Tomato - Onion chutney

This tomato and onion based chutney makes a tasty side dish to go with south Indian style breakfast dishes like idli, dosa and paniyaram. It also goes great with vegetable based parathas. Use juicy variety tomatoes with some tartness for a flavorful chutney. Use tamarind if the tomatoes are not sour enough or skip it totally if using sour variety tomatoes. Garlic can be added for extra flavor. A reader had requested for this chutney recipe when I paired it with mallige idli and here it is.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. oil 
1 tbsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
3 dried red chillies or to taste
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into big chunks

A pinch of ground turmeric 
1 tsp. sized tamarind piece *
Salt to taste

Ingredients for seasoning:

1/4 tsp. mustard seeds

1 small sprig of curry leaves

* Adjust the tamarind quantity as needed. Skip it if the tomatoes used are sour.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add black garm / urad dal, Stir until the dal turns reddish. Next add red chillies and onion to the pan. Sauté on low flame until they are cooked /  lightly browned.

2.  Next add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt and tamarind to the pan.

3. Cover and continue cooking on low flame until tomatoes turn mushy. 

4. Turn off the stove and let the mixture cool down. Grind the mixture, slightly coarsely if preferred.

5. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds. Add curry leaves when they start to splutter and turn off the stove. Add this to the ground chutney and mix well.

6. Serve the chutney with Indian style breakfast dishes like idli, dosa or vegetable based parathas. 

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Cabbage Chutney / Cabbage Pachadi

A piece of paper with recipes scribbled on has been lying in my night stand for years. It had this chutney recipe, mentioned by my sister in law years ago during one of my India trips. I had been skeptical to try cabbage in a chutney recipe all this time though everyone at home loves the vegetable. I got to try it recently as a variation since I have been making instant chutneys almost on a daily basis as the entire family is present for lunches and dinners now, thanks to Covid situation. I am making more and more south Indian style meals and this chutney was made one day for our lunch. I loved this chutney. The 'pronounced' cabbage smell is not present and no one could even guess what chutney it was. This south Indian style pachadi / chutney makes a great accompaniment to rice or even breakfast items. Below is the recipe for this quick and easy cabbage pachadi.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
2 tsp. skinned black gram (urad dal)
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. coriander seeds
6 dried red chilies (The quantity depends upon the heat of the chilies being used and so use with discretion.)
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
1/2 tsp. sized tamarind ball
Salt to taste
Ingredients for tempering:
1/2 tsp. oil
1/4 tsp. mustard seeeds
1 sprig of curry leaves

Directions:
* Heat oil in a wide pan and add mustard seeds and black gram. When mustard seeds start to splutter and black gram starts to turn reddish, add cumin and coriander seeds. When the seeds start to turn a shade darker add red chilies, asafoetida and turmeric. Stir and add cabbage, tamarind and salt.
* Mix well once, lower the heat setting, cover and cook. Keep stirring intermittently and cook until the cabbage softens. Remove the pan from heat and let the cabbage mixture come to room temperature.

* Add the mixture to a blender and grind it to a slightly coarser mixture. Add a little water if it is hard to run the blender.

* Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter add curry eaves and turn off the stove.
* Add this tempering to the chutney and mix well.
* Serve it along with rice and ghee or as an accompaniment to Indian breakfast dishes.
* Refrigerate the remaining chutney and use within a couple of days.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon with the theme 'Condiments'. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Peanut - Onion Chutney

Peanut based chutney is one of the common chutneys prepared in south Indian homes besides the coconut chutney and roasted gram chutney. The thick, creamy and richly flavorful chutney goes well with breakfast dishes like idlis, dosa, upma, pongal and such. 

Peanuts that are roasted on low heat until the rawness is gone is used in this chutney. The low heat is the key here. If peanuts are roasted on high flame then only the skins get blackened faster but the peanuts still would taste raw. The chutney doesn't taste good when the peanuts are not roasted well. The roasted peanuts are cooled and then usually skinned by rubbing between the palms, before getting used in the chutney. It is absolutely fine if one wishes to skip this step and use them with the skin intact. Peanuts can be roasted ahead and stored to use later. Or if using store bought skinned peanuts, these steps can be skipped altogether which makes the chutney making a quick and simple task.

Peanut chutney is made in many versions. I usually stick to the basic one that needs just roasted peanuts, green chilies and salt. Many add garlic too to this chutney. Coconut, ginger, cilantro, tamarind can go into this chutney as well. Here is a version that one of my sister-in-law prepares using fried onion. She adds sautéed onion at the end while grinding but I add directly to the chutney. An extras step to the basic version but adds flavor to the chutney. I served dosas with peanut chutney and ginger - tamarind chutney. 

Ingredients:

2 - 3 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup roasted and skinned peanuts
2 green chilies or to taste
Salt to taste
1 cup water

Directions:

* Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, black gram and split chick peas. Stir once and when mustard seeds start to splutter and split chickpeas start to turn reddish, add curry leaves and onion. Sauté on low flame until onion turns translucent. (Or the sautéing of onions and tadka can be done separately.)

* Grind peanuts, green chilies and salt together adding water, finely or slightly grainy, depending upon one's preference.

* Transfer the ground peanut chutney to a bowl and add the sautéed onion mixture. Mix well and serve as a side dish to south Indian breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, or upma.

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