Coriander chutney

First

1.          Ingredients:

1.           50 grams fresh coriander leaves

2.           50 grams roasted peanuts

3.           One small onion about the size of a  table tennis ball

4.          One tablespoon lemon juice

5.           One green chilli

6.           One fourth cup water or a little more to make a smooth paste

7.           Two tablespoons brown sugar

8.          Salt to taste

Method:

1.          Blend all the ingredients but add the water gradually till you get a pesto like sauce.

Second

Ingredients:

1.          50 grams coriander leaves

2.           Two large onions

3.           Two green chillies ( I forgot to put it in the picture)

4.           4 -5 tablespoons lemon juice

5.           Two teaspoons sugar

6.           One inch ginger

7.          10 -12 cloves garlic

8.           Salt to taste

Method:

1.          Roughly slice the onions and put them in the blender jar along with the ginger , garlic ,lemon juice, green chillies and sugar.

2.           When the mixture turns into a coarse paste , add the coriander leaves and blend again.

3.           Add salt to taste.

Third:

Ingredients:

1.           50 grams coriander leaves

2.            One  medium sized tomatoes

3.           onions one large or two medium

4.           Two green chillies
5.    Two tablespoons vinegar
6.    One inch piece ginger
7.    7-10 cloves of garlic
8.    salt to taste

Method:

1.          Blend the tomato with the onions ,  green chillies ,vinegar, ginger and garlic till you get a coarse paste .

2.           Add the coriander leaves and blend , take care not too make too fine a paste for the chutney.
3.    Add salt to taste.
    I have served the chutney here with potato wafers and prawn pakoras.

coriander· dips and chutneys

Coriander chutney

First

1.          Ingredients:

1.           50 grams fresh coriander leaves

2.           50 grams roasted peanuts

3.           One small onion about the size of a  table tennis ball

4.          One tablespoon lemon juice

5.           One green chilli

6.           One fourth cup water or a little more to make a smooth paste

7.           Two tablespoons brown sugar

8.          Salt to taste

Method:

1.          Blend all the ingredients but add the water gradually till you get a pesto like sauce.

Second

Ingredients:

1.          50 grams coriander leaves

2.           Two large onions

3.           Two green chillies ( I forgot to put it in the picture)

4.           4 -5 tablespoons lemon juice

5.           Two teaspoons sugar

6.           One inch ginger

7.          10 -12 cloves garlic

8.           Salt to taste

Method:

1.          Roughly slice the onions and put them in the blender jar along with the ginger , garlic ,lemon juice, green chillies and sugar.

2.           When the mixture turns into a coarse paste , add the coriander leaves and blend again.

3.           Add salt to taste.

Third:

Ingredients:

1.           50 grams coriander leaves

2.            One  medium sized tomatoes

3.           onions one large or two medium

4.           Two green chillies
5.    Two tablespoons vinegar
6.    One inch piece ginger
7.    7-10 cloves of garlic
8.    salt to taste

Method:

1.          Blend the tomato with the onions ,  green chillies ,vinegar, ginger and garlic till you get a coarse paste .

2.           Add the coriander leaves and blend , take care not too make too fine a paste for the chutney.
3.    Add salt to taste.
    I have served the chutney here with potato wafers and prawn pakoras.

Tomato Ketchup

The only reason I came up with this recipe is because my kids love tomato ketchup with pakoras , eggs dosas and omelettes and finger fries.

I believe that the ketchup I would make at home with fresh tomatoes would be a lot healthier that the ones we get in the market…..but that’s my personal point of view.

Here goes the simplest and to my mind the healthiest and yet the yummiest recipe of home made tomato ketchup.

Ingredients:

1.               2.5 kg fresh tomatoes ( I used the local desi variety which have a high water content)

2.                Three medium onions  about 200 grams in weight

3.                200 grams sugar

4.                200 ml apple cider vinegar

5.                One tablespoon whole cloves

6.                Half a teaspoon black pepper powder

7.                Half a teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder

8.                One  and a half teaspoon salt

Method:

1.                Chop the tomatoes and put them into a pressure cooker and give two whistles.

2.                After the steam goes off then open the lid and allow the tomatoes to reach room temperature.

3.                Meanwhile slice the onions , place in a pan with one fourth cup of water , cover and let cook till tender , for about ten minutes.

4.                Blend the tomatoes and onions together and sieve with a strainer discarding the seeds and skin .

5.                Place the puree into a heavy bottomed steel pot and let boil on full flame stirring intermittently till it becomes as thick as the ketchup you get in the shops.

6.                In the meanwhile simmer on low flame the vinegar and the cloves for about twenty minutes.

7.                Spoon out the cloves and after the tomato puree has become thick add the spiced vinegar along with the sugar and the red chilly powder and cook for a further fifteen minutes.

8.                Add the black pepper powder and the salt and give one boil.

9.                Let the ketchup cool completely before transferring the ketchup into glass jars or bottles.

10.         I would suggest that you refrigerate it since we aren’t really using a preservative other than the natural ones.

dips and chutneys· tomato

Tomato Ketchup

The only reason I came up with this recipe is because my kids love tomato ketchup with pakoras , eggs dosas and omelettes and finger fries.

I believe that the ketchup I would make at home with fresh tomatoes would be a lot healthier that the ones we get in the market…..but that’s my personal point of view.

Here goes the simplest and to my mind the healthiest and yet the yummiest recipe of home made tomato ketchup.

Ingredients:

1.               2.5 kg fresh tomatoes ( I used the local desi variety which have a high water content)

2.                Three medium onions  about 200 grams in weight

3.                200 grams sugar

4.                200 ml apple cider vinegar

5.                One tablespoon whole cloves

6.                Half a teaspoon black pepper powder

7.                Half a teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder

8.                One  and a half teaspoon salt

Method:

1.                Chop the tomatoes and put them into a pressure cooker and give two whistles.

2.                After the steam goes off then open the lid and allow the tomatoes to reach room temperature.

3.                Meanwhile slice the onions , place in a pan with one fourth cup of water , cover and let cook till tender , for about ten minutes.

4.                Blend the tomatoes and onions together and sieve with a strainer discarding the seeds and skin .

5.                Place the puree into a heavy bottomed steel pot and let boil on full flame stirring intermittently till it becomes as thick as the ketchup you get in the shops.

6.                In the meanwhile simmer on low flame the vinegar and the cloves for about twenty minutes.

7.                Spoon out the cloves and after the tomato puree has become thick add the spiced vinegar along with the sugar and the red chilly powder and cook for a further fifteen minutes.

8.                Add the black pepper powder and the salt and give one boil.

9.                Let the ketchup cool completely before transferring the ketchup into glass jars or bottles.

10.         I would suggest that you refrigerate it since we aren’t really using a preservative other than the natural ones.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

(Makes one and a half cups)

Ingredients

1.        Five firm and large tomatoes.

2.        3-5 cloves of garlic crushed 

3.        1 medium onion finely chopped

4.        1 tbsp oil (refined or olive).

5.        1 tsp salt (Approx).

6.        1tsp sugar.

7.        1/8^th  teaspoon chilli powder.

8.        ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder.

9.        1 tsp Oregano.

Method

1.        Take water in tea pan and put it for boiling , turn the gas off the moment the water begins to boil.

2.        Cut crosses in the skin at the bottom end of the tomatoes.

3.        Dip in the boiling water and let immersed for 3-5 minutes.

4.        Take out on a paper, and let cool and peel off.

5.        Chop coarsely in a blender.

6.        Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add finely chopped garlic, stir till golden and then add chopped onions and fry till translucent.

7.        Add the tomatoes and red chilli powder fry till it leaves oil .Add sugar and stir well. Add salt to taste.

8.        Add oregano and black pepper.let the sauce cool to room temperature.

    If you want to keep it for much later use, add one teaspoon vinegar to prevent it from turning bad.

Note : This sauce can be used as a pizza sauce , can be eaten with nachos and chips etc , you can toss the pasta in this and many more ways.

dips and chutneys· tomato

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

(Makes one and a half cups)

Ingredients

1.        Five firm and large tomatoes.

2.        3-5 cloves of garlic crushed 

3.        1 medium onion finely chopped

4.        1 tbsp oil (refined or olive).

5.        1 tsp salt (Approx).

6.        1tsp sugar.

7.        1/8^th  teaspoon chilli powder.

8.        ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder.

9.        1 tsp Oregano.

Method

1.        Take water in tea pan and put it for boiling , turn the gas off the moment the water begins to boil.

2.        Cut crosses in the skin at the bottom end of the tomatoes.

3.        Dip in the boiling water and let immersed for 3-5 minutes.

4.        Take out on a paper, and let cool and peel off.

5.        Chop coarsely in a blender.

6.        Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add finely chopped garlic, stir till golden and then add chopped onions and fry till translucent.

7.        Add the tomatoes and red chilli powder fry till it leaves oil .Add sugar and stir well. Add salt to taste.

8.        Add oregano and black pepper.let the sauce cool to room temperature.

    If you want to keep it for much later use, add one teaspoon vinegar to prevent it from turning bad.

Note : This sauce can be used as a pizza sauce , can be eaten with nachos and chips etc , you can toss the pasta in this and many more ways.

Hung Curd Dip

If there is something called a refreshing drink then I propose a refreshing dip because this simple hung curd dip is so refreshing that it can turn a hot summer afternoon into a pleasant one if you have it with cucumber slices , though this dip can be had with almost any snack or nuts. 
     Inspite of being curd based , there is no dominating flavour of curd or for that matter of any of the other ingredients. I love this recipe for its beautiful blending and infusion of flavours of just a few easily available things.
     It has been a hit in all the get togethers I have had at my place be it in the afternoon or for dinner. I serve the dip with sliced cucumbers in the summers and with golden stir fried cashews in the winters , it goes well with pakoras and grilled chicken too.

Ingredients

1)   Hung curd – 1 cup  (pour about half a litre of thick curd in a muslin cloth and tie it in a knot, tie it in a convenient place in the fridge and place a bowl under it to collect the drippings , the thick curd left in the cloth after a couple of hours is to be used for the recipe)

2)   1 green chilli

3)   2 cloves garlic

4)  one  tsp sugar

5)   half or  three fourth of a  cup loosely packed coriander leaves

6)   2 tablespoons salad oil / can use ground nut oil too in case you do not have salad oil

7)   ½  - ¾ tsp salt or according to taste

Method

1)   Blend first six ingredients with a blender  till smooth and creamy.

2)   Stir in the salt just before use.

3)   Keep refrigerated.

 Can be eaten with stir fried cashews, pakoras,chips,potato wedges and  fresh cucumber and carrots.

Can also be used as a base for russian salad. Just place a cupful each of peas, cauliflower florets and cubed carrots in a steamer, just give a whistle and when the vegetables come at room temperature transfer the vegatables into a bowl and add a cupful of grapes , quarter cup finely chopped capsicum, red preferably for the extra colour and the dip a tablepsoon at a time until all the vegetables are covered with the dip. Best served chilled though it tastes good at room temperature also.

dips and chutneys

Hung Curd Dip

If there is something called a refreshing drink then I propose a refreshing dip because this simple hung curd dip is so refreshing that it can turn a hot summer afternoon into a pleasant one if you have it with cucumber slices , though this dip can be had with almost any snack or nuts. 
     Inspite of being curd based , there is no dominating flavour of curd or for that matter of any of the other ingredients. I love this recipe for its beautiful blending and infusion of flavours of just a few easily available things.
     It has been a hit in all the get togethers I have had at my place be it in the afternoon or for dinner. I serve the dip with sliced cucumbers in the summers and with golden stir fried cashews in the winters , it goes well with pakoras and grilled chicken too.

Ingredients

1)   Hung curd – 1 cup  (pour about half a litre of thick curd in a muslin cloth and tie it in a knot, tie it in a convenient place in the fridge and place a bowl under it to collect the drippings , the thick curd left in the cloth after a couple of hours is to be used for the recipe)

2)   1 green chilli

3)   2 cloves garlic

4)  one  tsp sugar

5)   half or  three fourth of a  cup loosely packed coriander leaves

6)   2 tablespoons salad oil / can use ground nut oil too in case you do not have salad oil

7)   ½  - ¾ tsp salt or according to taste

Method

1)   Blend first six ingredients with a blender  till smooth and creamy.

2)   Stir in the salt just before use.

3)   Keep refrigerated.

 Can be eaten with stir fried cashews, pakoras,chips,potato wedges and  fresh cucumber and carrots.

Can also be used as a base for russian salad. Just place a cupful each of peas, cauliflower florets and cubed carrots in a steamer, just give a whistle and when the vegetables come at room temperature transfer the vegatables into a bowl and add a cupful of grapes , quarter cup finely chopped capsicum, red preferably for the extra colour and the dip a tablepsoon at a time until all the vegetables are covered with the dip. Best served chilled though it tastes good at room temperature also.