CHERRY AND TOMATO CHUTNEY

 We bought a box full of Cherrys as my childlren love them to eat.  When I made bun dosa, what to make as accompaniment for this as I do not want my husband to eat molagai podi with lots of oil in it.  So decided to make the chutney out of the cherries.  

With cherries alone, I felt, it will not be tasty much as I was not willing to add coconut to it.  So I decided to added tomato with it and boiled it and tempered with mustard seed and curry leaves.

I  am not sure about the nutritional value after cooking the cherries but enjoyed the same with the dosa.  As it was worth posting, here the easy and simple recipe.

tomato cherry chutney

UPPU MANGAI ARACHUKALAKI ( AZHUGU MANGAI,SALTED MANGO) /CHUTNEY)

Uppu mangai,salted mango or azhugu mangai means raw tender mangoes are preserved in salt water.  When the mango becomes very soft and changed its colour to a light yellowish brown colour and able to smash it with hands, at that time it is removed from the Bharani (jar).  This is the old practice my mother used to follow which I am also following. 

Arachukalakki is a side dish served with molagootal, dal rice etc.  It means with little coconut and green chilli, this uppu mangai or raw mango or yam etc. are used to grind to a fine paste or coarse paste,in case of raw mango.

UPPU MANGAI, SALTED MANGO, AZHUGU MANGAI

To be frank with you, I am tracing  all the old  grandma recipes forgotten for the past 40 years of my life in Mumbai.  Whenever iIsee some age  old recipes,  (old is gold) I never miss the chance of tasting it, wherever it may be.

Today when I made mix sprouts dosa (you can make adai also), I was wondering what to make as accompaniment.  Since we are strictly on diet, consuming coconut is restricted hence I cannot make coconut chutney. 

I saw the bottle of mangoes lying in front of me, I said, why not make this today.  Here i am sharing with you this age old recipe with you so that you will also enjoy the same.

IDLI BHEL

Idli bhel can be made as a chaat  item.  I had prepared dahi  idli chaat, idli fry, idli upma, idli chole chaat with left over idlis and the bhel is another  interesting chaat  item which everyone will enjoy specially children. 

You are always having the simple ingredients at home so it is not a big issue to prepare this dish.

KHAMAN DHOKLA (INSTANT) ll HOW TO MAKE KHAMAN DHOKLA ll RASAVINSUVAI

Khaman dhokla is basically made with gram flour.  A sweet , tangy super soft fluffy dish can be enjoyed at any time of the day with mint and sweet chutney. Gujarat's   famous dish anytime you can relish.

There are various ways of preparing it with curd etc, here I am sharing my friend Rinku's method of preparing this lovely dish.

My daughter and I am very fond of this dish and I make it very often. I also prepare the dhokla with rava,  idli batter etc.

Now let us look at the recipe now:

RAGADA PATTICE

Ragada pattice is a famous Mumbai Chaat dish.  Whenever you eat paani puri, dahi puri, bhel etc. this item is also available in the stall  with the masalas in it topped with tomato, onion, the puris or sev etc. which is mouth watering. The  It is made out of aloo pattice and the gravy is made with  white watana (dried white peas).  It is a nice snack item in the evening you can serve hot.

Ragada pattice

PUMPKIN, FLAXSEED GUN POWDER (diet friendly recipe)

Pumpkin seeds are roasted and eaten by us.  My mother used to give us this when we were small.  When I came to know about the health benefits of flax seed and the pumpkin seeds, I thought of mixing these two and make the gun powder out of it.

Believe me, it is really tasty and will love the same as these two ingredients has got medicinal benefits.

Gun powder or Milagai Podi it is known as is served along with Dosa, Idli and I use the same for making some dry subzi too.

PUMPKIN, FLAXSEED GUN POWDER (diet friendly recipe).  dosa milagai podi

INSTANT AMLA SWEET CHUTNEY

Amla is the rich source of Vitamin C.  During the season, I make lot of gooseberry pickle, gooseberry rice,out of it.  I love the gooseberry chutney too.  Today's special is  instant sweet chutney out of it.  This is my 400th post.  I thought of posting a sweet dish but without realising it, I posted the jackfruit jam and jackfruit kheer before this.  Any way, life is mixture of sorrows, happiness and the food is also sweet, sour and spicy.

DAHI PHULKI, GRAM FLOUR VADA IN YOGHURT

Dahi phulki is somewhat similar to the dahi vada but here it is prepared with besan i.e. gram flour/chickpea flour. The taste is entirely different as the main ingredient varies in it.   This dish is prepared during Ramadan and Eid.  

Since Ramadan is on 26th June 2017 i.e.  tomorrow, I thought of sharing this recipe with you all. so that you can relish this dish.   These vadas can be served with some chuntey and sauce too.

Preparation is very easy and can be served with or without chilling.  Here I am presenting the original method, but variations  can be adopted according to ones choice. Mustard oil is used, I used the normal cooking oil.

Let us look at the recipe now:video

ALOO TOKRI CHAAT

Tokri means katori, wati,  bowl  or basket you can call it.  The tokris are made either with maida or with aloo.  here I am giving the recipe of aloo tokri.

I happened to have this item in one of the mall when we along with our neighbour, went out with the kids.  It was quite filling and yummy and since then I wanted to try this at home, but somehow, I could not do so till today.

Today I do not know somehow I felt, I must complete this task and decided to try  my hand on this.  Since I am preparing this for the first time, I was bit nervous as to whether it will come out perfectly or not.  Yes I did spoil the first two baskets and rest came out very well.

I prepared the chaat and gave to my daughter and had myself, I could not believe that I prepared this so nicely.  video link:  how to make   aloo tokri,  and  alooo tokri chaat.

Now let us look at the recipe now:


Yield: 6-7 depending upon the size of the strainer.
time taken: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 potatoes (old potatoes or wafer potatoes)
2 tbsp corn flour
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
salt

for the filling:

1/2 cup moong sprouts boiled in salt water for 3-4 minutes
1/2 cup chopped tomatoe
1/2 cup chopped onion
Sweet chutney
green chutney
1/2 cup curd with 1 to 2 tsp sugar mixed in it.
chaat masala
chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup nylon sev
2 tbsp pomegranate (optional)
boiled and mashed potatoes (optional)
oil for deep frying

Other things you need:

2 tea strainer
(1 small and the other  small (should be able to keep inside the bigger one)

Method:

Wash, peel and grate the potatoes directly in water. wash them three to four times in fresh water and squeeze out the extra water.  Then put it in kitchen towel to remove excess water.



Now put them in a bowl, add the corn flour, salt, black pepper powder and mix well.  Heat oil in kadai.  the oil should be medium hot.  put the potato mix in the strainer and spread evenly.  Now press with the other strainer (smaller one) and put the strainer in the hot oil.  after a minute just lift the smaller strainer and see whether it  is sticking to the potato mix.   fry it till you get a light golden brown colour tokri.  remove from the oil, wait till the oil is strained and turn it and tap on the outside portion to remove the tokri or with the help of knife you can lightly push them out and remove the tokri.  Repeat the process for the remaining aloo mix and fry them.  keep it in airtight container.

In the ingredients picture, you can see the fried potatoes. the first batch did not come out properly and was broken.  This I used while making the chaat.

Now let us look at the preparation of chaat.

Place one tokri in a plate.  put some sprouts, onion, tomato.  put green chutney, sweet chutney, curd.  sprinkle some chaat masala on top of it.   put the fried potatoes, nylon sev.  garnish with pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves.  If you want more chutney and curd, add and serve immediately.  repeat the process for the remaining baskets.

Note:  since fried potatoes were there, I did not use the boiled ones.

We can also prepare the baskets with maida dough which we use for the samosas.
If you do not have the strainer, you can use steel /aluminium katoris for making the baskets  with maida dough and can bake it.

VEPPILAKATTI (NARTHANGA ELAI PODI, URUGAI, PICKLE), WILD LIME LEAVES URUGAI

Vepillakkati,  is made out of the wild lime / kaffir lime leaves.   I am lucky to have the plant in our society and whenever, we want it, I used to go and pluck the leaves to make this.

It is a form of pickle which can be stored for quite sometime in the fridge.   It is  very good  in taste and can be served  with Curd rice, Molagootal rice or Dal rice.  I used to take the pain to grind the same in the grinding stone  as Ural and Ulakka is not available in Mumbai.  I have a small grinding stone in Mumbai and  used to make this as the taste of it is awesome than ground in the mixer.

Recently, I saw the post in Jayashree's kitchen which is made in mixer.  Though it is an easy method, but I found the ancient method more tasty.  It takes a long time to grind or break it   in the stone.  First  used to put the leaves and  crush it with the stone.    When the leaves are almost done, then the other ingredients are put in and again break it until  it is done.  

IDLI CHOLEY CHAAT

Chaat recipes are Mumbai's street food and is loved by all.  the Pani puri, dahi puri, ragada pattice etc. etc. the list goes on.  

What about making one at home with left over items.  Seems interesting right.  Yes, it is interesting and yummy too. 

I had some idlis and left over choley in my fridge.  If I serve the same items second time, no one is going to eat it.  Hence I decided to make it a twist and made them to eat which was a hit and was asked for the second serve but unfortunately could not as both the items got over.

Yes, I am talking about idli choley chaat which was a hit in my home and demanded to make it again next day.  The fried idli mixed with choley, onion and tomatoes with the chutneys vow! experience yourself.

idli choley chaat

DAHI IDLI CHAAT

Chaat item is loved by everyone. especially the road side one.  Ungly chaat chaat ke sab khatein hai. that tasty it is.  We can also make the same at home tasty like that.

Basically, the idli chaat is a left over recipe.  If u are calorie conscious, can just fry the idli with little oil in a kadai or deep fry the idli.

The dahi idli chaat we had in Alibaugh was very very tasty.  Though I had made it earlier, could not post the same somehow.  Now after tasting the same at Alibaugh, I decided to prepare the same, click it and post it.  This very simple and easy dish, you all will enjoy.

Dahi idli chaat

MOONGDAL KACHORI

IFC Challenge #3.


This month's IFC challange is Marwad Cuisine.Hosted Manjula Kanted.    Either the platter of Kachori or Halva or combination of kachori and halva,  Rajasthani Thali.      I selected one Kachori and one Halva.  Here comes the kachori recipe i.e Moongdal Kachori.

Since so many days, I wanted to make this and post in the blog but did not take the pain.  But when the IFC announced the recipes,  I made an attempt to make this item for the first time and it was really successful.  I had a friend of mine who is a Marwadi who said after tasting that it has really come out nicely and  first attempt was successful.  I was glad to hear.  Thanks for giving this wonderful recipe to Manjula.

FRUIT CHUTNEY

Like other chutneys, fruit chutney also goes well with idli, dosa.   Apart from eating fruits as it is and making juices, salads etc.  out of it, we can also make use of them for the preparation of chutney.   Today, I made the chutney with pomegranate and papaya and was really tasty with idli. It has become a habit for us to have anything and everything with liquid subzi or chutney hence compulsorily, I have to make something. Every time to make make something without coconut is really a difficult task.  Still I manage with something or the other and this chutney was invented by me today which I am sharing with you all.  Hope you will also like this.  This is my kind of version and there is another version of making this sweet chutney with fruits, tomato etc. which shall be posted soon.

WOOD APPLE CHUTNEY, BEL FRUIT CHUTNEY, ELEPHANT APPLE, MONKEY FRUIT

Wood apple is also known as bel fruit, elephant apple and monkey fruit.  It has got a hard shell somewhat similar to coconut and pulp inside.  It is used for curing various diseases.  It is also used in culinary purpose. It acts as blood cleanser, helps in digestive problems and also removes the worms from the intestine, good for diabetes also.

I happened to the market last time and picked up one but could not make it and got spoiled.  Today when I went to the market, I  saw this and picked up one.  Fortunately or unfortunately, it was a raw one, tastes bit sour.  Hence I decided to make three to four items with the one wood apple pulp as except me no one will eat this stuff.  I made sweet  wood apple pachadi, wood apple chutney, wood apple juice  and wood apple rice from this.

We  must select the one which has got a  sweet smell.  If it is hard,keep it under the sun for two to three days, it will ripen.  Sometimes, there is chance of getting spoiled too if it is not a matured fruit.

video: wood apple chutney

SHAKARKANDI VADE, SWEET POTATO VADA, MADHURAKIZHANGU VADA

I am presenting yet another Upwas recipe for you made out of sweet potato.  I have already posted Shakarkandi kheer and spicy shakarkandi.  This vada  I have made with little variation.  Once I had been to Parle  with my friend for some work on that day my friend was fasting.  Hence we went to a restaurant where they sell specially the varieties on fast day.

We happened to eat farali potato stuffed with sabudana.  Instead of Potato, I used sweet potato and it was a wonder ful dish which my daughter and her friend really enjoyed.

BHEL PURI

Bhel puri is a chaat item, street food liked by everyone. If you visit North India, without tasting this item, you will never go back.  This can be made at home also as tasty as the one is available in the street.  Basically, it is made with Murmura, kurmura it is called with masala chana, chopped onion, tomatoes, green coriander with sweet and spicy chutney topped with thin nylon sev.  When you think of it, mouth is watering.  Let us not waste our time to look at the recipe now:

SAMOSA (TAMARIND POHA SAMOSA)

Samosa  is a fried or baked  pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced  potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, ground lamb, ground beef or ground chicken. Its size and consistency may vary, but typically, it is distinctly triangular. Samosas are often accompanied by sweet chutney or green chutney or sauce.   

Since so many days I wanted to try samosas at home but really did not take the pain to do so.  But made an attempt to prepare this when I had some left out Brown Chana Sundal with me prepared during Navrathri, and the tamarind poha which my neighbour gave me as Prasadam.  Since I do not want to waste the both the dishes, I tried on the samosa and it was really awesome.

UPMA CHAAT

Hi, You must be wondering what is this about?  really, i tell you this is awesome.  try and post your comments.  I am sure, you will love it.  Upma chaat is the combination of upma and chaat recipe. You can make it with left over upma or after making upma, you can try this.

Let us have a look at the recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup broken wheat upma

2 tbsp Sweet chutney

1 tsp Green chutney

1/2 tsp Theeka chutney (red chutney)

2 tbsp curd

2 tbsp chopped tomato

2 tbsp chopped onion

1 tbsp masala peanut

2 tbsp nylon sev

chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, black salt, as per taste.

2 tbsp coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method:

In a plate put the upma and spread it.  put all the chutney's one by one. then put tomato, chopped onions. putthe chaat masala, cumin powder, black salt.  top it with nylon sev, masala chana and garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Note:  you can try this with the kanda poha too.  also you can add papdi, crushed golgappa

very very tasty.  Hope you love it. do give me the feedback.

happy cooking.

KODUKAPULI THOGAYAL, CHUTNEY, MANILA TAMARIND THOGAYAL, CHUTNEY

I have already posted  kodukapuli curry, sweet tamarind curry, chinch curry, manila tamarind curry recently. Kodukapuli thogayal or chutney is made with kodukapuli.  During summer season you get plenty of this in the market, the local vendors selling it.  I happened to the market yesterday and bought  it with a plan to make pickle and thogayal out of it as I had already posted the curry recipe recently.  Today I made chutney, thogayal out of it and was liked by everyone.  This is the season we can purchase the kodukapuli and I loved it.  Though it has got a bland taste, with the dal and coconut, it tastes awesome and can be served with dal rice, curd rice and with roti too.

Kodukapuli thogayal, chutney

kodukapuli pickle