My Blog

Tag: Chutney

  • Ginger Chutney

    With a recent affinity towards Ginger, I got introduced to this mind-blowingly delicious Ginger Chutney, courtesy: my mother-in-law. Now, being married into a family from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, I have the luxury of enjoying an incredible variety of condiments such as chutneys and podis. This one happens to be one of my absolute favorites.

    Ginger, or Allam, as it is known in Telugu is know for its medicinal properties, particularly the immunity boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. So a little Ginger Chutney (or Allam Pachadi, as it is called in Telugu) everyday will be amazing for the body.

    The pungent and bitter flavor of the Ginger may be off-putting to some. But the flavor profile can be managed with other ingredients such as Coconut and Jaggery. The key is in properly frying the Ginger before blitzing it into a chutney. Otherwise, the chutney will taste like eating raw Ginger.

    This chutney can be enjoyed with Rice, Rotis, Dosas and Rottis.

    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    ServesBulk item that can be stored long-term

    Ingredients

    • Ginger – 2 medium sized roots. Peeled, cleaned and roughly chopped
    • Dried Red Chili – 2-3
    • White Urad Dal – 2 tbsp
    • Dry or desiccated Coconut – 1 cup
    • Jaggery Powder – 1 cup
    • Salt – As per taste
    • Tamarind Juice – 1 tsp
    • Water – As needed for the desired Chutney consistency
    • Oil – 2-3 tbsp for frying

    Method

    1. Add oil to a pan. Once it is hot, add the dried red chilies and white urad dal. Fry until the urad dal turns slightly brown and remove from the pan
    2. To the same pan, add the roughly chopped ginger and fry for 10-15 minutes until the ginger pieces are transparent and are completely cooked through (This step can be combined with step 1, just be careful not burn the urad dal during the frying process). Set aside to cool
    3. To a blending jar, add the fried ingredients followed by the remaining ingredients
    4. At first, add a splash of water and pulse the blender. This is to achieve a coarse consistency for the chutney, which is the best way to enjoy it. If you prefer a smoother consistency, add additional water and blend until the desired consistency is achieved
    5. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for 1-2 weeks

    Pro tips from my mother-in-law:

    • Thoroughly cook the ginger pieces until they turn transparent. Under-cooked ginger will result in a bitter tasting chutney and will make the chutney inedible
    • Adjust the tanginess and sweetness by adjusting the quantity of tamarind juice and jaggery
    • Adjust the consistency of the chutney by adding additional water (a little at a time) to achieve a thinner and smoother chutney consistency

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.

  • Bell Pepper Chutney

    Condiments, especially chutneys are synonymous with India. In a vast country like India, every state, every city and every household has varieties of chutneys – so many that it can take a lifetime to explore them all.

    But here, let’s just explore one simple chutney that my mum taught me, using one of her favorite vegetables (and frankly, mine too) — Bell Peppers. This Bell Pepper (or Capsicum) chutney is a quick and easy recipe that can served with Dosas, Akki Rottis and Rotis. It is definitely different from the the regular Coconut or Mint chutneys, but yet has a very similar texture to a Salsa, or even a chip dip :’)

    For this recipe, I recommend using the Green Bell Peppers because of the flavor they carry. The Red Bell Peppers have a sweetness to them that won’t support the flavor of the chutney. Furthermore, the key to achieving the flavor of this chutney is in dry roasting the Bell Peppers. It is the charred flavor that adds a beautiful note to the Chutney.

    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time10 minutes
    Serves2

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Green Bell Pepper – 2, medium sized, roughly chopped
    • Onion – 1 small, roughly chopped
    • Tomato – 1 small, roughly chopped

    Spices, Flavors and Herbs

    • Green Chilies – 2-3
    • Tamarind juice – 1-2 tbsp
    • Salt – As per taste
    • Cilantro – A handful

    Tadka/Tempering

    • Oil – 2 tbsp
    • Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
    • Dry Red Chilies – 2
    • White Urad Dal – 1 tsp
    • Hing (Asafoetida) – A pinch
    • Curry Leaves – A few

    Method

    1. In a glass bowl, add roughly chopped onions, tomatoes and green chilies with 1/4 cup water. Place this in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. This is a quick cook method for sauces.
    2. In the meanwhile, add the roughly chopped bell peppers to a pan and dry roast them until the skin of bell peppers blisters and roasted.
    3. To a blending jar, add the cooked onions, tomatoes and green chilies, together with the roasted bell peppers. To this, add salt and tamarind juice. Also add the cilantro. Blend the mixture into a coarse paste (or fine as per your preference). Once done, pour into a serving bowl and set aside.
    4. Prepare the tadka – First heat oil in a tadka pan. To this, add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the urad dal, hing, red chilies and curry leaves.
    5. Pour the tadka over the chutney, mix well and serve with Dosa, Rotti or Chapathi

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.

  • Tomato Chutney

    It would be hard to find an Indian household without a chutney or pickle. Every region, every state and every household have their own secret recipes, some often passed down through generations. This Tomato Chutney has not been passed down through the generations, but has certainly been passed to me by my mum and it has a very special place in my heart.

    The memory of the aroma of this chutney cooking downstairs in the kitchen is fresh in my mind. There was always something different about this chutney, a distinct flavor that I could never figure out what it was, and frankly, until recently, I had bothered to find out. I just know that the chutney tasted incredible. That distinct flavor comes from the secret ingredient that my mum has used, drum roll………rasam powder. I would have never guessed, but it works.

    I have grown up eating this chutney with roti, rice dosas and even idlis. In fact, when I used to go off to college after every summer or winter holidays, my mum used to pack me a lot of food, some of them in 4 months supply, like theplas and podis. One of the items was this chutney that she used to pack in a spill-proof manner to travel half way across the world. Any every time I ate theplas, I would eat it with this chutney and would miss being at home. That’s how far thus chutney has traveled.

    I tried making this chutney for the first time and it turned out great. But there was just something missing, I guess its mum’s touch. My mother-in-law also makes a tomato chutney, but her recipe uses different spices and the chutney is more fine and pasty instead of a chunky one. As I said, each household has its own variation of a chutney. But this one, you’ve got to try it.

    Prep time5 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Serves4-6

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Onion – 1, medium, diced
    • Tomatoes – 3, medium, diced

    Spices, Flavors and Herbs

    • Garlic – 1 1/2 tbsp, finely chopped
    • Rasam Powder – 1 tbsp
    • Jaggery Powder – 1 tbsp (If unavailable use sugar)
    • Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
    • Salt – As per taste

    Oils

    • Cooking Oil – 1 tbsp

    Method

    1. Heat a pan. To this add, onions and tomatoes
    2. Add salt, jaggery powder and mix. Close the lid. Cook the onions and tomatoes for 5 minutes on medium-high heat
    3. Open the lid and cook for 5 minutes until most of the water evaporates
    4. Add rasam powder. Mix well and cook for 3-5 minutes with the lid open
    5. In the meanwhile, prepare the tadka (tempering). For this, add oil to a small pan
    6. Once the oil has heated, add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add the chopped garlic. Once the garlic browns, add the tadka to the chutney
    7. Mix well. Serve immediately with roti, rice or dosas. The chutney can be stored in an air-tight container for approx. 30 days in the refrigerator for upto 3 months in the freezer

    ** Pair this chutney with Adai (A mixed lentil Dosa). Get the recipe here.

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.