Palak Chutney(Spicy spinach chutney)

Palak Chutney (Spicy spinach Chutney)

The original recipe uses tendli/tondli(ivy gourd) leaves,but since that isn't available everywhere, had to substitute with palak.The resulting Palak Chutney was quite close to the 'tondekai/tondli chutney' that I remember. Here are the ingredients for the Palak Chutney:

Ingredients:
Palak(baby)/Baby spinach-2 cups chopped
Garlic-5 cloves(crushed)
Ginger-1" piece
Cilantro/coriander leaves-1 cup
Green chillies-6-7nos(or according to taste)
Roasted channa dal-2 tbsp
Roasted groundnut-2tbsp
Hung yogurt/curd-3tbsp(sour)
Salt-to taste
Oil-1tsp

Method:
1)Heat the oil in a pan,add the garlic and green chillies and saute for a couple of minutes.
2)Add the chopped baby spinach and saute till they are cooked.Let it cool.
4)In a mixer grinder-add the channa dal,groundnuts,cilantro,ginger,salt and the cooked palak.
5)Make a fine paste.
6)Pour the palak chutney into a bowl. Add the yogurt and mix well. Test for salt.

Palak chutney tastes great even without the addition of the yogurt/curd at the end(add a little tamarind). I just love the creaminess that the yogurt adds to the palak chutney.
Serve the palak chutney with idlis/dosas, as a spread for sandwiches,a dip or as a side with your meal.

Spicy, "Garlicky" Peanut Chutney Powder

This is one of my husband's favourite chutney's and he just cannot stop sprinkling it over everything and anything! I had never tasted it (forget even making it) before I got married and had only heard about it from him(my MIL apparently would always have a batch of it in the house).
My family used more of coconut(milk/paste,etc) for our cooking as we are originally from a small coastal town in South India (Mangalore to be specific, for those who are familiar with India and Indian towns), whereas my hubby's family is more familiar to using peanuts in their cooking.
He sort of knew what ingredients his mom used for making it and asked me to try it. I tried making it a couple of times and every time he found something wrong with it-it was either not "garlicky enough"(even when I had added 10 garlic cloves!!) or "too pasty". Finally, fed-up with these comments,I decided to call up my MIL(why didn't I ever think of it before???? Silly me!!) and ask her how she makes it-that's when she told me my mistakes:

• use about 3-4 raw garlic cloves (I used to saute them in a little oil) to get the "garlicky" taste,
  
• and use a handful of roasted bengal gram dal(roasted and puffed split chickpeas) which not only adds to the taste but also absorbs the oil from the peanuts (and the moisture from the raw garlic) and hence the result is a "powder"chutney and not a "pasty" chutney!

Over the years,I've not only perfected the art of making this chutney powder,but also added my own "healthy" ingredient-flaxseeds!
Ingredients:

• Roasted peanuts: 1 cup(skinned)
• Roasted gram dal: 1/2 cup
• Garlic: 2-3 cloves
• Flax seed : 1 tablespoon (optional)
  
• Turmeric: 1/4th teaspoon
• Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon(add more if you want it spicier)
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Powder all the ingredients together to get a coarse chutney.
2. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge(should keep for about 2 weeks or maybe even more).

You can use it as a chutney or sprinkle a little on noodles/fried rice/salads or mix it with a little yogurt and use as a dip or as a filling inside sandwiches.

Question: Do you try and stick to a given recipe OR do you like to experiment by throwing in some other ingredients?

Cumin-Yogurt Dip

Cumin- Yogurt Dip

I had heard so much about Greek Yogurt that I was thrilled when I got a couple of coupons in the mail by Stonyfield Farm for their Organic Greek yogurt called Oikos.
Sadly I could not find all the flavors mentioned,but managed to get the plain and the honey flavoured ones.
I love the taste of freshly roasted and powdered cumin seeds in yogurt(both the savoury and the sweet version),so thought I'd make this simple Cumin-yogurt dip with the plain Greek yogurt.
Ingredients:

• Yogurt: 1/2 cup
• Zeera/cumin seeds: 1-2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder: a pinch
• Salt/Sugar: to taste

Method:

1. Slowly roast the cumin seeds in a pan until toasted. Cool and pound the seeds with a pestle.
2. Mix it with the yogurt and either salt (for a savory dip) or sugar (for a sweet dip) or add a little of both for a new flavour.
3. Garnish the cumin yogurt dip by sprinkling some chilli powder and some cumin powder on top.

Question: What is your favorite dip?

Tomatillo chutney

Tomatillos

No,it's not the 'salsa verde' with an Indian name.It's tomatillo used instead of red tomatoes in a chutney recipe that I learnt from my neighbour back in Bangalore.The use of roasted bengal gram and of course the tempering at the end gives this dish the Indian touch. It's a little rich(I had to add two teaspoons of oil+the roasted bengal gram and peanuts),but I did substitute oil instead of 'ghee' for the tempering. The 'ghee' is supposed to reduce the heat of the green chillies,so do let me know if it does!Tomatillo Chutney

Ingredients:

• Tomatillos:4 nos.(chopped)
• Green chillies/Serrano:1 or 2(depending on how much fire you can take)
• Garlic:4 cloves chopped(+ 2 to be added raw-optional)
• Ginger:1/2" piece
• Oil: 2 teaspoon
• Roasted bengal gram:2 teaspoons
• Roasted peanuts: 2 teaspoons
  
• Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
• Zeera/Cumin seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Sesame seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida/Hing: a pinch(optional)
  
• Jaggery: 1 teaspoon(or 1/4 teaspoon sugar)
• Salt: to taste
  

Method:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a non-stick pan,add chopped ginger and garlic.
2. When the garlic turns slightly brown,add the pinch of asafoetida(optional),chopped green chillies and fry for a minute.
3. Add the chopped tomatillos,salt,jaggery(or sugar) and stir.Cook till the tomatillos are soft.
4. Once it has cooled,add the mixture, the raw garlic(optional),roasted bengal gram and peanuts into a blender and blend till you get a fine paste. Pour the chutney into a bowl/airtight box.
   
5. Heat the remaining oil,add the mustard,cumin,sesame seeds.
   
6. Once the mustard starts to splutter, pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
7. Serve with dosas or idlis or as a spread on your sandwich(or mix with yogurt and use as a spicy dip).
   

Green Apple Chutney

Green Apple Chutney

I had picked up 3 Granny Smith apples in the hope of turning it into a chutney that a friend had made.Well,the recipe involved some cooking and since I was feeling too lazy for that, thought I'd make it like raw mango chutney.So,I peeked into the fridge and got out all the stuff that goes into a regular chutney-mint leaves,cilantro,ginger,lemon,green chillies and put them all in the blender with the cored and peeled apples. The resulting Green Apple Chutney which came out of the blender reminded me of the "chaat" taste and so I blended some sugar and a little roasted cumin seeds,and the result was great. The Green Apple Chutney can be eaten with meals,mixed with yogurt and used as a dip, or used as a spread in a sandwich.Here's what I blended together for the Green Apple Chutney:
Ingredients:

• Granny Smith apples/tart cooking apples-2 nos.(peeled,cored and chopped)
• Mint leaves-10 numbers
• Coriander leaves/Cilantro-2 tablespoons
• Green chilly/Serrano-1 no.
• Ginger-1/2"piece
• Lemon juice-2 tablespoons
• Jeera/Cumin seeds-1 tsp(roasted)
• Sugar-2 tsp/to taste
• Salt-to taste

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend till you get a fine paste.
2. Adjust salt and sugar according to your taste.
3. Serve the Green Apple Chutney with sandwiches, as a dip or as a salad dressing.

Avocado

Avocado or "Butter fruit" as it's commonly called in India,is a fruit that is native to South America. It is not very popular as a fruit, as it has "no taste" or is basically "bland",although the "Butter fruit milkshake" is quite popular at the juice bars in Bangalore.
However,not many people know the health benefits of Avocados. This fruit has a higher fat content than most other fruits,but since the fat it contains is mainly monounsaturated fat(MUFA),they are actually good for health.They are also packed with fiber,folate and heart-healthy anti-oxidants like vitamin C and E.
So,how does one eat a fruit that really has no taste-simple,use it as a spread on toast/sandwiches (instead of butter/mayonnaise) by mashing the fruit,adding a little lime,salt and pepper. Another popular dish(the one I had served at my son Aditya's birthday bash) is the "Avocado Dip" or "Guacamole" as it's popularly called. I learnt it from my hubby's aunt (Anita athya) when we had gone to their place at Rockville,MD during the Christmas vacation. Thanks athya for teaching me another "Healthy recipe".
Avocado Dip/Guacamole:
Ingredients:

• Avocados:2-3 ripe
  
• Red onion: 1/2(finely diced)
• Tomatoes:3 nos.(finely chopped)
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves: 3 tablespoons(finely chopped)
• Lime juice:1 teaspoon
  
• Green chillies:1-2(finely chopped)
• Pepper:1/4 teaspoon,freshly ground
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Cut the avocados into half,remove the seed and scoop out the pulp.
2. Mash the pulp using either a masher or a fork.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Serve along with baked tortilla chips or roasted plain papads.

So,the next time you have a party,serve something healthy which also happens to be tasty!