JOIN USHealthy delicacies made with Dill
Amrutha G shows you some unique ways to use this leafy vegetable.
Dill is a green leafy aromatic vegetable available all through the year. In Kannada, it is called ‘sabbasige soppu’. The chlorophyll content in this vegetable is known to be good for teeth and cholesterol control. Here are a few innovative dill recipes to try and relish.
Dill Chutney Powder
Ingredients: 2 bunches fresh dill, ¼ cup urad dal, ½ cup Bengal gram dal, 6 – 8 red chillies, one marble-sized ball of tamarind, ½ cup grated coconut, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tspoon turmeric, salt to taste; 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp mustard, ¼ tsp powdered asafoetida.
Method: Discard the roots and stalks, and wash the leaves a couple of times. Cut the leaves and pat dry with kitchen towels to remove the water. Spread the leaves on a cotton towel to dry for an hour (but not in the sun). Dry roast the urad dal and Bengal gram dal, separately, till they turn a golden color.
Dry roast the chillies with a little oil. Roast the copra gratings and hing for half a minute. Mix all the roasted items along with the dill, salt, sugar, tamarind, and turmeric. Grind in a blender for a coarse consistency. Transfer the ready powder to a mixing bowl. Heat oil in a small kadai, add mustard seeds to splutter. Pour over the prepared dill chutney powder. Mix by hand and store in a dry bottle. Serve with a dry spoon. Goes well with dosa, idli and hot rice with ghee.
Digestive Dill (Health Drink)
Ingredients: 1 bunch dill, 2 cups milk, 8-10 pepper corns, ½ tsp cumin seeds, sugar to taste, ½ tbsp honey.
Method:Discard the roots and wash the dill a few times. Cook in the pressure cooker adding 1 cup of water, pepper and cumin till it whistles two times. Cool. Grind the cooked dill in the blender. Extract the juice using a muslin cloth. Boil the milk. Bring to room temperature. Add the juice to the milk and sugar or honey to taste. Pour into glasses. Drink hot or cold. Note: This digestive drink helps with treating cold and cough.
Dill Rice Balls (in Curd)
Ingredients: 1 bunch dill, 1 cup rice flour, ½ tsp, 1 cup rice flour, a pinch of cumin and asfoetida powder, a pinch of cooking soda, salt to taste. and oil for shallow frying.
Method: Discard the roots and stalks, and wash the dill a few times. Chop finely.
In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, salt, asafoetida, soda, cumin, and chopped dill. Mix by hand. Add very warm water, mix by hand, and knead. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Make marble sized balls by hand. Heat oil in a shallow pan. Add the rice balls. Roast till the balls turn gold, turning now and then.
Drain the balls. In a serving bowl, keep churned fresh curd. Add ½ tsp sugar, salt to taste, and finely cut fresh coriander leaves. Season with ghee, green chillies, and mustard. Pour over curd. Add the roasted golden dill balls to soak for a while before eating. This delicacy can be eaten as a side-dish as well as a snack.