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.
