a gravy dish which is prepared using Palak and Dil leaves and combined with cup of curd. This Tambuli as we call in Kannada is served in the beginning, is mostly eaten with rice. Tambuli helps to keep your body cool and is very healthy dish. You do not feel thirst after the meal. There are different varieties of Tambuli and prepared mostly using the same ingredients. We use pepper pods, jeera and just one red or green chilly with a spoon of fresh coconut. Jeera and pepper pods along with red chilly fried in ghee and then added the leaves. The leaves are nicely fried along with pepper pods. When the fried ingredients cool down it is ground with fresh coconut and butter milk.(very little to grind).  Salt and More butter milk or curd is added to ground paste and mixed with fried jeera, ingh and curry leaves.  This is how we prepare Tambuli and  eat and serve. Normally tambuli is not prepared in the night, because the reason is the body may develop cold. Not only that using the savoury buttermilk or curd might disturb our sleep.
I wanted to make use of the remaining Tambuli so thought of mixing that with wheat flour and preparing the Rotti. I love rotti and enjoy, any time of the day. For Wheat Rotti I have used wheat flour, fresh coconut, onions, ginger and green chilly.

Let us know some benefits of having Palak in our diet.
Spinach (Palak) is a store house for many  nutrients. They are very low incalories and fats. Palak is rich in soluble dietary fiber and it helps to control cholesterol. They are also rich source of several vital anit -oxidant vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K which helps to build a strong bones. They contain good amount of many B- complex vitamins like vitamin -B 6 and Vitamin B. Palak leaves contain good amount of minerals like potassium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. It is also good source of omega - 3 fatty acids.
Tambuli can be eaten with plain rice or it can be one of the side dish for masala rice or chapati.

1. Tambuli 

Things Needed :
Palak leaves : A small bundle or 1/2 of one bundle.
Dil Leaves : Handful.
Curd  or butter milk : 1 Cup
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Methi seeds : 4 to 5 
Pepper pods : 4 to 5
Red or green chilly : 1
Ingh : a pinch
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon
Coconut : 1 Table spoon
Curry leaves : 4 to 5
Salt : To Taste

Method :

1 Wash and cut leaves and keep it aside.
2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
3. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Put 1/2 Tea spoon of ghee. Add  methi seeds, jeera and pepper pods. Fry for 10 seconds.

4. Add palak leaves and red chilly. Fry nicely for 2 minutes. Put off the gas and let the ingredients cool down.
5. Grind coconut and fried ingredients. little ingh and salt nicely with very little water. Remove from the mixi jar. 

6. Add a cup of curd or butter milk and mix it well.

 7. Keep a pan on the fire. Add ghee and 1/4 spoon of jeera. Fry for 10 seconds and add curry leaves.  Put off the fire.
8. Add this fried jeera to Tambuli.  and serve as one of the side dish during lunch.

Note :

Do not burn jeera while frying. Fry on low flame. I have used red chilly. ( green chilly can be used instead of red chilly).
You can add little curd while grinding the fried leaves instead of water. But I used water.
Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

2. Wheat flour Rotti 

Things Needed :
Wheat Flour :  2 Cups.
Tambuli : 1 Cup
Onions : 2
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Green chilly : 1
Ginger : an inch 
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Salt : Required
Oil : 1/2 Cup

Method : 

1. Remove the outer skin of onions, wash it and cut them into small. Keep it aside.
2. Wash green chilly, curry leaves, coriander leaves and cut it in to small.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Wash and remove the outer skin of ginger wash it again and grate it.

4. Now take a big bowl and put wheat flour, Tambuli , onions, green chilly,  ginger, and coconut all together.

5. Add salt and mix it nicely. Add water if required.

6. Keep a pan on the fire. Heat. Sprinkle some oil around the pan.
6. Take a handful of rotti dough and spread it around like dosa on the pan. ( Use fingers to spread).
7. Sprinkle one spoon of oil on the top, cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

8. Turn the other side and cook for 1 minute. . Repeat the same with remaining rotti.

9. Wheat flour rotti is ready to serve. Serve with the side dish you prepared

 10. Serve Hot Wheat Rotti with a spoon of ghee on the top of Rotti.

Note : 

You can use rice flour or rava or Jowar ( Jola ) instead of wheat flour. You can also add grated carrots instead of onions.
Using more or less oil is optional.Do not make the dough watery. It should be able to spread on the pan. Thin or thick rotti can be prepared. (optional)
Time : 30 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4

Flax Seeds - Capsicum - Chayote Squash Peel Chutney

Chutney is served as one of the side dish and it goes well with all most all main dishes. We south Indians are expert in preparing many types of chutneys. They can be used as one of the side dish while serving the main dish. This combination of flax seeds, capsicum and chayote squash peel chutney is a very good side dish goes well with hot rice, idli, dosa, roti and chapatis. We normally use almost all vegetable peels to prepare chutney. Even the capsicum chutney also I have tried and its like super hit. So this time I wanted add flax seeds which gives a good texture and adds not only taste but healthy too.
Lets see the benefits of having Chayote Squash and Capsicum in our diet.
Chayote Squash is very low in calories and no saturated fats or cholesterol. It is rich in dietary fiber. They contain good amount of anti oxidants, minerals, vitamins. They are good sources of B complex vitamins. 
Capsicum helps in keeping our skin clear and it prevents rashes and pimples. They contain Vitamin A which is good for eyes and helps in preventing eye diseases.Capsicum is helpful in treating pain related diseases. Eating capsicum speeds up the metabolism and helps to burn calories and helps to reduce weight. They help to digest food easily and prevents indigestion. It regulates blood pressure and lower cholesterol in the body.
Now lets see the recipe .

Ingredients :

Flax Seeds : 1 Table spoon
Capsicum : 1
Chayote Squash Peel : 1 Cup
Tamarind : Marble size
Coconut : fresh and grated : 1 Cup
Salt : required
Ingh : a pinch
Green Chilly : 2 to 3
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Coconut Oil : 1 Tea spoon

Method :

1. Wash and peel Chayote Squash skin and keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut capsicum into small pieces

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire. Put 1/2 Tea spoon of oil. Put flax seeds and fry nicely till they turn slightly brown.

5.Add green chilly and curry leaves. fry nicely and then add capsicum and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add Chayota Squash peels and fry for another 2 minutes. Put off the fire and shift the fried things to a plate. Let it cool down.

7. Now grind tamarind (a small marble size), coconut and fried flax seeds , capsicum and chayote squash peels.

8. Grind nicely till soft (or your desired consisitency) and add little ingh and salt grind it for 10 seconds.
9. Shift the ground chutney to a serving bowl.

10. Keep a pan on the fire and add oil. Add mustard seeds and urid dal. Let mustard seeds splutter.
11. Add curry leaves and a pinch of ingh and put this mustard mixture to chutney bowl.

12. Serve chutney with the main dish you prepared.

Note :

Fry flax seeds on low flame till they turn roast. Add little by little water while grinding. Chutney consistency should be thick or it does not taste that good. Adding more chilly is optional. Adding little jaggery is also optional. You can add cut onions and garlic while grinding .(fry garlic and then add). Using coconut oil is also optional. Instead you can use your choice of cooking oil.
Time :15  minutes
Serves : 4 to 5