Forgotten foods - Sambhar soppu
It's one of the lesser known leafy vegetables is the Sambhar soppu or Doddpatre leaves or Sambrani leaves or the Mexican mint (Scientific name Plectranthus amboinicus). Mum recently tried a new recipe of curry of these and wasn't it utterly delicious. The succulent leaves have a super spicy aroma that fills up the whole room. Also known as the Indian oregano, it has great medicinal properties. And its very easy to grow. Any leafy joint of the succulent stem can be grown into a plant. Grows easily and quickly even in dearth of sunlight. Strange that inspite of these properties, its hardly found in our veggie markets. We had this plant growing in our balcony for as long as I can remember. But we never tried any recipes of it. Until now.... There are loads of recipes available on YouTube, but we South Indians have a few standard recipes : 1. Chutney - A finely ground paste of Sambhar soppu, green mirchi, onion/garlic. Can be eaten with dosas instead of daily boring coconut chutney...