Archive for the ‘Chutneys’ Category
2010
10.07
Posted in Breakfast, Chutneys, Indian, Karnataka, Kerala Cuisine, South Indian, Tamil | No Comments »
Well it is a day over a over a month since I bought my new toy and evidently I’m not yet bored with it like I thought I would be (or should be) by now. And since the Wife/Mother has shown no signs of curbing herself, the Husband and Son have stopped making efforts to hide their annoyance as well. The boys hopelessly voice out their oh-no! not again shrieks while the obsessive and unrelenting South Indian in me serves them yet another variation of a fermented crêpe or a mutant version of some fried or steamed dumpling they just had a day before.
The only saving grace for both the parties involved have been the savory chutneys. These spicy and tangy dips always manage to get the boys excited and hence lessens the burden of guilt for me, though obviously I don’t seem as bothered as I should be 
. In any case, when I see my boys serve themselves big mounds of these chutneys, which again is so not the right way of doing it and I have had to dig my nails into the wall and eat my own hair to refrain myself from lecturing them about the correct or rather the traditionally allowed proportions, I’m glad I look less evil than what I actually am. When your boys act like the dinner or at least a part of the dinner you served was finger licking good you definitely can pass for a good Mother/Wife. Can’t you??
Green Chili Coconut Chutney
This mildly sweet, delicately spicy, greenish tinged elegance pairs very well with dosas and idlis. This chutney is my Mom’s recipe and something that I absolutely love..[read more]
Shallot Chutney/ Ulli Chammanthi
This is another one of those chutneys that you continue to lick off of your plate even when the dosas and idlis are long gone..[read more]
Onion and Garlic Chutney
This chunky,mouth watering, finger licking chutney is for those who crave for that hint of sugar in every spicy bite. This is one of my most favorite chutneys. It has a really long shelf life and actually never goes stale on you…[read more]
2010
10.07
Posted in Chutneys, Indian, Karnataka, South Indian, Tamil | No Comments »
This chunky,mouth watering, finger licking chutney is for those who crave for that hint of sugar in every spicy bite. This is one of my favorite chutneys. It has a really long shelf life and actually never goes stale on you.
Ingredients
1 chopped red onions
1 tsp red chili powder (base it on taste)
1tsp paprika (for color)
2 tbsp sliced garlic
1/2 cup tamarind pulp extracted from 1 lemon sized tamarind
3 green chilies slit lengthwise
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
small pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp jaggery shavings
salt to taste
1 spring of curry leaves
2-3 tsp of sesame oil (cold pressed)
Directions
Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida, mustard and curry leaves.
Add onions, green chilies and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent
Add chili powder and paprika and sauté for a few minutes.
Pour in the tamarind pulp and bring to boil.
Add jaggery and salt to taste.
Serve with dosas or idlis.
2010
10.07
Tags: shallots
Posted in Chutneys, Indian, Kerala Cuisine, South Indian, Tamil | No Comments »
This is another one of those chutneys that you continue to lick off of your plate even when the dosas and idlis are long gone.
Ingredients
1 cup shallots chopped
4-5 dried red chilies
1tsp black gram dal/urad dal
1 tsp channa dal / bengal gram
1/4 tsp tamarind paste or marble sized pitted tamarind
small pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
2-3 tsp of sesame oil (cold pressed)
Directions
Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida, dals, dried chilies and shallots and sauté until the shallots are golden brown.
Add tamarind and sauté for a few more minutes.
Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool.
Grind to a smooth paste.
Serve with dosas or idlis.
2010
10.07
Tags: Coconut
Posted in Chutneys, Indian, Kerala Cuisine, South Indian | No Comments »
This mildly sweet, delicately spicy, greenish tinged elegance pairs very well with dosas and idlis. This chutney is my Mom’s recipe and something that I absolutely love.
Ingredients
1 cup grated fresh coconut
2 green chilies
2 tbsp chopped shallots
salt to taste
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 tsp of coconut oil or refined vegetable oil
Directions
Grind together coconut, shallots and green chilies with 1/2 cup of water. Add more water after grinding to get desired consistency.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let the mustard pop.
Pour the seasoning over the ground mixture and mix well.
Add salt to taste.
Serve with dosas or idlis.
2010
09.07
Posted in Chutneys, Indian, Karnataka, South Indian, Tamil | No Comments »
Ok, this chutney is very similar to the previous pottukadalai chutney that I’d posted earlier. I however have omitted the cilantro and have used lemon juice instead of tamarind to bring in the tang. Like I said before, chutneys are all about mix and match.
Ingredients
For Grinding
3 fresh green chilies ( base it on your spice tolerance)
1 big clove of garlic
1 cup pottukadalai/ roasted chickpeas/ split dalia/ kadale pappu
salt to taste
2 - 3 tbsp lemon juice
For Seasoning
2 dried red chili torn into 1 inch pieces
2 tsp of cold pressed sesame oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
Directions
Blend all the ingredients for grinding into a slightly smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add all the ingredients for seasoning.
When the mustard pops, turn off the flame and pour into the ground mixture.
Mix the seasoning well into the chutney and serve with idlis, dosas or other crêpes
2010
08.25
Tags: Chickpeas
Posted in Breakfast, Chutneys, Indian, Karnataka, South Indian, Tamil | 4 Comments »
The nice part about a chutney recipe is that no ingredient or their amounts are set in stone. You can mix match and omit. And each time you would have created a novelty. Just go with what your taste buds desire. If you like cilantro, throw in some of it. If you don’t do mint, omit it. If you think coconut is unhealthy, replace it with peanuts. If you want a raw bite, use roasted gram. If you are into ginger-garlic, a dash of it will do the trick. If you want a tang there is curd, tamarind or lemon. If you are looking for a spicy tone, green or red chilies should work. And most important of all, if you can’t hold back your imagination, let it flow!
I’ve got myself a lean mean wet grinding machine earlier this month and there has been plenty of idlis, dosas and adais happening at home. So don’t be taken aback by the sudden surge of chutney recipes on this blog. Trust me it doesn’t take long before I’m bored. You might have to put up with it for only a few days or maybe if your planets are not playing it right, the days might slightly stretch to a couple of weeks . In any case chutneys are fun and I’ll make certain it is worth your while.
Ingredients
For Grinding
3 fresh green chilies ( base it on your spice tolerance)
1 big clove of garlic
5 –6 tbsp of chopped cilantro
1 cup pottukadalai/ roasted chickpeas/ split dalia/ kadale pappu
salt to taste
1 cup sour curd
1/4 tsp tamarind paste
For Seasoning
2 dried red chili torn into 1 inch pieces
2 tsp of cold pressed sesame oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
Directions
Blend all the ingredients for grinding into a slightly smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add all the ingredients for seasoning.
When the mustard pops, turn off the flame and pour into the ground mixture.
Mix the seasoning well into the chutney and serve with idlis, dosas or other crêpes
2010
07.28
Tags: green chilies, shallots, Tapioca
Posted in Appetizers, Breakfast, Chutneys, Indian, Kerala Cuisine, Main Course, South Indian | No Comments »
Whoever said life’s finer pleasures are in simple things couldn’t be more right. And when the adage is applied to food I would bold, underline and increase it to the biggest font possible. There are foods that I could eat anytime of the day and everyday if it were allowed. And this, is one of them. The green chili chutney is what does it for me. As a child my mother served this chutney with all forms of boiled or steamed roots and tubers like sweet potatoes, yams, tapioca etc. And that was when I think I inherited my love for the sweet tangy and spicy combos.
Note: You cannot replace shallots with onions in this recipe as it takes the taste to a whole different direction.
Green chili Chutney
Ingredients
10 shallots roughly chopped
10 hot green chilies roughly chopped
1/4 tsp of tamarind paste
1 tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste
1 curry leaf
Directions
Grind shallots, green chilies, tamarind and curry leaf to a coarse mixture with a chunky texture.
Drizzle with coconut oil and mix well.
Add salt to taste
Serve with hot kappa or yams.
Cooking Instructions for Tapioca
Depending on the quality of the tapioca the cooking time varies. So it is safer to cook this in an open pan with salted boiling water rather than a pressure cooker. This allows you to check on it with a fork in regular intervals. Cooked tapioca should be soft and tender right through.
2010
05.18
Tags: Coconut
Posted in Breakfast, Chutneys, Indian, Kerala Cuisine, South Indian | No Comments »
One of the most commonly made chutney or chammanthi, as they are popularly called in Kerala, is the Red Coconut Chutney. Served often with idlis and set dosas, this is super simple to make and lip-smacking in taste.
Ingredients
1 cup grated fresh coconut
6-7 shallots finely sliced
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
3 dried red chilies torn into 2 pieces each
2 sprigs of curry leaves
2-3 tsp of coconut oil or refined vegetable oil
Directions
Grind together coconut, red chili powder, 1 tbsp of shallots and salt along with 1 cup of water. Add more water after grinding to get desired consistency.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chilies
When the mustard pops add the remaining shallots and sauté until they are caramelized and crisp
Add broken red chillies and curry leaves and sauté for a second.
Pour the seasoning over the ground mixture and mix well. Adjust the salt.
Serve with dosas or idlis.
2010
03.08
Tags: Cilantro, Coconut, Mint
Posted in Chutneys, Indian, Karnataka, South Indian, Tamil | No Comments »
This simple and easy chutney, goes amazingly well with Idlis and Dosas. I use it as a stuffing for my potato pancakes as well. A recipe for which, I promise to post in the near future. There are no hard and fast rules for making this chutney. I’ve eaten a million versions and loved them all. I think the over powering taste of the cilantro and mint combination, does a fine job at leading the show.
Ingredients
For Grinding
2 fresh green chilies ( base it on your spice tolerance)
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
5 –6 tbsp of chopped cilantro
1 cup grated coconut
2 tbsp chopped shallots
salt to taste
If you want a tang in the taste, you can add 1/4 tsp of tamarind paste or 1/2 a cup of sour curd (instead of water).
For Seasoning
1 shallot finely sliced (optional)
2 dried red chili torn into 1 inch pieces
3 tsp of refined vegetable oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
1/2 tsp bengal gram/ channa dal (optional)
1/2 tsp split black gram / urad dal (optional)
1 sprig of curry leaves
Directions
Blend all the ingredients for grinding into a slightly smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add all the ingredients for seasoning.
When the mustard pops, the dals turn golden brown, and the shallots are nicely caramelized, turn off the flame and pour into the ground mixture.
Mix the seasoning well into the chutney and serve with idlis, dosas or other crêpes
2010
02.10
Tags: Onions, Tomatoes
Posted in Chutneys, Indian, Karnataka, South Indian, Tamil | 4 Comments »
One of the non mallu chutneys that I like most with my idlis or dosas is the tomato onion chutney. The tangy tomatoes cut through the delicate sweetness of the onions, creating a perfect symphony of sweet and sour. The chutney is very easy to make and stays fresh for long, allowing you to make plenty to last for later 
.
Ingredients:
3 med sized tomatoes chopped into chunks
1 med sized onion chopped
1/4 tsp tamarind
paste or marble sized pitted tamarind.
5 – 6 dried whole red chilies
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
2 sprigs of curry leaves
big pinch of asafoetida
2 –3 cloves of garlic, chopped (optional)
1/2 a tsp of grated ginger (optional)
Salt to taste
3 –4 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp sesame oil
/any refined vegetable oil
Directions
Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan, add red chillies, fry until they are roasted, and remove.
In the same hot oil, add onions, ginger, garlic asafoetida, 1 spring of curry leaves, coriander seeds, and sauté until the onions turn slightly brown.
Add the tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes soften to a pulp.
Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Grind the cooled mixture with tamarind and salt.
Heat a tbsp of oil in a shallow pan, add mustard and remaining curry leaves.
When the mustard pops pour the seasoning over the ground mixture and mix well.
Server with idlis, dosa or rotis.
This mildly sweet, delicately spicy, greenish tinged elegance pairs very well with dosas and idlis. This chutney is my Mom’s recipe and something that I absolutely love..[read more]
This is another one of those chutneys that you continue to lick off of your plate even when the dosas and idlis are long gone..[read more]
This chunky,mouth watering, finger licking chutney is for those who crave for that hint of sugar in every spicy bite. This is one of my most favorite chutneys. It has a really long shelf life and actually never goes stale on you…[read more]
