Mint-Cilantro/Coriander-Coconut Chutney

Mint-Cilantro chutney is one of my favorite chutneys! It is a go-to accompaniment for must appetizers, be it kebabs, pakoras or bhajias! It is also great with almost all kinds of dosas & idlis. It is a perfect amalgamation of the fragrance and flavors of both herbs. This chutney can be made with or without coconut. 

I like to make it with coconut as it adds bulk to the chutney. When I make it with coconut, I usually do not use garlic or onion in it. I only use ginger and green chilies to spice it up. For the version without coconut, click here.

Servings: 10

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 0Total time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Cilantro: 1/2 bunch, leaves separated from the stems & cleaned, stems discarded.
Mint: 1/2 bunch, leaves separated from the stems & cleaned, stems discarded.
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2-3 small, can be adjusted based on individual spice level.
Fresh ginger: 1 inch, peeled.
Tamarind: if dry marble sized. If using the pulp, 1/4 tsp.
Salt: as per taste
Water: 1/2 cup

Tempering: ( optional)
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Method:

In a blender, add all the above ingredients except cilantro and mint and grind them.When coconut is almost ground to a fine paste, add the cilantro & mint leaves and blend it to a fine paste.
You could add a little more water while grinding as needed as per your desired consistency of the chutney.

Tempering ( optional):
Heat coconut oil in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and turn off the flame.
Add this tempering to the chutney.

This chutney could be served with samosas,rotis, fritters, rotisserie chicken, kebabs etc. It could also be used in sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

It is a great idea to make this chutney and keep it in your freezer to use as needed. This chutney is not only a great as a dip but is also a great base for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and pulao and biryanis.

Tip for healthy living:

Herbs have plenty of medicinal value. It is an established fact that mint is a great digestive aid.

Food for thought:

Genius is the ability to renew one's emotions in daily experience. Paul Cezanne

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Dudde Phulla Gojju ( pumpkin flower chutney)

This post was written a couple of months ago and I never got the time to publish it! I am glad it is here now when everyone has come back with renewed determination to eat healthy!!

Did you know that you could make a dip/chutney from pumpkin flowers??
I didn't know either!

During Fall, when I went pumpkin picking, I picked up a bunch of pumpkin buds to fry! Yes, it is a specialty cuisine in our community! The lady at the farm told me to pick as many flowers as I wished! My 4 & 7 year old kids were also picking them for me. They picked up a bunch of not just buds but flowers too!!

The flowers in the back were used for this chutney/gojju

I was regaling this to my mom and telling her how sad I would feel to throw them out. My mom told me to make chutney out of the blossomed flowers. I laughed when she told me that! I had never heard of such a thing! But when I realized how easy the recipe was, I decided to give it a try. The result was delicious! It was gone within a day! We used it as a dip with the dosa for breakfast and then again with rice for lunch!

Do give this simple recipe a try!

Servings: 3-4

Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 5 minsTotal time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Pumpkin flowers: around 20-25
Red chillies: 2
Methi seeds: 3-4 nos
Asafoetida powder: a pinch
Salt: to taste
Ghee ( clarified butter) or oil: 1/2 tsp
Tamarind : pea-sized if dry or 1/8 tsp if using pulp.
Water: 1/4 cup


Tempering:
Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaf: a sprig

Method:

Wash and thoroughly clean the pumpkin leaves. Separate flowers from stem. Discard stems.

Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in a frying pan. Add the red chillies, methi seeds, asafoetida & pumpkin flowers. Sauté for a couple of mins or until the flowers are wilted.
Turn off the flame & let it cool down.
Once cooled, add tamarind, salt and eyes and blend it to a smooth paste.
Take this in a bowl.

Tempering:
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a frying pan.
Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and turn off the flame.

Add this on top of the chutney as garnish.

Mix before serving.

Serve with dosa/ chapati or rice!

Can be refrigerated and used for up to a week.


Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #156  and Saucy Saturdays#81.

Cooking made easy:

Regular cooking oil can be used as a substitute for most recipes that call for ghee or clarified butter. However, the dish may not be as flavorful. If you are health conscious then it is better to use ghee & oil in the ratio of 1:1. The dish will be low in calories yet flavorful!

Tip for healthy living:

Ghee is a much healthier option than most oils. A little bit of ghee can go a long way in making your dish flavorful. Also, ghee prevents food from burning easily when you have to sauté for long periods of time.

Food for thought:

Nothing has more strength than dire necessity. Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Sour Mango Chutney; no garlic recipe. Meatless Monday

At our home, we love mango chutneys. We make raw mango chutney, ripe mango chutney. You name it, we make it. This particular one came along by accident. When I went to the grocery store the other day, I saw some yellow mangoes at an inexpensive price. I decided to get  some to eat. When I sliced it and sat down to eat, I was very disappointed! They were horribly sour! Not even salt could help! I decided to salvage them by making chutney out of it. Usually raw mango chutney is made with garlic. However, this one was ripe but sour. Therefore I decided to make it a no garlic recipe. I used asofoetida ( hing) instead, which made it perfect for the Navratri fasting. Here is the quick and easy recipe for a delicious chutney that can be devoured with dosa, idli, chapati or as a side dish with rice!

Servings: makes 2 cups of chutney

Ingredients:

Sour mango: 1 medium sized
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2-3 medium-sized
Asofoetida: a pinch if using powder, 1/2 tsp if using solution.
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/4 cup

Method:

Peel and slice the mango. Add the sliced mango pieces with all the above ingredients to the blender/ food processor. Blend until it is a smooth, fine paste.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with dosa, idli, chapati, rice and even in sandwiches.

You can store it in the refrigerator for upto 7 days and for longer in the freezer.

Cooking made easy:

If you think you will not be using all of the chutney in the next few days, freeze half of the chutney in a freezer-safe container as soon as it is made.  To use frozen chutney, just remove it from the freezer and leave it on the counter-top for a few hours to bring it to room-temperature. Alternatively, you can take it from the freezer and keep it in the refrigerator section of your fridge, overnight.

You can alter the mango-coconut ratio to your liking. If you don't wish to use too much coconut, use half the amount of the mango slices that you have.

You can use dried red chillies or red chilli powder if you don't have green chillies.

Tip for healthy living:

Raw mangoes are rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Food for thought:

A charming woman doesn't follow the crowd. She is herself. Loretta Young.

Piyava Gojju (Tangy, spiced onion chutney/dip); Meatless Monday

Chutneys and dips form such an integral part of the Indian cuisine, especially so with the South Indian cuisine. No meal is complete without the presence of a chutney or gojju. Gojju is another Indian terminology for chutney or dip. We like it for breakfast to dip our dosas and idlis; we like it with our lunch and dinner to spice up the meals.

The plethora of chutneys available are amazing. You could make chutneys out of almost any vegetable. Today, I am bringing to you Piyava gojju as they call it in Konkani language. Piyavu means onion and gojju means chutney. So, Piyava Gojju literally translates into Onion chutney.

This recipe makes me nostalgic. It brings back memories of the times I spent in my aunt's home and her mother ( Indira mai) would make it to go with Paan polo or Neer dose. Till date, I think Indira Mai makes the best Piyava chutney. The spicy, tangy onion chutney makes for a perfect dip for the bland panpolo. It is also perfect for dinner with kanji. If you still have leftover chutney, you can use it as a marinade.This recipe is courtesy Mrs. Indira Pai.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Onion: 1, medium-sized
Red chillies: 2
Coconut oil: 2 drops
Tamarind : marble-sized if using dried; 1/4 tsp if using pulp.
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/4 cup

Method:

Roast the red chillies in 1-2 drops of oil. Grind this with tamarind and water to a fine paste in a blender/food processor.

Roughly chop the onions. Add the chopped onions and salt to the blender/food processor. Pulse once or twice.

Remove from the blender.

Serve with dosas/crepes/ meals of your choice.

Stays fresh in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday, Saucy Saturday and Angie's Fiesta Friday where  Josette @ thebrookcook and Lily @ little sweet baker are co-hosts. I know I am a little late for the party but I was busy having a birthday party for my daughter.

Cooking made easy:

Whenever you chop onions, make sure they you clean the knife right away as it otherwise makes your knife blunt.

Tip for healthy living :

Whenever you buy snacks, buy small packs. This will satisfy your craving and at the same time prevent you from overindulging.

Food for thought:

The days you work are the best days. Georgia O'Keeffe

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Vegetarian/Vegan, Low-Fat Dips & Chutneys.

SuperBowl50 is around the corner. It is a HUGE milestone to the football community. There will be several SuperBowl parties everywhere! There will be finger foods galore. With finger foods, comes the notorious dips & chutneys that are oh, so delicious!! Sometimes, the finger food itself may be healthy, but the dip is calorie-laden, artery-clogger! It takes a little more thinking and creativity to make the dips healthy and low-calorie.

I am therefore bringing to you a collective of dips & chutneys from my blog that are low-calorie,  low-fat, and are  vegan or vegetarian. Some of them are spicy but the spice level can be adjusted as per individual spice tolerance. I hope you can/will find something that works for you! Click on the individual title to view the recipe in its entirety.

Pico de gallo

Ambuli ( Green Mango) Chutney

Cilantro-Coconut Chutney/Dip

Coconut-Ginger Chutney/Dip

Cranberry Chutney

Loshne Chutney/Garlic Chutney

Ghosale Sheera Chutney ( Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney)

Peanut Chutney

Pomegranate peel and ridge-gourd peel chutney

If you have not yet found yet what you like, check this collective out!! I am sure you will find something that you will absolutely love!!

I am bringing these dips/chutneys to the parties at Throwback Thursday, Fiesta Friday and Saucy Saturday. Lily @ Little Sweet Baker and Julianna @ Foodie On Board are Angie's  co-hosts this week at Fiesta Friday.

Super Bowl Collective of Vegetarian Appetizers, Dips & Desserts

Cooking made easy:

Most chutneys, can be made ahead of time in big batches and frozen. When needed, thaw and use it. Some dips like anything with avocado or yogurt is best made a few hours prior!

Tip for healthy living:

Here are some tips to help control indulging at SuperBowl parties, especially if you are a diabetic. These were shared kindly by a very proactive and enterprising person, Ms. Geeta Kakade, who runs a diabetic support group on Facebook.

Special days like Superbowl Sunday generate excitement, anticipation and looking ahead. This is just an example but there are lots for special days in each of our lives surrounding them. When they revolve around food and get togethers here's what I do to protect myself as a diabetic....

1. I might decide to throw caution to the wind and eat whatever I want to at the get together (esp. if I've had a very 'good' week with diet/exercise and test results.)
'Whatever I want to/feel like' still involves moderation so it doesn't result in high sugars followed by a sleepless night followed by a day when I can't do much else except rest and get everything back to normal.
2. I do the above sometimes, but nowadays I'd rather err on the side of caution. I make sure there are things to eat that are good for me and first eat them.
As far as possible I skip the carbs.
3. When it comes to my favorite course...dessert...I taste all the other stuff practicing portion control. My idea of portion control is like this...a one mm thick slice of a pie, one inch long...I did this at Thanksgiving and tasted about nine desserts this way and still didn't exceed my 'portion size'...it worked so well and I had normal test results the next day, so I will continue doing this. It satisfies my dinosaur sweet tooth and mentally I don't feel like a food martyr even though people look at my plate in great surprise and then pity!
3. If anyone asks/comments I tell them about diabetes and the way high and low sugars impact my life and assure them I'm happy/have become used to, the choices I make and don't even want to eat large portions any more. Whether they believe me or not is their concern, not mine.

I hope you will protect yourself by planning ahead to face your next food challenge.

Food for thought:

If we did all things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. Thomas A. Edison

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Cilantro-Coconut Chutney/Dip; Meatless Monday

For time immemorial, Cilantro is the most commonly  used herb in India. It is used in chutneys, dips, sauces, and for garnishing. It gives the dish a nice flavor.I often make cilantro-coconut chutney to go with my dosas and idlis. It is healthy, delicious and super-easy to make. You can also make cilantro chutney without using coconut.

The recipe for that is slightly different as it is usually made by grinding cilantro using lemon juice so as to increase it's shelf life. With coconut, the chutney has a very short shelf life as the coconut goes rancid pretty easily. Unless it is for chaat, I like the coconut-cilantro chutney more as it has a very hearty deliciousness. Here is the recipe for the cilantro-coconut chutney made in my home.

Servings: Makes around 2 cups

Ingredients:

Cilantro: 1 bunch, leaves separated from the stems; stems discarded.
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2 small
Fresh ginger: 1 inch, peeled.
Garlic: 2 small cloves
Tamarind: if dry marble sized. If using the pulp, 1/4 tsp.
Salt: as per taste
Water: 1/2 cup

Tempering: ( optional)
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Method:

In a blender, add all the above ingredients except cilantro and grind them.When coconut is almost ground to a fine paste, add the cilantro and blend it to a fine paste. You could add a little more water while grinding as needed as per your desired consistency of the chutney.

Tempering ( optional):
Heat coconut oil in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and turn off the flame.
Add this tempering to the chutney.

This chutney could be served with samosas,rotis, fritters, rotisserie chicken, kebabs etc. It could also be used in sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

For chutneys, it is best to pluck the cilantro leaves from the stem and use it. The use of the stem part in the chutney can make the chutney taste bitter.  Reserve the stems and use it in dishes like tomato saaru, dal and sambar. When added in this manner, the stems add flavor and aroma to the dish.

Tip for healthy living:

Making chutneys and dip using different vegetables and herbs is a great way to include soluble and insoluble fiber in our daily diet. Fiber helps prevent bowel irregularities and is essential for good gastrointestinal health and function. Dietary fiber also may help with feeling full and satiated and therefore eating smaller meals which in turn helps with weight control.

Food for thought:

The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one's self to others. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Peanut Chutney

Peanuts or groundnuts as we call them back home , are known as " poor man's almonds". The reason for this is the fact that peanuts have the same amount of protein as almonds! Peanuts can be snacked on, used in seasonings and garnishes. Who doesn't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?? I like them all. I like the crunch of the peanuts!  We make peanut chutney! Have you heard of that before ? It is a super-easy dip that goes great with dosas and idlis. I like to make this chutney at times when I don't have freshly grated coconut on hand. To be truthful, now-a-days I make this chutney more than the coconut chutney,not only because it is easy, but also because it is a great way to get protein into the kids and also because this chutney has a longer shelf life than the coconut chutney. Coconut chutney gets rancid in no time even when kept in the fridge, while this chutney remains fresh for a longer period of time.I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday# 61. It is now being hosted in it's new home.Both Selma and Margy are wonderful cooks,amazing bloggers and great co-hosts.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Peanuts: 1 cup
Garlic: 1 small clove
Green chillies: 2 small ( you can adjust based on your desired spice level).
Jeera( cumin seeds): 1/2 tsp
Tamarind pulp: 1/4 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Water: 1/2 cup

For tempering:( optional)
Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp 

Jeera/cumin seeds:1/8 tsp

Mustard seeds:1/2 tsp
Urad dal: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 small sprig

Method:

In a food processor or blender/ mixer-grinder, grind together peanuts, garlic, cumin seeds, green chilli, tamarind, salt and water to a fine paste.

For tempering:

Heat oil in a small skillet/pan, add jeera, then mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter add urad dal and curry leaves. Turn off the flame and add this to the above ground paste.

Serve with idli/dosa.

Mushti polo served with Ghosale sheere chutney, dry garlic chutney powder and peanut chutney.

Can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

I make life easy by using salted, roasted peanuts that I munch on to make this chutney. That ways I don't have to store several different kinds of peanuts in my pantry.

While making this chutney, make sure you use enough water as otherwise the peanuts start letting out oil!

Tip for healthy living:

A handful of peanuts daily will contribute a significant amount of the daily required protein and essential fatty acids.Peanuts are believed to have the ability to reduce inflammation.They contain mono-saturated fatty acids like Oleic acid which is believed to reduce LDL levels in the body and increase HDL ( good cholesterol levels).They are a good source of vitamin E and the B-complex.It is also rich in minerals like manganese, calcium, potassium, magnesium and selenium.

Food for thought:

Quick decisions are unsafe decisions. Sophocles