Chawli Bhaji
by Tarla Dalal
You are sure to be using chawli, and even its a vegetable, quite commonly used in your cooking. Have you ever tried using its leaves, which are a storehouse of folic acid and iron? Chawli bhaji is a simple but tasty preparation of chawli greens. A purée of the greens tempered with a traditional combination of mustard, urad dal and chillies that is very common in South Indian cooking. Since the chawli leaves are naturally bitter so you may find a little bitter taste in the subzi.
Chawli Bhaji recipe - How to make Chawli Bhaji
Preparation Time: Cooking Time: Total Time:
Makes 4 servings
8 cups chopped chawli (cow pea / lobhia) leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
salt to taste
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
8 to 10 curry leaves (kadi patta)
4 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces
2 tsp urad dal (split black lentils)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- Method
- Combine the chawli leaves, turmeric powder, salt and 1¾ cups of water in a deep non-stick pan and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes or till half of the water dries out. Keep aside to cool slightly.
- Blend in a mixer till smooth and keep aside.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
- When the seeds crackle, add the curry leaves, red chillies, urad dal and asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
- Add the chawli mixture and a little salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Serve hot.
| Energy | 91 cal |
| Protein | 5.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9.5 g |
| Fiber | 5.7 g |
| Fat | 3.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 7530.5 mcg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.3 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.9 mg |
| Vitamin C | 134.7 mg |
| Folic Acid | 205.3 mcg |
| Calcium | 543 mg |
| Iron | 4.8 mg |
| Magnesium | 2.6 mg |
| Phosphorus | 86.6 mg |
| Sodium | 313.6 mg |
| Potassium | 478.4 mg |
| Zinc | 0.3 mg |
Tastes okayish.
Chawli by nature is a bit bitter, but when cooked in this form its bitterness reduces... benefit from its iron and folic acid and make up your haemoglobin levels.
Chawli leaves pureed and cooked with curry leaves, urad dal and Kashmiri red chillies to form a liquid pureed vegetable. By nautre, chawli is bitter but this veggie tasted good and is extremely healthy.
Same subji with different names in different books; but still no please. Very bitter. Instead of that try one with masoor dal or one with coconut milk. This one we just couldn't eat. Very disappointing.