Ajwain Coconut Chutney

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Ajwain Coconut Chutney
Ingredients: Fresh Ajwain leaves – 20 medium size Grated Coconut – 1 small cup Dry Red Chillies – 10 medium size Tamarind - 1 medium marble size Jaggery – 1 big marble size Sesame seeds – 1 tsp Garlic cloves – 4 big size Split black gram – 1 tsp Split bengal gram – 1 tsp Mustard seeds – ½ tsp Curry leaves – 1 sprig Oil for sautéing and tempering Salt as per taste Instructions: Wash and rinse the Ajwain leaves in water to get rid of any dirt or dust. Take a shallow frying pan and heat it. When the pan is hot add sesame seeds and saute until they puff up. Dish them out into a clean plate and let it cool. Dry roast the red chillies until they turn crisp. Then, dish out and allow to cool. Now, add the fresh Ajwain leaves into the pan along with 1.5 tbsp of oil. Saute the leaves until they start to wilt and turn soft. Put OFF the flame. Once the Ajwain leaves cool down, add them into the blender. Also, add roasted sesame seeds, dry red chillies, grated coconut, tamarind, garlic cloves, jaggery, salt and blend well. You may grind them into coarse or fine paste based on your preference. If required, add some water while blending. For tempering, heat the pan and add some oil. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Now, add split black gram, split bengal gram and saute. When they slightly change the colour to light brown add curry leaves and put OFF the flame. The curry leaves start to sizzle. Once done, pour this tempering over the blended paste and mix well. Simple yet tasty Ajwain Coconut chutney is ready within minutes. Serve it with rotis, chapatis, puris, dosas, idlis or even rice. It goes well with any dish and tastes Yum!
Ajwain is also known by various names like Karpuravalli, Doddapatre, Sambarballi, Owa, Pani Koorka, Indian borage, big thyme, Cuban Oregano, French thyme, Indian mint, Mexican mint, soup mint, Spanish thyme etc. These plants can be grown easily in a small patch of land. They need less water and less care. They grow very fast and can be multiplied easily with propagation. In the tropics, it is used as a spice and ornamental plant. Many Indians grow them in their garden as a kitchen herb. I have grown them too in my terrace garden. These leaves are known for their various health benefits. It is considered as a medicinal herb. I have grown up chewing the fresh green leaves slowly along with a pinch of salt to cure cold and cough. These leaves can also be boiled in water until it reduces to 3/4th portion and then, mix a teaspoon of honey before consuming as an herbal drink. Some scientific studies claim that they can improve the health of your skin, detoxify the body, defend against cough and colds, ease the pain of arthritis, relieve stress and anxiety, treat certain kinds of cancer, and optimize digestion. Always take doctor’s advice if you are allergic to any substance (or) before you try anything new to eliminate any risks or side effects.
           Monsoon is here. Change in the weather will have an impact on our health. Why not fall back to our roots and follow our ancient/ grandma tips? These simple kitchen herbs and easy recipes will help us stay SAFE and stay HEALTHY. Try growing this herb in the terrace garden. Harvest fresh leaves and make the yummy Ajwain chutney. Do try out and let me know your comments.

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