Mango Pachadi May 13, 2008

Tasty Maudikaya pachadi or mango chutney
Ingredients

2 to 3 unriped (kachcha) sour mangoes
1/8 tsp turmeric (haldi powder)
2 tbsp salt

For seasoning:
2 tbsp oil;
1/2 tsp mustard seeds;
1 tsp Methi seeds;
2 tbsp red chilli powder;
1/4 tsp hing powder;
curry leaf (optional)

Method:

• Peel and shred the mangoes using a carrot shredder and put it in a bowl.
• If mango has a hard core seed just discard it or use it in some other dish for sourness.
• Add salt and haldi powder to the shredded mango and mix very well using a clean & dry spoon.
• Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a small pan or seasoning ladle and add mustard seeds in it.
• When its about to splutter add methis seeds.
• When the methi is turning into golden brown add red chilli powder and hing powder and fry for 2 seconds.
• Add curry leaves (optional) and remove from the stove.
• Let it cool very well.
• Then add this seasoning to the shredded mango and mix it thoroughly.
• Taste and add salt if necessary.
• This pachchadi can be mixed with hot steamed rice adding ghee.
• Also tastes good with chapatis & bread.
• Put it in the air tight bottle.
• It will stay fresh for 2 to 3 weeks if refrigerated.

Groundnut chutney April 17, 2008

This is one of the chutney which can eaten along with pongal or hot dosas. I did not know that it was that simple to make This is my entry to the click event.

Ingredients

1 cup groundnuts
3 slit green chillies
lemon size tamarind(soaked in warm water)
1/4 cup putnalu pappu or roasted gram dal
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Roast groundnuts and green chillies in 1tbs of oil. Add putnalu pappu and roast. Grind to a powder in a grinder.
• Add salt and tamarind juice and mix well.
  Chutney is ready!!

Vankai Chutney February 10, 2008

Today’s special recipe is brinjal or vankai pacchadi. I remember whenever my mom used to make this chutney in the kitchen..i could recognize the smell from the distance..and i used to just pick a plate..put some rice and thats it..wait wait till the chutney is complete. :) Best thing about this chutney is the lemon flavour and that tantilising taste of roasted brinjal. Well…here is the recipe and try it out for yourself.

Ingredients:

Big oval shaped brinjal [2 small ones or 1 medium to big size]
3 green chillies
3 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera or fennel seeds
2-3 methi seeds or fenugreek seeds
3 pinches of inguva (hing)
A Pinch of turmeric
Juice of 1 full lemon

Equipments needed for this recipe

1. Small pan

2. Grinder

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Method :

Roasted brinjal

The chutnery..is ready!!

 

Brinjal Chutney

1. Apply 2 drops of oil and spread it evenly on the entire surface of vankai. It should be shiny once you are done  applying the oil.

2. Place the brinjal on the smallest burner / ring on your stove top, keep the heat level to medium. This is the roasting process . Although one can roast the brinjal in oven too..but this seems more simple and easy. If the brinjal is tender then it should take about 20 mins to roast. You might want to turn the brinjal to different sides [like we do when we grill] so all the skin is roasted. You can tell that brinjal is roasted when you can see the skin falling off and the brinjal is reduced to 1/3 of its size.

3. Shut the stove and put the brinjals on a plate so they can cool. Once they cool, remove the skin and separate out the flesh of brinjal. This is what will be used in chutney.  While the brinjals are roasting, you can do the popu/tadka part.

4. In a pan , take about 1.5 tbsp of vegetable oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera, 2-3 menthulu, 3 dried red chillies, 3 green chillies , 3 pinches of inguva , curry leaves. Once they start spluttering and seeds are turning brown, remove from heat and add a pinch of turmeric. Let it cool,

5. The final step is to mix the roasted flesh of brinjal to the popu , squeeze juice of one lemon on it and give a rough grind so you can still see the popu seeds and thats it..vankai pacchadi is done!!!

Note : You can also roast brinjal in a preheated oven (350 degrees). for 1 hour. 

This is a great recipe , goes well with rice, parathas, chapattis, fulkas or even bread.

Allam chutney November 19, 2007

Ingredients

1 cup ginger pieces
5 slit green chillies
small lemon size ball or 2 tbs- tamarind
1/4th cup jaggery or 2 blocks of jaggery

Popu or tadka

3 tbs urad dal
3 tbs gram dal
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
5 red chillies
4 fenugreek seeds
4 pinches asafoetida
Salt to taste.

Method

Add a tsp oil and add urad dal, gram dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, fenugreek and asafoetida and fry till golden brown. Add green chillies and ginger pieces. Add salt and let it cook.
After it is properly cooked, add tamarind and jaggery and mix it well. If you add jaggery well before, then ginger pieces will not cook properly.
Now grind the mixture into smooth paste once it is completely cooled off. Enjoy your chutney with hot idlis, dosas or bondas!

Dhaniya Pudina or Coriander Mint Chutney or spread October 30, 2007

Dhaniya Pudina or Coriander Mint Chutney or spread
Ingredients

1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves
half cup curry leaves
lemon sized tamarind, soaked in water
1 clove garlic
1 inch garlic
2 tbsp groundnuts
2 inch piece of coconut

Tadka or Popu

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
3/4 tsp jeera
3-4 pinches of asefotida
3 dried red chillies
3 green chillies
2-3 menthulu
5 tsp of oil
salt to taste

Method

Pour some oil in a pan and, fry ginger, garlic, curry leaves. Fry until the leaves turn crisp. Remove and keep aside

In the same oil, fry mint leaves. once they are cooked properly or become soft  remove them and keep aside. In the same manner fry coriander leaves and keep them aside. In the remaining oil and add all ingredients for tadka and fry for a while.

Now the grinding part. In the grinder, add the fried leaves, ginger, garlic, coconut pieces, groundnuts, soaked tamarind and tadka and grind well. Add little water so that paste like consistency is reached. Add salt to taste and your chutney is ready. This chutney is an excellent appetizer and is often used as spreads for making tasty sandwiches.

Note: This chutney will stay good for 2 days if stored in a refrigerator.

Coriander powder October 30, 2007

Coriander Powder

Ingredients

1/2 cup (Red Dried Chillies)
1 Tbsp. Oil
3 Tbsp. Coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. Tamarind (seedless)
Salt to taste
5  Garlic pods
1 Tbsp. Cumin seeds

Method

Take a pan and add oil and chillies. Stir the chillies until they are fried. Then add whole coriander seeds and fry them for a while.Add tamarind and salt with all the above ingredients and blend them. Add small pieces of garlic pods and cumin seeds to the above mixure and blend them again. Dhaniya powder is ready! You can transfer the powder into a tight container. This powder tastes very well with hot hot idlis.

Sweet and Sour Tomato chutney October 30, 2007

Sweet and sour Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

Tomato – 2 cups
Tamarind – 250gms
Red Chillies – 3
Fenugreek seeds – 3
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 200gms
red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – pinch
Jaggery – 1/2 tsp

Method

Take a pan and pour some oil. Add urad dal, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, red chillies and fry for a while. Add the cut tomatoes and cook for a while. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well. Add the tamaring juice and jaggery, cook for while and turn off the stove. Let it cool off and then grind it into a smooth paste. This chutney goes well with rice.

Sandwich Tikki Squares October 12, 2007

Sandwich Tikki Squares

This is another quick breakfast recipe especially if you have kids. Kids generally spend a lot of time eating so they will definetly enjoy these little squares. I used  this amazing coriandar mint chutney or you can call it a spread. Here is the recipe..

Ingredients 

Coriander and Mint chutney or spread
2 bunches of coriander leaves
half cup chopped onion
two green chillies
1 tbs salt or salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Half cup of curd or Butter milk
 
Method

Mix all the ingredients listed above in a grinder and grind them properly. It will be almost like a paste. Keep it aside.
 
Potato Stuffing

Ingredients

1 cup Boiled potatoes
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp dhaniya powder
1/2 tsp thinly cut green chillies
 
Method

Mash the boiled potatoes and add all the spices and green chillies. Mix them properly. You can add a spoon of corn flour in the potato mix. This will help in binding the mix. Take a spoonful of this mix and make small cakes or tikkis and fry them in a pan with vegetable oil till they are properly roasted. This is the method of making a tikki though!

Take two pieces of bread and  spread the coriander and mint paste on the bread. Place a slice of lettuce, a slice of Tomato,Onion and the Fried Potato cake or tikki. Add little bit of unsalted butter and keep one more bread slice on  the top and Toast in toast maker for a half minute. If you do not have a toast maker at home, you can toast the sandwich in pan.  After its roasted, apple some butter on to the top and serve it hot. For children, you can cut the sandwich in squares..otherwise you can eat it as it is with hot cuppa of tea! Enjoy!

Brinjal Chutney (vankai pachadi) October 11, 2007

Today’s special recipe is brinjal or vankai pacchadi. I remember whenever my mom used to make this chutney in the kitchen..i could recognize the smell from the distance..and i used to just pick a plate..put some rice and thats it..wait wait till the chutney is complete. Best thing about this chutney is the lemon flavour and that tantilising taste of roasted brinjal. 

Basic ingredients are big oval shaped brinjal ,green chillies, dry red chillies,urad dal,mustard seeds
jeera, methi seeds,hing powder, a pinch of turmeric

For more detailed recipe, please email at saroja@kitchen-kollections.com