Vallarai salad and chutney

The first recipe for today is vallarai salad followed by vallarai chutney. Vallarai/ Gotukola (Centella Asiatica) is a herb used in Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese as well as African medicine. It is said to improve memory and some believe youthfulness.

Bunch of Vallarai/ Gotukola

(a) Vallarai salad

Time taken: 10 mins

Serves 3 or 4

Ingredients

• Vallarai bunch – 2 cups, when finely chopped
• Tomato – 1 medium or grated coconut – 1 tbsp
• Chilli – 1
• Onion – ½
• Pepper and Salt, to taste
• Lime juice – 1 tbsp, adjust as preferred

Method:

1. Wash the bunch of vallarai leaves thoroughly and then finely chop them up and put them in a large salad mixing bowl.
2. Chop up the tomato, chilli and onion and add to the bowl. For those who don’t like tomatoes, substitute with freshly scraped coconut.
3. Sprinkle some pepper and salt, to taste and add the lime juice.
4. Toss well and serve immediately.

(b) Vallarai chutney

Time taken: 5 mins

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• Vallarai – 2 cups, finely chopped
• Freshly scraped coconut – ½ cup
• Onion – ½ chopped
• Green chillies – 2
• Lime juice, to taste

Method:

1. Blend the 2 cups of finely chopped vallarai with ½ cup of freshly scraped coconut, ½ onion and 2 chillies.
2. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the chutney and mix before serving immediately.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.