Onion-Peanut chutney

This chutney tastes awesome with idli/dosa especially,rava idli.

Ingredients:

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• Peanuts / groundnuts - 1 cup
• onion - 1 big
• garlic - 4 pods
• curry leaves - 4 Sprigs
• til/sesame seeds(white) - 1 tsp
• tomato - 1 medium sized( bangalore variety)
• green chillies - 3
• red chillies - 2
• oil - 2 tsp
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• split urad dal - 1 tsp
• tamarind - 1 inch piece(can add little more as per taste)
• salt - to taste

Method:

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• Dry roast til and peanuts on a low flame.Set aside to cool and remove the skin of peanuts.
• Chop onions,green chillies and garlic.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil,add onions,garlic,curry leaves and saute till the raw smell goes off.
• Add green chillies and chopped tomato and saute for another 3 min.
• Switch off the flame.Add the tamarind into the kadai and set aside to cool.
• Add the above ingredients in a mixer and grind it.(just pulse twice or thrice)
• Add the roasted peanuts,til ,salt to the ground mixture and grind again into a fine paste with little water.
• Temper with mustard seeds,curry leaves and split urad dal.
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Serve with rava idli.

pavaikai / bittergourd thokku

Ingredients:

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• Bitter gourd - 5 tender ones
• Gingelly oil - 1.5 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - 3 sprig
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• salt - 2 tsp
• tamarind juice,thick - extracted from a lemon size tamarind
• jaggery , powdered - 2 tbsp
• sambar powder - 2 to 3 tsp
• red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Method:

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• Chop the bitter gourd into very small pieces.(Remove the centre part with sees)
• Wash the chopped pieces and drain excess water.
• Add a tsp of salt.Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.
• Squeeze out the excess water completely .This will remove 70 to 80% of bitterness.
• Heat 4 tsp oil in a kadai,add asafoetida,mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• When it splutters,add the soaked bitter gourd slices with a pinch of turmeric powder
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• Saute well for 10 min till it shrinks.
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• Add the tamarind juice ,salt and allow to boil.
• Let it get cooked for another 5 min.Mix well in between.
• Add sambar powder, red chilli powder .Mix well and cook till it thickens slightly.
• Add the jaggery and keep stirring till it turns into a thick paste.(adjust the other ingredients after tasting)
• Switch off the flame.Add 2 tsp of oil over it and mix well.
• Let it cool completely and transfer into an air tight container.

Serve with rice and molagootal or dosa.

Onion Tomato sabzi for roti

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

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• Tomatoes fresh - 6 big
• Onions - 2 big , chopped finely
• haldi - a pinch
• red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 4
• Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
• cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 inch piece , chopped finely
• garlic - 6 pods
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• salt - to taste
• bay leaf - 1
• jaggery - a pinch
• oil - 3 tsp

Method:

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• Blanch the tomatoes and peel off its skin.Make a puree with the blanched tomatoes and green chillies using a blender.
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• Add jeera,ginger ,garlic in a pestle and mortar and pound nicely.
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• Heat oil in a kadai, add crushed items,bay leaf and saute for 2 min.
• Add finely chopped onions and saute till it becomes translucent.
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• Add the tomato puree,haldi, jaggery,red chilli powder,coriander powder,salt and saute continuously.
• The tomato puree will start popping out as it get cooked.Do not panic.Keep stirring on a medium flame .
  
• Once it thickens,the popping will stop and cook till it thickens like a paste.
• Add garama masala powder at this stage .Mix well and switch off the flame.
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You can use this gravy as a side-dish for roti ,especially when you travel long distances as this will not get spoiled upto 3 days.

Sambarapuli

Sambarapuli is a traditional brahmin dish.This is more like a dry chutney that can be had with dosa/idly with little oil .This is an excellent side-dish for curd-rice.

Ingredients:

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• Coriander leaves - 2 big bunches,nearly 100 to 120 grams
• Curry leaves - 10 sprigs
• Urad dal (whole/split) - 100 grams
• Red chillies - 20 to 25 ,based on one's taste
• Aafoetida - 1 tsp
• Tamarind - 1 thick ball,(dia:3 to 4 cm)
• Jaggery - 1 to 2 tsp
• Salt - 2 tsp
• Gingelly oil - 2 tsp

Method:

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• Remove the roots and seperate the leaves from the stem.Retain the tender stems.
• Wash them very well along with curry leaves and strain the excess water.
• Pat it dry with a towel and let them dry on a towel overnight under the fan.
• Next day,you must just feel a light moisture in the dried leaves and not more than that.
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• Wash urad dal(if whole) and drain water completely.
• Heat oil in a kadai.Add the washed urad dal ,asafoetida and roast till golden brown.
• Add the red chillies and saute for 3 to 4 min.
• Switch off the flame.Add the tamarind,jaggery into the kadai and set aside to cool.
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• Grind the roasted ingredients to a coarse powder .Add salt at this point and pulse the mixer once again so that the salt is uniformly mixed with the powdered spices.
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• Transfer the powder to a plate and add the dried leaves into the same mixer.
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• Pulse the mixer once or twice such that the leaves are just crushed well.
• Add the powdered spices to the mixer and pulse it again once / twice.This is done so that the spices gets blended well with the crushed leaves.
• Transfer the ground paste into a plate.Taste and adjust salt/spice if needed.
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• Make into small round balls by rolling between your palms.
• Store in fridge and enjoy with curd rice/idly-dosa.

Pumpkin flesh thuvayal

Ingredients:

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• Flesh of pumpin (de-seeded) - from half a kilo pumpkin
• Coconut shredded - 2 tbsp
• Tamarind - a small piece
• jaggery - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Green chillies - 1 to 2
• Red chillies - 2
• Split Urad dal - 2 tsp

For tempering:

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• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• asafoetida powder - a pinch

Method:

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• Remove the flesh from pumpkin and take away the seeds from it.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil,add urad dal,red chillies,green chillies and saute till it turns brown.
• Add tamarind,jaggery,salt and pumpkin flesh.Saute for 5 min till the flesh becomes tender and the raw smell goes off.
• Switch off the flame and add the coconut also in the kadai.Mix well and let it be in the kadai till it cools down to room temparature.
• Grind well in a mixer with little water.The consistency should be like a chutney.
• Temper with mustard seeds,curry leaves and asafoetida.

Serve with rice and molagootal.

Green chutney for Sago wada

Ingredients:

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• Cilantro /Coriander leaves - 2 small bunches
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Roasted Peanut powder - 1 tsp
• Tamarind - a half inch piece
• Green chillies - 3 to 4
• Curd - 4 tsp

Method:

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• Grind together all the ingredients except curd into a fine paste with little water.
• Add curd and mix well.

Serve with Sago wada.

Tomato-Onion chutney

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

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• Tomato ,chopped - 5 medum sized
• Onion,chopped - 2 medium sized
• Green chillies - 3 to 4
• Ginger - 1 half inch piece
• Tamarind - a very small piece(like a 50 p coin)
• Jaggery - a pinch
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Ingredients:

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• Add tomatoes,onions,green chillies,ginger,tamarind,jaggery,salt,turmeric powder in a mixer and grind to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a kadai,Add asafoetida,curry leaves and mustard seeds.When it splutters,add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell goes off and the gravy becomes thick.

Tip:Cook covered and saute in between as the tomato gravy starts popping out .

Serve with Idly/Dosa/Kozhakattai.

Onion Chutney

This chutney goes very well with Idli /Dosa ,but above all its tastes best when had with moreappam.

This recipe serves 3.

Ingredients:

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• Onions,chopped - 4 to 5 big
• Tamarind - a small piece,may be length 1 cm
• Jaggery - 1/2 tsp(if powdered)
• Salt - to taste
• Red chilli - 3 to 4
• Pottukadali/Roasted gram - 2 tsp

For tempering:

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• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal,split - 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

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• Grind all the ingredients into a fine paste in a mixer.(If its too thick ,then add just 2 tbsp of water and grind).
• Heat oil in a kadai ,add mustard seeds.When it splutters ,add urad dal,asafoetida,red chilli,curry leaves and saute till urad dal becomes brown.
• Add the ground paste and saute for 5 to 10 min till the raw smell of onion goes off.

Serve with Moreappam.

Thenga chutney for Dosa & Idly

This is the simplest and quickest chutney one can make.This goes very well with Idly,Dosa,oothapam,Upma,Arisi kozhakattai.

Ingredients:

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• Coconut,Shredded - from half of a medium sized ccoconut
• Pearl Onion - 3(Optional...But this gives a nice taste)
• coriander leaves - 2 teaspoon
• Roasted gram - 2 teaspoon(Pottu kadalai)
• Ginger - a one - inch piece
• Green chilli - 1 to 2
• Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

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• Oil/Ghee - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad dal,split - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 taspoon
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Red chilli - 1

Method:

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• Grind together coconut,onions,coriander leaves,roasted gram,ginger,green chilli,salt with little water to a coarse paste.
• Temper with mustard seeds,urad dal,asafoetida,curry leaves and red chilli.

Serve with Idly/Dosa.

Peerkangai/Ritchgourd thogayal

Ingredients:

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• Ritchgourd - 2 medium size
• Urad dal - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Green chilli - 1
• Red chilli - 1
• Coconut,shredded - 5 tablespoon
• Curry leaves - few
• coriander leaves,chopped - few
• Salt - to taste
• Tamarind - one inch piece
• Jaggery - a pinch
• oil - 2 teaspoon
• asafoetida - a pinch

Method:

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• Grate the skin of ritchgourd,remove the seeds inside(do not have to remove the seeds if it is tender)and chop finely .
• Heat a teaspoon of oil and saute urad dal till brown and the chopped pieces till they become tender.
• Switch off and add green chilli,red chilli,tamarind,jaggery,salt,coconut,salt,asafoetida,curry leaves and coriander leaves to it.
• Mix well and set aside to cool.
• Grind to a paste(chutney consistency...if required add 2 tablespoon of water and grind).
• Temper with mustard seeds and 1/4th teaspoon of urad dal.

Serve with molagootal and rice.

Special coconut chutney

This chutney goes very well with Rava idly.

Ingredients:

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• Coconut - shredded from one medium sized coconut.
• Urad dal - 1 tablespoon
• Red chillies - 3
• Tamarind - a small ball of diameter 2 cm.
• salt to taste
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• curry leaves - few
• oil - 2 teaspoon

Method:

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• Heat a tadka pan,add a teaspoon of oil.
• When hot,add urad dal and saute till it becomes golden brown.Switch off the flame and add red chillies to it.
• Add the roasted contents along with shredded coconut,tamarind,salt to a mixer and grind coarsely with little water.
• Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Paruppu thogayal

This is a very simple and mild thogayal that goes excellent with vathakozhambu.

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

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• Pasi paruppu/Moong dal - 100 grams
• Coconut,Shredded - 60 grams
• Salt to taste
• Red chillies - 2

Method:

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• Heat a kadai and add moong dal.Saute till it becomes golden brown in colour.
• Wash the roasted dal and soak in water for half an hour.
• Strain the excess water after half an hour.
• Add the soaked dal,coconut ,little salt(always add half salt for this thogayal as it needs to have a bland taste) and red chillies in a mixer and grind to a slightly coarse paste.Add little water and grind if required.

Mango thogayal/chamandi

Ingredients:

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• Raw Mango - 1 small
• Coconut - 5 tsp
• Vendayam/Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp(just 5 to 6 seeds)
• Red chillies - 3 to 4
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - a pinch

For Tempering:

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Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

oil - 1 tsp

Method:

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• In 1/4 tsp of oil,fry the fenugreek seeds till they turn brown.
• Fry the red chillies along with it without getting burnt.
• Peel off the skin of mango and chop them into pieces as shown in pic
• Grind all the ingredients in a mixie without adding water.
• Temper it with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

You can serve with kanji or molagootal.

Peanut/Groundnut Chutney

Ingredients:

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Groundnuts - 100 grams

Coconut - 50 grams

Red chillies - 3

Green chillies - 1 or 2 (Can vary according to taste)

Tamarind juice - 4 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Onions - 1 medium size

Curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp

Chana Dhal - 1 tsp

oil - 2 tsp

Method:

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• Dry roast the groundnuts in a pan and keep it aside to cool and peel off the skin..
• In a pan,add 1 tsp of oil .When its hot add chopped onions and 1 tsp of chana dal and fry well.
• Add green chillies and red chillies to it and set aside to cool.
• In a mixie jar,add the above ingredients along with ground nuts,tamarind juice,coconut,salt and grind it well along with little water.( consistency as shown in the pic).
• Temper it with mustard,urad dhal and curry leaves.

Serve with idli/dosa.