Curry leaves

[Milagai]

Here's a recipe for Kari leaf chutney:

http://creative.linux-delhi.org/?q=node/1206

Kari leaf and garlic chutney (search halfway down the page)

http://indian-recipies.blogspot.com/

Further down on the same page is

"Brinjals in mustard" (brinjals = eggplant)

which uses mustard oil

Milagai

[Gabriel Lewis]

Sorry about the wait, its been a busy week. Hope your curry leaves are still ok, or if not perhaps this will give you an excuse to buy some more!

I'm opting to provide a carrot salad recipe, as it is more my own intepretation of a recipe of hers and simpler to boot, but if your interested in the steamed lentil cakes let me know and i'll send you a pm.

Southern Style Peanut Salad (for two)

1/2 lb carrots, peeled and shredded

1 T ghee or oil

1T black mustard seeds

1 green chile, finely chopped

1tsp sugar

4 curry leaves

2tsp lime juice

1T roasted peanuts or cashews (optional)

salt to taste

Place carrots in a mixing boil, and heat the ghee or oil until it just beings to smoke in a small frying pan, remove from heat briefly before returning and adding the mustard seeds. Have a pot lid ready as these will start to pop like crazy, cover the pan and let the seeds pop for 10-15 seconds until the popping has subsided to intermittent pop and the seeds are gray. Add the green chiles followed 10 seconds later by the curry leaves and sugar, stir and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds until

leaves are fragant and then pour over the raw carrots. Let them cool briefly and add lime juice and salt to taste, toss to mix and serve garnished with nuts.

Alternatively in her version you can fry the carrots briefly, adding at the stage at which you would pour the mixture over the carrots, and add a scant amount of yogurt as well.

Heres a recipe based on another of hers for Spinach with mustard Oil

1lb fresh spinach

2T mustard oil

1tsp black mustard seeds

1-4 dried red chiles

1T minced garlic

salt to taste

2 T water

Wash and trim the spinach of any tough stems. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and fry the mustard seeds as in the previous recipe. When popping has subsided add the dried red chiles and fry till darkened, then add the garlic and fry until light brown and fragant, add the spinach and toss vigorously until coated with oil and beginning to wilt. Add salt and water and cover the pan, turn heat down to low and let steam for 2-3 minutes. Uncover pan and turn heat up, frying and reducing until almost all the water is gone and leaves are glazed.

Hope you enjoy!