BASIC ONION CHUTNEY

I am here with an easy and quick post of onion chutney, which is a great accompaniment to idli, dosa, upma, uttapam and even appams. onion chutney is a simple, sounds spicy and real toothsome dish. It doesn't contain coconut, so whenever we travel long distance, can pack this chutney with idlis.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Roughly Chopped Onion
1 Medium Tomato (chopped)
4-5 Curry Leaves
4 Dried Whole Red Chilies
1 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
2 tbsp Roasted Bengal Gram (chana dal)
1 tbsp Jaggery
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING:

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Dried Red Chili
1 tsp Urad Dal
A Pinch of Asafoetida
7-8 Curry Leaves
2 tsp Oil

METHOD:

In a pan or kadai, add oil. When it heated, add dried red chilies. Saute for a minute.
Add Onion, fry till onion turns into golden. Sprinkle salt and add tomato and curry leaves in it.
Fry till tomato turns soft, add chana dal, tamarind pulp in it. Fry for another 2 minutes.
Finally add jaggery, mix well. Turn off heat now. Let it cool. Grind it to make a coarse paste. (If required, add little water in it). Set it aside.

For tempering, heat 2 tsp oil in a tadka pan. Add dried red chili, urad dal, asafoetida and mustard seeds. Saute till urad dal changes its colour a little. Add curry leaves, mix and pour it on chutney mixture. 

Fold nicely by using a spoon and serve with idli, dosa, uttapam or upma.....enjoy this flavourful chutney.

LITTI, MIXED CHOKHA WITH HARA DHANIYA CHUTNEY

"Litti-Chokha-Chutney" is a very delicious speciality of Bihar. Bihari cuisine is simple and wholesome. 'Litti' a baked salted wheat flour cake filled with sattu (roasted chickpea flour) and some special Indian spices. There are many versions of this dish. This is a delicacy which is liked by every group of people whether rich or poor. Litti-Chokha-Chutney is now making its presence internationally.

INGREDIENTS FOR LITTI:

FOR COVERING:
1&1/2 Cup Wheat Flour (atta)
1/2 Cup Self-Raising Flour (maida)
6 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Melted Clarified Butter (desi ghee)

FOR STUFFING:
1 Cup Sattu (roasted bengal gram flour)
1 tsp Carom Seeds / ajwaan (roasted and crushed)
1 tsp Nigella Seeds / Kalonji (roasted and crushed)
1 tbsp Dried Mango / Amchur Powder
1 tbsp Mango pickle spice and its oil
6-8 Pods of Garlic (minced)
1/2" Ginger (minced)
2-3 Finely Chopped Green Chilies
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander Powder
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsps Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR MIXED CHOKHA:
1 Large Tomato
2 Medium Sized Potatoes (parboiled with skin)
1 Eggplant / Brinjal / Begun (500 gm approx)
1 Big Onion (finely chopped)
5-6 Pods of Garlic (minced)
2 tbsps Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
2-3 Chopped Green Chilies (or as per taste)
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR HARA DHANIYA CHUTNEY:
50 gm Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
2-3 Green Chilies
4 Pods Garlic
1/4" Ginger
2 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD FOR LITTI:

For making outer cover of litti, sieve wheat flour and self raising flour, add oil and salt. Knead a stiff dough by using water. Cover with a wet cloth and keep it aside.

Make lemon sized (approx 2.5" diameter) 10 balls out of it and set it aside.

In the mean time, combine all spices, sattu, coriander leaves, lemon juice, mustard oil, salt and pickle in a bowl. Mix them nicely by hand. Make sure all spices including pickle mixed very well. Now sattu filling is ready to stuff.

Preheat oven to 200 C. Put 1 tbsp sattu filling in the centre of each ball. Close it firmly from all sides.

Place all the littis on a baking tray.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the opposite sides of littis and grill for 10 minutes.

Take out and dip on pure desi ghee (clarified butter) and serve immediately with mixed chokha and chutney.

METHOD FOR MIXED CHOKHA:
Roast eggplant, tomato and parboiled potato over low heat.

Peel the skin of eggplant, tomato and potato nicely. Set aside.

Heat mustard oil in a pan or wok. Add minced garlic and green chilies in it.

Saute for 30-40 seconds followed by adding chopped onion. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add mashed tomato and salt in it. Fry for another minute.

Now add roughly mashed potato and eggplant. Fry for a minute and turn off heat now.

Add coriander leaves and lemon juice. Fold nicely.

Serve this chokha with litti.

METHOD FOR HARA DHANIYA CHUTNEY:

Grind coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilies, tamarind pulp and salt for a minute to make a smooth homogenous paste. Add mustard oil in it. Yummy Hara Dhaniya Chutney is ready to serve with litti and chokha.

Enjoy your dinner with super delicious litti, mixed chokha and hara dhaniya chutney.

NOTE:

1. In cities, it is not possible to make 'litti' traditionally roasted over "chulha" or "angithi". But I baked it in electric oven, you may use  microoven for grilling it. If you don't have any oven, just heat a non stick pan on medium heat, arrange littis on it, cover it with a heavy lid and reduce the heat. Check after 10 minutes and turn over the other side of littis. Cook other side also for 10 minutes. Lastly, roast those littis on direct flame for giving that grilling effect.
2. Few people are allergetic on eggplant, if you don't like, just omit it. Potato-tomato chokha is also very delicious. May add 1 tsp mustard paste at the end and mix well, it is also be a great combo with litti.
3. Chutney can be stored in refrigerator upto an week.
4. I roasted parboiled potato to get its smokey flavor, which gave an authentic taste and flavor to chokha.

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SWEET MANGO PICKLE (AAM KA MITHA ACHAR)

Firm and unripe mangoes are choosen for this pickle. This is an easy to make mango pickle, generally made in every Bengali household, where 'paanch phoron' is used. The mango flesh is cooked easilly within the jaggery and sugar syrup and the pickle is thickens a bit. Mango absorbs all the flavors of the spices, very luscious and yummy. You can store it in refrigerator it should last for 1 year. 

INGREDIENTS:
250 gm Raw Mango 
150 gm Jaggery
100 gm Sugar
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/3 tsp Cumin Seeds (jeera)
1/3 tsp Fennel Seeds (saunf)
1/3 tsp Fenugreek Seeds (methi)
1/3 tsp Nigella Seeds (kalonji)
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds (rai)
3 Whole Dried Red Chillies
1 tbsp Oil (preferably mustard oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Firstly, wash and wipe dry the raw mangoes. Cut mangoes in slices, discard the seeds.

Dry roast cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds and 3 whole dried red chillies for 2 minutes on medium heat. Let it cool a little. Pound coarsely and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add asafoetida in it. Saute for few seconds, add mangoes and turmeric powder. Saute for another 3 minutes on medium heat. Add jaggery and sugar directly, lower the heat now. 

Now jaggery and sugar melt. Add salt in it and let mangoes cook in the syrup for 5 mins on lower heat. When the density of the gravy will be thicker, remove the pan from heat. Sprinkle coarsely pounded spices on it. Fold well. Your luscious mango pickle is ready now.

Store the mango pickle in a clean or sterilised jar. Keep in a cool dark place or refrigerator. Enjoy!

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SWEET TAMARIND (KHEJUR - IMLI) CHUTNEY

This truelly scrumptious accompaniment is flavoured by red chilli powder, fennel powder, cumin powder, chaat masala and black salt. It is an exotic sweet and sour chutney using dates and tamarind. This toothsome chutney can be had for making chaat items or serve on the side of a snack.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Large Lemon Sized Ball of Tamarind (imli)
15 nos Dates, deseeded and chopped (khejur)
2/3 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Roasted Cumin Seeds Powder (jeera)
3/4 tsp Fennel Seeds Powder (saunf)
1 tsp Chaat Masala
1/2 tsp Black Salt
1/2 tsp Salt
Water as required

METHOD:
Soak tamarind in 1&1/2 cup warm water for 10 mins. Squeeze tamarind for getting pulp and sieve the juice of tamarind.

Grind tamarind with dates to make a coarse paste. Heat a sauce pan, add tamarind-date mixture along with tamarind juice and bring it to a boil. 

Add sugar, chilli powder, cumin seeds powder, fennel powder, chaat masala, black salt and regular salt in it. Keep stirring for 4-5 minutes in low heat. Switch off the heat, chutney is ready now. 

Let it cool and store in refrigerator for few weeks. Serve with any yummy chaat item or snacks. Yummy!!!

GREEN CHUTNEY (HARI CHUTNEY) FOR CHAAT

Green Chutney is nothing but mint and coriander flavoured chutney, lemon juice enhances its taste more. An essential item to assemble most of the chaats or Indian street foods, is very easy and quick to make.  The chutney retains its green and attractive colour as well as taste due to addition of lemon juice.  

INGREDIENTS:
1 Small bunch of Coriander Leaves / Cilantro (washed and roughly chopped)
10-12 Mint Leaves
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
4 Pods of Garlic
4 Green Chillies
1/4 tsp Grated Ginger
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
1 Small Tomato (Chopped)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Put green chillies, ginger, garlic and tomato in a chutney jar of grinder.

Now add mint leaves, coriander leaves, lemon juice, chaat masala, salt and 1 tbsp water in it.

Grind for a minutes to make a smooth homogenous paste. Yummy green chutney is ready to serve with chaat item or any yummy snacks. May enjoy this as a spread on bread toast or sandwiches!

This chutney can be stored in refrigerator upto a week.

SWEET & SOUR TOMATO

'Sweet and Sour' sauce is linked with chinese cuisine and can be found in a number of popular dishes in various ways. Here, it is a easy to prepare tomato recipe, just right to compliment any meal. Sweet and sour tomatoes, an incredibly side dish with full of flavor.  Fish sauce is such an ingredient that does not get used enough except Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.

INGREDIENTS:
4 Tomatoes
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Pods of Garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp Minced Ginger
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1&1/2 tsps Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
2 tbsps Tomato Ketchup
2 tbsps Sugar
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
2 tbsps Fish Sauce (optional)
4 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash tomatoes nicely. Drain water completely.

Cut each tomato into cubes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok and temper with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Saute for few seconds.

 

When nice aroma comes out, add cubed tomato in it. Mix nicely.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and kashmiri red chilli powder in it.

Fold well for a minute or two on low flame.

Now add minced ginger-garlic, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Keep stirring 3 minutes on low heat till spices are well cooked. (Pour little water if required, but be causious tomatoes will not break down or mushy)

Add tomato ketchup now. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves and switch off heat.

Serve warm or chill as you wish. Serve as a dip with garlic bread, sausage patties or any types of snacks. It can be accompanied with deep fried chicken, pork or seafood.

 ENJOY!!!

 



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