CHUTNEYS

--- CHUTNEYS ---

CHUTNEY...CHUTNEY...CHUTNEY...

North,South, East or West..anywhere you go in India, among the first items to be served on a meal plate would be Chutney.

Chutney is essentially a concentrated tastemaker in its own capacity. Idly or Dosai cannot be imagined without coconut chutney.
Khaman Dhokla or Samosas can't be imagined without sweet Tamarind chutney or pungent Garlic chutney or Mint chutney.
Every concievable form of chutney is available in India. It may be from Skin of Ridge gourd, Raw Tamarind, coconut or anything else for that matter.


GARLIC CHUTNEY


Garlic chutney is an universal chutney which adds proper spiciness to both the northern and southern dishes. Garlic chutney is always hot and is made to last for at least six months to a year.

250 gms. of Garlic pods which are of Hot variety.
50 gms. of Chilli powder
3 ladles of edible oil
3 spoons of salt (table spoons)
1 Spoon of Mustard seeds for tampering

Mash Garlic in a wooden pound and mortar. If you don't have wooden , use metal pound. Go on beating the Garlic till Garlic is almost 3/4 th mashed. Now add Chilli powder and salt. Start pounding for at least fifteen minutes. You will find a very hard mass of Red Garlic and Chilli powder. Take out the chutney in a clean bowl. Take oil in a tempering Ladle (Karandi) and add mustard seeds. When Mustard starts to crackle, pour the oil on Chutney. Take out the red chutney and taste for salt. If you find salt is proper, Take a clean glass jar and fill up the chutney. This chutney is to be used along with plain edible oil, which is used to thin down the chutney. This chutney will last for at least one year without any problem Remember that this chutney is very hot, so always take care to tone down the hotness with oil/ghee. VARIATIONS You can add 30 gms. of Tamarind to make a sour Garlic chutney. For children, reduce the hotness by adding a lot of Dry Copra powder and oil. Both the variations will last long. This chutney can be eaten with Khichadi, Upuma, Dosai, Idlies ,Dhoklas, Samosas etc.


KOTHUMALLI CHUTNEY (CILANTRO CHUTNEY)

1 bunch of Kothumalli /Cilantro
2 Two to three cloves of Garlic
1" piece of Ginger
2 Green chillies
1/4 spoon of Jeera powder (coarse)
2 Table spoons of Groundnuts
1/4 spoon of salt
1/2 Medium sized Lemon
1 spoon of Sugar (optional)

Pluck out only the leaves of Kothumalli /Cilantro. It should come to at least one and half to two cups. Make small pieces of ginger, chillies and Garlic and add to Kothumalli leaves Now powder Jeera coarsely and also powder Groundnuts in a mixi bowl.

Once the powdering is over, add Kothumalli mix and run the mixi on churn speed only. Take care that you DON'T MAKE A SMOOTH PASTE . At churner speed, the Chutney will be slightly coarse , but the real taste lies in it being coarse. Now take it out of the mixi bowl and taste for ingredients. If you feel that you need to add anything, add now. Also please don't forget to add lime Juice at this stage. Adding sugar is optional. With Dhoklas, Bhajjis and other savories, the sugar variety will taste beautiful. With idlies and Dosais, the non sugared version will be fine.

Put the chutney in a Glass bowl (medium sized) and keep it covered. It is prudent to put it in fridge till lunch/ dinner time. Try this out and let me know the result.!!

If you don't have Groundnuts, you may use Roasted Bengal Gram( Pottu kadalai- oduchhu kadalai). Take care to make this chutney slightly hot. You may use 1/4 cup of Coconut grating in place of Groundnuts too. This taste will be very different.


PEERKANGA SKIN CHUTNEY (Ridge Gourd)
(TURAI KI CHHAAL KI CHUTNEY)

Peeled skin of Peerkanga (about one large cup)
One spoon of Ulundhu parappu (urad dhall)
Small ball of Tamarind
Red chillies (about three to four )
1" piece of sliced Ginger
Salt to taste
20 ml of cooking oil
1 spoon of Asafoetida

Take 20 ml of oil in a kadai and on a medium fire, roast ulutham (urad) and Red chillies for about two minutes till ulutham becomes rosy brown. Now add one spoon of Asafoetida and immediately put all the skin and scraping of Peerakanga in the Kadai. Also put a small Ball sized Tamarind piece. Stir fry for about three minutes. Do not under any circumstances cook Peerkanga skin. Now add salt and mix thoroughly. Remove the Kadai from stove and allow it to cool. When sufficiently cold, put the whole thing in a small / medium jar of mixi and make chutney. This chutney tastes great with Rice and Ghee. This also goes well with idlies and Dosai. Try once and tell me.!! This chutney will keep good in fridge for three to four days.

Note: If the quantity of scrapings and skin is less, use about 15 ml of oil. If you want to use this chutney only with rice, you can add a green chilli or two along with peerkanga peelings during frying. But you need to use ghee also for taste.


TAMARIND-PALM DATE SWEET SOUR CHUTNEY

This chutney goes fine with Dhoklas, Samosas, Panipuri, Bhelpuri and Potato Bondas and Bhajees too.

15 nos. of Dates of very sweet variety (black)
1 Table spoon of Jaggary powder
1 Large Marble sized Tamarind Ball (extract Juice)
1 Small sized spoon of Rock salt (black)
1 Spoon of Chilli Powder (or more to your taste)
2 Spoon of Dhaniya and Jeera powder (Both one)
1. 5 Spoons of Garam Masala powder

Steam cook Dates after removing the seeds. Mash the cooked Dates. Add Tamarind Juice extract to dates, Put it in a mixi bowl and blend it properly. add some water and boil the mixture on a low to medium flame. After about five minutes, add chilli powder, Garam masala powder, Dhaniya Jeera powder, Rock salt and Jaggary powder.

Boil the mixture for about further five minutes on a low flame.

Remove from fire and allow it to cool.

Your SWEET- SOUR TAMARIND-DATE CHUTNEY is ready.

Please taste for any addition of salt or Chili powder etc before you serve.

Point to remember

The thickness/consistency of Chutney should be slightly thinner than Tomato Sauce