Thoothuvalai Thuvaiyal, or vera-level messenger greens chutney

Solanum Trilobatum, Thoothuvalai [தூதுவளை], or the purple-fruited pea eggplant is a herb or a weed as it pleases you to describe it that grows wild in rural areas. As with most such wild things, there’s a more tender, greener variety and a somewhat tougher-looking purple-tinged kind. It’s the latter more than the former that convinces you that this is, indeed, but for the thorns, is a relative of the eggplant and rationalises the “pea eggplant” descriptor (which really otherwise more befits sundakkai or the turkey berry). See the image below to know what I mean.

Now I’m quite sure that nobody in my land will translate “thoothuvalai” as “messenger greens” even though that’s exactly what the word means. I’ve written on the legend and lore behind the naming of this green in another post, accompanying a classic rasam recipe. Being entirely enamored, however, of the idea that a simple, common thorny green can be a conveyor of so much meaning–and now also a conveyor of those old stories to my modern cooking practices–I’m electing to call it the messenger green.

There are many things one can make with thoothuvalai, but my favorites are the rasam already documented and now this thuvaiyal.

I’ve also written about thuvaiyals before, but it pays to reiterate that this is one of those thicker chutney preparations that is typically (lightly) cooked, includes some nuts and/or lentils and a vegetable or green, and served classically with hot rice. Having its own very distinct personality and texture means that it needs a blander partner–rice, dosas, idlis. It can also be paired with red heritage rices: they stand up to each other, and complement each other well. Thuvaiyal is almost a teaser of a condiment: you mix a little thuvaiyal with the steaming rice just doled out onto your plate to whet your appetite and pay the thuvaiyal homage–after which it becomes an accompaniment, rather than a focus.

It’s not just about how it’s made, right? It’s also about how it’s eaten.

If you wish a basic formula for a thuvaiyal, into which you can add your favorite squash or herbs and greens to the spice-lentil mixes shown below. Snake gourd, snake gourd seeds, whole ridge gourd, herbs like mint, dill, greens like methi or mixed edible weeds from the garden, chayote or chow-chow squash, pumpkin–all these work really well. Add jaggery and salt and grind it all up. Season, and you’re done.

Note that this is a no-onion, no-garlic basic recipe. If you wanted onions and garlic, then add those as well and you’ve got what Tamilians might call a “vera level” (another level) thuvaiyal.

Try it and see what I mean!