Ellu - Curry leaves thuvayal

We cannot imagine any Indian dish without seasoning with Curry leaves. From ages people have used it in kitchen because of its nutrition and medicinal values. It is known to be good for healthy hair and has anti-diabetic and anti-cholestrol properties.
Similarly ELLU (sesame seeds) is also of high nutritional value, especially for children as it has calcium content.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_seed#Nutrition_and_health_treatments
But both these items as such many cannot consume and there are very less dishes which includes ellu.
So here is a good thuvayal which is very tasty and very good for health. But one point to be kept in mind - generally ellu is supposed to be hot for the body, hence not to be consumed daily.
Ingredients
Grated coconut – 3 table spoons
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Urudh dhal split – 2 tb sp
White ellu – 2 tb sp
Fresh Curry leaves – 1 cup
Jaggery – small piece
coconut oil – 2-3 spoons for frying, other cooking oil can also be used
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the curry leaves and kepp aside in a towel for drying.
Fry the coconut to golden brown. Fry the urudh dhal and ellu till brown and ellu splutters.
Put the curry leaves and sauté with low flame for a minute.
When cool, mix all these with pinch of salt, jaggery and ginger. Grind well with out water. The tasty thuvayal is ready. It can be consumed with dosa, idly etc or with ghee rice.
Since it is a dry thuvayal, rather like a podi, it can be kept refrigerated for 10 days.

Pumpkin peel thuvayal

Recently I read an article in "The Hindu" detailing the nutrition contained in the skin of different vegetables and fruits. So I thought of sharing this recipe here. It is a very tasty and nutritious thuvayal. Those who like less of coconut can relish this thuvayal.

My son likes this thuvayal very much and has given a name "Vitamin thuvayal". It can be used along with cooked rice and ghee or with dosa, idly etc.

Ingredients


chopped Pumpkin peels and the inner flesh - 1/4 cup
grated coconut - less than 1/4 cup
Tamarind - size of gooseberry
Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
Urud dhal (split or whole) - 3 tsp
Red chilli -3 nos
asaphoetida (perumkayam thul) - pinch
salt - to taste
cooking oil - 2 tsp

Method:
Peels and inner flesh of yellow or orange pumpkin can be used. It can be chopped into small pieces or grated. Seeds may be removed as it may not grind properly.

Put little oil in a pan, and put the pumpkin peels and flesh. Let it fry to become soft on low flame. If required sprinkle little water in between. When it is soft and there is change in the colour, keep it to cool.

With little oil fry the coriander seeds, urud dhal and red chillies to brown.

Grind all the above along with some grated coconut, salt, tamarind and asaphoetida powder to a fine paste. Do not add water. The delicious thuvayal is ready.

To read the article in Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/10/11/stories/2007101150820200.htm