Karuveppilai mittai: Make this traditional curry leaf sweet at home

Curry leaves usually land in the pan with a splash of oil, a few mustard seeds and a tempering spoon. But what if they took a turn towards the sweet side?

Karuveppilai mittai, or curry leaf candy, gives the humble curry leaf a rather unexpected makeover. Roasted curry leaves are ground with almonds and cardamom, then mixed with jaggery, coconut and ghee to make little bite-sized sweets. The result is an easy traditional treat with the distinct flavour of curry leaves in every bite.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup curry leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
2. 1/2 cup jaggery
3. 2 tbsp grated coconut
4. 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
5. 2 tbsp almonds
6. 1 tsp ghee

Preparation

1. Wash the curry leaves well and pat them completely dry. Moisture can make it difficult to roast them properly.
2. Heat a pan on low flame and dry roast the curry leaves until they become crisp. Keep stirring gently so they do not burn. Turn off the flame and allow them to cool.
3. Add the roasted curry leaves, cardamom and almonds to a mixer grinder. Grind into a coarse powder. Set aside.
4. In the same pan, shallow roast the grated coconut until lightly golden and fragrant. Allow it to cool, then grind it into a powder.
5. Heat the pan again and add the jaggery with a little water. Cook until the jaggery melts and forms a thick syrup.
6. Add the curry leaf and almond powder, powdered coconut and ghee to the jaggery syrup. Mix well over low heat until the mixture thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
7. Turn off the flame and allow the mixture to cool slightly. When it is comfortable to handle, grease your palms with a little ghee.
8. Take small portions of the mixture and roll them into bite-sized balls.
9. Allow the karuveppilai mittai to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.