Green & tangy: Add these vitamin-loaded leaves to your dishes for that extra tang

While sugar and jaggery are the primary sweetening agents in our kitchens, we have also been blessed with an array of natural food souring agents which add that tangy zest to any dish.

Gongura is an excellent source of folate and Vitamin B6, both of which are needed to maintain low homocysteine levels

HYDERABAD:  The happy marriage of different flavours has been one of the highlights of Indian cuisine. In our ancient texts, a balance of six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent - has been recommended in everyday eating for optimum health.

While sugar and jaggery are the primary sweetening agents in our kitchens, we have also been blessed with an array of natural food souring agents which add that tangy zest to any dish. As summer makes its presence felt, tender tamarind leaves make their appearance which are used extensively in meat preparations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The same applies to Gongura leaves which are also enjoyed in the form of pickles and chutneys. Another green leafy vegetable that imparts tartness to pappus and chutneys is Green Sorrel. 

Commenting on the use of these leaves in Indian kitchens, Chef Sudhir Nair, who is the executive chef in The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, says: “The summer season is believed to be a good time to add these leaves to your food as they keep your body cool. It is also a season when appetite goes down and the tang of these leaves can help bring it back. Gongura, as we know, is used extensively in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. We must note that tamarind and Gongura leaves are used mainly in the preparation of meats that have a strong flavour like mutton. In case of chicken or seafood, the taste of the leaves might overpower the dish.”

Green Sorrel leaves: They are called Chukka Koora in Telugu and Khatta Palak in northern India. Their appearance is similar to spinach leaves but the leaves are darker and the stems thicker. Apart from being added to lentil recipes, they are also used in salads. Their tartness comes from oxalic acid, the quantity of which becomes higher as the leaves grow. They grow all year round but the peak season is summer. 

Tamarind leaves: Tamarind is one of the most common souring agents in Indian cuisine, and even its leaves are eaten in a few states. Chugur Dal and Chugur Gosht are relished during summer as this is the time when tender, crunchy tamarind leaves are available. These sour leaves are used in Ayurvedic medicines and Chef Sudhir tells us that they taste swell with potatoes too.

Gongura leaves: Known as red sorrel leaves in English, these serrated leaves are extensively used in the two Telugu states, Maharashtra, the north-eastern states and other regions. Apart from the celebrated Gongura Mamsam and pickles, they can also be used to whip up a quirky pulihora. They come in green-stemmed and red-stemmed varieties and their pretty fruit pods are used to make red-hued teas.

Health benefits

 Tamarind leaves  

• The polyphenols in tamarind have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
• These can protect against diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes
• The leaves were also used to promote wound healing
• Tamarind contains a good amount of magnesium, an important mineral that plays a role in over 600 functions in the body
• Several studies show that tamarind can combat many different microbes. It may help kill bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites

 Green sorrel

• Rich in vitamin C, it has always been valued for its ability to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by Vitamin C deficiency, especially at a time when other vitamin C-rich foods were not available or affordable. 
• It acts as a diuretic; aids digestion; relieves constipation and alleviates bronchitis and asthma.

 Gongura leaves

• Gongura is an excellent source of folate and Vitamin B6, both of which are needed to maintain low homocysteine levels
• It is a rich source of iron, vitamin C, anti-oxidants, calcium, iron, zinc and Vitamin A.Gongura leaves and flowers help cool the body and reduce inflammation
• They also contain moderate levels of potassium, calcium and magnesium, which help strengthen the bones and are useful in relieving symptoms of fever.

Recipe : Gongura Mamsam

 Ingredients
Diced lamb (boneless and tender) - 1 kg | Sunflower oil sunflower - 100 gm | Cloves - 4 | Green cardamom - 6 | Cinnamon stick - 1  | Cumin seeds - 1 tbs  | Ginger garlic paste - 75 gm  | Garlic chopped - 100 gm  | Onion chopped - 250 gm | Red chilies split - 8 | Sorrel leaves - 1000 gm | Coriander powder - 2 tbs | Roasted cumin powder - 2tbs | Green chillies slit - 250 gm | Turmeric powder - 15gm | Salt - as required | Water - as required | Ghee - 50 gm

 Method

• For Gongura paste: Take a pan and heat some oil in it, then add some whole red chillies, cumin seeds, chopped garlic, green chillies and saute till the garlic sweats.
• Add washed sorrel leaves and simmer in the heat. Cook for 10 minutes.
• Next, cool the mixture and then coarsely grind it in a blender.
• For Gongura Mamsam:Take a pan, add oil to it and heat. Then add red chillies, whole spices, cumin seeds, green chillies, chopped onion and add ginger-garlic paste, Saute till the garlic cooks and turns brown in colour.
• In the same pan, add diced lamb and saute everything together for 10 minutes. Then add some water. Cook on slow fire for 15 minutes, add turmeric powder and salt. 
• When the mutton is cooked, add coriander powder, cumin powder, sorrel leaves paste and simmer for five minutes. Then add ghee, check the salt and serve with steamed rice.

During summer, tamarind leaves, which are used in meat dishes, make their appearance

Contributed by Chef Sudhir Nair, executive chef, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace

— Kakoli Mukherjee  kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com  @KakoliMukherje2