Chempadaku

Chempadaku is a tribal dish popular in Kerala.

Ingredients

Colacassia Leaves or Cheimbilla
Cherry Tomato
Red chilli
Shallots
Coriander
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds
Turmeric
Curry leaves

Method of preparation

Secured from the pristine pockets of nature Chembila is collected on the preceding day. It is an easily available plant in the tribal settlement area. Now break the Colacassia leaves into small pieces and keep it aside. Heat a pan and add red chilly, coriander and cumin seeds into it.  Roast it till becomes dark brown. They use no tools for stirring  the ingredients.

Heat some water in an earthen pot. Meanwhile,  grind the turmeric to a paste form in the traditional grinding stone. Add the roasted red chilli into it and crush it to form a paste. Add coriander and cumin seeds into it and grind  it well. Next,  take the  curry leaves  and crush well. Crush the shallots and mix it well with other crushed ingredients. Now, the paste is ready.

Cook the pieces of Chembila in the boiling water. Stir well. Once it is half  boiled, add the crushed cherry tomatoes  into it and stir well. Cherry tomatoes are available in abundance in the tribal settlement area. Next, add the paste into the boiling leaves and stir well. Chembadaku is now ready to serve.