Kitchen Tantra

Spanish Onion Chutney:

Ingredients:

Purple Onions 4 small chopped roughly
Garlic 2-4 beads
Dry red chilies 4
Salt
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Aafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Heat oil, in a pan, toss all the ingredients together and fry for a brief period. Then wet-grind them to chutney.

In a seperate pan, heat up oil. Cracle up tempering items and run them over the chutney prepared. Enjoy with Dosa or Idly.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Mango Chutney:

Ingredients:

Mango(semi ripe/raw)-1 medium sized
Purple onion 1 small bulb
Green chilies 3
Garlic 2 beads
Salt

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Remove seed and peel the mango. Chop them down. Chop chilies and onion as well.

Heat few spoons of oil and fry all the ingredients in it for quick 2-4 minutes.

Then wet-grind them using very limited water. Do not over grind to paste. Let this be coarsely done.

In a seperate apn, heat oil and add the tempering items and them run this seasonning over the chutney prepared!

Serve to go with idly or dosa. Very tangy chutney!

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Karivepilai Thuvaiyal:

Ah...ah...you guessed, rich in iron & fibre! Very good for dark-jet black & thick hair!

Choose over grown/mature leaves for this recipe than young twigs. Those mature leaves have more iron content and loads of fibre. And we're going to wet-grind...so if anyone who separates their curry leaves from the gravy, could possibly use it today!
Ingredients And Method:

For Green Paste:

Curry leaves 1-2 bowls
Mint leaves 1 cup
Coriander leaves 1 cup
Karpooravalli Leaves/Indian Oregano 1/2 cup
Ginger 3 inches
Garlic 8 cloves
Tamarind paste 3 spoons
Salt
Few spoons of oil.

Fry all the above said in little oil and wet grind them to thick paste. Maybe using limited water while wet grinding.

For Masala Paste:

Coriander seeds 1/2 cup
Dry red chilies 10
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Coconut 1/2 grated
Oil few spoons

Fry these in oil for few minutes or until fragrant. Wet grind in a blender using very limited water.

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Dry red chilies 3
Sesame oil few spoons

Fry these in oil until they pop and splutter well.

Method:

In a pan heat oil and add the green paste and fry till its raw smell leaves.
Maybe the raw green color turns to brownish color with good aroma.

Now add the masala too and fry till it blends with the above paste. Fry till fragrant and without any excess moisture.

Remove from stove. Run the seasoning over this.

Serve them with plain steam cooked rice. Run a few spoons of ghee to the rice.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Kollu Thuvaiyal:

Kollu Paruppu Thuvaiyal. Horse gram thuvaiyal.


Ingredients:

Horse gram 1 cup
Whole black pepper 3-4
Dry red chili 3-4
Garlic 4-5 cloves
Coconut 3-5 pieces
Salt

For Sesonning:(optional)

Sesame oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry Red Chilies 3
Curry leaves few.

Method:

1. In a dry pan dry toast the gram, pepper and chilies.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients with it and wet grind them.

3. In a shallow pan, heat oil. Add sesonning items one by one in the same order. Then run this over the wet-ground paste. Thuvaiyal Ready!

Serve this as a side dish for Rasam rice or curd rice. This can be even taken with plain steamed rice. Its easy to fix and better choice when we run out of veggies.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Peerkankai Chutney:

Ridge Gourd Chutney. Beerakai Chatni. Chinese Okra Dip.

Ingredients:

Ridge Gourd/Ribbed Gourd/Chinese Okra 1 medium
Onion 1 chopped
Garlic 5 cloves chopped
Tomato 1 chopped
Dry red chilies 3
Green chilies 1
Salt
Oil few spoons.

Sesonning:(optional)

Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Aafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Wash and pat dryt he gourd. Scrape away its ridges, spoon away its seeds as well. Chop th epulp alone.

Heat oil in a pan, Stir-in garlic, onions and toamtoes...fry for few minutes.

When the onion turns to golden color, garlic's raw smell leaves and tomato wilts....add ridge gourd. Saute for few more minutes. Maybe add salt now.

Then wet-grind these to thick puree. Add very limited water. Set aside.

Heat oil in a small pan, add all the tempering items mentioned above. When the crack and splutter...run this over the chutney prepared.

Serve as a side dish for idly, dosa, poori or as a dip to chips. Its healthy choice with dietary fibre in it.

Labels: Ridge Gourd, Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Vazhaikkai Thol Thuvaiyal:

Raw Plantain Skin Dip. Raw Plantain Skin Chutney.

Ingreients:

Raw Plantain/ vazhaikkai - skin alone
chana dal 1 fistful
Urad dal 1 fistful
Dry red chilied 7
Garlic 6 beads
Black peppercorns 1/2 spoon
Salt
Oil few spoons.

Tempering:

Oil few spoons
Mustard sees 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Slice the plantain skin and leave in cold water until cokking. Retain the pulp for other recipes.

Heat few spoons of oil in a wok. Add chana and urad dal to it. Toast real good, till golden brown. Set aside.

In the same oil, add garlic, pepper, dry red chilies and chopped palntain skin. Fry real good.

Add salt too. When the skin is semi done, remove from heat. Allow this to cool.

In a blender, wet-grind the above toasted and fried items togather. Add very little water.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Fry the tempering items and run over the 'thuvaiyal' prepared above.

serve as a side dish for rice and chappathi.

Labels: Plantain, Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Beet Root Thuvaiyal:

Ingreients:

Beet Root 1-2 - Chopped
chana dal 1 fistful
Urad dal 1 fistful
Dry red chilied 7
Garlic 6 beads
Black peppercorns 1/2 spoon
Salt
Oil few spoons.

Tempering:

Oil few spoons
Mustard sees 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Heat few spoons of oil in a wok. Add chana and urad dal to it. Toast til real good, till golden brown. Set aside.

In the same oil, add garlic, pepper, dry red chilies and chopped beet roots. Fry real good.

Add salt too. When the beet roots are semi done, remove from heat. Allow htis to cool.

In a blender, wet-grind the above toasted and fried items togather. Add very little water.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Fryt he tempering items and run over the 'thuvaiyal' prepared above.

serve as a side dish for rice and chappathi.

Labels: Beet Root, Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Cucumber Chutney:

Cucumber Dip. Keera Chutney. Keerakai Chutney. Vellari Chutney. Vellarikkai Chutney.

Ingredients:

Cucumber 1
Green chilies 3
Coconut grated 1 cup(i used frozen here)
Salt

Sesonning:

Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Green / red chilies 1
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Peel the cuccumber and core it as well. Chop roughly.

Now wet-grind cucumber, coconut, salt and chilies togather.

Heat oil in a seperate pan, fry the sesonning items and run this over the chutney.

Serve as a side dish for dosa, idly or as a dip for corn chips.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Cilantro Chutney:(Version 2)

Coriander Leaves Chutney. Kothamalli Chutney. Malli Chutney. Dhaniya Patha Ki Chutney. Kothamir Chatni. Coconut Free Cilantro Chutney.

Ingredients:

Cilanto leaves alone 1 cup
Green chilies 2-3
Lemon juice 1/2 fruit
Salt

For Sesonning:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Wet grind all the ingredients mentioned above.

In a small pan, heat oil. Add all the sesonning items one by one. Fry till they pop and splutter well.

Now run this sesonning ovr the chutney prepared.

Serve as a side dish for idly and dosas. Its simply easy to fix. I prefer this version most of the time, to avoid cholesterol rich coconut!

Labels: Greens, Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Pachai Milagu Thuvaiyal:

Green whole raw Pepper Thuvaiyal. Raw Green Pepper Chutney. Raw Pepper Chutney. Kacha Kali Mirch Chutney. Pacha Kurumilagu Thuvaiyal.

Raw green peppers(raw form of black pepper – looks green) Fresh and firm right from the forest……is used in this recipe.

My Dad showed me the ‘pods’ of black pepper in the forest areas around western ghats. When I tried opening them….they had this amazing cluster of raw green peppers in it. It smelt good. I brought few of those pods home. My mommy never used it in cooking….until it turned black and dry. Maybe we were used to only this form(black pepper) in cooking.

After my culinary adventures….I have no stigma in trying for newer recipes. And for my luck most of the time….it never let me down.

Ingredients:

Raw green peppers – 1 pod(Green & Raw form of Black Pepper)
Thuvar Dal – 1 small cup
Grated Coconut – 1 small cup
Garlic – 4 cloves chopped
Tamarind paste less than a ¼ spoon
Salt
Sesame oil few spoons.

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds ½ spoon
Cumin seeds ½ spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida ¼ spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pan, heat few spoons of oil. Stir in thuvar dal, raw peppers, grated coconut, garlic, tamarind and salt. Stir fry till fragrant.

Then wet-grind the above mixture to thick paste….maybe adding very little water to it.

In the same pan, heat little more oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Allow them to splutter. Then add chana, urad dal, asafetida and curry leaves. Fry them for few minutes.

Now run this seasoning over the above prepared chutney.

Serve as a side dish thuvaiyal along with plain steam cooked rice or rasam rice or sambar rice.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Coriander Chutney:

Cilantro Chutney. Kothamalli Chutney. Kothamir Chutney. Dhania Patha Ki Chutney. Malli Chutney.

Ingredients:

Coriander leaves alone – 1 cup (without stem)
Grated coconut 1 ½ cup
Salt
Green chilies 3-5

For Seasoning:

Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds ½ spoon
Cumin seeds ½ spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida ¼ spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.

Ingredients:

In a blender….add salt, chilies, coriander leaves and coconut. Wet grind it to thick paste. Then transfer to display bowl.

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Wait until they pop and splutter.

Then add asafetida, chana, urad dal, chilies and curry leaves. Fry them till fragrant. Now run this seasoning over the chutney made(step 1).

Serve as a side dish for Idly, Dosa, Uthappam or Upma.

Labels: Greens, Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Mint Chutney:

Mint Chutney to go with Biriyani. Pudhina Chutney. Podhina Chatni. Pudina Chatni.

Ingredients:

Mint leaves alone 1 cup (without stem)
Green chilies 1
Yogurd/curd 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Lime juice few spoons.

Method:

Wash and clean mint leaves. Deseed the chilies and chop them roughly.

In a blender, add salt, lime juice, mint and chilies…..wet grind them into thin paste.

Now mix this green paste with yogurd.

Serve along with Biriyani, Pulav or Tandoori chicken.

Labels: Greens, Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Verkadalai Chutney:(Tamizhar Style)

Ground Nut Chutney. Peanut Chutney. Nilakadalai Chutney. Phalli Chatni. Groundnut Chatni. Verkadalai Chatni.

Ingredients:

Peanuts 2 cups(shell removed)
Garlic 5 cloves
Coconut grated 1 cup
Dry red chilies 7-10
Salt as per taste
Tamarind paste ¼ spoon
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida ¼ spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves 1 cup
Peanut Oil ¼ cup.

Method:

Heat a heavy bottomed Iron wok. Dry toast the peanuts. Transfer them to a wide plate. Now carefully rub them to remove the pink skin off…..while they are still warm.

Then in a same wok, dry toast coconut and dry chilies too.

Bring salt, tamarind, dry toasted chilies, coconut and peanuts in a blender. Wet grind using very limited water. Maybe like a heavy creamy chutney/paste.

Then transfer the above blended chutney into a display bowl.

In a small pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, chana, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Fry them real good till they pop and splutter well.

Now run this seasoning to this chutney prepared.

Serve as a side dish for Idly and Dosa.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Onion Dhaniya Chutney:

Vengaya-Malli Chutney. Piyaz ki Chutney. Ulli Chutney.

Ingredients:

Onion 2 large chopped into chunks
Garlic 6 cloves chopped
Fresh red chilies 3-5 chopped
Coriander seeds 1 fistful
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Salt
Sesame oil few spoons

For Sesonning:

Sesame oil few spooons
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon

Method:

In a wok, heat oil. Add coriander seeds and fry them till fragrant.

Now add garlic and fresh chilies and fry for few seconds.

Then add onion, salt and tamarind paste to this. Fry till onion turns color and till tamarind's raw smell leaves.

In a blender....blend the same into thick paste. Maybe add 1/4 cup of water. Set this chutney aside.

In a fresh wok. Heat oil. Add mustard and cumin. let it pop well. Then add asafoetida, chana and urad dal. Let it turn to golden color. Then add chilies and curry leaves. Fry till they are crisp and aromatic.

Now run this sesonning over the chutney prepared.

Serve this as a side dish for Idly or Dosa.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Karpooravalli Thuvaiyal:(Tamizhar Style)

Coleus aromaticus is the Botanical name of 'Karpooravalli'. This plant has a leathery and fleshy succulant leaves. Which has distinct aroma. Its a mint family. Its called 'Oregano' in English. Maybe its 'Indian Oregano' coz its differant from the mediternean one.The leaves are used in making fritters/bajji and chutney varieties.

Ingredients And Method:

For Green Paste:

Karpooravalli leaves 1-2 bowls
Mint leaves 1 cup
Coriander leaves 1 cup
Curry leaves 1/2 cup
Ginger 3 inches
Garlic 8 cloves
Tamarind paste 3 spoons
Salt
Few spoons of oil.

Fry all the above said in little oil and wet grind them to thick paste. Maybe using limited water while wet grinding.

For Masala Paste:

Coriander seeds 1/2 cup
Dry red chilies 10
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Coconut 1/2 grated
Oil few spoons

Fry these in oil for few minutes or until fragrant. Wet grind in a blender using very limited water.

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Dry red chilies 3
Sesame oil few spoons

Fry these in oil until they pop and splutter well.

Method:

In a pan heat oil and add the green paste and fry till its raw smell leaves.
Maybe the raw green color turns to brownish color with good aroma.

Now add the masala too and fry till it blends with the above paste. Fry till fragrant and without any excess moisture.

Remove from stove. Run the seasoning over this.

Serve them with plain steam cooked rice. Run a few spoons of ghee to the rice.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Thoodhuvalai Thuvaiyal:(Tamizhar Style)

Solanum trilobatum is the Botanical name of 'Thoodhuvalai'. The genus name 'trilobatum' could have come because the leaves have 3 angled edges here! This is a thorny creeper, has bright violet flowers and the berries are in blood red color. The leaves are actually used for its various medicinal values. It helps in curing chronic Asthama. It also improves the brain function. Well...as I said it is very thorny! Even the leaves bear thorns! So always carry a long scissors to cut the leaves from plant.

Ingredients And Method:

For Green Paste:

Thoodhuvali leaves 1 bowl full
Mint leaves few
Curry leaves 1/2 cup
Karpoora valli leaves 1/2 cup (optional)
Ginger 3 inches
Garlic 8 cloves
Tamarind paste 3 spoons
Salt
Ghee/ sesame oil few spoons(I used ghee today).

Fry all the above said in little oil and wet grind them to thick paste. Maybe using limited water while wet grinding.

For Masala Paste:

Coriander seeds 1/2 cup
Dry red chilies 10
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Coconut 1/2 grated
Oil few spoons

Fry these in oil for few minutes or until fragrant. Wet grind in a blender using very limited water.

For Seasoning:(optional)

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Dry red chilies 3
Asafoetida
Sesame oil few spoons

Fry these in oil until they pop and splutter well.

Method:

In a pan heat oil and add the green paste and fry till its raw smell leaves.
Maybe the raw green color turns to brownish color with good aroma.

Now add the masala too and fry till it blends with the above paste. Fry till fragrant and without any excess moisture.

Remove from stove. Run the seasoning over this.

Serve them with plain steam cooked rice. Run a few spoons of ghee to the rice.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Ellu Chutney:(Tamizhar Style)

Sesame Chutney/Til Chutney.

Ingredients:

Black Sesame seeds 1 cup
Whole Coconut 1 small-grated
Dry red chilies 6-8
Garlic cloves 4-6 chopped
Salt
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Sesame oil 2 spoons

For Sesonning:

Sesame oil 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Curry leaves 3-4 twigs.

Method:

Dry roast/toast the sesame seeds and set them aside.

In the same pan, add few spoons of oil and fry garlic, red chilies, grated coconut along with salt and tamarind paste. When it is fragrant, remove from stove.

In a blender, first add toasted sesame seeds and powder them. Then followed by fried items. Add little water to it and wet grind these into thick paste.

Transfer them into a wide bowl. No need further cooking, just run your sesonning on hte top.

For sesonning, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, chana + urad dal and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well. Run this sesonning over your chutney.

Serve with Idlies and Dosas.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Green Tomatoes Chutney:

Ingredients:

Raw green tomatoes 5 chopped
Onion 1 smalled chopped
Garlic 5 cloves chopped
Green chilies 8 chopped
Salt
Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few.

Method:

In a pan....heat oil. Fry onions, garlic, green chilies and tomatoes for a while. Then make a thick paste out of it and set aside.

In the same pan...heat few spoons of oil. Add mustard, cumin, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Run this seasonning over the above made chutney.

Serve this as a side dish for Idly or Dosa. One can try this with rice too.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Hot Chutney:

Ingredients:

Large red onion 1 chopped
Garlic 6 cloves chopped
Country tomatoes 2-3 chopped
Dry red chilies 8-10
Salt
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Roast red chilies in pan....for a while and set aside.

In the same pan heat oil. Add garlic, onions and tomatoes. Fry them for 5 minutes or till they are tender and without raw smell anymore. Never attempt to add any water. Just add salt while frying itself.

Now in a blender add roasted chilies and this above fried together. Wet grind it...if needed by adding very little water.

In a separate pan...heat few spoons of oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves, urad and chana dal. Let them pop and splutter. Run this seasoning over chutney.

This can be served along with Idly, Dosa, Uthappam, Paruppu adai or Vadai.

Labels: Thuvaiyal/Chutney

Pudhina Thuvaiyal:(Tamizhar Style)

(Mint Sour Paste) Podhina Chutney/Pudina Chutney.

Ingredients And Method:

For Green Paste:

Mint leaves 2 bowls
Coriander leaves 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 1/2 cup
Carpoora valli leaves 1/2 cup
Ginger 3 inches
Garlic 8 cloves
Tamarind paste 3 spoons
Salt
Few spoons of oil.

Fry all the above said in little oil and wet grind them to thick paste. Maybe using limited water while wet grinding.

For Masala Paste:

Coriander seeds 1/2 cup
Dry red chilies 10
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Coconut 1/2 grated
Oil few spoons

Fry these in oil for few minutes or until fragrant. Wet grind in a blender using very limited water.

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chenna dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Dry red chilies 3
Sesame oil few spoons

Fry these in oil until they pop and splutter well.

Method:

In a pan heat oil and add the green paste and fry till its raw smell leaves. Maybe the raw green color turns to brownish green color with good aroma.

Now add the masala too and fry till it blends with the green paste. Till fragrant.

Remove from stove. Run the seasoning over this.

Serve them with plain rice, ghee rice or coconut pilaf. This is the perfect match for coconut brinji.

Labels: Greens, Thuvaiyal/Chutney