Lunuwila Curry

Lunuwila, a green that was a part of our childhood staple diet was lost to me as I grew. It’s just like most things, as we grow we want to experience something new. This lovely dish reentered my life by a chance introduction thanks to my husband and mother.

I’m a big fan of greens, local varieties, and foreign. I’ve always tied to ensure greens are part of our daily diet by making salads, smoothies, or even a curry. Even though that I have tried many varieties there are still a lot out there that I haven’t even heard of. Sri Lanka is home to a ton of super greens, some of which I am yet to try, and is always something my husband is telling me to do. Greens in Sri Lanka are always used to treat ailments, due to their nutritional properties. As a rule of thumb, in Sri Lanka, different greens are made for each day of the week to ensure you maintain a healthy digestive system and you help your body balance its sugar, cholesterol, and pressure levels, some greens do help fight worm infections without the need of consuming a tablet. So yes, things are very interesting in the world of greens and Lunuwila AKA Bacopa Monnieri is just one of those locally grown super greens.

According to the myherbals. lk, it is useful in treating nervous disorders, bronchitis, fever, swelling, abdominal pain, and flatulence. Brahmi has stomachic, digestive, rejuvenate, anti-epileptic, anti-pyretic, and analgesic activities. They also say that regular use of Lunuwila will help to improve mental performance and cognitive functions which help to improve learning, memory, and overall mental function. If you would like to give this recipe a try then you can find these healthy green at Saraketa, it’s locally grown and organic.

Lunuwila Curry

Ingredients

• 02 cups of Lunuwila leaves
• 01 – or 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk if you need more gravy
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 5-7 curry leaves
• 1 small piece of pandan leave
• 1/2 tao of fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 02 small cloves of garlic
• 01 small onion – chopped
• 01 tbsp of maldive fish
• Red / green chilies – optional

Method

• Separate the Lunuwila leaves from the stem and then wash thoroughly, when washing greens it’s always best to wash using a brine solution to kill off any bacteria and then wash again using fresh running water. Drain and shake off any remaining water and place it in a cooking pot.
• If the stems are tender you can use them too, with Sri Lankan greens the rule of thumb is all parts of the plant can be consumed provided it can be chewed properly to aid digestion and does not foul the taste of the dish.
• Add turmeric, chili powder, fenugreek seeds, onion, garlic, salt, pandan leaves, curry leaves, chopped green or red chilies, and Maldive fish and give it a mix.
• Next, add the coconut milk and cook in low heat for 10-15 minutes covered. Make sure you stir from time to time so that coconut milk won’t curdle.
• Serve warm with a bowl of rice or some bread.