RAW ONION CHUTNEY

 About a decade ago, I visited Rameshwaram-  A popular pilgrimage spot in Tamilnadu. While returning from Rameshwaram, I had idlis for dinner at Karaikudi . Karaikudi is situated in Sivaganga district in Tamilnadu. The region is famous for its Chettinad cuisine. Normally, I prefer dosa to idli. But the idli and chutney at this place was very tasty.

The idli was little coarse ,grainy and spongy in texture. I postulated the presence of rice rava in the idli, but my mother inferred that the coarsely ground rice batter imparted the texture. Spicy raw onion chutney was a perfect complement to the idli. As an avid cook, I was able to decipher the ingredients in the chutney.

Onions ,red chillies,garlic cloves,raw tamarind is blended to thick paste using very little water. The chutney is then seasoned with mustard and curry leaves. I fell in love with the flavour of the chutney and replicated the same on returning home. Then on,this chutney has become a mainstay in my breakfast menu. This chutney can be paired with idli,dosa,idiyappam,vadai. I personally love this chutney with idli and upma

 

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS :

 

RAW ONION-  1 LARGE OR 2 MEDIUM SIZE

RED CHILLIES- 2-3 NOS

TAMARIND - Small piece

GARLIC CLOVES- 2 NOS

SALT TO TASTE

FOR SEASONING :

OIL-  3 TSP

MUSTARD- 3/4 TSP

CURRY LEAVES- 2 SPRIGS

PROCEDURE :

1. Chop onions,garlic cloves and keep it aside.

2. In a mixer jar take chopped onions,tamarind,red chillies , garlic cloves and salt and grind to fine paste.

3. Prepare the seasoning and add it to the chutney.

4. You can store this chutney for maximum of 2-3 days in the refrigerator and not more than that.

ROASTED GRAM DAL VADAI

If you intend to whom-up  a super crispy,tasty snack,then you should definitely try this vadai.This vadai tastes pretty darn good can be easily prepared,as it involves only a few simple ingredients. Roasted gram dal is high in fibre content and protein ,besides other minerals and vitamins. This vadai doesn't absorb much oil,when fried,hence you don't have to bother about the oil consumption.

 

 

 INGREDIENTS

 

ROASTED GRAM DAL- 2 CUPS

RICE FLOUR- 1/4 CUP

CHOPPED ONIONS- 2 NOS

CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES- 1/2 CUP

CURRY LEAVES- 2 SPRIGS

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLIES ( Medium)- 2 NOS

GINGER GRATED- 1 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER- 1/4 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

FENNEL SEEDS- 1 TSP

PROCEDURE

1. Dry roast the gram dal till crisp and allow it to cool. On cooling,grind to fine powder in a mixer jar.

2. In a wide bowl take the powder,rice flour and all the above cited ingredients. Also add 2 tsp of hot oil while mixing. It will lend a nice crispy texture to the vadai.

3. Sprinkle water carefully over the flours and mix to a tight dough. If the dough is soggy,your vadai will not be crispy. Divide the dough into equal balls.

4. On a clean plastic sheet,apply some oil and flatten the dough on it.

 

5. Heat oil in a pan. To check the temperature of oil,drop a small portion of the dough in oil. If it pops up immediately, then it is the right temperature for frying. If the piece of  dough sinks in the oil,then the oil is not hot enough. Always adhere to this method while,preparing any deep- fried dishes.

6. Now gently slide the flattened dough in oil . Fry on both the sides till it turns golden brown in colour.

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SNAKE GOURD SPICY MASALA CURRY

I'm not a fan of snake gourd. The one that's available in the market is a hybrid variant. Hence the flesh and peel is little hard. I always try to discover varied recipes to make this veggie palatable. I mostly prepare kootu-  a lentil based gravy. Hence,to break the monotony, I tried a spicy masala curry this time. You can pair this curry with chapati ,plain cooked rice and curd rice.

 

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS TO GRIND :

CORIANDER SEEDS- 5 TSP

PEPPERCORNS- 3/4 TSP

CINNAMON- 1

FENNEL SEEDS- 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER- 1 TSP

GARLIC CLOVES- 4 NOS

COCONUT GRATINGS- 1 TBSP

OTHER INGREDIENTS :

 

SNAKE GOURD- 400 GRAMS

SALT TO TASTE

TURMERIC POWDER- 1/4 TSP

 

FOR SEASONING :

 

OIL- 1 TBSP

MUSTARD- 3/4 TSP

URAD DAL- 3/4 TSP

CURRY LEAVES- 2 SPRIGS

ONIONS CHOPPED- 2  NOS

 

PROCEDURE  :

1. Steam cook chopped snake gourd in pressure cooker after adding salt and water for 2 whistles and switch off.

 

2. Grind all the ingredients cited in the column to fine paste using little water and keep it aside.

 

3. In a pan heat oil and add mustard,urad dal,chopped onions,salt and fry till the onions turn translucent.

 

4. Add ground paste,salt,turmeric powder over the sauteed onions and keep stirring in mild heat till the raw smell of the paste evades completly.

5. Drain the excess water from the steamed veggie and transfer it over the sauteed paste and mix well.

 

 

 

WHEAT FLOUR ADAI

 Adai is a protein rich savory pancake popular in South India. The authentic version of the adai comprises of three lentils in equal proportion.But there are instant versions of this pancake too,which can be prepared in a jiffy. I prepared this wheat flour adai for the first time and it tasted yummy. This healthy adai can be consumed by the people with diabetics. You can even incorporate any number of veggies in it. 

INGREDIENTS :

WHEAT FLOUR- 2 CUPS

WATER- 3/4 CUP

CHOPPED ONION- 2 NOS

CURRY LEAVES- 2 SPRIGS

CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES- 1/4 CUP

GINGER,GREEN CHILLI & GARLIC PASTE- 1 TSP

( Ginger small piece,2 green chillies,4 garlic cloves)

CHILLI POWDER- 1/4 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

CUMIN SEEDS- 1 TSP

OIL FOR COOKING

PROCEDURE :

1. Boil 3/4 cup of water in a vessel.

2. In a wide bowl,take 2 cups of wheat flour and all the other ingredients cited above.

3. Pour the boiling water over the wheat flour and keep mixing with a ladle.

4. Now keep the dough covered and set it aside for 5 minutes.

 

5. Take a plastic sheet and apply some oil on it . Take the dough and flatten it on the plastic cover.Touch some water and then flatten it. You can even flatten it directly on the hot tawa,but take care not to scald your palm.

5. Brush some oil on the tawa and heat it. Transfer the flattened dough on the tawa and cook on both sides by drizzling oil on the surface of adai.

6. Slide the cooked adais and serve with any accompaniment of your choice.

SWEET POTATO TIKKI

Tikki is a shallow-fried snack,mostly prepared with potato. You can even incorporate sweet potatoes in it. I love the sweetness in this veggie and love to try any kind of dish with it. Sweet potatoes are excellent source of vitamin A,besides other essential minerals,vitamins and nutrients. 

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS :

SWEET POTATO- 500 GRAMS

ONION MEDIUM SIZE- 2 NOS

MINT LEAVES- 4 SPRIGS

CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES- 1 TBSP

CHILLI POWDER- 1/4 TSP

GARAM MASALA POWDER- 1/2 TSP

GINGER GARLIC PASTE- 1 TSP

LEMON JUICE- 1 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

GRAM FLOUR- 2 TBSP

RICE FLOUR- 3/4 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

1. Steam cook sweet potato with peel. On cooling,remove the peel and mash it well.

2. In a wide bowl,take mashed potato and all the above cited ingredients and mix well. 

 

3. Don't add water to the mixture,as it will turn soggy. Divide the contents to equal balls. Flatten the balls on a plastic sheet.

4. Brush oil on a pan and heat it. Transfer the flattened patties on the pan and drizzle oil on both the sides and roast till it turns crispier on both the sides.

5. Slide the cooked patties and serve with any chutney,dip,sauce or ketchup.