Black Sesame Seed Chutney - Ellu Chutney

 Today's recipe is a flavour bomb - I have never had it before and I happened to see it paired with urid dal rice - and it happens to be a speciality of Tirunelveli, apparently.

I say apparently because I have never had this rice or this chutney in Nagercoil - which is my town, further South from Tirunelveli by about 80 kms.  Anyway, the bottom line is I am glad I discovered this chutney because it is just awesome!

And not just that - it is full of antioxidants, iron, manganese, calcium and was popularly served to girls who reached puberty and lactating mothers. I also read that black sesame seeds have a compund in them that can inhibit the onset of Alzhiemers (courtesy: Nut Market, James Street, Brisbane and the site refers to medical journals)

The thing is, in India black sesame seeds have been used for centuries. The oil from black sesame seeds is even called "Nalla ennai" - good oil; and most households cooked with this oil. We did this simple because we followed traditions, but it is good to understand how good this "good oil" is, really.

This chutney combines the goodness of sesame seeds with jaggery, chilli, coconut, curry leaves, tamarind and garlic to create a sweet and sour protein ball that really does burst in your mouth. You can get the beautiful umami of the ground up toasted sesame seeds giving a tingling, happy sensation all over!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup black sesame seeds

2 heaped tablespoons - shredded coconut

1 and a 1/2  teaspoon  - jaggery

1 gooseberry sized tamarind

5 dry red chillies

3- 4 garlic cloves

1 stalk curry leaves

few granules of rock salt

1 teaspoon sesame oil

For tempering:

1 teaspoon sesame oil

a few curry leaves

a generous pinch of mustard seeds

a generous pinch of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon white lentils - urid dal

Toast the sesame seeds in a wok so that they puff up and crackle. Stir well and turn the flame off and let the rest of the seeds crackle in the heat of the pan.  Make sure you do not singe the seeds.  Set aside.

Heat one teaspoon oil in the same wok.  Add the curry leaves, chillies, garlic and tamarid and saute for a few seconds till the garlic just starts to change colour.  Add the shredded coconut and saute for a few seconds. At this stage and turn the fire off. Do not let the coconut burn. 

Transfer the sesame seeds and the saute'd mixture to a grinder, add the rock salt and blend.  If the mixture is too dry, add 1 or two teaspoons of water to bring it all together. 

You will get a beautiful black ball glistening with the oil from the sesame seeds.

Prepare the tempering and pour it on top of the chutney.  To prepare tempering, heat one teaspoon oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when it sizzles and crackels add the urid dal and the curry leaves.  Saute till the dal turns golden. Pour this mixture on the top of your chutney.  Doesn't it look amazing?

Serve with idlis, dosa, rice, rice gruel or specifically Ulundu rice if you want the authentic Tirunelveli experience: