IDLI PODI / CHUTNEY PUDI/ GUN POWDER

A South Indian home is never without this lentil spice mixture.  It can be stored in an air tight container for 2-3 weeks.

I guess it's called "Gun Powder" because of its spicy taste.  :)
The Karnataka variety of Chutney Pudi (as  it is called there) is a bit sweet due to the jaggery added to it. 

It is a quick fix for a hungry stomach. 

It serves as a dip for idli and dosas, when you are not  willing to make the chutneys.
This mixture can be mixed  with any oil of your choice. (Gingelly, ground nut, or coconut.)
It can also be eaten with steamed rice mixed with butter or ghee. 
It can also be used as a spread on bread or toast.

Whatever way you want to have it, it tastes yum.

INGREDIENTS
1/2  cup chana dal/ bengal gram dal
1/2 cup udad dal/ black gram dal
I have used dal with skin,but  without skin can be used.
2 tsp til/sesame seeds
A small piece of tamarind (approx 2" piece)
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
3-4 whole red chilies
salt approx 1/4 tsp or more as per your taste
Curry leaves (optional) 

METHOD

• Roast the chana dal, udad dal and til separately in a thick bottomed pan, on a low flame to a golden brown colour.
  
• Keep the tamarind near the flame ,below the pan while you are roasting the dals.
  
• The tamarind will become crisp and will be easy to grind.
• In a drop of oil roast the hing and red chillies. (and curry leaves if you want to add them.)
• Allow to cool and mix all the ingredients along with salt and grind to a coarse powder.
• During grinding, the mixture/powder becomes a bit warm.
• Store in an air tight container when it reaches room temperature.
• Do not close the lid of the container when the mixture is warm. 
• Let it reach room temperature before storing. This will help it to stay fresh for long.

ENJOY YOUR IDLIS AND DOSAS AND  BREAD AND RICE AND........

Do let me know if you tried it out with something else and enjoyed :)

PESARATTU WITH SHENGA CHUTNEY

Pesarattu is a breakfast variety from Andhra Pradesh. I tasted authentic onion pesarattu and groundnut chutney when I was in Andhra many many years ago.
It is a very tasty and nutritious breakfast and very easy to prepare too.

PESARATTU

INGREDIENTS

1 cup green gram/whole moong
1/4 cup sooji/semolina/rawa
2tsp rice flour
1 onion
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp jeera/cumin
a pinch of haldi/ turmeric
salt to taste

In the original dish, a few tbsp rice is used but I replaced it with  /semolina to avoid the rice.

METHOD
Soak the moong overnight. In the morning , grind it to a paste along with onion and green chilies.
Mix all the other ingredients and form a batter of dropping consistency.

Heat a tawa and spread  a ladle of the batter on the tawa. (You can sprinkle very finely chopped onions and press with the spatula to get onion pesarattu) Add a tsp of oil on the sides and after some time flip it on the other side.

Cook on medium to slow flame to get crispy pesarattu.
Serve with groundnut chutney.

                                             


  GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS
1 cup roasted groundnuts
3-4 green chilies chopped
1 small onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

METHOD
Remove the skin of the groundnuts after roasting. Mix all the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Temper with mustard and curry leaves.

PESARATTU WITH SHENGA CHUTNEY

Pesarattu is a breakfast variety from Andhra Pradesh. I tasted authentic onion pesarattu and groundnut chutney when I was in Andhra many many years ago.
It is a very tasty and nutritious breakfast and very easy to prepare too.

PESARATTU

INGREDIENTS

1 cup green gram/whole moong
1/4 cup sooji/semolina/rawa
2tsp rice flour
1 onion
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp jeera/cumin
a pinch of haldi/ turmeric
salt to taste

In the original dish, a few tbsp rice is used but I replaced it with  /semolina to avoid the rice.

METHOD
Soak the moong overnight. In the morning , grind it to a paste along with onion and green chilies.
Mix all the other ingredients and form a batter of dropping consistency.

Heat a tawa and spread  a ladle of the batter on the tawa. (You can sprinkle very finely chopped onions and press with the spatula to get onion pesarattu) Add a tsp of oil on the sides and after some time flip it on the other side.

Cook on medium to slow flame to get crispy pesarattu.
Serve with groundnut chutney.

                                             


  GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS
1 cup roasted groundnuts
3-4 green chilies chopped
1 small onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

METHOD
Remove the skin of the groundnuts after roasting. Mix all the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Temper with mustard and curry leaves.

RidgeGourd Hot Chutney/ Heerekai Bisi Chutney/TURAYI KI CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS

1 medium sized ridge gourd
1 cup boiled toovar dal/pigeon peas
2-3 green chilies
3 tbsp grated coconut
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
a pinch of turmeric/ haldi
salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp udad dal/ black gram dal
a pinch of hing
a few curry leaves

• PREPARATION
• Scrap the skin of ridge gourd and chop into medium sized pieces
• Boil the ridge gourd along with green chilies
• Boil the dal with a pinch of turmeric with just enough water to cook it.
• Allow it to cool.
• Grind the ridge gourd,green chilies, coconut,coriander leaves and salt.
  
• Then add the cooked dal and grind.
  
• Heat a pan of oil and add mustard.
• When it splutters add the udad dal
• After a few secs add hing and curry leaves.
  
• Add the ground paste and lower the flame.
  
• When it just begins to boil , remove from flame and serve with rotis or chapatis
  

NUGGE SOPPINA CHUTNEY/DRUMSTICK /MORINGA LEAVES CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS

2 cups drumstick leaves (Do not use the stems, pick only the leaves)

3-4 red chilies

1tsp dhania (coriander seeds)

a small piece of tamarind

1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)

5-6 tbsp grated coconut

salt to taste

METHOD

In a vessel boil all the ingredients except coconut, till the leaves become soft. Remove from flame and add the grated coconut. Allow to cool and grind to a paste. Temper with mustard ,udad dal (black gram) and hing.

Nutritious chutney is ready to be served. This can be mixed with steamed rice and eaten. For extra flavour mix a few drops of coconut oil to the rice and mix the chutney and relish.



                                                        ASH GOURD PEEL CHUTNEY


Peel the skin of Ash gourd and follow the same procedure for making the chutney. Here I have used green chilis instead of red.

PUMPKIN SAMBHAR AND PUMPKIN SKIN CHUTNEY/

PUMPKIN SAMBHAR

INGREDIENTS

2- 3 cups pumkin cut into large cubes

1 cup toovar dal ( yellow lentil )

2 tbsp grated coconut

2-3 tsp sambhar powder

1-2 tsp tamarind paste

1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)

A sprig of curry leaves

1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

METHOD

Cook the pumpkin in a vessel ,by adding a little salt. Pressure cook the dal by adding turmeric powder. Blend the dal well . Grind the coconut, sambhar powder and tamarind paste to a fine paste. Mix the dal and the ground paste to the cooked pumpkin and boil well along with salt and curry leaves.

Temper with mustard seeds, red chilies, hing and curry leaves.

                                              PUMPKIN SKIN CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS
1 cup pumpkin skin, chopped
1 1/2 tsp udad dal( black gram)
1/2 tsp coriander seeds (dhania)
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
3-4 tbsp grated coconut
tamarind paste
salt to taste

METHOD
In a drop of oil fry the udad dal, dhania , hing and green chilies. Add salt and saute for a few mins till the pumpkin skin becomes soft. Grind along with coconut and tamarind water.
Temper with mustard,udad dal, hing and curry leaves in a tsp  of coconut oil or any other cooking oil.

GREEN COCONUT CHUTNEY

WHOLE COCONUT 

 COCONUT  

INGREDIENTS

1 cup grated coconut

2-3 cloves garlic 

3-4 green chilies

1 small onion

1/4 tsp jeera (cumin)

4 tsp putani (roasted gram)

a small piece tamarind soaked in water

a small handful coriander leaves

salt to taste

METHOD

Chop all the ingredients, mix with grated coconut, tamarind water and salt and grind to a paste.

Some  people like the chutney coarsely ground and some like it as a fine paste. The choice is yours.

Temper with mustard, chana dal (split bengal gram) and curry leaves.

RIDGE GOURD SKIN CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS
1 ridge gourd (toorai)
1 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
1tbsp udad dal (split black gram)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp hing(asafoetida)
3-4 red chilies
1 tsp oil
a small ball of tamarind soaked in water
salt to taste

METHOD
Take a medium sized ridge gourd and scrap the ridges. Peel the skin and chop it into small pieces.
Heat a tsp of oil and fry all the ingredients till the dals turn golden brown. Add the ridge gourd skin, salt and cover the pan with a lid.  Keep mixing occasionally. When the peel becomes soft, remove from stove and allow to cool. Grind to a medium fine paste adding the tamarind. Remove in a bowl and temper with mustard seeds,chana dal ,udad dal, red chilies and curry leaves.
This chutney can be served with chapatis or relished by mixing with rice.

Tomato Ginger Chutney

This  chutney tastes very good with dosa, chapati and puris.

INGREDIENTS
4 medium sized tomatoes                              

4 medium onions
3-4 cloves garlic
2'' piece ginger
1 tsp cumin (jeera)
4-5 red chilies
2 tsp oil

FOR TEMPERING
5-6 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
2 red chilies (broken )

Heat oil in a pan and add the onions till they become almost transparent. Then add cumin, red chilies, ginger, garlic and saute. Then add the chopped tomatoes and salt .Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for a min or two. The tomatoes begin to leave water and get cooked. Fry for some more time till water starts evaporating. Remove from flame and allow to cool. Now grind it to a coarse paste without adding water.

In another pan heat oil and add the mustard, then red chilies and then curry leaves. When the curry leaves turn crisp add the ground paste and fry for a few mins.

This yummy chutney is now ready to be served.

This can be stored for a day or two at room temp and in the refrigerator for almost a week.
(Do not bring it in contact with a wet spoon. )

PUNDI PALLE CHUTNEY

Pundi palle or Gongura as it is popularly known is sour in taste and used for making pickles and chutneys.

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of pundi palle/gongura leaves/sorrel leaves
 1 1/2 tbsp bengal gram (chana dal)
1 1/2 tbsp black gram dal (udad dal)
1/2 tsp cumin (jeera)
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
A few mustard seeds
5-6 red chilies
3-4 tbsp oil.
salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp bengal gram
2-3 whole red chilies

METHOD
In a tsp of oil, fry the chana dal,udad dal,methi, jeera, mustard and red chilies. Grind into a coarse powder on cooling and keep aside
Remove the leaves from the stem, wash and wipe with a cloth. Allow them to dry completely by spreading on a piece of cloth. Before cooking there should be no moisture. .
Heat oil in a pan and fry the gongura/sorrel leaves. Do not add salt.They will immediately reduce in quantity.
Now grind along with the powdered spices and salt to a paste. If required you can add very little water while grinding. Remove in a bowl and temper.
(Heat oil, add mustard,when it splutters add the split bengal gram and red chilies)
This chutney can be stored for 3-4 days. More the oil, the tastier it gets.

Enjoy this tangy chutney by mixing with steaming hot rice and ghee!   

VERY VERY SIMPLE !!!

                      RIDGE GOURD CHUTNEY     

INGREDIENTS

1 medium toorai (ridge gourd)

2-3 green chillies

2 tsps tamarind paste

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tsp udad dal(black gram)

2 tsps til (sesame seeds)

1/2 tsp jeera (cumin)
1tsp oil

salt to taste

METHOD

Heat 1 tsp of oil. Add the jeera and udad dal. Roast till the udad dal becomes slightly brown. Now add the til and mix well. Add the hing. Then add the green chillies and fry well. Now add the chopped ridge gourd and salt. Mix well and cover for some time. Keep the flame low. When the ridge gourd becomes soft, remove from the stove and allow to cool. Now grind to a paste adding the tamarind water.

Temper with mustard seeds, udad dal and curry leaves and the ridge gourd chutney is ready to be served.

                                                                  

                                                

          

                               

                          BEANS CHUTNEY 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped beans

2-3 green chilies

3-4 tsps grated  fresh coconut

1 tsp oil

1tsp udad dal( black gram)

1/4 tsp of jeera (cumin seeds) OR 1/2 tsp of  dhania (corriander seeds) 

You can choose either of the flavours.

1 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

METHOD

The preparation of this chutney is exactly like the previous one. But, do not fry the coconut. Add it while grinding the chutney.

                                            

                    

Both these chutneys can be had by mixing it  with rice.   

                               BITTER GOURD RAITA

INGREDIENTS

1 medium sized bitter gourd (karela) chopped very finely

1 cup fresh curd

2-3 tsps of oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

3 tsps  fresh grated coconut

A pinch of haldi ( turmeric powder)

Salt to taste

METHOD

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Now add the finely chopped bitter gourd and fry till they become crisp. Add a pinch of haldi and fry well. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 

Grind the coconut to a fine paste along with a few seeds of mustard, green chilly and salt. Add this paste to the curd and mix well.

Just before serving, add the fried bitter gourd and mix well.

This raita can be had by mixing  with plain white rice.