Chundakkai is very bitter in taste. The fresh ones can be used to make tamarind based gravies. Usually, chundakkai is preferred to make vathals, so that it can be stored for later use. It is mainly used for the preparation of vathalkuzhambu or can be deep fried and used as sides too.
Chundakkai - 2 cups
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Urad dal - 2 tblspn
Red Chilly - 3 nos
Salt to taste
Soak urad dal and red chilly for an hour.Grind it to a smooth paste.
Wash and slightly crush the berries. Crushing helps to remove the bitterness when later soaked in buttermilk mixture.
Add buttermilk, ground paste and salt to the crushed chundakkai. Mix well.
Leave it for a day.
Drain the chundakkais and dry it under sun. After each day of drying, continue to soak
them in the leftover buttermilk mixture till it is completely absorbed.
them in the leftover buttermilk mixture till it is completely absorbed.
Dry the chundakkais for a day after no liquid mixture is left in the vessel.
Store in airtight containers. It will stay good for more than a year.
Shall post the recipe for vathakuzhambu soon.
I think I tasted these before. But didn't know the name. Thanks for introducing these, Jaya!
ReplyDeleteMy periamma had made chundakkai poduthuval when I was carrying! And I remember eating lot of chudakkai vathal as part of 'patya' chaapad post-delivery. Didn't know the English name for it - Nice post!
ReplyDeletenever seen those before
ReplyDeleteTry to pop green chundakkai by giving a smash, make koottu with any lentils like Green gram , it tastes like heaven! Lovely chundakkai!Ah, i miss this lovely veg!
ReplyDeletenice one..love this too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for re introducing these to me. Lovely post!
ReplyDeletei had never seen them..i am sure they taste good.
ReplyDeleteuma, becoz of its unique taste, u will remember it if u hv tasted atleast once.
ReplyDeletessmom, thanks. chundakkai poduthuval is new to me. Do post the recipe if u know.
sagari, thanks. Since its mostly used in dried form, u may not have seen it fresh.
cham, thanks for a new recipe using fresh ones. I can try since I hv some more fresh ones available in my garden.
divya, thanks.glad u liked it.
ms, thanks for dropping by.
anjali, thanks. Try to locate in your local market. May be it is known by a different name.
If at all the chundakkai(Turkey berries) taste sweet I will rather eat a lot of it.
ReplyDeleteN.G.SWATI