Coconut-Walnut Chutney

For this week's recipes I am going to borrow recipes from Tamalapaku  for the theme "Cook from fellow BM-ers". It was difficult to narrow down to just one blog..it was a tough task.

For today, I wanted to start off with a chutney recipe perfect for Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Upma or almost any Indian breakfast items. The base recipe is Tamalapaku's Walnut Chutney that kind of evolved into this recipe. I have seen my friends totally give up on coconut and simply substitute walnut paste instead. I am/was surprised to see that I couldn't tell much difference and I finally made the transition too... Well, I am half way there but I like when I am at- I can't completely give up on coconut which is why you see that I have thrown some grated coconut balls into the mix. :). Oh yes, it all can be done in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Walnuts
• 4 Tbsp Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut (2 grated coconut balls)
• 2 Hot Green Chili
• 2 Dry Red Chili
• 1 Stalk Curry Leaf
• 2 Tbsp Red Lentil/Masoor Dhal
• 1 Large or 2 Small Cloves Garlic, roughly cut
• Marble-sized Tamarind
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt as needed

For Seasoning:

• 1 Tsp Split Hulled Black Gram "Urad dhal"
• 1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 Stalk Curry Leaf
• A pinch of Asafoetida/Hing ( I used L.G brand)

Procedure:

• Gather all the ingredients needed. 

• In a tbsp of Olive Oil, lightly brown the red lentils. A minute later add the roughly cut garlic cloves, both the chilies and a stalk of curry leaf.

• Add the walnuts and saute them for a minute of so. Switch off the stove and add the coconut and tamarind. Mix and let it cool. Move the cooled mixture into a blender jar and add a little salt. Grind it to a thick (slightly gritty or smooth, its all personal preference) paste.

• Season the chutney with the seasoning ingredients.

• Pour over the chutney. Enjoy with Idli, Dosa etc.

Enjoy!
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 19

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Spicy "Apple & Red Pepper" Chutney

Day3 of BM#10: A couple of months ago I took my son for apple picking. The orchards in Northeast were badly hit by a major hail storm  that happened a week prior. Almost 80% of the apples were badly bruised and had black spots on them. :-(. Inspite of hearing about it I went cause I felt bad for those Orchard owners. It was a big challenge to pick bruise-free apples.We came back home with a just a bag of apples instead of 3 or 4 which was the norm everytime we went for apple picking.

Here is what I did with those apples I brought home: I made some apple sauce which I used to make my Vegan Pumpkin apple muffins, then substitued apple filling instead of berries in Lattice-Topped Berry Tart I posted a few months ago. I still had a few leftovers out of which a couple ended up in this chutney- I frequently made mini pepper chutney as sides for Idli/Dosa this summer and wanted to add apples this time. The only change I had to make was to increase the amount of chilies to even out the sweet taste of apples. That's it!

MacIntosh Apple Tree at March Farms:These ripe red macIntosh apples on this tree miraculously espaced the hail storm.A few of those ended up in my bag that I brought home. :-):

Way3 To Maintain A Healthy Level of Insanity:  Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In Box." ;-)

What you need for the chutney:

Ingredients:

• 2 Red MacIntosh Apples
• 1 Medium Red Onion, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 8-10 Mini Red Peppers, seeds and membranes removed
• 1" Ginger, peeled and cut diced
• 2 Small Cloves Garlic
• Marble sized Tamarind, cleaned
• 4-5 or less/more Dry Red Chili
• 2 Green Chili
• 2 Stalks Curry Leaves, stems removed
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

For tempering(Optional):

• 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tsp Split Black Gram/ Urad Dhal
• 1 Stalk Curry Leaves
• 1 Tsp Olive Oil

Procedure(Tried with yellow and red mini peppers. Using Red peppers alone gives that intense red color and the taste is much better than that of the Yellow + Red Pepper combo):

• Add the Oil to a wide saute pan. Throw in the cut onions, garlic, ginger, red chili, green chili and curry leaves.Saute till the onions are browned.

• Add the cut peppers and saute till they are browned at edges

• Add the cut apples to the pan.

• Saute till they are browned.The chutney tastes better if they are well and truly browned.

• Add the tamarind at the very end. Switch off stove and sprinkle some salt.

• Grind the whole contents and check for taste.

• Move it to a serving bowl.Tempering is entirely optional.If opting, just fry the mustard seeds, Hing, urad dhal and curry leaves. Pour it over the chutney. I skipped it this time. Enjoy it with hot idli, dosa and such.

Enjoy!

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Spinach, Roasted Peanut And Tamarind Chutney "Spinach Thogayal"

I love greens. I have been eating one kind or the other since I have been very young. While it was more because of mom's compulsion before, I have to say I genuinely enjoy eating greens now. Furthermore, I have developed a healthy respect for their iron-rich properties. These days Spinach, Broccoli Rabe, Collards, Kale, Swiss Chard, Fenugreek Leaves are all consumed enthusiastically by the whole family. Yup Yup. We do. :)
You see,  I was raised a Lacto Vegetarian till I was 18, so we had to rely heavily on legumes, greens and dairy products for a balanced diet. Mom would make umpteen varieties of Kurma, Chutneys, Dips and Stew to please my palate as I was a super picky-eater. One of my favorite chutney was "Pulicha Keerai Thogayal(= Sorrel Leaves Chutney)". Mom would get a fresh bunch or two from the street hawker and make this chutney that I used to eat with warm rice topped with thick yogurt, like in the picture below..
Since I couldn't find 'Sorrel Leaves' I decided to use Spinach which is available in abundance where I live. :). This is a large batch that will keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Ingredients(For 6-8 Servings):

• 8 Cups Packed Spinach, cleaned and completely drained of moisture
• 1/4 Cup Peanuts minus the shell
• Golf-Ball sized Tamarind, soaked in water plus seeds removed, if any
• 5-6 Dry red Chili or less if you can't take the heat
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 4 Tbsp Split Chick Pea/Bengal Gram
• 4 Tbsp Red Lentils or Split Pigeon Peas(Tuvar Dhal)
• 2 Stalks Curry Leaves
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil for saute-ing the veggies + 1 tsp each for wilting the spinach in batches + 1 Tbsp for frying the Lentils/Pulses
• Salt as needed

For Seasoning the chutney(Optional, but highly desired)

• 1 Tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp each Cumin Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Split Black Gram Seeds "Urad Dhal"
• 1 Red Chili
• Curry Leaves

Procedure:

• Roast the peanuts in a skillet over low-medium flame, stirring now and then for about 10 minutes. When its warm enough to handle, remove the skins from the peanuts. Do resist the temptation to eat them up.

• Keep the ingredients handy.

• In a tbsp of oil, fry the split chick pea. When it turns light brown add the red lentils and continue to fry.

• Add the red chilies when both the pulses have turned brown and fry for a minute. Switch off the stove and let it cool down. Soak the tamarind in warm water.This helps the tamarind to become soft and facilitates easy grinding.

• In a wide pan, add a tbsp of oil and saute the garlic, onions. When the onions are translucent, add the chopped tomatoes and saute till it loses the raw smell.

• Add the curry leaves, fry for a minute more and switch off the stove. Move it to a plate and let it cool before grinding.

• Divide the spinach into 3 batches and wilt them separately with a tsp of oil for each batch. Don't wilt it for more than a minute. It starts leaving water.

• Move the spinach to a plate and allow it to cool before grinding! Use the water it releases to grind the chutney.

• Add the toasted peanuts, softened tamarind(remove seeds if any), fried pulses + dry red chili mixture and grind them to a paste with very little water.

• The paste should look something like this:

• Now add the spinach to the above paste and "pulse" grind with little to no water until the it comes together as a coarse chutney. Do not make a smooth paste- it looks so very unappetizing that way!
• Seasoning the chutney(An entirely optional but highly desired step): Fry all the ingredients under "Seasoning" in the oil and pour over the chutney. Mix gently and serve with rice and yogurt or just with hot rice.I have never tried it as a dip with pita bread but its an exciting idea as well.

Makes 6-8 Servings.

If you are a lover of greens like me you would love "some" of my Spinach dishes too..Seeing an awful lot? Well atleast now you know I wasn't lying about my love for greens. LoL 
Spinach Dishes: Spinach, Veggie and 3-Cheese Lasagna, Spinach and Lentil Dry Curry with Grated Coconut Garnish,  Spinach And Artichoke Frittata,   Moroccan Chickpea, Spinach, Raisin and Couscous Stuffed Red Pepper,  Saag Paneer,  Puff-Pastry Spinach And Cheese Swirls.Pinwheels,  Spinach and Split-pea Stuffed Flat bread/Paratha,  Spinach Pesto with Pignoli,  Turkish Borek With Yufka leaves,  Microwaved Spinach and Malai Kofta.

Enjoy!

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Apricot, Prune And Tamarind Chutney

Okay, this is the chutney that never did make it to the potluck party. Right now its in the freezer waiting for its turn to be appreciated by my family. This experimental chutney has the right amount of Heat, Sweet, Salt and Tang that makes it incredibly appealing..even to non-chutney loving people. I just had a small sampling of this with the Potato Croquette and taste-wise it took the Croquette to a whole new level. Should marry well with Samosa too.

Ingredients(For 1-1/2 Cup thick Chutney):

• 15#s Pitted Prunes
• 10#s Dried Apricots
• A big lemon-sized Tamarind(The left one in the picture below. Available at Indian Stores as "Imli", "Puli" etc etc), shaved
• 3 Tbsp equivalent Jaggery(Unrefined sugar/ Wholesome Sugar. Known as "Panela" in Mexico, South &Central America)
• 1-1/2 Cups Hot Water 
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 3/4 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt

Procedure:

• Wash the tamarind under cold water. 
• Soak the cleaned tamarind in 1-1/2 Cups of hot water. This softens the tamarind and facilitates easy extraction of the pulp.
• Extract as much juice as possible and discard the leftover tamarind.

• Add the apricot, prunes, jaggery shavings,1/2 Cup water, chili,cumin powder and salt along with the extracted tamarind juice and bring to a boil for 10-12 minutes.

• Blend using a blender once it cools down. The end result should look like the one in the picture below.

Enjoy it with Potato Croquette or Samosa.

Makes 1-1/2 Cups Thick Chutney.

Note: More water may be added for a thinner variation of this chutney. More Chili powder may be added if a spicier version is desired.

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Fiery Tomato Chutney

This is yet another recipe from MIL. Did I not tell you that I am going to learn new dishes from her? Well, not just new dishes but old ones with her special twist. This chutney goes oh-so-well with so many dishes and does double duty as a dip for pita and chips.Usually I have this with Yogurt Sevai(Rice Noodles in Yogurt Sauce), Lime Rice, Savory Ball Pancakes. This time though  I had this with Methi Roti( Fenugreek Flat Bread). Umm delicious.
Sending this and Four Seasons chutneys-Peanut(Winter),Pumpkin And Carrot(Fall), Cilantro N Mint(Spring), Tomato Chutney my Way(Summer) , Ridge Gourd Peel N SweetPea Chutney, Homemade Chutney Powder(Idli Podi) to Jagruti's Complete My Thali - Chutney event.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium Onion, roughly chopped
• 5 ripe Roma Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp Ginger/Garlic paste
• 1 stalk Curry Leaves
• 2 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 dry Red Chili (3, if you want to feel the burn)
• Salt for taste
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

Procedure:

• Coarsely grind chopped onion,tomatoes along with curry leaves,red chilies and cilantro.
• Heat the Olive oil in a thick,deep bottomed pan and add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds start to sputter, add the ginger/garlic paste.Fry till it loses raw smell.
• Pour the ground mixture into the pan.Add salt.

• Here comes the difficult part -- Simmer the mixture on a low-medium flame, stirring frequently until it loses all the moisture and the oil separates.Takes about ~20-30 minutes.But really depends on how much watery it is to begin with.




• Cool and serve as an accompaniment to Yogurt Sevai(Rice Noodles in Yogurt Sauce), Lime Rice, Savory Ball Pancakes, Roti or as a dip.

Enjoy!

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Seven-Layer "Lite" Dip - Assault on the taste buds, in a good way!

If there is a dip that I go completely nuts, it has got to be the famed Seven Layer Dip. It is very popular in the US and falls under the "Tex-Mex" cuisine. I love love love this dip and usually hog around this bowl at parties or any social gatherings. Since I make this often at home, I had to find a lighter version that I can dig in without a twinge of guilt.Sending this post to "Healing Foods - Avocado" hosted @ Siri's Corner.

Ingredients:

• Refried Beans - 1/2 cup
• Low-fat Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese - 2 wedges, whipped smooth
• Salsa - 1/2 cup
• Sour Cream - 1/4 cup
• Avocado - 1/2 (or ) Guacamole - 1/2 cup
• Moneterey Jack Cheese - 2 tbsp, shredded
• Black Olives - 5 #s, thinly sliced
• Carrot - 1/2, shredded
• Salt - a dash
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Procedure(Assembling):

• Layer1 - Add salt and pepper to Refried beans and spread on the bottom of a serving dish.
• Layer2 - Whipped Swiss Cheese
• Layer3 - Salsa
• Layer 4- Smashed Avocado or Guacamole
• Layer 5 - Sprinkle Moneterey Jack Cheese
• Layer 6 - Sliced black olives
• Layer 7 - Shredded Carrot
• Assemble and cover with a cling wrap and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature with Tortilla chips or pita chips.

Tip:

• Taco Seasoning can be mixed with refried beans instead of just salt and pepper.
• Shredded Lettuce, diced tomatoes can be substituted of Layer 5 and Layer 7.

Makes ~ 4 servings.

Other Entries for the event:

• Edible festive Wreath
• Cheesy Veggie Bean Nachos With Avocado
• Avocado With Roasted pepper Salad
• Guacamole

Enjoy!

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Olive and Garlic Hummus - Best Partner for Wheat Crackers

This dip is a crowd-pleaser.No one can resist the incorporated taste of chickpea, olive and garlic blended to perfection with a little bit of olive oil. In my opinion, nothing tastes as good as this dip with wheat crackers.

Ingredients:

• Chickpea - 1 cup, cooked
• Canned Black Olives - 1/2 cup, large, pitted
• Garlic - 1 clove, peeled
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

• In a blender, add the chickpea, olives, garlic and olive oil.
• Puree the contents to a fine paste.
• Move it to a serving bowl and serve with plain or flavored wheat crackers.

Makes ~2-3 servings

Enjoy!

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Chinese Okra(Ridge Gourd) Peel & SweetPea Chutney

A chutney out of a peel? Yes. And tasty too. This is yet another chutney that is a frequent occurrence in the house that is loved by all. So what are you waiting for? Scroll down for the recipe and give it a try. This recipe goes as an entry to Spicy Fiery Chutney Event hosted by Ammu@ Ammaji's.

Ingredients:

• Peel of Chinese Okra - 1 cup (Use a knife rather than a peeler to get thick peels)
• Sweet Pea/Green Pea - 2 tbsp, fresh or frozen
• Bengal Gram - 2 tbsp
• Split Black Gram - 1 tbsp
• Hot Green Chilli - 4-5, vertically slit
• Tamarind - marble sized, soaked and softened in a little water
• Garlic - 1 big Clove
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt for taste

Procedure:

• To remove the peel, first removed the sharp ridges with a peeler. Clean and then use a sharp knife to take thick chunks.

• In a pan, heat the oil and fry both the gram until browned. Add the Chilli and chopped peel, sweet pea and fry until its raw no more.
• Remove from stove and cool. 
• Move the cooled mixture along with other ingredients to a blender and grind. The chutney shouldn't be too fine like a paste or too coarse but grainy.
• Can be served with Indian breakfast items or with just veggies as a dip.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Enjoy!

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Four Season Chutneys: Pumpkin & Carrot, Peanut, Mint & Cilantro, Tomato Flavors

Living in the North-east has its advantages as they boast all the four seasons to their fullest. That being said, I have to say Fall is my favorite of them all. Why? Because its neither too hot nor too cold plus the leaves are brightly colored and pleasing to the eye. I like that fact that when I take a stroll the crisp breeze makes me brisk. Next to Fall, I like Winter then Spring and finally Summer.Anyways, this chutney(Spicy Condiment) recipes are color-coded by all four seasons. I grew up eating all these chutney on a regular basis with Idli, Roti, Naan and such.. The Chutneys can be used as a dip as well. This recipe goes as an entry to Spicy Fiery Chutney Event hosted by Ammu@ Ammaji's. In the picture, from the right hand top and clockwise:: PumpkinNCarrot Chutney, Peanut Chutney, MintNCilantro Chutney, Tomato Chutney.

Fall-ing-For-Fall Pumpkin And Carrot Chutney:
Ingredients:

• Pumpkin - 1 pound,skinned and chunked 
• Carrot - 2, small, shredded
  
• Onion - 1, medium, diced
• Tomato - 1, medium, diced
• Garlic - 4 cloves, skinned and slit vertically
• Hot Green Chilli - 4, vertically slit
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp (available at Indian Stores)
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt for taste
  

Procedure:

• In a pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic. After a minute, add the onions and saute till browned.
• Throw in the chunked pumpkins and shredded along with the green chillies, tomatoes and turmeric powder. 
• Sprinkle with salt and gently mix.
• Lid the pan and cook until the pumpkins are soft and about to get squishy.
• Coarsely grind using a blender and serve either hot or at room temperature.
  

Winter-White Peanut Chutney:

• Peanuts - 1 cup,shelled, dry roasted until there are light-brown spots and de-hulled
  
• Garlic - 1 cloves, skinned and slit vertically
• Hot Green Chilli/Serrano - 4, vertically slit (or less for less heat)
• Tamarind - small marble sized, cleaned (For the Tang, available at Indian Stores)
• Curry Leaves - 2 stalks, optional
• Cilantro - 2 stalks
  
• Salt for taste

Procedure:

• Puree all the ingredients in the food processor with water as needed to form a thick chutney.

Spring-Green Mint And Cilantro Chutney: 
Ingredients:

• Mint - 1 Bunch, cleaned and separated from stalk
• Cilantro - 1 Bunch, Cleaned and roughly chopped
  
• Hot Green Chilli - 3, vertically slit
• Tamarind - marble sized, cleaned (available at Indian Stores)
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Bengal Gram - 2 tbsp (available at Indian Stores)
• Split Black Gram - 1 tbsp, dehulled (available at Indian Stores)
• Olive Oil
  
• Salt for taste

Procedure:

•  In a pan, heat the oil and fry both the gram and chillies. Once they are browned, slightly wilt the mint in the pan and switch off the stove.
• Once cooled, grind them along with the other ingredients to a coarse or smooth paste.
  

Red-Hot-Summer Tomato Chutney:
Ingredients:

• Tomato - 3, medium, chunked
  
• Onion - 1, medium, diced
• Dry Red Chilli - 3, medium
  
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt for taste
• Curry Leaf - 2 stalks

Procedure:

• In a pan, heat the oil and add the onions. Once browned add the chilli and tomatoes. 
• Spinkle salt and add curry leaves. Cook until tomato loses the raw smell with little or no water.
• Grind coarsely and serve at room temperature.
  

Enjoy!

Tip: All the above chutneys can be seasoned with Black Gram, Mustard Seeds, Compounded Asafoetida(Hing), Curry Leaves sauteed in Olive Oil. Its an optional step. They taste good as is.

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PowerFood#2 - Avocado: Effortless Guacamole With Cucumber Chips

Nutrition facts of Avocado from www.avocado.org sent to me by my uncle many moons ago:

• Avocados provide more than 25 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid.
  
• One-fifth of a medium avocado or about one ounce is 55 calories, but contributes beneficial nutrients such as fiber, potassium, Vitamin E and lutein to the diet.
• One-fifth of a medium avocado provides beneficial phytochemicals such as glutathione, beta-sitosterol, and lutein. Phytonutrients are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.
• Avocados act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
• The avocado is virtually the only fruit that has monounsaturated fat.
• Avocados are a good source of fiber and fiber may help maintain heart health. 

Avocados can be eaten by itself, with a squeeze of lime/lemon, in a salad or as a dip called Guacamole. Guacamole is a thick, avocado-based dip typically served with tortilla chips. Guacamole boasts an infinite number of recipes, with ingredients depending on the cultural surroundings and taste preferences. This is my mom's version of Guacamole.I love the dip the best due to its ease of making and certainly its delish factor.

Here goes the recipe:Ingredients:
 For the Dip:

• Avocado - 1 ripe, preferably Hass
• Red onion - 2 tbsp, diced
• Tomato - 2 tbsp, diced
• Black Olives - 3#s,pitted,  thinly sliced (optional)
  
• Lemon/Lime Juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp

For the Chip:

• Cucumber - 1, skinned and thinly sliced like chips
  

Procedure:

• Remove the skin and the stone of the avocado.
• Smash it with a fork or a mortar-pestle in a bowl.
• Add the red onion,tomato, sliced olives(if using) and give it a gentle mix.
• Sprinkle the salt and pepper. 
• Pour in the juice of lemon/lime and give it a final mix.
• Refrigerate until serving.
• Serve with cucumber chips.

Makes 2 Servings.

Enjoy!

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