Pudhina Chutney/ Mint Chutney

This recipe is my mom’s. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

• Oil – 1 tsp + 1 tsp divided
• Dry red chilli – 2
• Ginger – 1 tbsp, cut into small pieces
• Garlic – 2 big cloves, sliced
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Mint – 2 cups, loosely packed
• Cilantro – 1/2 cup, loosely packed
• Tamarind – 1 tsp size ball
• Salt – to taste
• For seasoning:
  • Oil – 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/4 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 6

Method:

• Pluck the leaves from the mint stalks. Wash and drain them.
• Wash and chop the cilantro.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok.
• Add dry red chillies and saute them until they puff up. Remove the chillies onto a plate.
• Add urad dal and saute them until they turn golden brown, stir continuously. Remove it onto the plate.
• Add 1 tsp of oil to the same wok and saute the ginger and garlic until the garlic turns golden brown. Remove it onto the plate.
• Saute mint and cilantro together until the water evaporates and they wilt. Remove it onto the plate.
• Let the roasted ingredients cool down completely.

• Grind the roasted ingredients along with tamarind, salt and 1/2 cup of water to a fine paste.
• Using the same wok; Heat 1 tbsp of oil.
• Add mustard seeds and wait till it splutters.
• Add urad dal and curry leaves. Saute until the urad dal turns golden brown.
• Add the ground mint chutney to the seasoning. Turn down the heat to low.
• Add 1/4 cup of water to the mixie jar in which you ground the chutney and swirl it around. Add it to the wok.

• Keep stirring occasionally and let the chutney cook for 3 minutes.
• Add salt if required.

 

Note:

• Pudhina chutney can be refrigerated for for upto 3-4 days.
• Can be served with rice and sambar.
• A good side dish for dosa and idli.
• Works well with baji, curd rice and any dal gravy.

Capsicum Tomato Chutney

My friend Suneetha shared this recipe with me. This chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The storage life depends on how well you fry the tomatoes. If the tomatoes have less water in them while frying, they last longer. Add more oil to saute if you are planning to store the chutney for a long time.

Serve the chutney with dosa/idli.

Ingredients :

• Red bell pepper – 1, chopped
• Tomato – 1, chopped
• Coriander leaves/ cilantro – a hand full, chopped
• Garlic – 1 and a 1/2 pod
• Oil – for saute, be generous with the oil if you are planning to store the chutney
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
• Dry Red chilli  – 3

Method:

• Fry cumin seeds, coriander seeds and red chilli in oil. Remove it from the oil and set it aside to cool down completely.
• Grind it to a coarse powder together with raw garlic.
• Heat oil in the same pan. Add chopped bell pepper and saute until the bell pepper is half done.
• Add tomato and saute until the tomato is fully cooked and the water dries up.
• Add salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.
• Add the cooked  bell pepper mixture to the coarsely ground spice mixture . Add fresh chopped cilantro.
• Grind to a coarse paste without using water.
• Add more salt if required.

Notes:

The spice level of the chutney will reduce on a daily basis. It happens to me all the time. So if you are making the chutney for future use, try adding an extra red chilli.

 

 

Cilantro Coconut Chutney

This is a modification of the coconut cutney I make. The extra ingredients are cilantro and curry leaves. Can be had with dosa, idli, rava dosa, baji, etc.

Ingredients:

• Chopped cilantro – 1 cup, tightly packed
• Curry leaves – 14 leaves
• Serrano pepper/ green chilli – 3/4 th Serrano pepper, adjust according to taste. Can add more while grinding the chutney.
• Ginger – 1 inch, chopped
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Roasted chana dal/ Dalia/ Potu kadalai – 2 tbsps
• Coconut pieces – 1 cup

For seasoning

• Oil – 2 tsps
• Mustard seeds – 1/8 tsp
• Curry leaves – 4

Method:

• Heat oil in a non stick pan.
• Add the chopped cilantro, curry leaves, ginger, Serrano pepper and salt.
• Saute for 3 minutes.
• Let it cool down completely.
• Grind the cilantro mixture along with dalia, coconut pieces,salt and water  into a very fine mixture.
• Add water as required.
• Prepare the seasoning and add it to the chutney.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

• Coconut pieces – 1 cup
• Potukadalai/ Dalia/ Roasted chana dal – 1 + 1/2 tbsps
• Serrano pepper/ green chilli – 1 tbsp , adjust according to taste
• Ginger pieces –  1 tbsp, adjust according to taste
• Salt – to taste
• Water – as required to grind the chutney

For seasoning

• Oil – 2 tsps
• Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/8 tsp
• Urad dal – 8 dals
• Chana dal – 6 dals
• Fenugreek seeds – 2 seeds
• Red chilli – 1
• Curry leaves – 5
• Hing – 4 pinches
• Cilantro – 3 strands, finely chopped

Method:

• Grind coconut pieces, ginger, green chilli, potukadalai and salt together using water as required to a fine paste.
• Prepare seasoning by heating oil in a small pan.
• Add mustard seeds and wait till it splutters.
• Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves.
• When the dals turn golden brown, turn off the heat and add hing and cilantro to it.
• Transfer the seasoning to the ground chutney and mix well.