Tambdi bhajji amshe

While on shopping, got to see these fresh red amaranths sitting in between lush hues of greens, stacked one above the other on the shelves of supermarket. Leafy vegetables are the vegetables that tops the list for nutrient dense foods on the planet and I am quite happy that fresh ones are made easily available at a cheaper price when compared to other vegetables and fruits in the supermarkets here.

Red amaranth is called as tambdi bhajji in Konkani and amshe means sour and this is exactly how the curry tastes.

Ingredients

2 cups red amaranth, leaves as well tender stems, washed well, cleaned and chopped
2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped

To grind -
1 cup grated coconut , fresh or frozen
5-6 byadgi red chillies, dry roast
Tamarind, marble sized
1 tbsp jaggery [optional]

To season
2 tsp coconut oil
20-25 garlic cloves

Method:

Take the chopped leaves and stem [washed, cleaned and chopped] in a vessel. Immerse them in very little water just enough to cover them and cook it with little salt. Add chopped tomatoes and continue cooking on medium flame. Meanwhile grind grated coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind [soaked in warm water] to smooth paste. Add this paste to the cooked red amaranth. Adjust the jaggery [optional] and salt as per taste, bring it to a boil and simmer the flame. If required add water to adjust the consistency of the curry. Switch off the flame after 5 minutes.

In a pan, take the oil and heat it. Add crushed garlic cloves and saute them til they turn golden brown. Add this as a seasoning to the curry and cover the vessel. Mix in before serving it with hot rice or chappatis.

Happy cooking!

Sept 2014 Update: Post is updated with recent photos of the dish prepared following the recipe mentioned here.