Ambadi Bhaji

Sorrel leaves with toor dal — fresh ambadi (roselle/sorrel; Hibiscus sabdariffa, whose leaves are intensely sour) washed and chopped, then cooked with pressure-cooked toor dal, shallots, garlic, green chilli, and a tempering of mustard seeds, dried red chilli, and curry leaves in sesame oil. The ambadi's intense tartness (from malic acid in the leaves) seasons the dal without any tamarind or lemon; the combination of ambadi's sour-astringent leaves and the toor dal's earthiness is the defining flavour of Vidarbha's vegetable cooking. Loved in the Amravati and Yavatmal districts where ambadi grows prolifically; the preparation is almost indistinguishable from Andhra's gongura pappu, reflecting the shared Deccan agricultural tradition. Eaten with bhakri or rice as the primary vegetable course.