INGREDIENTS:
Fresh Rhubarb- 6 stalks
Garlic- 6 pods
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek, mustard and cumin seeds -1 tsp each
Dried red chillies- 4 nos
Curry leaves- few leaflets
Asafoetida- a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil- 3 tbsp
DIRECTIONS:
Cut Rhubarb stalks into 2 cm long pieces. When cutting them, remove the fibrous outer covering. Then boil the pieces in just enough water to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the base of the vessel. You will notice in a few minutes, that the Rhubarb becomes like a paste. Now heat oil in a pan, add Fenugreek seeds and wait till they turn brown. Then add Mustard and Cumin seeds. After they splutter, add Curry leaves, Red chilies and Garlic pieces (you can make a paste, if you don’t like Garlic pieces). Fry for few seconds. Now add few pinches of Asafoetida, Red chilli powder and Turmeric powder to the hot oil. Immediately add the Rhubarb paste and then add enough salt (it takes a lot of salt since the Rhubarb stalks are very sour). Now stir continuously until oil separates out.
Keep it refrigerated, and it lasts for several weeks.
CREDITS/NOTES:
Note from my cousin Sharmila Rao – Rhubarb is the first vegetable of the year that we are able to harvest from our Garden. But the last few years I generously distributed them to our neighbors because all the recipes that I found included a lot sugar, which I was keen to avoid. Recently I was lucky to find this recipe on internet, which suits my south Indian taste buds and I hope you enjoy it too.