Spinach Tambli Variations ( Blended spinach - coconut - yogurt curry from the Indian west Coast)

One Page Cookbooks

1001 Soppina Tambli (coconut ? spinach sour curry from Konkan Coast)

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This cookbook lists 1000 Tambli recipes from 000 to 999. The three digits denote the base, flavouring & spinach.

Master Recipe:: To a blender/ mixie, add half a handful of chopped coconut, a small chopped green chili (or a dry red chili) and 3 pinches of salt. Blend to a smooth paste, adding a spoon or two of water. Add a base from column 1, greens from column 3 and blend again. Mix in a cup of yogurt. Mix with flavouring from column 2 and serve. (Instead of yogurt you can also use buttermilk or half a spoon of tamarind paste/ kokum syrup dissolved in a cup of water).

Base

Flavouring

Tender leaves ( ½ handful)

0.: None

0.: Mustard Heat half a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard.

0.: Doddapathre ( Tamil : Karpooravalli)

1.: Dhania Take two pinches of coriander seeds.

1.: Cumin Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of cumin

1.: Palak . (Palak Tambli)

2.: Ginger Take a small bit of ginger

2.: Curry leaves Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard and a few curry leaves.

2.: Malabar Spinach ( Tamil : pasalai keerai) (Basale Tambli)

3.: Garlic Take a chopped garlic clove.

3.: Cilantro Take three pinches of chopped cilantro.

3.: Brahmi (Herb of grace / Indian pennywort) (Timare Tambli)

4.: Cumin Take two pinches of cumin.

4.: Asafetida Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard and a pinch of asafetida. .

4.: Fruit Leaves Tender leaves of cashew, mango, lemon/ pomegranate/ guava/

5.: Fenugreek Take a pinch of fenugreek powder.

5.: Lentils Heat a spoon of oil. Add two pinches of mustard and urad dal. Stir for a few seconds till lentil browns.

5.: Pumpkin leaves (Dudde vali Tambli)

6.: Sesame seeds Take three pinches of sesame seeds.

6.: Fenugreek Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch each of mustard and fenugreek.

6.:.Fenugreek Leaves (Menthe soppu Tambli)

7.: Poppy Seeds Take three pinches of poppy seeds.

7.: Red Chili Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch each of mustard, a few curry leaves and a torn red chili. Stir for a few seconds and remove from fire.

7.: Cauliflower / Radish leaves

8.: Pepper , Take two pinches of pepper powder.

8.: Turmeric Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch each of mustard, a few curry leaves and a pinch of turmeric powder. Remove from fire.

8.: Ivygourd leaves (Tendli Tambli)

9.: Fusion Use your fav base or any combo of the above.

9.: Fusion Use your favourite base or use any combination of the above.

9.: Any combination of the above.

Sample Recipes :: Soppina Tambli 001 :: Jeerage Carrot Tambli 400 :: Mente Kande Tambli 520 :: Kodi ere Tambli 014

Soppina Tambli is probably the easiest way to use a huge variety of edible greens. Everything from edible (spinach) to not so edible ( Tender shoots of a wide variety of plants) taste great in a Tambli. If you do not like the raw taste of greens, they can be stir fried / blanched. Some greens might cause minor irritation in the mouth if used uncooked.

Blanching spinach: Bring a cup of water to a boil. Add half a handful of spinach. Let cook for 30 seconds and drain water.

Stir frying spinach: Heat half a spoon of oil / ghee. Add half a handful of chopped spinach. Stir and cook for a minute.

A Soppina Tambli is always uncooked, served cold, sour, and has coconut and spinach Apart from these basic guidelines, it is so versatile that almost anything can be blended in. Depending on what base ( column 1) is blended in, the name of the Tambli changes as in Jeerage Tambli (Cumin), Mente Tambli (Fenugreek), Kottambari Tambli (Dhania), Shunti Tambli (Ginger), Yellu Tambli (Sesame seeds) and so on.

Optionally, a variety of flavouring listed in column 2 can be mixed in the Tambli just before serving Almost any edible leaf can be blended into the Tambli as listed in column 3 to create a never ending variety of Tamblis. These change name of Tambli as in Doddapathre Tambli, Palak Tambli, Basale Tambli, Kodi ere Tambli (Tender leaves of mango, cashew, lemon/ pomegranate), Koodi Tambli (Tender Guava leaves) etc.,. All Tamblis are served cold and eaten mixed with cooked rice, at the very beginning of a meal. The leaves of a wide range of medicinal plants like Brahmi (increases memory and concentration), Cassia Sophora (cures dysentery & tastelessness.), Cassia tora, Maelastoma malabathricum( Cures constipation, diuretic- stimulates kidneys), Bryophyllum calycinum, Brachyramphus sonchifolius, Cephalandra indica ( tendli) ( astringent - heals wounds) are also used in Tambli in accordance with Ayurveda?s ?Food as medicine? philosophy.