When we hosted our Diwali party last year I asked my friend Radhika to bring an appetizer and what she created was truly something special.  It was minty, tart, spicy, sweet, and everyone loved it!  So here it is – Radhika’s Apple and Thuvaiyal on Baguette.

What is thuvaiyal?

Are you familiar with Thuvaiyal?  Thuvaiyal is a thick chutney the consistency of a pesto paste. Made in most South Indian homes it is a staple in every household. Thuvaiyal is made with any variation of vegetables, lentils, and spices cooked together and all ground up into a thick paste. Though classified as a chutney, thuvaiyals are eaten with plain rice by mixing them in with melted ghee or oil. This thuvaiyal recipe is from a book I have titled Dakshin. Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan.

Radhika’s Apple and Mint Thuvaiyal on Baguette:
Thuvaiyal recipe from Dakshin. Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan

Ingredients:

• Large bunch of mint leaves
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 green chilies
• 2 red chilies
• 1/2 tsp asafetida powder (Hing)
• 3 tbsp black gram daal
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
• 1 sweet baguette loaf sliced
• Granny Smith apples thinly sliced

Directions:

• Make the mint thuvaiyal   
• Remove the stems of the mint leaves and finely chop leaves. Set aside
• In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the mustard seeds, 2 green chilies, red chilies, asafetida powder, and black gram daal. Sauté until the daal turns golden brown.
• Add the chopped onion and cook until onion is soft and tender and lightly browned.
• In a blender add the mint leaves, tamarind pulp, salt, pepper, the roasted onion spice and daal mix.
• Blend into a paste.  Add water as needed to blend.
• Adjust salt to taste.
• Assemble the appetizer.
• Place apple slices in a bowl of lemon water. This prevents the apples from turning brown.
• Spread thuvaiyal on baguette slices.
• Put one apple slice on top of each baguette.
• Serve immediately.