Inji Thuvaiyal | Ginger Chutney

Vegan Inji Thuvaiyal Recipe

Inji Thuvaiyal (Ginger Chutney) is a very refreshing chutney. The smell of ginger kicks your senses awake – and improves your digestion too. This is one recipe that dulls down the usually strong taste of ginger into a very pleasurable, palatable experience.

Whole Food Plant Based Inji Thuvaiyal Recipe

Course: Chutneys, Side Dish for Course 3 (Grain Dishes) at Lunch & Dinner Meals
Cuisine: Tamil Recipe from South India
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 People

Ingredients

2 inch piece Ginger (Inji / Sunti / Adrak)
2 tsp Urad Dal (Uluthamparuppu / uddina bele)
2 tsp Bengal Gram Dal (Kadalai Paruppu / Kadlebele)
20 leaves Curry Leaves (Karuvepelai / karibevu soppu)
1 dried fruit Garcinia (Kokum / Punarpuli)
2 tbsp Cashews
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds Jeera
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 small Green Chili
1 pinch Asafoetida (Perunkaayam / Hing)
4 tsp Miso Paste (Healthy Salt Alternative. See Nutrition Science Highlights below)

Instructions

1. Dry roast each of the dals separately, taking care not to let them brown too much or get burnt. See Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Inji Thuvaiyal below for details.
2. Peel ginger.
3. Grind all the ingredients together in a mixie, with water as required. Thick ginger chutney is our personal favourite, with just a little water. Serve fresh with brown rice or foxtail millet upma.

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Inji Thuvaiyal Recipe

1. Why Miso Paste? Miso paste is fermented & salted soya bean paste. American Heart Association Maximum recommended maximum daily salt intake of 3.75 grams per person to minimise risk of high blood pressure, stomach cancer and chronic kidney disease. In addition to helping us restrict salt intake, replacing salt with miso paste also helps by neutralising the negative effects of salt by soya phytonutrients. You can easily make fresh miso paste at home by mixing 100 grams of cooked soya paste with 10 grams of salt, or 10 tablespoons of cooked soya paste with 1 tablespoon of salt. If making at home, ensure to use immediately, or freeze in batches to use later. Or, simply use 3.75 grams of salt or less per day per person and add 18 to 20 grams (dry weight) of soya beans in any dishes, spread through the day!
2. Why spices? Spices are among the healthiest foods on the planet in terms of their ability to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. They pack the highest antioxidant:calorie ratio. Just one pinch of spice powders exponentially increases the antioxidant content of any dish. Dishes like these, that have many strong spices, are a great way to amp up the health quotient of our everyday meals. Raw and boiled or steamed spices retain their phytonutrient content better than roasted or baked spices.
3. Why nuts instead of oil? Whole foods are healthier than processed foods. When nuts are pressed and oil is extracted, fiber and phytonutrients are lost, along with many other nutrients. Therefore, whole nuts are much healthier than oils, whether cold-pressed or refined. In addition, they provide the oil content we need to absorb fat-soluble phytonutrients from other whole plant foods! This may be why nuts are used to garnish nearly every traditional Indian dish!