Doddipatre Saasive (Indian Borage Curry)

No. of servings:  4
Preparation Time:  10 mins	Cook Time:  5 mins

The wafting fragrance, taste and benefits of this dish are like none other!  Made from the leaves of a plant with a distinct flavor, it cannot be matched to anything and hence doesn't need too many ingredients either.  This medicinal plant is great to alleviate cough and cold, digestive issues, acidity and the like.  Indian Borage grew in backyards of homes in villages and hence the local name.  It can be grown indoors too by sticking a stem in some soil easily.

Ingredients:

• Chopped Indian Borage leaves (Doddipatre, Doddapatre, Peddapatra, Karpooravalli, Ajwani) -  2 cups
• Grated coconut - 0.5 cup
• Green chili paste - 0.5 tsp
• Ajwain (Ajowan caraway) seeds - 1.5 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric root - 1 inch (or) powder - 0.5 tsp
• Salt
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red Chilies - 2 
• Yogurt - 2 cups

Method:

• Remove the doddipatre leaves from the stems, leaving a bit of the stalk on the stem itself
• Chop a handful of tender stalks and keep aside
• Stick the rest of the stems into some soil for new plants to grow for later (optional)  
• Wash and chop the leaves finely
• In a little oil, season mustard seeds, red chili pieces and one tsp of ajwain seeds 
• Add the chopped leaves and saute for a couple minutes
• The leaves will wilt, change color and give a wonderful aroma very quickly
• Turn off heat and let it cool completely
• To a blender jar, add coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric 
• To this, add the remaining half spoon of ajwain seeds and the tender stalks that were set aside
• Grind them into a smooth paste and add it to the wilted leaves
• Add yogurt and mix well
• Serve with rice!  

Tips and Tricks:

• Adding some tender stalks into the grinding imparts more taste to the curry as they are very flavorful
• Ajwain seeds kick up the flavors even more
• Leaving the stalk of the leaves on the stem ensures the safety of the 'eyes' that grow into new shoots
• Growing them back with the stems is a great way to keep this plant renewed always!  Despite having the plant, it is nice to keep new shoots and rejuvenate the plant

Pictures: 

Final Outcome: