Cranberry Chutney..My twist..

      India is a place of different regions with varied culture.Same way we have different spices. Each part of India has various spices and we are so much in love with these spices that thinking about food without it is very tough for us. Our taste buds are very much programmed to them that anything bland doesn't appeal to it...Same is every persons situation from any part of the world, everyone has their set of spices...

     Similarly we are very adaptive to the changes in situations by customizing it to our needs.Since we are speaking of food...just look around we will see 1000s of food stuffs that people have changed or altered to make them more closer to Indian food stuffs...I am no different from that...Its not because the recipe by itself is bad, but just because our taste buds are more used to this taste and demand for those...
    Today's recipe is cranberry chutney...Now this is again tweaked to make our taste buds happy..:)
Yes the Indian style cranberry chutney...Ok don't think about a list of spices...Its just 1 or 2 and no much cooking...Its simply too good...with taste that makes each part of your tongue dance...

Cranberries-1 cup
Water-1/2 cup
Cumin powder-1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ginger-2 tbsp(finely chopped)
Red chili flakes-1 to 2 tbsp(add according to heat needed)
Brown sugar/Jaggery-7 to 8 tbsp(This was just mildly sweet, add more or less acc to ur taste)
Cloves-5 nos

Method of Preparation:
1. Add water and cranberries in a pan and boil till it pops and breaks. About 4 mins.
2. Mash slightly the popped berries and then add the cumin powder,cloves, salt and chili flakes.Reduce the heat to low. Boil till the water is reduced to 1/4 cup.
3. Now add the brown sugar/jaggery and continue cooking. Add the ginger pieces at this stage. Mix well.
4. Continue cooking for 4 minutes till the mixture turns slightly thick.Turn off heat, cool and store in a dry jar.Have with chips, breads,rice,anything and everything.

Notes:
1. I din't wanted to cook ginger, so added it in the last step. The ginger had the crunch, still was mixed with the cranberry nicely.
2. Add jaggery/brown sugar by checking for sweetness. Don't add too much. Recommended to add 1 tbsp at a time. Mix and check.The chutney was thick,  slightly sweet, tart and spicy.
3. If you want it slightly runny stop cooking when desired stage is attained.
4. With above mentioned quantity I got about the amount of chutney pictured.

5. To make roasted cumin powder : Heat a pan and add 2 tsp of cumin to it. Roast it on medium heat till nice aroma spreads. Now crush this using a mortar and pestle to fine powder.

Kutchi Dabeli

We had a picnic and Arti, my neighbor and friend, introduced me to this food. I was so much interested in the dish that I asked her about it then itself. I tried it twice at home and its a super hit here.... :)

Kachcchhi Dabeli is a snack originated in Kutch,  Gujarat.  Dabeli means pressed and kachcchhi or kutchi just as it was originated in Kutch. Here potato with dabeli masala is pressed along with chutneys between ladi- pav (From Wiki)

Here is the recipe:

Potatoes-2 big(boiled & mashed)
Dabeli Masala-2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro-(finely chopped)
Oil-2 tbsp
Raisins-2 tsp
Pomgranate seeds/Grapes-2 tbsp
Masala peanuts- 1/4 cup
Onion-1 small(chopped)
Pav Buns/dinner rolls-4 no
Butter
Green Chutney
Dates-tamarind chutney/Sweet Chutney

Green Chutney:
Cilantro-1/2 cup
Mint-1/4 cup
Green chillies-2 to 3
Cumin powder-a pinch(roasted)
salt for taste
Grind all the ingredients with 2 tbsp of water to form a smooth paste. Serve with chaat.

Dates chutney/Sweet chutney:
Dates-1/2 cup(pitted)
Tamarind-1/4 cup(I used pulp)
Jaggery-1/4 cup
Salt to taste.
Cumin powder-a pinch(roasted)

Soak jaggery in little warm water to form liquid, strain and keep aside.
Soak dates in warm water for some time to soften.Remove & grind all the ingredients together.
** If using tamarind, remove the seeds & soak that  in warm water & grind.

Masala Peanuts:
Peanuts-1/2 cup
Oil to drizzle
Chili powder-1/4 tsp or less
Salt to taste

Heat  a wok, toast the peanuts. Drizzle oil on top and sprinkle chili powder and salt.Remove from heat after a few minutes.
**Before using masala peanuts you can remove the skin. You can even remove the skin first and then make masala peanuts out of it.

Method Of Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a pan ,fry the raisins and add the mashed potato, salt and dabeli masala.Add about 2 to 3 tbsp of water and mix well.Heat it till the spices get mixed and water evaporates.Turn off the heat.
2. Shift it to a plate,flatten it and garnish with  cilantro.Spread the masala peanuts, onion, pom seeds/grapes.Press it slightly on top of the poatato masala.
3. Heat a pan and add little butter to it.once hot  toast the slit buns on both sides.
4. Apply green chutney on one half and tamarind chutney on other half. Then stuff the dabeli masala and garnish with sev(I dint use it) if desired and serve hot.

Notes:
1. Adding Raisins is optional.
2. Once dabeli masala is added, before turning the heat off just check if the masala is sufficient, else add little more.
3. The chutney ratios depends on ur taste.Add ingredients accordingly.According to my ratio the coriander chutney had mild flavor of mint and sweet chutney was bit sweet and bit tangy.

Bitter Gourd Chutney

A recipe for all bitter gourd lovers...This doesn't mean that the recipe is very bitter...no its not so...This chutney is a bit bitter and tastes good.

Bitter gourd-1/2 of a big one.
Coconut-1/2 cup
Onion-1/4 piece
Tamarind- small pea shaped ball.
Salt to taste
Chilly powder-1/4 tsp
Curry leaves- 4 leaves.

Method Of Preparation:
1. Cut the bitter gourd and onion to small pieces.
2. Heat a wok and fry the ingredients without oil till coconut turns light brown.Do this on low flame, else you will burn it.
3. Once done, cool it and grind it coarsely using very little water.

** This chutney is slightly  bitter and very slightly sweet...

Coconut chutney/chammanthi

Another chutney made by my mom....A perfect one with rice/dosa....When I was studying my mom used to pack this along with rice in tiffin....

Coconut-1/2 cup
Ginger-1 tsp(minced)
Onion-1/4 piece
Dry Red chilly-2 no
Tamarind/paste-small piece/1/8 tsp
Salt to taste
Water-1 tsp

Method Of Preparation:
1. Grind all the ingredients without water, If you find grinding it difficult add very little water. The chutney should be thick.you should be able to make a ball of it with hand.
2. Serve with rice/dosa/idli

Tips:
1. Add very little of tamrind just for a slight tangy taste.
2. Red chilli is the only source to make it hot, so add according to ur spice level.

Coriander chutney

Today was a very hectic day as I was running behind my son....He was in the hall playing and me in kitchen....after some time when I peeped out there was no one....I went to the hall and saw the bedroom door was about to close...I ran there and put my head through the Small opening and there he was...sitting so innocently as if nothing was going on there...I picked him and gave him some of my toys(plate,spoon..) and left to work...again missing...uff...He goes into the room and tries to close it...and sits behind the door...about 5 times he did that...then I just locked the door and came to kitchen...again a big cry from the bedroom side...He had put his hand from bottom of the door and was not able to remove it back...I helped him and brought him to hall...again the same process....until finally I stopped cooking and sat near him...Then he gave a cute smile and continued with his toys...
Here is the naughty one...

So today posting a small chutney...My mom used to make this chutney whenever we made pulao...It has a nice flavour of coriander and garlic, both of which are my fav....A very easy to make chutney too...But if you don't like both the flavours then this wont fit you...you will just hate it...

Coriander leaves- 1 bunch
Garlic-2 cloves
Ginger-1 tsp(minced)
Green Chilly-1 no
Curd-2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method Of Preparation:
Grind all the ingredients with 1 tbsp of curd to smooth paste. Then transfer to a bowl and add the remaining curd.
Serve with rice.

Variations:
1. You can add 1/2(approx) cup of grated coconut and grind.
2. Instead of curd you can add lemon juice and mix. In that case you will be getting a thick chutney.
3. Mint can be added with coriander leaves to get a different flavored chutney. In that case add lemon juice instead of curd.

Tips:
1. While adding lemon juice check the sourness of chutney and add.
2. Do vary the amount of ingredients acc to ur taste buds.

Kappa/Tapioca with ulli chammanthi/shallot chutney

Tapioca and ulli chammanthi is always a fav of ours...I am sure most of the mallu's like this...so its a kind of easy and tasty snack/dinner for us...

Tapioca-2 no(cut to medium sized pieces,roughly)

Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Water to boil
Salt to taste
Mustard-1 tsp
Curry leaves-1 stalk
Shallots-6 nos
Dry Red Chilli-2 no
Coconut Oil-2 tsp/1 tbsp.

Method Of Preparation:
1. Cut the tapioca and wash with turmeric powder.
2. In a pressure cooker/vessel add the tapioca, turmeric and the water(water should stay above tapioca).Cook for two whistles(on high flame)/till tapioca becomes tender.
3. Drain the water in the tapioca(its not good to use)
4. In a wok,heat oil,sputter mustard,red chilli,fry shallots till translucent and add curry leaves and then add cooked tapioca along with required salt.Mix well.(If tapioca looks too dry and you feel like salt is not dissolved properly use a tsp of water,usually its not required.)
5. Serve warm.

Tips:
1. You can also add  grinded paste of coconut used in puzhukku. That also taste good.
2. 2 whistles in cooker sometimes makes tapioca bit mushy(we like it that way) ...If you want it hard and seperate pieces go for 1 whistle and the cook it open(if not done).Sometimes its cooking time depends on type of tapioca too...
3. Turmeric gives it a  yellow colour...if you dont want it whlie washing tapioca add turmeric and soak tapioca for 10 min. then wash it again with clear water and cook it without turmeric.

Shallot chutney/Ulli chammanthi

Shallots-10 no/half of big onion(cut to small pieces)
Chilly powder-1 to 1 nd 1/2 tsp(acc to ur spice level)
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil-2 tsp(reduce it to 1 tsp if you dont want it much)

Method Of Preparation:
1. Grind shallots, chilly powder,salt coarsely without using water. Transfer to a vessel and add coconut oil and mix well.Serve it with tapioca/dosa/idlli.

Tips:
1. You can also grate the shallot/onion,add chilly powder,salt and oil and mix.
2. Instead of chilly powder you can also use green chilly and curry leaves and grind it.

Coconut chutney

Coconut grated-1/2 cup
Shallots-6 no
Dry Red Chilly-2 no
Tamarind pulp-1/4 tsp
Salt
Water-1 tbsp/little

Method Of Preparation:
1. Roast the coconut and chilly without using oil. Wait till the colour of coconut changes to light brown.
2.Grind  all the ingredients together using very little water(it tastes good when thick and dry) till it becomes a grainy paste(not smooth). Serve with dosa or rice.