Omega-3 Rich Curry Leaf Powder- Vegan
Omega 3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated (healthy) fats, that are super important for heart health. They are called essential fats, which means, you have to obtain them through diet. Found in many types of fish in abundance, there is a common misconception that you need to either eat fish or take omega 3 supplements to obtain these important fats. As nature always provides for us, there are numerous plant sources of omega 3 fatty acids that we can easily incorporate in to our diet. Walnuts, flax, chia, hemp, edamame, pumpkin seeds, sesame are a few good sources of omega 3 fatty acids. And I needed a way to have all the mentioned plant sources of omega 3 to be seamlessly integrated into my meals. Then was born this gorgeous, rightfully spiced and flavorful omega 3 boosted curry leaf powder.
Curry leaves are quintessential to Indian kitchens, especially in South India. A perennial tree, native to India, Srilanka, Bangladesh, has its mention in Tamil literature as early as 1st century AD. The leaves are aromatic, and add a noticeable flavor, color to any dish. From the nutrition stand point, curry leaves are rich in Calcium , phosphorus, Iron, zinc and Vitamin A. They are known to have profound anti inflammatory effect due to various antioxidants present in the leaves. Culturally, they are used as a remedy in various ailments from simple diarrhea to alcohol detoxification. I found this concise article interesting to read about curry leaves. Click the link below, if interested.
Traditionally curry leaf powder is a common condiment in South India, made by pulverizing dry curry leaves with variety of spices and is versatile to be a part of breakfast or lunch/dinner. The very much loved ancestral curry leaf powder (karvepaku kaaram in telugu) is the inspiration for this recipe.
Once I understood the nuances around omega 3, and the fact that scientific studies proved that the use of omega 3 supplements yielded more harm than good, I realized the importance of consciously adding more omega 3 rich foods into my cooking practices.
Finding a dish that is loved and eaten by all the family alike, and then tweaking it to nutritionally boost the contents, is the formula that always wins. So here we go, turn your beloved curry leaf powder into a omega 3 powerhouse that can affect your health in so many good ways ( think anti- inflammatory, lower cholesterol, improved brain and heart health) in under 20 min with the recipe below.
Omega 3 Rich Curry leaf powder
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh curry leaves (separated from the twigs)
- 1/3 cup dry horsegram can use urad dal instead
- 2/3 cup channa dal
- 6 dry red chilies- medium spicy
- 15 g tamarind (roughly size of quarter coin)
- salt to taste about 2-3 tsp
Omega 3 powerhouse list
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup flax seeds
- 1/3 cup chia seeds
- 1/3 cup hemp hearts
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup sesame seeds
Instructions
- Start off by getting the curry leaves ready. Separate the leaves from the stems, wash and pat dry. If you are in no rush, you can just sun dry these leaves on the counter near a window for 2-3 days. Otherwise, take a saute pan and on low heat, add the curry leaves. It will take about 7-8 min, before the leaves become dry with a shade of brown. Make sure they don't burn. We just want them slightly crispy in texture and loose the moisture. Keep them aside. In the same pan, on low heat, add the channa dal and let it roast till slightly brown and a nice aroma emanates. Take them off the stove and add to a blender jar once cool to room temperature. Now roast the horse gram similar to channa dal , again on low heat until slightly brown. Add these also into the blender jar after cool down. (Given the high protein and fiber content, I chose horse gram instead of traditional choice of urad dal. Feel free to use either one of them)Then dry roast the red chilies (make sure they are medium spicy. If less spicy versions like Bydagi chilies, you might need to increase the number of chilies). Add the red chilies also to the blender. In the same pan, toast the sesame seeds on low heat until you see them develop a subtle brown shade. They burn easily, so be careful with the heat. Once toasted, let them cool down and then add to the blender. Next up , toast the pumpkin seeds on low heat. Take them off the pan once they start popping and add to blender once cool. Toast the flax seeds on low heat for about 2 min. Do not rush by increasing the heat. Once you see the flax seeds starting to pop, take them into a plate and let them cool.Then toast the walnuts in the same pan on low heat for 2-3 min. Set these aside as well. Dry roast the tamarind as well for 2-3 min.
- By now, your blender jar should have toasted channa dal, horsegram, sesame seeds, red chilies, pumpkin seeds. Blend them into a powder. Then add the curry leaves that have been roasted in the pan. Blend again. You should see the gorgeous green powder coming into shape. Then add the chia seeds, hemp hearts. (No need to roast them) along with the tamarind. Blend again. Then add the toasted flax seeds, walnuts. Blend until the mixture is not too coarse and use a spoon to break any small lumps you might see. Then add the salt and let the blender have one last pulse action. Your omega3 boosted curry leaf powder is now ready. Take it into a shallow bowl, and let it sit for 5- 10 min, so that the heat generated from blending is lost. Then, take the powder into a dry container that can be air tight. Store this jar of powerful omega 3 curry leaf powder in the fridge. The above measurements will yield about 300 g powder and typically it is gone in 3-4 weeks for my family of four. We use it with idlis, as a filling in dosas, or just as a comforting combo with rice. Plus, this powder gets added into many vegetable stirfries.