Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Curd Chutneys-4

My previous posts in this section are here:

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Curd%20Chutney

1. Tomato-Onion-Green Peas Curd Chutney


Chopped Tomato

Chopped Onions

Peas

For Tempering


Ingredients:
Curd 1 Cup (each cup is 250 ml)
Tomatoes (medium) 2
Onion (medium) 1
Green peas fresh or frozen: 100 gms
Salt To taste
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies 1
Coriander greens finely chopped 1 tbsp
Oil 2 tsps

For Tempering:
Oil- 2 tsps
Split chick pea 1tsp
Split Black gram 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Dried red Chillies 2 pieces
Asafoetida Powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Curry Leaves few

Method:
  • Clean the tomatoes and chop them finely. Similarly peel and chop the onion, green chillies (finely) separately and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan, fry onions till they turn pink, add tomatoes and green peas. Add salt and sugar, Fry for some time.
  • Heat oil in another small pan to a smoking point, lower the heat to minimum. Add chick pea, fry for two minutes. Add black gram, after a minute or two, add mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering, add cumin, dried chilly, green chilly, asafoetida, turmeric and curry leaves. Mix well and remove from fire.
  • In a bowl take the curd, add the tomatoes mixture, tempering and mix well. Garnish with coriander and serve. 

Note: You can first follow Step 3 and to that add the onions and tomatoes and peas too, instead of frying separately.

2.Okra Curd Chutney

Sliced Okra
Ingredients:
Curd 1 Cup (a cup is 250 ml)
Okra (Ladies Fingers) 100 gms
Salt To taste
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies 1
Coriander greens finely chopped 1 tbsp
Oil 1 Tbsp

For Tempering:
Oil- 2 tsps
Split chick pea 1tsp
Split Black gram 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Dried red Chillies 2 pieces
Asafoetida Powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Curry Leaves few

Method:

  • Cut the Okra into thick slices.
  • Heat oil in a pan, fry these till they are crispy
  • Heat oil in another small pan to a smoking point, lower the heat to minimum. Add chick pea, fry for two minutes. Add black gram, after a minute or two, add mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering, add cumin, dried chilly, green chilly, asafoetida and curry leaves. Mix well.
  • In a bowl take the curd, add the Okra, tempering, salt, sugar and mix well. Garnish with coriander and serve.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Chutneys with Lentils-2

My first post on this section is here...


Here are the ingredients used for the recipes in this post:
This is the roasted lentil
Garlic, chopped.
Raw mangoes
Coriander Greens
Jaggery. Sugar can also be used instead of this.

2. Pigeon Pea and Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:
Pigeon Pea: 1 cup
Fresh Coconut (grated): 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Dried Red chillies: 4-5
Cumin Seeds: 2 tsp
Tamarind pulp: 1 Tbsp
Jaggery(grated): 1 Tbsp
Salt: To taste
Garlic (optional): 4-5 pods
Coriander Greens (chopped fine): 1Tbsp

Method:
  • Roast, the lentil till golden brown and keep aside till it cools down. 
  • Roast the red chillies separately for one or two minutes. 
  • Grind together all the ingredients, adding little water to make a very thick paste or to the required consistency. 
  • Garnish with Coriander Greens and serve with hot steamed/boiled rice. 

3. Pigeon Pea and Raw Mango Chutney

Ingredients:
Pigeon Pea : 1 Cup
Raw Mango: 1 (small sized)
Red Cillies-4-5
Cumin seeds; 2 tsps
Jagerry (grated): 1 Tbsp
Garlic (optional): 4-5 pods
Coriander Greens (chopped fine): 1 Tbsp
Salt: to taste

Method:
  • Roast, the lentil till golden brown and keep aside till it cools down. 
  • Roast the red chillies separately for one or two minutes. 
  • Peel and grate Mango 
  • Grind together all the ingredients, adding little water to make a very thick paste or to the required consistency. You can add the grated mango in the last and just grind it for a minute. 
  • Garnish with Coriander Greens and serve with hot steamed/boiled rice. 

4. Pigeon Pea, Coconut and Raw Mango Chutney

Ingredients:
Pigeon Pea : 1 Cup
Grated fresh Coconut: 1/2 cup
Raw Mango (peeled and grated): 1/2 cup
Dried Red Chillies: 4-5
Cumin seeds; 2 tsps
Jagerry (grated): 1 Tbsp
Garlic (optional): 4-5 pods
Coriander Greens (chopped fine): 1 Tbsp
Salt: to taste

Method:
  • Roast, the lentil till golden brown and keep aside till it cools down. 
  • Roast the red chillies separately for one or two minutes. 
  • Grind together all the ingredients with a little water, to a thick paste or required consistency. 
  • Garnish with Coriander Greens and serve with hot steamed/boiled rice. 
Note:
  1. If you want it to be more tasty, you can use 1Tbsp of Ghee(clarified butter) for roasting the lentil. Adjust the quantities of Chillies and Mango according to your taste. 
  2. The de-husked, split and cleaned lentil is pale yellow in colour. We use this for making the chutney.

Chutneys with Lentils-1

There are certain seasons when we do not get vegetables properly. In India, during the hot summer months and the early part of the wet rainy season, there is not much availability of vegetables in the market- at least not at the prices which a common man can afford. Very few vegetables are available and that too at such prices that we don't feel like buying them at all. At that time we try to replace them or substitute them with other things like the  preserved vegetables-pickles, purees, sun dried pieces of vegetables or lentils etc.

The chutneys made with lentils are very tasty, easy to make, nutritious, healthy and almost oil free recipes. They are rich in proteins. So here are some recipes from the Traditional Andhra Kitchen....

Please adjust the quantity of chillies according to your taste. We in Andhra eat it very spicy. I have given you the reduced quantity. Still it can be spicy.

1. Pigeon Pea Chutney (तुवर दाल की चटनी- కంది పచ్చడి)

Pigeon Pea or Red Gram is known as Tuar Dal (तुवर दाल  ) in Hindi and Kandi Pappu( కంది పప్పు )  in Telugu. It is an important pulse crop in India and especially in Indian Vegetarian Kitchens this is most widely used. In South India this is consumed almost daily in one form or the other as this is tasty and nutritious. Its outer cover or husk is red in colour.
The de-husked, split and cleaned lentil is pale yellow in colour. We use this for making the chutney.
Roasted lentil.
This is the chutney which is one of the popular dishes of Andhra.

Ingredients:
Pigeon Pea:   150 gms
Red chillies(dried): 4-5
Cumin seeds: 2tsp
Garlic pods: 3-4 optional
Salt:  To taste
Jaggery (grated): 1 tsp
Coriander greens(chopped finely): 1Tbsp

Method:
  • Roast the lentil, till it turns light brown in colour and gives off nice smell. Add red chillies and roast for a  minute or two.
  • You can roast it in 1 tbsp of Ghee (clarified butter) for more taste.
  • Cool it and along with all other ingredients and a little water, grind it to a very thick paste. Garnish with Coriander greens.
  • Serve with steamed/boiled rice and ghee. Make it more liquidy by adding more water to serve with rotis or chapattis. This keeps only for a day, unless refrigerated. Anyway it is best to eat it fresh.
Keep watching for other recipes in this section....