One Day At A Time

Finally, the weather has changed in my part of the world and its bright and sunny. I love my morning walks during spring. A fresh start for a day.  Anyways, today I made this simple chutney for our morning breakfast. Both cilantro and a hint of garlic with peanuts make this a perfect accompaniment for South Indian Idlis and Dosas. Ingredients Peanuts/Groundnuts/Shenga - 1 cup Onion (Chopped) - about 1/2 cup Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - about 6 sprigs Garlic - 1 big clove Green Chilies - 4 Tamarind/Imli/Chinch paste - about 1/2 tsp Salt Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - 5 Red Chilies - 2 Oil - about 3 tsp How to make Peanut Cilantro Chutney for Idli Dosa: Dry roast the peanuts in a pan until they get small brown spots. Let the peanuts cool. You can discard the peanut skin. I prefer peanuts with the skin, as the skin is nutritious. Keep the peanuts aside. Julienne slice the onions and garlic. Medium chop green chilies. In the same pan, add about 2 tsp ...

Coconut Chutney is a staple in every South Indian home. You guys might have read about the variety of Konkani  Coconut Chutneys  my Mom makes for us. Let me add one more South Indian condiment today, where onions and tomatoes are the highlights and not coconut. Quite different from the regular coconut chutney, with a hint of sweet and sour flavors. Ingredients: Onion - 1 medium Tomatoes - 2 medium Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Green Chili - 1 Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 3 tbsp Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram - 1 tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tbsp Dry Red Chilies - 3 Jaggery/Gud/Gul - 1 tsp Tamarind/Imli/Chinch - 1 tsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Oil - 1 tbsp and 1 tsp Salt Tempering/Tadka: Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/4 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Dry Red Chilies - 2 Oil - 1 tsp How to make South Indian Onion Tomato Chutney: Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add c...

Chutney, an Indian condiment is well known all over. And the South Indian Coconut Chutney needs no introduction. As I have mentioned earlier, we love Idlis and Dosas for breakfast. Just like the variety of idlis and dosas, my Mom used to make a variety of coconut chutneys. If you are looking for something new and different, try these Konkani variations of chutneys and make your everyday breakfast more tasty. Ingredients: Shredded or Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1 cup Phutane/Split Dalia/Roasted Chickpeas - 1 tbsp (optional) Tamarind/Chincham/Chinch/Imli Paste - 1/2 tsp Green Chillies/Tarani Mirsang - 4 Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp  Curry Leaves/Kadipata/Karbeo - a sprig Mustard Seeds/Sasam - 1/2 tsp Dry Red Chillies - 2 Oil preferably Coconut oil Salt How to prepare South Indian Coconut Chutney: Wash curry leaves and green chilies. Pat them dry. Make slits in the green chillies with a knife. Roast the green chillies with few drops of o...

Chutneys are the most popular Indian condiments.  Coconut Chutney is a well known accompaniment with Idlis and Dosas . This dry Lasani chutney is most loved with Vada Pav  - Indian vegan burger. We relish this chutney more often with parathas and dosas too. Ingredients: Desiccated (Dry) Coconut - 1 cup White Sesame/Til Seeds - 1 tbsp Raw Peanuts/Groundnuts/Shenga - 1 tbsp Tamarind/Imli/Chinch - about 1 tsp Dry Red Chilies - 6 Garlic/Lahsun/Lasun - 5 big cloves Salt - about 1/2 tsp How to prepare Lasun or Garlic Chutney: Dry roast red chilies, sesame seeds, peanuts and coconut, each one separately. Roast at low flame until you get a toasted aroma and color changes slightly. Let all the roasted ingredients cool. Wipe the blender/mixer jar dry. Blend/Grind all the roasted ingredients, salt, tamarind, peeled garlic and salt to a fine powder. Keep it refrigerated, since raw garlic is used for this chutney. Enjoy this Dry Lasani Chutney with the famous Va...

Chutney is the most popular Indian condiment served as a side dish with meals or as a dip with snacks. Today's recipe is a dry chutney made of phutane/dalia and coconut.   This dry chutney is also sprinkled on Masala Dosa . Ingredients: Phutane/Dalia/Roasted Chana Dal - 1 cup Dessicated (Dry) Coconut - 1/2 cup White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Dry Red Chillies - 5 Sugar - 1/4 tsp Salt How to prepare Dry Phutane Chutney: Wipe the blender/grinder jar completely dry. Blend all the ingredients in a blender/grinder to a fine or slightly coarse powder. Serve dry Chutney with Idli or Dosa with coconut oil.

Sweet and sour chutney made of dry prunes and tangy tamarind. Prunes are rich in dietary fiber, vitamin A and work as a perfect substitute for dates or khajur. This Khatti Meethi Chutney is perfect as a dip for samosas, pakodas and for Pani Puri . Ingredients: Dry Prunes - 1 cup Tamarind/Imli/Chinch - 1 cup Kala Namak/Indian Rock Salt - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Molasses or Sugar - 2 tsp How to prepare Prunes Chutney: Soak prunes in water for about 2 hours. Even though you buy pitted prunes, check for seeds. Discard the tamarind skin and seeds. Soak tamarind in another vessel for about 2 hours. Below is a picture of ripe Tamarind  pods which is called as Imli in Hindi, Chinch in Marathi, Chincham in Konkani, Huli in Kannada . Raw tamarind pods are green in color and much more sour. Grind soaked prunes and grated jaggery (Gud in Hindi, Gul in Marathi, Gawd in Konkani) to a smooth paste. Add more water if required. Slightly mash the soaked tamarind with hands and check...

A sweet, tangy, spicy dates and tamarind chutney. Ingredients: Pitted (Deseeded) Dates/Khajur - 2 cups Tamarind/Imli - 1 cup Ginger/Adrak - 1 inch piece Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania Seeds - 1 tsp Dry Red Chilies - 4 Kala/Sendha Namak/Black Indian Salt - about 1/2 tsp How to make Indian Khajur Imli Chutney: Check for seeds in dates and tamarind. Soak both separately in water for about an hour.  Grind soaked dates, soaked tamarind, roughly diced ginger, cumin, coriander seeds, dry red chilies and Kala namak to a fine chutney. About 1 - 2 cups water will be needed. Add more if required. Add Kala Namak to suit your taste. Add jaggery or brown sugar while grinding the chutney if required. I did not add sugar. Serve Khajur Chutney with Samosas, Pakodas, Cutlets.

Few days back I had blogged about an Okra Coconut Chutney recipe.  If you liked that chutney, this one with sauteed Cucumbers is definitely for you. Ingredients: Grated/Shredded Coconut - 1 cup Roasted split Chickpeas/Bengal gram/Dalia - 1/4 cup (optional) Finely Chopped Cucumber - 3/4 cup Green chillies - 8 Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tsp Salt Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Dry Red Chillies - 2 Oil

A green Pudina dip for fried snacks. Also, can be used for chaat like pani puri, sev puri. Ingredients: Cilantro/Coriander leaves (with tender stems) - 2 cups Mint/Pudina leaves - 1 cup Green chilies - 10 Salt How to make Indian Green Mint Chutney: Grind washed cilantro leaves, mint leaves, green chilies with little salt to a fine paste. Add little water for a thick chutney. Serve green chutney with fried pakoras/fritters or samosas. Dilute the chutney with water if you are using it for pani puri. Sieve/strain the diluted chutney if you like it smooth. Store the Teekhi Hari Chutney in freezer safe containers in the freezer. To thaw/defrost, place the container in warm water before use.

A coconut chutney made with ridge gourd peels.  I have learnt this from my Mom, just as all other Konkani recipes.  Ridge gourd is called as Ghosale in Konkani. Ingredients: Ridge Gourd peels - about 1 cup Grated/Shredded Coconut - 1 cup Green chillies - 8 Tamarind - very small piece Salt Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Red chillies - 2 Curry leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Asafoetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp Oil Method: 1.  Heat a pan and roast the ridge gourd peels for about a minute, to get rid of moisture if any.  Add few drops of oil and continue roasting till the raw smell goes off (about 3 - 5 minutes at low flame).   The peels will wilt a little.  Let it cool. 2. Slit the green chillies lengthwise and roast them in a pan with few drops of oil.  Roast till colour changes slightly. 3. Grind roasted peels, roasted green chillies, coconut, tamarind and salt to a fine or slightly coarse paste. 4. For tempering/tadka, heat little oil and add...

Chutneys are an integral part of Chaat/Indian Street Food.  If you make chaats more often, just like me, you can prepare these chutneys and store them in the freezer.  It will definitely save some time.  Ingredients: Pitted (Deseeded) Dates/Khajur - 2 cups Tamarind/Imli - 1 cup Jaggery or Brown sugar - 1/2 cup Method: 1. Discard the seeds of both dates and tamarind.  Even if you buy pitted dates and tamarind, do check for the seeds. 2. Soak dates, tamarind and jaggery each in separate vessels in warm water for about 30 minutes.  Soaking will make grinding easy. 3. If you are using jaggery, cut (to small pieces) or grate it before soaking.  When jaggery will dissolve completely, sieve/strain it.  Sometimes jaggery contains little dirt. 4. Slightly mash soaked tamarind with hands. 5. Grind soaked dates, tamarind and jaggery with the water used for soaking.  Blend till you get a smooth paste.  Serve this sweet sour chutney with ...

I grew up eating Idlis and Dosas for breakfast. Konkani food, a coastal Cuisine has shades of both South Indian and Maharashtrian food. Pohe called as Phovu in Konkani, Uppit or Upma  are also part of our breakfast. My Mom made sure that we enjoy something different everyday, even in terms of chutney. This coconut chutney with red chilies called as  Kande Tamboli  in Konkani is my favorite with Idlis.   Ingredients: Grated Coconut - 1 cup Dry Red Chillies (Byadagi) - 6 Tamarind/Chinch/Chincham Paste - about 1/4 tsp Finely chopped Red Onions - 2 tbsp Salt How to prepare Coconut Chutney: Grind grated/shredded coconut, red chillies, tamarind, salt to a fine or a slightly coarse paste. I prefer mild Byadagi variety of dry red chillies which are well known in Maharashtra and Karnataka for their color. Add finely chopped onions just before serving. If you don't like raw onions, add 1/4 tsp asafoetida or hing. Both versions taste great with...

When we like something at a restaurant or at a friend's party, we usually end up trying it in our kitchen. This is one of the recipes which we tasted at our place of worship  Shri LakshmiNarayan Mahamaya Devasthan (Temple) in Ankola, Karnataka. Since then my Mom started making this as a side dish with our meals.