Pulgura (Huli Soppu) Greens Chutney

A typical Andhra tangy curry – when cooked with “love-lies-bleeding” can leave one with a trickly, tickling feeling. Called as curry and ground like chutney, this spicy spotlight sure drives away one’s apathy when teamed with steamed rice, roti or chapathi.

“Love-lies-bleeding” is a red variety leafy veggie and known as fox tail amaranth. Can’t find them…oh, don’t turn red. Pluck those green leaves (Dantina Soppu in kannada), a bunch will do. Done? Now off to the kitchen….for great health to drop on to your plate!   

Dish Type:  South Indian Vegetable Curry

Time: 20 min

Serves:  5 persons

Ingredients

For boiling

Amaranth leaves         1 big bunch (Dantina soppu)

Tamarind paste           1 tsp (or tamarind 1 small lime size)

Green chillies              3 nos.

Salt to taste                 2 tsps approx. (put at the end stage)

For dry frying:

Methi seeds                1 sp

Cumin seeds                2 tsps  

Asafoetida                   A pinch

For seasoning:

Oil                               1 tsp

Mustard seeds              ½ tsp 

Curry leaves                Few (optional)

Asafoetida                   A pinch (if you forget to put while frying)

Directions

Wash dantina soppu with water, drain and keep aside.

Saute the chopped amaranth leaves in a vessel along with salt and tamarind for about 10 min. till the soppu turns just soft. (Do not overboil)

While vegetable is boiling….

Heat a medium sized kadai. Dry fry ingredients listed above one after another separately and keep transferring each of them to a plate. Let them cool. Grind this to a fine powder. Transfer the powder to a small container leaving behind a tsp of powder in the mixie. To this add the cooked vegetable and grind to chutney consistency.

Now is the time for seasoning…

For this, heat ghee in a small skillet. Put mustard seeds. When they crackle put broken red chillies and curry leaves (both are optional) and switch off the flame. Add asafoetida. Immediately pour it on to huli soppu.

Pulgura is now ready.

Tete a Tete: 

Pulgura can also be prepared using Ridge Gourd (Heerekayi), Egg Plant (Badanekaayi)
If you are short of time for grinding, here's a short cut: Add cumin powder, methi powder and asafoetida powder while seasoning.

Juice of Amaranth leaves helps treat diarrhea, haemorrhage, hair loss and premature greying, makes a great wash for skin that suffers from eczema and acne.

Recipe Contributor: Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy, a nonagenarian lady and an expert cook, mother of Sri. Sheshadri Mokshagundam
Few other recipes contributed by Smt. Lalithamma:
Vangibath Powder
Rasam Powder
Sambar Powder
Greens Chutney (Pulgura)
Citron Lime Sauce (Heralekayi Gojju)
Hasi Majjige Huli (Sambar variety using yogurt)