I am happy that i am back and trying a sneak peak into my blog baby after so long. Many a things are happening around me , excitement - happiness - a bit of stress - so many emotions and so much. Anyway , i do not guarantee a full fledged blogging in here for sometime , but i surely would not want to abandon my blog.
So , back to the recipe , it is a " usual or may be a staple " chutney amma made for most of the times to accompany papa's ever favorite breakfast dish " Idli ". Either a Red Coconut Chutney or  a White Coconut Chutney and even the Dry Coconut Chutney , but myself and my brother were never fond of these , until i came here to the US. Its usually called as " Vella Chammanthi / White Chutney "at home , and now i totally devour the taste of this chutney.

         This chutney is usually made with just Coconut - and Curd as the main ingredient , amma totally avoids adding roasted gram / pottu kadala , but i just added for a slight thickness , because my curd wasn't so thick you can totally avoid it or use it as per your wish.
This chutney goes very well with Idli , Dosa , Ada Dosa , Tapioca Adai Dosa etc.


White Coconut Chutney /  VellaThenga Chammanthi

Ingredients :

1 cup Grated Coconut
1 -2 tbsp Pottu Kadala / Roasted gram ( optional )
1/2 cup Thick Curd
1 1 /2 Green chili
1 inch piece Ginger
a small pinch of Tamarind
salt to taste

Method:

Grind all the ingredients together to a smooth paste, adding just enough water as needed to make it to a smooth paste , but not watery.
Heat oil in a Kadai and pop mustard  and curry leaves, and add in the ground chutney and just heat it in a low heat, do not boil the chutney.
Transfer into a serving bowl and serve.

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            We are early bird diners , i meant we are done with our dinner almost by 7 o'clock in the evening. So, we rarely get a chance to munch on evening snacks , but when we do its a full fledged ones. On our routine grocery purchase days i usually tend to avoid munchies for us , but just grabs on the little ones share. Adya loves to have something something or the other , but its CAKE first on the demand list.
As its been a while we all three had a evening snack , i was all in for some sweet - spicy taste.
Soft and sweet - Sweet Potatoes served with Spiced up Shallots .

 This has been the best Combo ever known to me , it was the best evening snack to fill your tummy with some hot Tea.
It can be a bit filling at times , but i am sure no one can just stop by tasting just one.
We had big spoons of shallots on the potatoes and loved the burst of flavours, even adya was happily dipping in her spiced shallot and enjoyed her piece !!
These are some of my Grand Ma's special serves , and i adore it the most when made by her.


Spiced up Shallots

Ingredients:
10 - 15 Shallots sliced
1 tsp Red chili powder ( adjust accordingly )
2 -3 tbsp Coconut oil
Salt

Method:
Clean , wash and slice the shallots very thin and put it in a bowl.
Add in chili powder , salt and oil, and mix it well with the back of a spoon or a motar & pestle or just use your clean HANDS , it works best.
Serve with Cooked Sweet Potatoes.

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        We are so well packed during weekends, something or the other , we get so engaged with summer activities or may be a potluck party at the park. Yeah , we have so many parents of our friends who are visiting from India. Every single weekend we plan on short trips to any of the near by places.

So coming back to food, little one and myself are fond of chutney, but hubby dear is not so particular in having chutney. I recently visited our dear friend V , and i got to taste this awesome tasting chutney at their place, and i just knew what i was going to do the very next day.
The next day i decided on our dinner menu to be Masala - Dosa , Kerala Style Coconut / Tenga Chammanti and Tomato - Garlic Chutney , and yes we all loved it.

The chutney turned out to be pretty tangy and spicy , the chutney would last for a few days if refrigerated , but ours just got over in 2 days :) Thanks to my friend V's mom for the wonderful recipe.!

Spicy Tomato - Garlic Chutney
Serves : 4

Ingredients:
3 Large Tomatoes ( chopped )
8 - 9 Garlic pods
1/2 tsp Red Chili powder ( adjust accordingly )
Salt to taste ( refer Notes* )
Gingely Oil

Method:
In a blender, blend together Tomatoes and Garlic until smooth.
Heat about 4 tbsp oil in a Kadai  on medium heat and  pour in the blend mixture, red chili powder mix well ; and let it boil first.
Lower the heat to medium - low ,and add salt , and let it simmer and get reduced , and the oil gets seperated.
You can store it in a glass / plastic container and refrigerate and use.

Notes : Add salt less than what is needed , because the chutney gets reduced in quantity after simmering !!

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        Most of our friends are all visiting India for the usual vacation, now its like everyone is travelling in a months gap or so. Now seeing everyone packing and saying bye is making my little girl wonder ' When are we going to India ' . As she is currently in the mode of asking question for each and everything , i explained her that her friends went to visit their grand parents , and now she is all set on asking ' Why aren't we going ' . On one hand i do explain her things, but i am truly and happily promoting her question in front of her papa dear. Seeing friends leave is making me also feel a bit sad , so now i'm looking forward for a trip to India in the near future.... hopefully :) .
We have a dear friend N who is a wonderful cook,  whenever we make a visit to her place we come back so much loaded, i really cant resist her delicious foods. So once while serving us food , she gave us this Tamarind Chutney and it was so tasty that i came back home with the Chutney, it was so much easy making it too. I Have been making this chutney ever since, and it never went wrong.
Im sure you'll love it, just give it a try and you'll see yourself hooked!!!

Tamarind  ( Imli ) Chutney

Ingredients:
3  tbsp Tamarind Extract ( i used the store bought )
3 - 4 Dates (soaked and grind to a smooth paste )
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds
1/2 cup Jaggery grated ( or as per required )
Oil
Salt to taste
Water as needed

Method:
Heat 1 1/2 cup of water adding jaggery and melt , strain it and set aside.
Dilute Tamarind extract with 3 cups of water ( refer notes )
Heat oil in a Kadai and pop Jeera.
Pour in the Tamarind water + chili powder + salt and let the mixture boil.
Add in the jaggery mixture + ground dates and cook on a medium heat.
The chutney should coat the back of your spoon, then let it cool.
Transfer into a clean dry bottle and refrigerate.

Notes : The consistency is your choice, i wait until the water  gets well thickened.

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     Week day mornings are really becoming hectic for me now ; i need to be well prepared for the breakfast , lunch and a brunch for the little one. Yes , i need to pack lunch for my husband so, its a busy morning everyday, i have be to well prepared ahead of time , or else i'll surely have fumes from my head. In our household ; Cornflakes or be it any of its kind of breakfast ...which we need to pour in milk and have, is a big NO. Yes we did have it for most of our breakfast before that we have reached to a saturation point now that we cant take it any more.  So, i need to make a proper breakfast anyway. It just depends on my daily thinking , may be Dosa , Idli , Pancakes , Sandwiches ....But a hectic morning doesn't mean that i manage every day breakfast ;) , well sometimes a simple curry make the busy breakfast hours turn really special.  A simple , comfort breakfast curry can just be the perfect Combo to fill our tummy, just as this one.

Thattukada or Roadside shops are a common sight back in our home town. These roadside shops mainly focuses on Breakfast / Dinner dishes like Thattu Dosa , Idlis and so on. Well these Pancake shaped dosa's are mostly sided with Coconut Chutney, Ulli Curry , Egg Omelet , Parippu Vada, Pappadum ( fries ) and a Cup of Tea well that surely makes a Complete Thattukada Style Food. I am surely drooling over when i'm typing these down, surely misses home now !!!
So this is just the way my mom makes it with Shallots , usually the shallots used in this curry is crushed and then added into the gravy , and then cooked. I sauteed it as for my taste buds. I hope atleast some of you there who are by now drooling over the Thattukada Food would surely try this out.

Shallots Curry / Ulli Curry THATTUKADA STYLE

Ingredients:
15 -20 nos Shallots / Kunjulli
1 1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder ( i used Kashmiri Chili Powder )
1/2 tsp Tamarind Extract
a pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 -2 Dry Red Chili
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Oil

Method:
Slice the Shallots into medium size.
Heat oil in a Kadai and pop mustard seeds , red chili and curry leaves.
Add in the Shallots ( do not let it turn mushy ) saute for a minute; add in chili powder and asafoetida.
Pour in 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water ,  add in the tamarind extract and salt to taste.
Let it simmer for a few mins and Serve hot with Dosa or Idli.

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Packing food for a journney gives a kinda festive mood back at home; my mom would pack food for each and every long and short trips we have gone for, its kind of fun to have food on your journey, and now i just love to do that, atleast if not for us atleast for our little one , i would want her to have homemade food for atleast one time when on a journey.

Now this Chutney is a dry one, i would say its just one of the kind, we love it and super easy breezy recipe, it just takes few mins in kitchen to have this yummy chutney, i would highly recommend you trying this out.

Dry Coconut Chutney/ Varutha Thenga Chammanthi
Recipe source: Amma
Serves : 2


Ingredients:
1 cup Grated Coconut
1 tsp Red Chili Powder ( adjust accordingly )
Salt to taste

For tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
2-3 Dry Red Chili
Curry Leaves

Method:

Grind grated coconut and red chilli powder to a coarse form WITHOUT adding water.( just give it a 3- 4 pulse giving intervals in between).
Heat oil in a pan and pop mustard seeds following red chilies and curry leaves.
Add in the grated coconut mixture and just fry the coconut until dry on a low heat. ( be careful not to burn it nor get too much dried up).
Serve with Appam , Idly or Dosa. 

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   Again a 0% - OIL FREE recipe,  a spicy chutney all the way from Nagaland, this chutney is usually reffered as Naga Chutney. A simple dal and this chutney always helps me have a comfort food. Those who have read my posts on Naga Chicken Curry, may have got to know my love for Nagaland ( a north eastern state of India ). Its more than 10 years that we have visited Nagaland, but still we have good memories of our favourite place, wish to visit Nagaland , and taste the authentic foods once again. I am trying my best to post some Naga Recipes. Nagaland is very famous for its very hot Naga Chili / Naga Mirchi , but hey do use Green Chilies and Dry Red Chilies as well.


NAGA TOMATO CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
3 medium Tomatoes ( tear with your hands )
3-4 Green chillies slit ( adjust accordingly)
5 Garlic pods
2 inch Ginger
a handful  Coriander sprigs and Mint sprigs
1 1/2 cups water
Salt to taste






Method:
Boil all the ingredients in a small kadai with water & salt to taste.
No need to cut any of the ingredients.( do check in the amount of water, do not let it burn)
Once its cooked and with no water in the kadai, smash it well with the back of a spoon or with a motor and pestle.
Serve with hot rice , dal.& Naga Chicken Curry


Notes: The quantity mentions yields 1 ramekin full Chutney.

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At home, we are a huge fan of pickles, but this is a special one, this one just gets over in a flash.
It was just a usual visit to my friend Smita chechi's home, and i  was very  lucky to taste  her special Salmon pickle, and from then on i was hooked on to this.  I've really lost the number of times i've made it :)

Salmon Fish Pickle / Meen Achar
Recipe Source : Smita Chechi

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tbsp Red Chili Powder ( i used Kashmiri , adjust accordingly )
1 tsp Turmeric Powder

2-3 Garlic pods ( sliced )
4-5 inch piece Ginger ( sliced )
1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1/2 tbsp Mustard Seeds
1 1/2 tbsp Vinegar
Curry Leaves
5 tbsp Seasme Oil

Marinate:
1 lb Salmon ( cut in small square pieces )
1 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Marinate Salmon with Red Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder  & salt for 1/2 an hour.
• Deep fry the fish , and set aside.
• Heat Seasme oil in a kadai and pop mustard and fenugreek seeds.
• Add ginger , garlic and saute. 
• Add in the chili powder & turmeric and again saute. ( don't let it burn )
• Add in the fried fishes , and mix well, check for salt.
• Remove from heat and add in vinegar and mix well.
• Store in a clean dry bottle and refrigerate.

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Nellika Achar / Gooseberry pickle
It was very shocking when i couldn't find any fresh Gooseberries from our Indian Stores here in the US. During my first year of stay i used to try my luck in each and every Indian Grocery Stores i found, i used to call my mom back home and explain about all the different veggies we get here, as well complaining about my failure in not finding a single store with gooseberries, at last to my relief i got hold of the frozen ones, at least we Get these.
Back home , Mom has this "Bharani" an earthern pot where you usually store pickles which is quite common in South India. I don't have one here, but got this cute little "Bharani".

Ingredients:
1/4 kg  Nelikka / Gooseberry
4tbsp Red chili powder ( i used Kashmiri)
1/4tsp Asafoetida
1/2tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
Gingely Oil
Dry Red chilies
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil the gooseberries in water till soft and tender, strain and save the water.
• In a pan heat oil and pop mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies & curry leaves
• Add in asafoetida and chilli powder saute for a min, add the boiled water and let it boil.
• Add in the gooseberries and let it simmer.( Check on the water, and adjust accordingly)
• Allow to cool, and store in dry bottle.
• Refrigerate and use.

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Onam always gives a feeling of something new and beautiful. Now this is my first Onam with my new blogger friends and i am really happy to celebrate this Onam with you all.Wishing you all a prosperous and memorable Onam!!! Here i have made a few Onam special recipes, hope you all would like it.

Ingredients:
1 inch piece ginger
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 lemon size tamarind ball ( pulp extracted)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
oil

For tempering:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 - 3 red chillies
few curry leaves
oil

Method:

Wash and chop ginger into small pieces or grate it.
Heat a pan and dry fry it till crisp, and keep aside to cool.
Heat a pan and fry grated coconut , chilly pwdr and coriander pwdr until dark brown on a medium heat.
Once cooled grind the coconut mix, fried ginger, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp sugar to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once it starts popping add red chillies and curry leaves.
Add the ground paste, tamarind juice, a pinch of turmeric , salt to taste and cook until it gets thicker.
Serve it for the Onam Sadhya/ feast......it can be refrigerated.
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Mango Pickle/ Manga Achar

Onam has almost reached our door steps and its high time that i post atleast some of the main curry for the " Onam Sadhya". " Sadhya" in malayalam is particularly the food served on Plaintain Leaves on special ocassion which has rice as the main dish accompanied with 20 or more varities of side dishes, following with " Payasam" ( sweet porridge).
Now here i have " manga achar" , specially for Onam.


Ingredients:
1 raw Mango
5-6 tbsp Garlic (chopped)
1/2 tbsp chilly powder ( you can also use Kashmiri chili powder)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 red chillies
few curry leaves
salt to taste
oil

Method:

Cut mango into bite size pieces.
Mix the cut mangoes with asafoetida and salt and keep for half an hour.
Heat oil in a pan ,pop mustard seeds , fenugreek seeds following with red chillies and curry leaves.
Add chilly powder to the hot pan and take off from the heat, and roast for a few mins and let it cool.
Add mangoes and mix well, refrigerate and use.

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