Chutneys – Meal Haven

Raw Dates and Lemon Pickle

The combination of dates and lime pickle is simply irresistable. Tangy and sweet n sour, I hadn’t heard of this combo before but for my 2 friends who sent me a bottle of this delicious sweet n spicy pickle. Though not a fan of pickles, this one was quite different and I had made up my mind to make it.

Ingredients:

Chopped De-seeded Raw Dates – 1 cup

Big Yellow Lemon – 2 chopped

Green chillies – 2 chopped

Ginger – 2 inch piece chopped

Garlic – 1 pod chopped

Fenugreek seeds – 3/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Kashmiri chillie powder – 2 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek powder – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 1/2 cup

Preparation:

In a mixer, grind the chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic into a fine paste adding 1 tbsp of water. Keep it aside.

De-seed the raw dates and cut it into long thin slices.

Heat oil in a pan. When it turns hot, add the mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter, add the fenugreek seeds. Add the ground paste and saute well for 5 – 7 minutes on low flame until the raw smell goes off. Add whole curry leaves and saute well again.

Next, in goes the red chillie powder, kashmiri chillie powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder, asafoetida and saute again for 2 minutes on low flame. Make sure that the paste does not burn. Add salt.

Then, add the chopped lemon pieces and saute well for 5 minutes until the lemon turns a little soft. Add the chopped raw dates and saute for 2 minutes. Do not saute for a long time as it will turn mushy. The dates need to remain crisp and firm. Adjust the salt accordingly.

If you need more oil, heat some more oil separately and pour on the pickle.

Ginger and Curry Leaves Chutney

Chutneys

A tangy sweet n sour chutney made with ginger, garlic and curry leaves which is tasty as well as healthy. Pairs well with pesarattu or adai and idlis or dosas.

Ingredients:

Ginger – 3/4 cup diced

Peeled Garlic – 6 cloves

Whole Curry leaves – 3/4 cup

Chana dal/bengal gram dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 2 tsp

Udad dal – 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Tamarind – a small piece

Jaggery – 3/4 tsp powdered

Whole red chillies – 6

Salt to taste

Oil as required

For seasoning:

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Asafoetida – a pinch

Whole Red chillies – 2

Preparation:

Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add the udad dal and chana dal and saute well. When they are sauteed well, add jeera, coriander seeds, red chillies and fry them until the dals turn golden in colour.

Remove the dals from the pan and keep them aside. Now, add 1/2 tsp of oil again and saute the curry leaves well until they start to wilt. Do not saute them too much. Take them off when they are still green in colour and start to change colour. Remove them and keep them aside.

Now, add 1/2 tsp of oil and add the diced ginger and saute them well for 2 minutes. Add the garlic pieces, tamarind piece and jaggery and saute them again for another 2 -3 minutes until the raw smell goes off.

Take them off the pan and grind it in a mixer alongwith the sauteed dals. Add the curry leaves and grind again. Adjust the salt. Season it with the items mentioned under ‘seasonings’ and serve with adai or pesarattu (green gram dal dosas).

Ridge Gourd Skin Chutney or Thogayal/Peerkangai Thogayal

Chutneys

A coarse chutney made from the skin of the ridge gourd which tastes awesome with hot rice and a dash of ghee. I also serve it with dosas or idlis whenever I have ridge gourd at home.

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd skin (peerkangai thol) – 1 cup

Red chillies – 3

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Bengal gram dal/chana dal – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tbsp

Tamarind – a small pea sized ball

Salt – to taste

Asafoetida – a pinch

Oil – 1/2 tsp

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf – 1/2 sprig

Red chillies -1

Oil – 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

Wash the ridge gourd skin well and chop it into pieces. Keep it aside.

Heat a pan and add a tsp of oil in it. Add the urad dal and bengal gram dal and saute well. Then, add the red chillies and fry it well till it becomes slightly brown in colour. Add the tamarind piece and saute again for a few seconds. Remove all the ingredients and keep it aside.

In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp of oil and when it becomes hot, add the ridge gourd skin and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt. Remove and keep aside.

Transfer the ridge gourd skin and the other ingredients to a mixer and grind coarsely.

Season it with the items mentioned under ‘seasoning’ and serve.

Peanut or Groundnut Chutney

Chutneys

A mildly spiced chutney which can be served with idlis or dosas. A delicious and quick chutney where you could also add a tbsp of chana dal or bengal gram dal to make it more healthy.

Ingredients:

Roasted Peanuts or Groundnuts – 1/4 cup

Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp (optional)

Whole red chillies – 4

Tamarind – a small piece

Salt – to taste

Coconut grated – 2 – 2 1/2 tbsps

Asafoetida – a pinch

Water – 3 tbsp

Seasoning:

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1/2 sprig

Whole Red chillie – 1 (cut into two pieces)

Asafoetida/Hing – a pinch

Preparation:

Roast the peanuts, in case you do not have roasted peanuts handy. Heat oil in a pan and add the peanuts to it and roast them on a low flame. Keep it aside removing the skin.

In the same pan, roast sesame seeds slightly and keep it aside. (optional)

Add little oil and add the ingredients for seasonings and keep it aside.

In direct flame, roast the red chillies for 2 seconds. Take it off when they turn brownish black. Make sure it is not fully burnt.

In a mixie jar, add the red chillies, deskinned roasted peanuts, tamarind, salt, (sesame seeds if you are using), fresh coconut, water and grind it to a smooth paste.

Add the seasoning and serve with idli or dosa.

Capsicum Chutney

Chutneys

Bored of the same chutneys…Try this one with bell peppers and tomatoes. An everyday chutney, which is a perfect match for dosas or idlis. The mild sweetness of the capsicum and the tanginess of the tamarind makes this special.

Saute the dals and red chillies in little oil

Ingredients:

Capsicum – 1 big

Tomato – 1 small

Onion – 1 small

Red chillies – 4

Udad dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Bengal gram dal/Chana dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind – a small piece

Shredded Fresh Coconut – 2 tbsp

Salt

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Asafoetida/Hing – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chana dal and udad dal and fry until it turns golden. Then add the red chillies to it. Next add the chopped onion and saute and then the chopped capscium and tomatoes and saute till it turns slightly mushy. Remove and set aside.

When it cools down, grind it alongwith coconut, tamarind and salt in a mixie. Season with the items mentioned under ‘seasoning’.

Coconut Thogayal

Chutneys

A coarse version of chutney which is mainly eaten with rice or pongal or kichdi. Super tasty when eaten with hot rice and ghee.

Ingredients:

Oil – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 6 tbsp

Red chillies – 2

Kashmiri red chilli for colour (optional) – 1

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Sugar – a pinch

Tamarind – a small marble sized one

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Ginger (optional) – 1/4 inch piece

Curry leaves – 2

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 3 or 4

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak tamarind in 1 tsp warm water so that it can be ground easily.

In 1/4 tsp oil, fry red chillies separately and then remove.Fry urad dhal, asafoetida and 1 or 2 curry leaves. Pulse red chillies and urad dhal for a second. Add ginger chopped and pulse once again.Then add all the other ingredients. Grind without water first, then add very little water. Make it into a slightly coarse paste. The thovayal should be a very thick consistency. Remove into a small bowl and season with mustard, urad dhal and few curry leaves.

Note: Some people roast the coconut slightly while roasting other ingredients but personally I don’t, as I like the fresh grated coconut.

Carrot Thogayal

Chutneys

This thogayal is typically eaten with rice but can also be eaten with dosas, idlis or uthappams. Thogayal is a coarse textured chutney which is not as runny as a chutney. We also make thogayals using other ingredients like ridge gourd peels, coconut thogayal, paruppu thogayal etc. A simple tasty thogayal which will you will love.

Ingredients:

Grated carrot – 1 cup

Coconut – 1/4 cup

Red chillies – 3-4

Black gram dhal/Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Bengal gram dhal/ kadala paruppu- 1 tsp

Water – 1 tbsp

Tamarind – 1/2 marble size

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan/ kadai. Add both the dals and fry for sometime. Add red chillies, fry till dals get golden. Add asafoetida. Remove and keep aside. Add 1/2 tbsp oil to same kadai and fry grated carrots for 2-3mins. Wash the tamarind well and soak in warm water as this will make the grinding easier. Grind all the dals and chillies in a mixer. Then add the carrot, coconut, tamarind and 1 tbsp water as well and grind once to a slightly coarse paste. Consistency of chutney can be changed according to preference by adding more or less water.

Bottlegourd Chutney/Sorakkai/Lauki /Dudhi Chutney

Chutneys

Also known as the Calabash gourd, this simple spicy chutney goes well with idlis, dosas and uthappams.

Ingredients:

Bottlegourd – 1 cup

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Chana dal – 1 tsp

Tomatoes – 1 big

Red chillies – 4 or 5 as per taste

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Coconut – 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind paste – 1/2 tsp thick

Salt – as needed

Garlic – 1 (optional)

Water – 2 tbsps

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1/4 tsp

Red chilli – 1 broken

Jeera – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Wash bottlegourd, peel off the skin and chop it into small pieces. Heat oil in a kadai. Add cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chillies, ginger, garlic (optional) and saute well. Then add the coconut and tomatoes and fry well. Next add the chopped bottle gourd pieces and cook it till it becomes soft. Take it off the flame and let it cool. Grind it coarsely along with tamarind paste and coconut in a pulser. Then add 2 tbsps of water and pulse once more and switch it off.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the items mentioned under ‘seasoning’. Add it to the chutney and serve.

Cabbage Raita

Chutneys

A healthy food. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K and C and yogurt, a probiotic food enhances healthy gut bacteria.

Ingredients:

Curds beaten – 2 cups

Cabbage finely shredded – 3/4 cup

Jeera powder (roasted and powdered) – 3/4 tsp

Green chillie finely chopped – 1 no.

Ginger finely chopped – 1 inch piece

Sugar =- 1/2 tsp

Coriandr leaves chopped- a few

Chillie powder – 1 pinch

Salt

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and mix and serve chilled.

Roasted Onion Chutney

Chutneys

Ingredients:

Red chillies – 4

Big Onion – 1/2 or Shallots (small onions) – 5 or 6

Coconut grated – 1/4 cup

Tamarind – 1 small piece

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Oil – 1tsp

Curry leaves – 4 to 5

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Roast red chillies in direct flame. Next, roast the small onions also in direct flame. Grind the roasted red chillies and onions alongwith tamarind and salt to a fine paste, adding just about 1 tbsp of water.

Add the seasonings and serve.