Curry Leaves Chutney

Curry Leaves Chutney, yeah, I know, it sounds odd. But this chutney tastes just awesome and is a perfect combination with Phulkas. We all use them in our seasoning but pick them and throw them away. But it’s really a very nutritious leaf that tastes good too. There is another reason why I like this chutney, it helps my hair. When weather changes between winter and summer we all experience hair fall. So I thought it might be a good idea to share this recipe with you so you can also get your dose of curry leaves through this chutney.

Curry leaves-commonly used as seasoning, this leaf adds a special flavour to every dish. But there is more to the humble curry leaf than simply flavour. Packed with carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, irons and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, curry leaves help your heart function better, fights infections and can enliven your hair and skin with vitality. It helps keep anemia at bay, fights diabetes, improves digestion, lowers cholesterol, and it prevents hair fall and greying of hair.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Curry Leaves	20-25 leaves
Grated Coconut	½ of a coconut or 1 cup
Black Chana(whole)	1 tbsp
Tamarind Juice	½ tsp
Red Chilies	2-3 or to taste
Salt	to taste
Water	to grind

Method

Wash curry leaves thoroughly and let dry on a kitchen towel till dry.

In a pan dry roast black chana, keep moving them in the pan using a spoon. You will see that the peels would crack open and they will slowly begin to pop. When you smell the aroma of roasted chana turn off the flame. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer the chana immediately to a plate to stop cooking them further.

Dry roast the red chilies in the same pan till crispy. Transfer to the plate.

In the same hot pan add the curry leaves; do not put it on flame. Just let the leaves roast in the hot pan slightly.

In a mixer jar add grated coconut, tamarind juice, red chilies, salt and grind coarsely. Then add the chana and grind further. After its ground slightly add water little at a time and grind till all the ingredients are ground to a coarse paste. Lastly add the curry leaves and grind further till the leaves are coarsely ground and you can still see bits of it in the chutney. Add water as per your liking.

Serve with Phulkas or Chapathis.

Points to remember:

• Do not use a nonstick pan to dry roast anything as it gets spoilt by the heat and it will start cracking the top layer of the pan.
• I prefer this chutney to be dry as shown in the image.
• I use two byadgi red chilies (the less spicy ones) and 1 spicy variety of red chily. 

Onion Chutney

This colorful, hot, sweet, slightly tangy chutney goes best with crispy dosa. The chutney is well balanced with the heat from the chilies, the tanginess from tamarind and sweetness from jaggery. Yet another recipe for chutney without coconut.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Onions (sliced)	1 ½ cups
Kashmiri Red Chili Whole	4 or to taste
Oil	2 tsps.
Jaggery	2tsp or to taste
Tamarind Paste	1 tsp
Roasted Gram (Hurigadale)	1 tbsp.
Salt	to taste

Method

Heat oil in a wide pan; add red chilies and sauté around for 30 secs. Add onion, pinch of salt and cook the onion till they are soft.

Add roasted gram (hurigadale), tamarind paste, salt, and jaggery, cook till the jaggery melts. Remove from the pan and cool down little bit.

Blend the mixture to a smooth paste. Serve it with dosa, idli etc.

Peanut and Onion Chutney

Peanut and Onion Chutney is very quick, simple, yet flavorful chutney and a perfect combination with South-Indian breakfast like Dosa, Upma or Idlies. The chutney has a unique nutty, sweet taste as we use peanuts and onions. This is perfect for people who do not like coconut chutney.

You can also combine this with Parathas for a change. I usually serve this chutney with Pesarattu. I also serve it with Ragi rotti and Akki rotti or even Avrekalu Rotti.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients Quantity Peanuts ½ cup Oil 1 tbsp. Onion ½ cup or 1 large Garlic 2 cloves Red Chili Whole 1 Green Chilies 2 or 3 Tamarind juice 1 tsp Jaggery ½ tsp(optional) Salt To taste For Seasoning Oil 1 tsp Mustard Seeds ½ tsp Cumin Seeds ½ tsp Red Chili Whole 1 Asafoetida a pinch Curry Leaves 5-6 leaves Urad Dal ½ tsp

Method

In a pan dry roast peanuts till they turn golden brown and peel them. Keep aside.

In the same pan add oil, when it is hot, add in the red chilies, garlic and fry for 10 secs. Add in onion and cook till they are soft. Add pinch of salt just to cook onions faster. Cook for 3 mins on low flame with lid covered. Set aside in a bowl to cool down.

Add the onion mixture, peanuts, salt, jaggery (optional), tamarind into the blender jar and blend till smooth. Remove it from jar set it aside.

Heat oil in a small wok (tadka pan), when hot, add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter, add in cumin seeds, urad dal and fry for 10 secs. When they start to sizzle and change color add red chili, curry leaves stir once. Add asafoetida and turn of the heat. Let it stand for 30 seconds then add it to the chutney. Serve with dosa, idli or upma.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chutney

A wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, sweet bell peppers are the ornaments of the vegetable world with their beautifully shaped glossy exterior that comes in a wide array of vivid colors. Roasting these peppers enhances the flavor.

I came across this recipe ‘Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chutney’ in the newspaper the other day. I tried it and I really loved it, so sharing this recipe here. This recipe has multiple uses:

·        Serve with roti, rice, dosa or idlis.

·        Use as a secret spread for a cheese sandwich.

·        Serve as a dip for nachos or fries.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 miuntes

Serves: 4-5 people

Recipe Courtesy: Susheela Srinivas

Ingredients	Quantity
Red Bell Pepper	1 large
Green Chilies	1 or 2
Red Chilies(Kashmiri)	1 or 2
Sesame Seeds	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Cumin (Jeera) powder	1/2 tsp
Lemon juice	1 tsp
Oil	1 ½ tsp
Tamarind Paste	1tsp
Coriander springs	5-10
Salt	to taste
Water	to grind
For Tempering:
Oil	1 ½ tbsp
Mustard seeds	¼ tsp
Split Bengal gram(Chana Dal)	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	few

Method:

Wash Bell pepper thoroughly, wipe dry and cut into cubes without seeds.

Dry roast sesame seeds in a pan till they are slightly golden. Remove and keep aside.

Heat ½ tsp oil in the pan and fry the green chilies and red chilies for 2-3 minutes. 

Remove and keep aside to cool.

Heat 1 tsp oil in the same pan and fry the bell pepper for 3-4 minutes. Keep aside till it cools down.

In a blender jar add sesame seeds, coriander leaves, tamarind paste, salt, turmeric powder, chilies, cumin powder and 2 tbsp water, grind to a fine paste.

Now add bell peppers and grind coarsely. You can peel the bell peppers if you like. Add water if needed. This chutney tastes good when it is chunky.

Remove in a bowl.

Tempering:

In a small wok heat oil, add mustard seeds and split bengal gram (chana dal) when mustard starts spluttering add curry leaves and switch of the heat. Once the spluttering stops, add the tempering to chutney.

Points to remember:

• Instead of frying the bell pepper in the pan with oil you can also roast the whole pepper directly on the gas. Apply some oil to the surface of pepper prick a few times with a fork and roast them on the gas till you see blisters on the peels. Once cooled peels and grind.
• Place pepper halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 220°C pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand about 15 minutes or until cool. Use a sharp knife to loosen edges of the skins; gently pull off the skins in strips and discard.

Hummus and Falafel Wrap

Hummus or houmous is a Levantine food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Hummus is actually an Arabic word, which means chickpeas.

Preparation time: Soaking overnight

Cooking time: 30 minutes.
Serves: 4-5 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Chick pea (Kabul Chana)	1 cup
Garlic cloves	2-3
Pepper powder	1tsp
Lemon juice	2tsp
Olive oil	2 tbsp
Sesame seeds	2 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Eating soda	a pinch

Method

Soak Chickpeas in water overnight.

Add salt and soda to chick peas along with water and pressure cook till they are soft. Cool and strain. Do not discard the water.

Dry toast sesame seeds in a skillet. Let it cool down.

Grind sesame seeds in a mixer or food processor till it is coarse powder, then add little oil, garlic, pepper powder, lemon juice and grind for a minute. Now add chickpeas and grind for 10 seconds add oil and grind. Add about 2 tsp of water (the water in which we boiled chick peas). 

Add remaining oil little by little and keep grinding till it becomes thick paste. Add water if needed. The consistency of hummus should be such that it does not fall off the spoon if you slant it. Check for salt and pepper. Serve with falafel or as a dip with tortillas.

Points to rememeber:

·        To make chick pea very soft add a pinch of soda when you soak it. Rinse thoroughly before cooking.

·        If you forget to soak chickpea in the night here’s a perfect tip for you.

               Forgot to soak chickpeas overnight?? Here’s a shortcut.

·        To make the wrap you apply hummus to the tortilla or pita bread place the falafel and salads and pickles of your choice and wrap.

Falafel

Pudina Chutney(Tandoori)

Usually in Indian restaurants tandoori dishes are served with this unique chutney!

Ingredients	Quantity
Coriander leaves	1 medium bunch
Mint leaves	1/4 bunch
Green chillies	2-3
Garlic	2 cloves
Onions chopped	1 tsp
Cumin powder	1/2 tsp
Hung curd	1tsp
Salt to taste	to taste
Lemon juice	few drops(optional)

Method

Grind together coriander leaves, mint leaves, onion, garlic and chillies into a fine paste remove in a bowl and add cumin powder, salt, hung curd and lemon juice. 

Serve with tandoori dishes.