Sundaikkai_Sambar

 Sundaikkai Sambar - Pea eggplant Sambar - Turkish Berry Sambar :

Sundaikkai [ Sundakkai ] is called Devil's fig, Prickly nightshade, Turkish berry, Wild eggplant, pea eggplant in English. The scientific name is Solanum torvum.

There is no dearth of sundakkai as I have as many as fifteen plants in my garden. I am regularly including it in my cooking either in sambar or koottu and 

preparing spicy masala curry very often.

I am making sundaikkai [ sundakkai ] vathal by drying the surplus sundaikkai in the hot Sun. 

Tasty sundaikkai sambar can be prepared from sundaikkai in combination with other vegetables. Sundaikkai gives a distinct flavour and aroma to the sambar.

Approximately 2 - 2 1/2 cups of sambar can be prepared from the following given ingredients.

Ingredients :
25 - 30	Sundaikkai [ Pea eggplant ]
1/3 cup	Toor dal [ thuvaram paruppu ]
1/2 inch long	Turmeric tuber, chop finely*
small piece	Asafoetida
Nellikkai size	Tamarind, soak in hot water
10 - 12	Small onion
2 - 3	Green chilly, slit lengthwise
12 - 15	Curry leaf
1 - 2	Brinjal [ eggplant ]
1	Bitter gourd [ optional ]
1	Carrot
1	Radish
Powders to add :
3 Tsp	Sambar powder
2 Tsp	Coriander Powder
1 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
To Temper :
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ til/sesame oil ]

* If turmeric tuber is not available, then use turmeric powder.

Method :

Take toor dal [ thuvaram paruppu ] in a pressure cooker and wash twice.

Add 3/4 cup of water, finely chopped turmeric tuber and asafoetida piece.

Close the cooker and place weight over the nozzle.

Pressure cook on HIGH flame for 5 whistles and then cook for 5 minutes on SIM.

Open the cooker only after it ran out of steam.

Mash cooked dal [ lentil ] using a ladle.

Add coriander powder, salt, finely chopped turmeric tuber [ turmeric powder ] and Sambar powder.

Mix well and add split sudaikkai.

And other chopped vegetables, onion, green chilly and add 1 1/4 cup of water. Mix well.

Heat on high flame and bring it to boil. Squeeze out juice from soaked tamarind and strain into boiling sambar.

Finally add brinjal pieces and close the cooker, Pressure cook on high flame for two whistles.

Heat a kadai with half a teaspoon of oil and temper mustard seeds and pour over hot sambar. Tear some curry leaves and coriander leaves and put it over hot sambar. Tasty sambar is ready to relish.

Take hot white rice on a plate and pour a ladle full of hot sundakkai sambar [ Pea eggplant sambar ] and mix well with hand. 

Enjoy with spicy curry or any vegetable stir fry of your choice. 

Sundaikkai sambar is a great accompaniment with paruppu sadham [ rice mixed with lentil and ghee ].

Health benefits of Sundaikkai - Turkish Berry - Pea Eggplant :

The size of the sundaikkai is tiny but it is packed with high quality protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

100 gm of Turkish berry contains 8.3 gm of Protein, 22.5 gm of Iron, 390 mg of Calcium, 180 mg of Phosphorous.

The high protein content in it, comprising essential amino acids, is good for heart health. It strengthens cardiac muscles which helps to maintain normal heartbeat and pulse.

The dietary fiber helps to tackle constipation and takes care of indigestion, diarrhoea and gastric ulcers.It is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin B. It also has good amount of vitamin C. So it boosts the body's immunity and saves us from catching common cold, cough & the seasonal flu.

The minerals like Iron, Calcium, Sodium and Potassium are present abundantly in it.

Sundaikkai - Turkish berry is abundant in unique phytonutrients, such as sapogenin steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids,torvosides, glycosides, chlorogenins, tannins and phenols. These nutrients give it anti - inflammatory, anti microbial, anti oxidant, antidiuretic traits. It helps as a remedy to pancreatic ulcers, arthritis and gout.

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