Kara Chutney | Hotel Red Chutney | Spicy Onion Tomato Chutney

Finally I had to make something just to come back posting here. It's been over couple of weeks, and there is nothing new that I had to share here. Life has been busy as always. Not that I couldn't find time to blog, it's just that there was no push all of a sudden. Then when I felt that it was getting way out of hand, I decided I must make something just for an update.

What else can spice your life than a hot spicy chutney served breakfast! This Kara Chutney is part of the different chutneys you are offered in hotels here. Typically the colours would be white, red, green, and orange chutneys. Most times the chutneys are referred by the colour than the ingredient. So red chutney is mostly kara chutney that's made with just three ingredient and is so spicy that you will reach out for water right away. The green chutney is mostly either with mint or coriander and orange will be a different combination of onions and tomatoes.

As such I love all the chutneys that Athamma makes. This simple tomato chutney she makes for dosas is exceptionally good for the less number of ingredients she uses. So when Hubby dear always raves about this kara chutney we get served with Aloo Bajji in a motel, I had to think of getting the recipe and make. This motel is on the way to Srikalahasti and every time we pass by this motel, we make sure we halt for a snack. They typically make bajjis with aloo. Though hubby dear never likes bajjis or any sort, he won't say no for this when it's served with this spicy red chutney.

Kara Chutney

So this weekend when we were passing by, we stopped again and ordered it. I always ended up asking for the recipe, only to realize it was the same thing that we made something back at office. My colleague who shared the Uluthu Kali, had also shared this kara chutney that's served with kulipaniyam. The chutneys were a real hit and I had clicked pictures, planning to make it at home. I never realized it was the same chutney. The texture that ends up with this version served in motel, is kind of coarsely pound onions and tomatoes with chili flakes floating all over. It is so spicy, yet with the aloo bajji, it packs just enough hot to make it a great combination.

I wanted to make it right away, so the next day for breakfast it was served with dosa. It tasted so good, though hubby dear would have still preferred with aloo bajji. Still I am happy that I finally got to make the hotel kara chutney.

Kara Chutney

Ingredient Needed:

Onions - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 medium
Dry Red chilies - 4 long
Salt to taste

For tempering

Oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Mustard Seeds, Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

How to make the Kara chutney

Dry roast the red chilies in hot pan for couple mins till it becomes crispy. Keep it aside.

Wash, and chop the onions and tomatoes. In a mixie, take the onions and pulse it couple of times. it should become almost minced. Then add the tomatoes and repeat the process. Finally add the roasted red chilies and pulse again along with salt.

Heat a pan with oil, temper with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Pour the ground chutney into the pan and bring to boil.

Serve with Idly or Dosa

This is what we had made sometime back. Urad dal halwa, Coconut chutney, Kara chutney with Kulipaniyam

Mullangi Pachadi | Radish / Mooli Chutney | Side Dish for Dosa

Next in the Chutney Series is another delicious chutney that you can serve for Dosas/ Idlis. I believe this makes a great mix with rice as well, though I haven't tasted it with Rice. When you are really up against for want of ideas to make for serving for Dosas, and want it to be healthy, these vegetable based chutneys really come handy.

The best part of this chutney is the fact that it is diabetic friendly. Forgive me for not showcasing with a Diabetic Dosa, but remember this makes a great side dish for any of those Pesarattu with Moong. Amma got this chutney again from her sister and she served this for Daddy for his Moong dal dosa. They vouched it tasted great. Since I was running short of time and didn't have the Moong dal batter, I had to make do with the regular dosa.

We have always used radish in our Sambar and dry sautes. Athamma again makes a wonderful chutney with another combination, that rests in draft for my cookbook. Anyway meanwhile let me share this simple and quick chutney that you can make for your dosas and never reach out for thos calorie heavy coconut or ground nut chutney. I know I love those two, still I realized this tastes very much like coconut chutney.

You can actually fool somebody to believe this is so!

Ingredients Needed:

Radish, chopped - 1 & 1/2 cup
Onions -  1 medium
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Dry red chilies - 4 -5 mos
Garlic - 3 -4 cloves
Tamarind - 1 small marble size
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make the chutney

Wash and scrap the outer skin of the radish. chop into small pieces.

Heat a kadai with oil, add cumin seeds, allow to splutter. Then add chopped onions, red chilies, garlic saute well.

then add radish and saute till they turn colour.

Remove and allow to cool. Add salt.

Then grind in a mixer to a smooth paste along with tamarind.

Notes:

we made without tamarind and it was good when served with Dosas. If you are serving with rice, you will have to add the tamarind.

This does not have long shelf life but can stay for a day.

Onion Tomato Chutney ~ Side Dish for Dosa

These days with the kids eating the Groundnut chutney, we end up making it not that spicy. And that gets to be a problem for the elders as we like it spicy. There is no question of making two separate batches of the same chutney right. so we end up making a different chutney that is spicy enough for the elders.

This simple chutney with onion and tomato can be used as a spread or side dish. When I had the other two chutneys served for the dosa, I was only too delighted to showcase this along with the rest. If you are for simple and easy chutneys, this is really helpful

Onion Tomato Chutney

Ingredients Needed:



Onions - 1 no
Tomato - 1
Green Chilies - 3
Oil - 2 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Salt to Taste

How to make Onion Tomato chutney

Wash and chop all the vegetables.



Heat a pan with oil, fry all the above one by one, allow to cool

When it is cooled, take all the ingredients in a blender/ mixer along with garlic.

Grind without adding water.

Serve with Dosa

Notes: If you want the chutney a bit more sour, you can add a small piece of tamarind.

Chinta Chiguru Chutney | Chinta Chiguru Pachadi ~ Side Dish for Dosa | Chutney Recipes

During their recent visit to my SIL place, Athamma got Tender Tamarind leaves, more than what we could use right away. When we had excess of the leaves and saw that they might get spoiled, we thought we should make some pachadi with it. What we ended up making, tasted more like a pickle than a pachadi. Of course there is a very thin line that separates these two and you can use the name very interchangeably.

This is again one of those chutneys that can stay for long. And I tasted it with both Dosa and Idli, it tastes great. We made a huge batch and stocked in fridge, we just took how much ever we wanted and sauteed in oil before we used. It makes a great side dish when you run out of ideas for chutneys.

Chinta Chiguru is most sought out in Andhra, I haven't seen these leaves prepared much in Tamil Nadu and my friends are always taken aback when I make Pappu with these leaves. It's quite an art to manage the sourness when you make the pappu. However with Pachadis, you need not worry about it.

Chinta Chiguru Pappu

Chinta Chiguru Chutney
Ingredients Needed:

Dry Powder:

Dry Red Chili - 10 - 12 nos
Methi Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard  - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 3/4 tsp

Dry roast all the ingredients and allow to cool. Then grind the seeds along with red chilies to a fine powder.

Chinta Chiguru - 1 cup

Wash and dry the leaves. Then dry roast till its completely dry.

Garlic - 6 - 7 cloves
Tamarind - lemon size
Salt to taste

Combine everything in mixer and grind to a fine paste.

Tempering

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilies -2
Garlic - 2 cloves
Curry leaves few
Oil - 1/4 cup

Transfer the ground paste to a bowl. Heat a pan with oil, temper with mustard, red chilies, chopped garlic, curry leaves, Add the ground paste to the hot oil and cook for a while till the raw smell leaves.

Notes:

This tastes more like a pickle and can be served with Dosa, steaming Rice.

Mango Thokku | Manga Thokku Recipe ~ Side Dish for Dosa | Chutney Recipes

You know how it happens right, one moment you think something, then something else happens and your best plans never get to happen. This season when we had loads of mangoes at home, I was all ready for trying out those many Mango dishes that I have filed up. When I had mentioned that in passing to Hubby dear, he profusely refused, saying he would much rather enjoy the fruits as such. I said let's see and I was more than intent on carrying out my thoughts.

As things would have it, I was indisposed for a week and by then the Mangoes vanished. So unless we get another excess supply of mangoes, I might have to wait another year to try out those recipes. Meanwhile remember I said we had some raw mangoes that we wanted to try some chutneys and Pickles, well Athamma had saved up one and ended up making a thokku, I was unclear if it was to be called a chutney or a pickle. Finally I settled to the Thokku as it can convey whatever meaning it wants. I know this tastes great with Dosas as I have been eating with it and goes excellent with curd rice, I am yet to try with rice, however I am sure it will be good.

We still have a week to go for Konda's school to reopen. Only last night just before going to sleep, Konda was telling how quickly days seemed to have passed by. I was surprised that she noticed that. She was saying with a catch in her tone, that she will soon go to seventh std. Well I said the same thing when I met my school friends recently. Those were the guys with whom I did my high school and I was nostalgic remembering being seventh graders ourselves. With a sweet bitter note of those long gone days, I always feel happy that I got back in touch with many of them. The sweet bitter note gets replaced with hope and fervor for my kids to have the best of times, to remember later.

With every little thing we do today, we are weaving beautiful memories for our future..

Coming to the recipe, I hope this gets done many times more for the delicious taste it gives to the meal!

And I am hoping to do a Chutney Special this week, I hope you come back to enjoy this series.

Mango Thokku

Over this weekend, when I was up to it, I decided I might as well click all the chutneys we ended up making. We made the Peanut Chutney with Roasted Onions, green chilies. The one I have already posted has roasted tomatoes as well. So this time we omitted that. Apparently my kids cleaned out the bowl that my sil made for them during their visits. We were surprised that they all loved that chutney so much, we found out that she made it after roasting the ingredients. We also do it, though not on a regular basis. When we have some time to spare, we end up roasting the onions, green chilies for the peanut chutney. Else the regular one gets done.

Well to please the kids, we got to do many things right. So we ended up making a peanut chutney that way. A hot spicy onion tomato chutney for the hubby and these other two chutneys.

Manga Thokku

Manga Thokku ~ Mango Pickle

Raw Mango (unripe), chopped - 1 cup

Dry Masala powder

Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Methi / Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Dry roast all the above ingredients, allow to cool. Then grind to a  fine powder, keep it aside.

Salt to taste
Red Chili powder - 4 tsp

Wash and pat dry the mango, cut into small pieces.
In a mixer/blender, take the mango pieces, salt, chili powder, and the above ground masala powder, grind to a paste without adding water.

Transfer to a bowl. Do the tempering with the below ingredients.

Tempering,

Oil - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves few
Dry red chilies - 2 long
Hing - a pinch
Garlic - 3 -4 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

In a kadai, heat oil add cumin seeds, chopped garlic, red chilies, curry leaves and hing. Saute till the cumin crackles. Then add the ground mango paste and saute till the oil comes out.

Store in a dry jar.

Notes:

Oil used will be more if you want to have a longer shelf life.
Always use a dry spoon to scoop out.
This can be refrigerated for more a than two weeks.

Green Tomato Chutney / Roasted Green Tomato Chutney - Side Dish for Dosa

In the recent trip Athamma and Amma had made to our native place, they got some green tomatoes, wild bindis and of course the papaya that we made as curry. Chutneys are normally that we make for Dosas and for rice. This roasted chutney went very well for Dosa and hot steaming rice 

This can stay good for over a week if refrigerated.

Step by Step Picture Recipe

Ingredients  Needed:

Green Tomatoes - 2 nos
Ripe Tomato - 1 small
Onions - 1 medium
Green Chillies - 2 long
Salt to taste
Garlic - 2 cloves

How to make Roasted Green Tomato Chutney

Wash the tomatoes and cut into two halves.

Heat a tawa with a tsp of oil. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilies and roast well.

Finally add the garlic and saute for couple of minutes.

Allow to cool and grind it coarsely. Do not over grind it to a smooth paste.

Serve with Dosas

Check out other Chutney Recipes

Bajji Mirapakaya Pachadi | Green Pepper Relish | Step by Step Recipe

Heart aches at the events that takes place, natural calamities happen when you least expect. When so many are suffering, life goes on, yet we pause many a times, spelled shocked to accept, yet carry on with what we have to do. It's been a sober weekend, didn't do much other than loitering around.

Planned for a park visit for the kids, as their father said he wouldn't be able to take them. Finally we all landed at the swimming pool. Moments such as these make you want to capture time in your palm and not think further.

Today's recipe is one such dish, memories of a childhood spent enjoying this chutney. It was by chance that Amma made this once, and we loved it so much that it became a regular at home. Amma made sure to make this during the season, which I am not sure I know. But it must be during this season or rather I know see that in our markets this kind of Green pepper is quite common, what with it's famous affliction to Marina Beach. Amma makes it with equal amount of tomatoes and it used to quite spicy and tasted awesome with Dosas.

When I made this a while ago, prices of onions and tomatoes were skyrocketing. I didn't want to use so much of my pantry quote, not because I didn't want to buy more or spend, but for the simple reason I didn't want to give more reasons for the market to sore so much. We should learn to make it work with what we have and not go beyond our reach and make it a reason more for people who don't care for the common.

Anyway when I made this relish, it turned out different, because I made it differently. I promised myself that I will make it again what with the tomato being so excess right now.

These are the famous peppers that are used to make Bajjis, Pepper Fritters.

Wash, trim and chop into cubes, saute in oil till they turn colour

I used about equal amount of about 1 onions and tomatoes, sauteed well in oil

Allow it to cool, add salt and grind the onions, tomatoes first, then pulse the green peppers couple of times.

Make sure you don't grind this to a smooth paste, it tastes best when you can feel the peppers, crunchy onions.

Not required to add any other chilies or red chili powder as this will be spicy enough if you don't remove the seeds.

Serve with Dosas


Other Chutney Recipes for Dosas, Idlis, Rice

Lunch Box Series : LBS#56 ~ Beans Mulagootal & Parippu Thogayal!

I have always admired Aparna's pictures and her stories. I normally never go further to read the recipe in most cases when I am admiring the pictures more. So when I clicked her menu, I was surprised at how well she had lined them up. I have always wanted to put a picture for all my index pages, but never came around doing that. Seeing her Index page, it surely makes me want to do it right away!

I was excited seeing her Palakkad Cuisine. Kerala Cuisine is one of my favorite ones and especially after blogging I have come to know that even within that there are so many different styles.  Then seeing that she has a good collection of baked goods, I remembered I have not yet got my muffin tray from Divya, who was sweet enough to get me one from her native. Hopefully I should get it within this month for me to attempt some baking from Aparna.

By the way which reminds me that T&T is until September 15th and not end of this month as I wrongly mentioned.

I wanted to choose something that I could carry for my lunch and I decided on Beans Molagutal as I remembered that beautiful picture from memory. Aparna mentioned that this dish is bit bland so the parupu thogayal goes well as a combo. So made both the dishes for afternoon lunch. Since this is a lunch box Series, I had to hurriedly take a group photo. Requested Hubby dear to take individual pictures to highlight the dishes more.

Today's Lunch Box had

Beans Mulagootal
Parippu Thogayal
Plain Rice
Curd Rice

I know I am posting my lunch box series after a long time. I felt I haven't been cooking much differently these days. Guess I have till rethink and plan for some exciting lunch..:)

Beans Mulagootal

Ingredients Needed:

French Beans - 1 cup
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste

For the paste

Fresh Coconut, grated - 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 2 long

Seasoning:

Cooking Oil - 1 - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds, Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves few

Normally Coconut oil is used here, but I used regular oil.

Method to prepare:

Pressure cook toor dal for 4 whistles, once the pressure falls, remove and add finely chopped beans. Pressure again for another 2 whistles or till the dal is soft.

Meanwhile in a pan heat oil, roast the urad dal. Add cumin seeds. Fry till they start crackling. Then once cooled grind along with green chilies and coconut to a smooth paste adding water.

Once the pressure is off, add this paste and 1 cup water. Bring to boil. In the pan, heat oil add mustard and urad dal along with curry leaves.

Then pour this over the boiling dal.

Notes: Aparna added only 1 chili, while I added 2, still it wasn't very spicy. I know this kootu is supposed to be a bit bland. So you can make this dal chutney and spice the meal.

Parippu Thogayal

This one is made with Toor dal, Urad dal with Coconut. Since this is spicy Aparna says its a good combination with the bland mulagootal! I must agree with that for sure. It indeed was good. And my colleagues ate the chutney as such.

Ingredients Needed

Fresh Coconut, grated - 1/2 cup
Toor dal - 2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Red Chilies - 6 nos
Tamarind - small marble size
Hing/ Asafetida a pinch
Curry leaves few
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp


Method to prepare:

Heat a pan with oil, roast toor dal, Urad dal well till they start turning golden. Add the chilies towards the end along with hing and curry leaves.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Grind with coconut, tamarind and salt adding little water into a coarse paste.

Serve this with mulagootal and rice.

This thogayal will go well with plain dosa too.


I really had a great lunch thanks to Aparna. This is similar to the kootu that is made in Tamil Nadu except I never knew if one adds Urad dal to it. But on the hole a wholesome meal in making!

This is for Tried and Tasted, event hosted at my space, an event by Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles

Peanut Chutney with Roasted Onions, Tomatoes ~ Indian Chutney

Resistance to change is often the most common thing to happen. Especially with food one can imagine the affinity towards food that we grew up with. One of the biggest challenges happen after marriage, when we get to learn what our spouse likes and how we got to change the spouse or change ourselves. Sometimes you can, sometimes you end up changing. But hey it is part of the institution right!

Believe me it starts with the smallest dish meaning from the chutney served for the breakfast to the main course. By chutney I no way say it is small still easier to make and decide in my opinion. So it started for me with Groundnut chutney. My friends always tease me, infact everybody who knows us tease us saying we have a groundnut factory. Meaning we make this 365 days, it ought to be such right. Little did they know that the trait is rather from the land our ancestors came and not just our own.

Anyway, coming to this and the point of assimilation, Athamma adds a variation to the chutney. She adds roasted tomatoes, Onions, Green chilis to the roasted Peanuts. While anything roasted and ground tastes awesome, I somehow couldn't accept the fact that the pure, exalted taste of Groundnut was marred with the amalgamation. True to the situation, they couldn't accept the fact that one could actually think of eating with just plain groundnut ground as chutney and on top not even seasoning it!

The passage of years mends lot of things. Yes it has mend so that that my in laws now eat the plain groundnut ground with or without seasoning. And I eat the one made with all roasted stuffs. This morning when I was busy working on something, I saw Athamma roasted the onions, tomatoes. I assumed she was planning to make something else. But to my surprise the next happened was, everything along with peanuts went into the mixer. Well well, this was one dish that I haven't shared and it is crime not to share one dish that I have come to like!

Peanut Chutney with Roasted Onion, Tomatoes

Roasted Groundnut - 1 cup (100 gms)
Green chillies - 3-4
Onion, medium - 1/2
Tamarind - marble size
Tomatoes - 1 medium
Salt to taste
Garlic pods - 5-6

Seasoning (optional)
Mustard seeds + Urud dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Oil - 1/2 tsp


Method to prepare:

Chop the green chillies to small bits, peel the onions, soak the tamarind to make it soft.

Heat a pan, add 1 tsp of oil, saute green chilies, onions, tomatoes until they become light brown. Allow it to cool.

Then take all the roasted ingredients along with peanuts in a mixer and grind to coarse consistency but not to coarse. This should not be a smooth paste.

This is served with Dosas and Idlis.

I know I haven't been able to post much, I have been busy cooking for the book. We made about 6 different pickles and will do doing a tasting and shooting tomorrow. Wish me luck to get the work done faster, days are nearer closer than I thought!

If you are interested to check out other Chutneys posted here, Visit the Chutney Index

Coriander Coconut Chutney | Kothimira Kobbari Pachadi

Chutneys or Pachadis are indispensable part of a breakfast, atleast in most South Indian families. I have always known Amma making either Peanut Chutney or Coconut Chutney every day of the week. Only later when we grew up that she ever tried other chutney varieties with tomatoes, onions etc. 

We love groundnut chutney/ Peanut chutney with anything or everything. Apart from this was the Coconut Chutney that was prepared frequently, because my brother liked only this. So Amma ended up prep it up with other interesting ingredients to bring variations to this. One such ingredient was adding fresh coriander to the coconut chutney.

Fresh Coirander adds such flavour the regular Coconut Chutney, plus this is a nice way to include the coriander in your diet.

Ingredients Needed:

Fresh coconut - 1 cup
Fresh coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
Green chillies - 5
Fried gram - 50 gms
Tamarind - 1 inch
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

For tempering:

Mustard seeds, Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 8-10
Oil - 1/2 tsp

Method to prepare:

Grate the fresh coconut or cut into small bits so that it is easy to grind them in the mixer.

Wash the coriander leaves and put it in a colander to get the water drain.

In a mixer, take all the ingredients except the seasoning items, pulse it to fine paste. Add water as required.

Remove to a bowl, heat a pan with oil, add the mustards and urad. When it starts spluttering add the curry leaves and immediately pour over the ground chutney.

Most times, we place the curry leaves on the chutney and pour the hot oil over the leaves. This way the leaves don't loose their freshness.

Serve with Dosa, Idlis.

Chintakaya Thokku ~ Fresh Tamarind Chutney

Have you ever tasted a raw fresh tamarind? If you haven't, then you won't be able to understand the passion that attaches the senses to one who has tasted it and enjoyed it. I grew up in a town where tamarind trees were all over the place. We had many such trees in our village too. I am talking about when I was 8 years old. But those scenes are still fresh. And even much later I have had on many occasions enjoyed my share of fresh tamarind.

Then we had a never ending supply of these in our school campus. The fun comes out of eating these fresh tamarind is when you actually stand below a tree and pull down those fruits by yourself. Either by throwing stones or trying to pull it down with sticks. Whatever, the joy that comes out of your hard labour and when you pop it into your mouth. Ah!, actually you won't be able to do it right away, unless until you have one of those strong teeth, which doesn't shy out on biting a sour thing.

The sensation that hits you hard, on biting a fresh pulp, with water oozing out.and your teeth shrinking back because of the sourness. You can't but close your eyes in response to the reflex action that takes place. Yes, you won't know these unless you actually tasted it yourself.

If you haven't tasted one yet, then my advise to you will be is to,beg borrow or steal a fresh tamarind to experience this sensation.

Like all sour things, you will only hesitate for the first. After that how many goes in nobody knows. Even better than the fresh ones, those tamarinds that are naturally ripe in the tree. My God, that is even more exotic! Anyway I will talk about that in another post.

Today's post is all about fresh Tamarind and what you can make with it.

The country side in rural India is filled with many such beautiful scenes of lush Tamarind trees full with bounty. Whenever we go on long trips, we stop for a pick. Be it for the tender leaves or the fresh tamarind. Athamma makes both the Chinthaaku Pappu or Chinthakaya Thokku.

So during our recent trip, when we stopped for lunch at our usual spot, we found the tree with loads of tamarind hanging. We plucked some for the tokku.

Chintakaya Thokku ~ Fresh Tamarind Chutney

Fresh Tamarind - 1 cup (after pitting)

Salt to taste 

Fenugreek / Methi - 10 seeds

For Spice powder

Bengal gram/ Channa dal - 2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Methi Seeds - 5 7- seeds

Sesame Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili dry - 12 nos 

For Seasoning

Curry leaves - 5 

Red chili - 2 -3 

Turmeric a pinch

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 - 4 tsp

Method to prepare:

Since we are using fresh tamarind, which is very juicy and has seeds that won't come out very easily, you got to mash them well to remove the seeds. This is usually done using the mortal and pestle. You can continue getting a smooth consistency by grinding it and also adding the methi seeds along with salt.

Once the seeds are removed, you can further grind it smooth in a mixer or food processor. Then the tamarind is stored along with the ground methi and salt for couple of days. Normally during the day, it is just left to dry in the shade. 

When it is dried for couple days, you can season it and store it.

Grind the spices listed in the spice mix and keep it aside. This spices can be dry roasted and powdered.

Heat a pan with oil, pop the mustard, then add curry leaves along with the red chillies. Saute well. Then add the turmeric powder and then the ground spice mix.

When you have sauteed for 5 mins, add the ground fresh tamarind chutney. Saute again for 5 mins. Adjust spice and salt. Spice can be adjusted by adding Red chili powder. But this can be done before serving too.

This chutney is normally stored for many months. It takes various forms, mostly interesting one being Chintakaaya Pulihora. You can also store the extracted tamarind that is ground with just salt and methi as such. Use it in various forms. Athamma gave me rice mixed with just that Fresh Tamarind with salt and methi, it was too delicious to put in words. So you can store it just that way too, and season the chutney when you want to use it.

Notes: Salt has to be mixed and mashed, only then the tamarind extract gets that typical taste. Adjust the spice accordingly. If you are using Green chilis, you need to add them while grinding in the mixer.

Have a great week ahead!

Quick Mango Relish in Microwave ~ For Mango Mela & MEC Essential Extras!

I have this wonderful table calendar on my office desk which showcases yummy dishes. My colleagues thought I would love to have this on my desk. Well they weren't wrong. But each time I look at them, I feel excited and wonder when it will be my turn to have my pictures clicked liked that. The calendar started with south Indian Tiffin dishes to elaborate thali. Each one is really mouth watering ones. And each month I look forward to the next one and think it will be quite a while to see it, but lol, its already here. May was Meddu Vada and it looks like that dreamy one!

Coming to today's post, as usual, I was procrastinating till the end to think up of a quick dish for my Microwave Easy Cooking event, hosted by Rachel this month. She choose Essential extras. When I think of them, yeah I know its quite tough to complete a meal without these. They not only perk up a meal, one can't be without these lovely extras.

Though no concrete idea came up as an entry, I was planning on Saturday to be day I would make it. But work these couple of weeks, has been too hectic and we were working the Sundays too. I had to complete the quick breakfast, something for the lunch and left for the office. So breakfast was the only option left open and when I glanced around my kitchen, my eyes fell on the lovely green mangoes lying around. I immediately thought a quick relish with it would make a great combo for the Jower appey that were getting ready on the pan!

Having my target in mind, getting to the final dish took about 5 minutes overall! It was that quick. The recipe is so simple that it doesn't require much in terms of writing down a recipe. And the taste was too good. This not only was a great combo for the appey, am sure it will make a great side for the dal rice combo.

When I think more and more of cooking in microwave, I am amazed at how quickly we can make so many different dishes. Of course I make very less quantity which might last for couple of servings. Even then its a life saver alright.

Serves - 4 spoons

Ingredients Needed:

Raw Mango - 2 medium slices.
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder a pinch
Roasted Cumin powder - 3/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Water - 2 tsp

Method to prepare:

Wash and grate the mango slices. Take a microwave bowl, add 1/2 tsp of oil, add the grated mango, chili powder, salt, cumin powder and turmeric. Micro it for 1 minute.

Stir with a spoon, add the remaining oil. Mix well and micro it again for 2 minutes. Add 2 tsp of water and micro for 1 minute.

You delicious Mango Relish is readdy!

I served it with Appeys made with Jower flour, a breakfast dish for Diabetics and the other accompanying side dish was also a quick Tomato Relish. Both these are going to be featured in the Spice your Life blog. Be sure to check it out!

Sending the Quick Mango Relish to Rachel, who is hosting the MEC Essential Extras!

And yes to my Mango Mela too!

Tomato Achaar ~ Tomato Dip!

I guess its been our fondest dream to have a decent family dinner with the kids along. We have never seen it happen, as most times either of us or both, will be chasing the kids around the restaurant or whatever place we happen to be. It was the same with Konda when she was this age, now its with the boys. Only we have grown older! Dad always used to challenge Konda to sit still for a minute, but after seeing the boys, he has reduced the span for a second or even less. They hardly understand what he says. They have that innocent look which says they hardly can do such devious things!

Hubby dear finally decided that we would risk the chance and take them to a restaurant, hoping they would sit quite in a new environment. Remember the last time we said we took them and to our surprise, the kids were so well behaved. Well it lasted just that day, the next couple of times we took them out, it was a complete disaster. Every other minute there was a catastrophe dooming over us. We hardly remembered what we eat, what was concluded was that, to never venture out again. But then you tend to go soft right. Especially when they look so innocent and downright harmless, it just melts hubby dear's heart. And this happens with hubby dear very often. Every other chance, he again hopes that the kids will atleast be manageable, if not actually be sitting in one place.

This time it was even worse, even before we started, they were so excited that we were going out and they were yelling out loud. If you are familiar with 2+ year old boys, you will know what I am saying! Anyone seeing this would think we never take them out! From the moment we got seated, one fellow ran over the sofa, while other ran over the floor. I finally decided, in between my morsels, its not worth admiring the yummy dal or the Paneer pasanda on the menu. What would happen if Chinnu gets down the entire laid out table with those delicate glass cookeries! I was imagining the worse, but with these darling devils, anything is possible. When they saw me coming, one ran in one direction, while one took the other way.

Since the other family members were still eating their dinner, I was left with myself to decide which way to run. Finally I caught one fellow and ran with him to catch the other devil on the prowl! On top of this, Peddu caught the fancy of an adorable one year old girl. She was so cute, with pinkish chubby cheeks, Peddu won't get away from her. He went on pinching her cheeks and saying so cute, so cute Amma. I told him sternly that he can stop lineaddichifying (as in tamil), I have better things to attend to. Like checking out what Chinnu was up too. Remember I was imagining he will pull the table down!

Pull he did, but luckily there was only one glass over the table and in seconds, we heard the glass breaking to million pieces and looks of shocked expression all around us. I grabbed both of them close, lest they step on a piece. After that it was a hurried show back home. Thus ended another of our adventure!

Coming to this Tomato Achaar that I prepared as the dip for the Momos, its a lovely combo of garlic and tomatoes. When I was going through the many recipes that I was referring, finally conjured this concoction combing ideas from all of them. Not sure if authentically this is how its made, but its one awesome dip for any snack. Off late, dips seems to have caught my fancy!

Tomato Dip ~ Achaar

Ripe Tomatoes - 2 big
Garlic flakes - 10 medium
Red chili long - 5 -7
Salt to taste

For Seasoning

Cumin Seeds
Oil - 1 -2 tsp

Method to prepare:

Boil the red chilies in 1 cup of water in sim. Remove after 5 -6 mins

Chop the tomatoes into chucks. Keep aside a quarter of the chopped tomatoes

Peel and dice the garlic.

When the red chillies are cooled, run it first in a mixer till you get a coarse or even a semi powder. Then take half of the garlic along with 3/4 tomatoes, grind it to a smooth paste.

Heat a pan with oil, temper with cumin seeds, then add the remaining chopped garlic. Fry well.

Then finally add the chunks, and simmer till the tomatoes are soft, then add the ground tomatoes. Cook well after seasoning with salt.

Cook till you get a good thick sauce. This can be served with Momos, and guess about chips or rotis etc!

This can be easily made in advance and stored in fridge!

Since this dip took me not more than 10 mins to get done, sending this to Mahimaa's 15 minute cooking event!

Ginger Tomato Chutney ~ Allam Pachadi!

When life offers lemon, go make lemonade is what is told. Well being an Indian, I might just pickle it alright! But to be frank, I neither like Lemon pickle nor lemonade, much rather prefer lemon juice with more sugar, if you must know! Then again I wasn't offered with many lemons, nor a pickling is in process. Rather I found myself with lots of Ginger! Grreee...Whatever be said, I don't actually like munching on a ginger bit, aptly said in Tamil, which translates to "like the monkey that ate the ginger"! Anyway the weekend I went shopping, got more ginger than I could use and found it lying around in the fridge. Since the week was kind of hectic that I could not get around making the ginger garlic paste, most of my curries took a different turn the whole week, what with being ground to paste along with onions, garlic and of course the ginger.

The dishes which demands ginger to be added, else be doomed, will have me chopping them into as big ones as possible. Well I know they always land in my plate, so I might make things easy for myself. After all I assume, whatever good it has to offer, it would've infused while it was getting sauteed in oil. Having said that, you won't find me adding this to any chutney that I might end up eating. But, since this wasn't for me and I have my folks health in the utmost of my thoughts, felt I needed to give them something good with ginger. The devil in me, oops..the angel beg your pardon, wanted to try something different. And thus I have something interesting to share with you.

The fact that hubby dear said it was delicious, is a bonus, I tell you! Afterall we do things to please our family right, no matter our thoughts run around the lines of something new every day.



According to me, a dish gets its name from two pointers. One its named after its main ingredient or by its Star ingredient. So when I was faced with the difficult task of christening this dish, I decided to go by choosing its star ingredient. I can't fathom how a chutney with just ginger might taste. I really can't find myself ever tasting it, so I won't be in a position to tell you!

Ingredients Needed:

Tomatoes - 2 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Ginger - 3 - 4 " (less/ more as per your taste)
Red chilli powder - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves few

For seasoning

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves


Method to prepares:

Chop tomatoes, onions to big chunks and saute in oil till brown. Allow it to cool

In a mixie, add the tomatoes, onions, finely chopped ginger, along with coriander leaves, red chili powder and salt.

Heat a pan and temper the chutney with mustard and curry leaves.

Tastes great with Dosa or Idli.

FYI: my folks said it tasted great, and I trust their taste a lot, so do try this if you haven't already!

Fresh Black Eyed Beans with Cluster Bean Chutney ~ Mutikaya Alasanda Mirapa Thokku!

Ok now that we have a bag full of fresh black eyed beans, I asked Athamma for different recipes that she remembers from her childhood. I guess all it took was that question, I could immediately see Athamma reminiscing about her childhood days when her Mom used to prepare this thokku, which was liked and much in demand. Since this uses fresh alasanda, it was mostly prepared during this time. She said she still remembers running up and down the stairs along with her brothers, while her mom used to stuff this with Jonna Rotti and drop it as a ball for the kids to catch it! How really sweet!

I called her in the afternoon and asked what was the dinner plan, she said she was going to make this. I was really intrigued with the texture and the taste and I am sure my hubby dear remembered eating this at his grandma's place. This is so typically rustic Andhra, that it takes one a while to get used to the taste and feel. But am sure one you get to taste it again, you get hooked.

Those days it was mostly ground using the grinding stone, so you always know when to add which and the consistency of the ingredients. But with that stone no longer a part of our kitchen gadget, I feel we sorely miss it. The food processor or the mixer doesn't do much justice to those good old stones!

Ingredients Needed:

Cluster Beans - 100 gms
Fresh Black Eyed Beans - 100 gms
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Green Chilies - 4 -6 longs
Onions - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 medium
Garlic - 2 cloves
Turmeric powder a pinch
Fresh coconut - 2 tsp
Fresh/ Roasted Groundnut - handful
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves few
Oil - 2 tsp
Water - 1 cup

Method to prepare

First grind green chillies, onions, garlic, coriander leaves along with coriander powder roughly.

Then add the coconut and ground nuts and again run for a minute. It should not be a smooth but still not very coarse.

In a pan take water, add oil and the ground paste along with Black Eyed beans, chopped tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Bring this to boil.

Cook it under sim, till you get a thick consistency.

You will need to feel the chunky cluster beans with Alasanadallu in between, then its really awesome!

Another entry for My legume Love affair, hosted on my blog, an event started by Susan!


Check out my instant Paneer Cheese Rolls
that I made for Kids, which is my entry for this month's MEC event on Paneer!