Carrot Radish pickle

This pickle tastes so good that it’s hard to let it last long. It’s over as you can eat it with everything. Flavors are strong from radish and the carrots break the pungency with the sweetness. I must warn you that it smells very strongly and not everyone may like the smell in the house.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup thickly julienned carrots
1 cup thickly julienned radish
4-5 tbsp oil ( mustard, olive, sunflower)
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp roasted methi powder
1/8 tsp hing
1 tbsp vinegar
METHOD

1. Dry the vegetables in the sun till they don’t have any moisture. 
2. Heat the oil on low flame and add all dry ingredients. 
3. Mix well to toast for 30 secs and add vegetables. 
4. Add vinegar and switch off the stove. 
5. Mix well, put in a jar and keep in the sun for a few days. 
6. You can eat it immediately but tastes great as it ages. 
7. Serve with saag, parathas, khichdee, masala puris. 

Zucchini chutney

South Indian cuisine is such a fascinating cuisine and my family craves it constantly. My friend Uma is very good with her stuff and specially the chutneys. Learnt a basic from her and decided to experiment with zucchini. It was most amazing. I have tried this with carrots too.

INGREDIENTS

2 sliced zucchinis

1 sliced onions

4/5 cloves garlic

1" piece of ginger

4 red chillies

Curry leaves a few

2 tbsp oil

1/5 tsp hing

1 tsp urad dal

Walnut size ball of tamarind

1 large tomato or 2 tbsp tomato paste 

1 tsp mustard seeds

Salt as per taste 

 

METHOD

Heat 1 tbsp oil, add hing, garlic, red chillies, ginger, onion ,tamarind and zucchini.Add tomato in case uou are not using paste.Cook till golden .

Cool and grind to paste.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and fry till golden.

Add curry leaves and add the paste.

Add salt and tomato paste and cook for 5 mins.

Serve out with idlis , dosa or rice balls .

Toor daal and rice steamed balls

Spicy peanut tomato no cook chutney

This chutney recipe was given by my sister in law and I was hooked. I use it for almost anything and goes very well as a dip with snacks and veg sticks.

Ingredients

3 Chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup roasted peanuts

2/3 cloves garlic

3 red chillies

1 tsp vinegar

Salt 

Method

Blend all the ingredients into a fine purée.

Refrigerate for few hours. Tastes better in a day or two.

Onion pickle

I  came across this recipe on a group I subscribed to.. Ghar ka khana.i twisted it to my liking a bit and the result was amazing. Goes well with mah ki daal, daal maharani,rajma or missi roti.

Ingredients

2 sliced onions

4/6 crushed garlic

3/4 chopped red or green chillies

3 tbsp vinegar

Salt

1 tbsp panch phoran crushed

3 tbsp olive oil

Method

Mix vegs with vinegar and salt.

Heat oil and add the panch phoran mixture. Heat thr ought for 10 secs or so.

Pour on to the vegs , stir well.let the flavors blend and serve.... Chathkhedaar!

Gobhi Shalgam and gajar ka achaar

One of the most favorite of most North Indians' is this favorite pickle is Gobhi shaljam ka mixed achaar that is made in most homes during winters.Here is the recipe for my dear Bhabhi in Singapore.

Ingredients
Carrots cut into 2" long pieces  4 nos
Shalgam cut into 2" long pieces  3 nos
Phool gobhi cut into florets         1/2
Ginger and garlic crushed          1/2 bowl
Oil (I used olive oil)                      1 cup
Chilli powder                                2 tsp
Garam masala                              1.5 tsp
Jaggery                                         about 50 gms( 1/4 cup)
Vinegar                                        1/2 cup
Red Mustard powder                 2 tbsp
Salt                                              2/4 tbsp

Boil a pot of water and add 1 tsp salt. Add the cut vegetables and cover and keep for 1.5 mins. Drain and keep on a sheet to dry in hot sun for a day.
Heat vinegar with jaggery till melted.
Heat oil and add ginger garlic paste and fry till golden. Add all the dry masalas and saute for few secs and add the jaggery mixture and mix well. Add the vegetables and mix well. Keep in the sun for few days and then its ready to eat.

Chilli spring onion chutney

      I had got these lovely red chillies from the supermarket and was wondering what to make with them.As usual, as my family loves various chutneys, I ended up making another fantastic tasting chutney....spicy and delicious.This goes very well with meals,dosas,idlis,as a spread on toast or even as a dip.We are addicted to it.These are lovely fat red chillies ,but even red bell peppers do the trick.Add any red chilli of choice.

Ingredients
Red chilli (fresh)                             200gms
dry red chillies                                6-8 nos
spring onions chopped                   4-5 nos
Peeled garlic                                   1 no
Mustard yellow                               1 tsp
Vinegar                                           1 tbsp
Tomato paste/puree                         2tbsp/1/2 cup
Olive oil                                          2 tbsp

Salt to taste.                            
Method
Soak red chillies in vinegar and about 1/4 cup of water for 1 hour.
Heat oil and add chillies , garlic,spring onions,mustard,red chillies with the reserve and saute till water evaporates and the mixture looks wilted.
Add the tomato paste and salt and cook for about 5 mins more.Cool.
Grind this into a fine paste.
Serve with dosa,idli, sandwiches or as a dip.

Mixed fruit chutney

      Many a times at my place we end up with many over ripe fruits. There is such a variety in the super markets here , that I compulsively end up buying  many at one go, only to be left with some which are overripe and not very crisp. So this afternoon I got pretty inspired to do something exciting....a cake...nope.....chutney.....yes! It was so luscious and yummy that it was wiped out in no time, best part is ....not too much sugar as there is goodness of natural fruit sugar.I did pack a bit in a bottle and gave it to my daughter's Korean playdate's mum, who loves chutneys.
Makes: about 500 gms 
Ingredients
Chopped pears                                  2 nos
Chopped plums                                6-8 nos
Chopped apricots                             2-3 nos
Chopped onions                              1 no
Chopped garlic                                6-8 pods
Ginger chopped                               1 tbsp
Bay leaf                                           1 no
Red chilli whole                              1 no
pepper corns                                   6-8 nos
chilli powder                                  1/2 tsp
Coriander powder                          1 tsp
Haldi                                              1/2 tsp
Hing                                               1/5 tsp
mustard seeds                                 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds                                   1/2 tsp
oil                                                   1 tbsp
Sugar                                              2 tbsp
salt to taste                      
Method
Heat oil, add hing,mustard,cumin,bay leaf,red chilli  and peppercorns.Let them crackle.
Add chopped garlic,ginger and onions.Saute on slow heat for 3 mins.
Now add chopped fruits and all the spices,turn them well.Add 1/2 cup water ,cover to cook.
About 5 mins later, yurn it again so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once mashy add sugar and cook on high heat to adjust consistency.The fruits are soft , yet hold the shape still.
Cool and serve with crackers,rice or as a dip with taco shells.

5 peppers spicy pickle

This time when I peeped into my fridge I had lovely red chillies, green chillies 2 different kinds and thought this time I would try and put all the different chillies I have in the house and make a nice spice mix that I can use as a chutney, relish or as an addition in another dish.I tried this new one and it was fantastic.I mixed it with some cooked rice and melted butter, spicy red rice is ready too.Enjoy with a nice salad.
Ingredients
Big red cillies                               5 nos
Big green chillies                          3 nos
Sharp thin green chillies                5 nos
Dry red chillies                             5 nos
Pickled green peppercorns           1 tbsp
garlic pods                                   3 nos
tomato paste                                3 tbsp
salt                                              3/5 tsp
yellow mustard seeds                   2 tbsp
Vinegar                                       2 tbsp
Olive oil                                      150 ml

Method
Clean all the fresh chillies.
Soak red chillies in vinegar for 30 mins.
In a blender put the chillies,garlic,yellow mustard seeds and vinegar chillies and grind to a coarse paste.
Heat oil and add this mixture and cook on high heat to evaporate the water in it.
Add the salt and tomato paste and keep cooking.Now add the pickled peppercorns.
Cook till all the water is gone and the oil seems to come out.
Cool and store in jars.
Enjoy with anything that needs spicing up.

Rhubarb chutney

My 1st encounter, if I may call it so, with rhubarb was many years ago when I came to Germany.A friend treated me to a rhubarb cake and I was not used to a cake that is sour.In India cakes are always sweet even if they added fruit, they added more sweet to counter the sourness.
   I saw the rhubarb sticks in the super market and thought I should try using it in my kitchen too.I made rhubarb with red beans and since it was my 1st time, I ended up adding too much and we had a hard time finishing it .For me a chutney would just be the way of adding it to my plate.I made this chutney with fresh mint and boy,was it great!It tasted really good and we had it with crackers and now eat it with rotis too.It tastes like mango chutney,though I must add I found its raw smell too overpowering for me.Try and see.
Ingredients
Rhubarb sticks cleaned and chopped             250 gms
Chopped garlic                                              5 cloves
chopped big red jalapeño                               1 no(adds a lovely color)
Fresh mint                                                      1 fist full
dry red chilli                                                   1 no
mustard seeds                                                1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds                                                  1/2 tsp
Oil                                                                 1 tbsp
Tumeric powder                                            1/2 tsp
chilli powder                                                  1/2 tsp
coriander powder                                          1/2 tsp
sugar                                                             1/4 cup( as required to taste)
Hing                                                              1/5 tsp
pickled green peppercorns                             1 tsp
salt to taste  
Method
Heat oil in a pan, add hing and red chilli.Put in the mustard and cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Drop in the garlic and let it cook till golden.
Put in the rhubarb and red jalapeño peppers and mix well.
Sprinkle all the dry spice powders and salt.Add about 1/4 cup water and pressure cook or cover to cook till soft and mashy.
Now add the sugar,peppercorns and mint leaves and cook to evaporate water till it is thick consistency.Add more/less suagr according to taste.Mix with back of the spoon to integrate all the things well.
Serve with crackers ,as a dip or with Indian food. 

Mint/Pudina chutney

      I am not too fond of mint , but there are days when certain foods make you want that hint of mint.Just a nice sweet and sour mint chutney makes your food very yummy, increases the appetite.Here is a recipe of a lovely mint chutney, right now I am hooked on to.I love to eat it with a misi roti, paratha or even a kachori.Try this out even as a dip with vegetable sticks,nachos, chips, cutlets and kebabs.
Ingredients
Mint leaves                           a packed cup
Roasted peanuts                   2 tbsp
green chilli                            2 nos
ginger chopped                    1 tbsp
garlic                                   4-5 cloves
chopped coriander              1/2 cup
hing                                     1/5 tsp
cumin seeds                         1/2 tsp
black rock salt                     1/2 tsp
sugar/optional                      1/2 tsp
Thick tamarind(pulp)           2 tbsp
salt to taste                                                
 Method
Put all the ingredients in a blender and churn well till smooth and even.Chill in a bottle.Serve with food of your choice.

Tomato and carrot chutney with flax seeds

         This chutney found my way on a plate because I love flax seeds as they are good for health.I eat them daily but my kids had to start getting used to it.So this was a good way to start.I made a nice mixed flour dosa/pancakes with loads of texture.Kids loved it.so here is this lovely recipe.
Ingredients
Chopped onions                          2 nos
Chopped tomatoes                      4 nos
Chopped carrot                           1 no
peeled garlic                                6-7 cloves
red chilli                                      1-2 no
flax seeds                                    1 tbsp
curry leaves                                 10-12nos
oil                                               1+1 tbsp
hing                                             1/5 tsp
urad dal                                       1 tsp
mustard seeds                              1/2 tsp
salt to taste
Method
Heat 1 tbsp oil and add all the onions, garlic, red chilli ,flax seeds and curry leaves.
When they turn translucent, add tomatoes, salt and hing.Cook till water evaporates.
Cool and grind finely.
heat oil and add hing, mustard seeds and urad dal.When they crackle and urad dal colors, add the chutney and cook for 5 mins.Serve with dosas, idlis, dhoklas etc.

Idlis

     If something that just peps my mood , its a plate of steaming idlis ducked into hot sambhar and/or with spicy chutney.The day I decide to make idlis, the whole family makes sure they have a full quota for the week.I have always made them but since the last few years,we got very good batter ready made near my home in Pune, I stopped grinding it.It made life very easy as I would just decide when to eat them and the man would give you a batter as needed,one that was already fermented for instant cooking and the other unfermented if you decide to make it later.The guy from south India could not speak much except his language but did brisk business all day,doling out packets of idli/dosa batter with chutney.Once we moved here to Germany, the carving increased manifold.Then started looking for a great mixer, which could grind the perfect batter.Braun food processor entered our home and started trial and error of that perfect ,soft,white cottony idlis.Thanks to my friend Sumathi,God bless her,we have idli batter each week in our fridge.She has given me the exact proportions along with a lovely chutney which I play around with and get different tastes.So here is the recipe dedicated to her.Thanks Sumathi!!
Ingredients
Par boiled (idli) rice                       2 1/2 cup
white urad dal (whole)                   1 cup
Fenugreek seeds                            1 tsp
salt to taste.
Method
Soak parboiled rice after washing in enough water for 5-6 hours.Wash dal not too rigorously and add fenugreek seeds and keep aside too.
Grind dal  with  little water at a time and grind to a fine paste till it is very fluffy.Keep aside.Grind rice till it is very fine with little water.Do not let the batter get heated.Mix it to the dal mixture and mix well to a thick pouring consistency.Add salt.
Keep in a warm place overnight.Next morning , it would have doubled.Mix slowly and pour into greased idli molds.Steam for about 7-10 mins till the knife comes clean.Cool for about 5 mins and with a sharp knife scoop out hot soft fluffy idlis.Serve with chutney,sambhar and ghee if you like.

Tomato and onion chutney
Chopped onions                         2 nos
Chopped tomatoes                     2 nos
Garlic peeled                              5-6 cloves
red chilli                                     2 nos
oil                                              2 tbsp
salt to taste
FOR TEMPERING
oil                                              1 tsp
mustard seeds                            1 tsp
urad dal                                     1 tsp
curry leaves                               6-8 nos
Method
Heat 2 tbsp oil and add the onions and garlic and saute on slow heat.Add tomatoes and red chiili keep cooking on slow flame till the water evaporates.Add salt and cool.Grind well.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds.Put in dal when the seeds crackle.Add the curry leaves and pour over the chtney.Serve with steaming hot idlis.

Tip
Add 1 tbsp roasted bengal gram while cooking onions to get the chutney a bit thicker and differ the taste.

Spicy Red chilli and tomato sauce/chutney

      My husband does not leave any opportunity to pick up chillies from any store he sees.We had about 4 different varieties of chillies in my fridge and was today forced to finally make 2 different chutnies.I was very pleased with this one in particular.The colour is fantastic, red and spicy hot!!I look forward to eating it with all my meals this week!!

Ingredients
Thick red chillies                 3 nos
peeled garlic                       1 full pod
tomato paste                       50 gms
olive oil                              2 tbsp
lime juice                            2 tbsp
salt to taste

Method
Wash and chop the chillies roughly.Roughly crush the chillies with the garlic in a blender.Heat oil and pu the crushed chilli mixture.Add salt and cook on high heat till water gets dried.Add the thick tomato paste , salt and lime juice.Cook till it thickens.Cool and store in dry jar.Serve with pancakes,sandwiches,dosas and snacks.

Carrot chilli garlic pickle

     My mother in law makes a carrot pickle which we relished with hot parathas as it was spicy, pungent as she put mustard oil in it and we loved it.I tried this version as we are fans of garlic.The colors are fabulous and taste really nice and strong.Have it with Indian food, crackers,sandwiches or with grilled food.It would serve as a great accompaniment.
Ingredients
Grated carrots                 250 gms
chopped green chillies        50 gms
crushed garlic                     50 gms
crushed mustard                   2 tbsp
Olive/Mustard oil                 2 tbsp
lime juice                             2 tbsp
salt to taste
haldi                                    1/4 tsp
Method
Mix all the ingredients together and keep overnight in a covered pan.Next day mix well and fill in a jar.It ready in 2 days time.It would sour as the days go buy.In India due to heat the pickle would stay longer but here due to the conditions here, I would prefer to keep it in the fridge.It stays good for upto 2 weeks.Serve as an accompaniment.

Chilli peanut chutney/dip

   We are very fond of spicy food .This afternoon my taste buds wanted something tangy to add to my Indian meal of rice,lentils and vegetables.So looked in and found the green chillis of 2 types,one long not so spicy and the other nice and sharp.So got some things together and came with this lovely stuff to eat with my meals as well as a spread and with chips too.This is lovely spicy,tangy and has a lot of texture with peanuts.
Ingredients
Long green chillies(mild)          8 nos
small sharp chillies                   8 nos
garlic peeled                            1 pod
roasted peanuts                       1/4 tbsp
sliced onions                            1 no
yellow mustard seeds               1 tbsp
olive oil                                    1/4 cup
salt to taste
lemon juice                             of  2 lemons
                                                
Method
Heat oil and put all the ingredients and saute till all the ingredients discolor slightly and onions are translucent.Add the lime juice and grind to a rough paste.Store in a bottle.Keeps for over a week.serve as a spicy, tangy accompaniment.

coconut and cucumber chutney

After a heavy lunch today, on the menu for dinner was savory waffles with potato knodels and chutney.But to my disappointment, there were no peanuts and nothing that could be made into a nice accompaniments.After a bit of head scratching, I came up with this lovely chutney and it went very well with vegetable waffles.Here is the chutney.Try.
Ingredients
grated coconut     100 gms
green chillies          2 nos
garlic cloves           2 nos
pinenuts,sunflower and pumpkin seeds  2 tbsp
cucumber              3" piece
yoghurt                  1/2 bowl
salt to taste
For tempering-
oil                            1/2 tbsp
mustard seeds           1/2 tsp
chilli powder             1/2 tsp
Method
Put all the ingredients in the blender and grind till it is a fine puree.Heat oil, add the mustard seeds let them splutter.add chilli powder and once they color, add to the chutney.Serve with fritters, waffles or as a dip.

Peanut chutney

   This is one chutney I have in hand which is quick and goes with everything that I make.When I have nothing to add zing ,this does the trick.Its quick,tangy,pungent and spicy and people love it.You can use it like a dip too with nachos and vegetable sticks.All the ingredients are there generally at home.
Ingredients
roasted peanuts           1/2 cup
green chillies                 2 nos
garlic pods                    1 tbsp
curry leaves{optional}   15 nos
curd                             1/2 cup
salt                                to taste
hing                               1/4 tsp
Method
Put peanuts,garlic,chillies,curry leaves,coriander leaves if you have, salt and hing into a mier and grind to a fine paste.You may need to add a bit of curd to do that.When done,add the rest of the curd and whisk well.Serve with fritters,pancakes,and all things savory.Tastes out of the world!!

Bell pepper chutney

I tried to make rava dosa the other day and thought need to make some nice spicy chutney.Opened my vegetable tray, found a couple of red tomatoes and a red bell pepper.My friend back home told me her aunt used to make a lovely chutney with green peppers, I thought should try this combination.The result was amazing and I had my family fighting for the last spoonful.

Ingredients
Tomatoes                  2 nos
onion                         1 no
Red bell pepper          1 no
garlic                          1/2 pod
curry leaves                 2 tbsp
tamarind                      a small piece
coriander seeds          1/2 tbsp
bengal gram                1 tbsp
methi seeds                1/2 tsp
cumin seeds                1/2 tsp
mustard seeds             1/2 tsp
hing                            1/4 tsp
red chillies                   3 nos
oil                               1 tbsp
salt to taste
Method
Chop tomatoes,onions, bell peppers and garlic.Heat oil and add hing,methi,mustard,cumin seeds,bengal gram and saute till golden.Add the rest of the ingredients and saute till water evaporates.Cool it .Now grind to a fine paste.Serve this chutney with dosas, idlis or mixed dal pancakes.

Chilli garlic chutney no. 2

This chutney is my favorite!! I love it as it is spicy,sour,garlicky and it tastes great with dosas, idlis,rice,curd rice and almost anything.I just hide it in my fridge.I have a good friend who is from south of India and she is one reason why I have suddenly activated my taste buds and they drool over that cuisine.My family is happy that I am again doing more of south Indian food.Try this lovely chutney.
Ingredients
Green chillies               250 gms
garlic                           200 gms
ginger                           25 gms
tamarind                       size of a lemon
olive oil                         1/2 cup
hing                              1/4 tsp
bengal gram                  1 Tbsp
curry leaves                   1/2 cup
mustard seeds                1 tbsp
salt to taste
Method
Wash and dry chillies.Peel ginger and chop.In a mixer, crush green chillies,garlic,curry leaves,tamarind and ginger.They should not get pureed.Need to be crushed roughly.Heat oil, add hing,mustard and let them splutter.Add the bengal gram and let them color.Add the crushed chilli mixture and cook at high heat.Add salt to taste.Cook till there is no water and oil comes out.Store in a jar in the fridge.Keeps for months.