Pudina (mint) Chutney

Pudina Chutney is one of the best accompaniment for idli, dosa, paniyaram or chapathi. My mother taught me how to make this recipe and her recipe doesn't include roasted channa dal. I have added this ingredient into my recipe, because it gives good texture.

Ingredients

1 Bunch of Pudina (Mint)

1 Cup Grated coconut

1/2 cup Roasted Channa dal (Hurikadale)

3 Cloves of Garlic

4 Green Chilies

Small piece of Tamarind

Salt

2 tsp Oil

For tampering - 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal

2 Red chilies

1 strand of Curry leaves

Procedure

• Heat Oil in a pan, add garlic, green chili and pudina. Saute for 2- 3 minutes. And then add tamarind. Fry for a minute

• Using a blender, make a smooth paste of coconut, roasted channa dal and fried ingredients. Adjust salt as per taste

• For tampering -  heat 2 tsp of oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilies and curry leaves. Pour the contents to pudina chutney. Mix well
• Best combination with Doda, idli and chapathi

Beef, bean and veggi Chili

This recipe is a spicy stew made with carrots, celery, beans and ground beef which is seasoned with a variety of spices. It is loaded with tonnes of flavors   

To add a little bit of kick to this scrumptious dish, I have used stout beer. When meat and beans cooked in stout beer, it gives a distinctive and sharp flavor to this recipe. Adding beer is only an optional ingredient. 

Ingredients

1/2 lb Ground beef

1 Cup Pinto beans, soaked overnight or canned, drained and rinsed

1/2 Cup, Kidney beans, soaked overnight or canned, drained and rinsed

2 Carrots, diced 

2 stalks of Celery, diced

1 Leek, chopped

1 Onion, diced

1 Toamto, diced

4 cloves of Garlic, chopped

1 cup of Stout Beer (optional)

1 small bunch of Parsley, chopped

2 cups water

1 tsp Butter

2 tsp Olive Oil

For Spice Mix

1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1/2 tsp dried Parsley

1 Tsp salt

1/2 tsp Sugar

Procedure

• Using a pressure cooker, cook pinto beans and kidney beans. Add enough water up to the level of beans. Also, add 1/4 tsp of salt. 

• In a skillet, heat oil and butter. Saute aromatics - garlic, onions and leek for a minute

• Add carrots, celery and cooked beans. Saute for 3 to 4 minute

• Add ground beef and mix well. Saute for 2 minutes

• Now add the spice mix. (You can always adjust seasoning as per taste and level of spiciness)

• Add the water left over from cooked beans, tomatoes and then add another 2 cups of water and beer. Simmer for 1 hour and  stir occasionally until all the spices are absorbed by vegetables, beans and beef
• Finally, add chopped parsely

• Serve hot with chopped onions, cilantro, cheese and tortilla chips

Banana and Blueberry Bread

I love making Banana Bread, simple because its delicious, moist and loaded with lots of banana flavors. Its one of my favorite breakfast recipes. A french toast of banana bread with a cup of coffee completes it.  The crunchiness of dry fruits and banana flavors just compliment each other. 

I make this bread whenever there is over ripe bananas left over. You don't need a hand mixer for this recipe, instead you can use wooden spatchula. The steps are easy to follow.

Ingredients

2 Cups Flour

2 Ripe Bananas

1/4 Cup Bule Berry

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 Cup Butter

1/4 tsp Salt

2 Eggs

4 tsp Raisins (any kind of dry fruits)

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• In a mixing bowl, mash bananas. Keep aside
• In another mixing bowl, using a hand mixer (optional) or a wooden spatchula beat eggs and then add sugar. Next, sprinkle baking soda, cinnamon powder and salt and mix well
• Now add flour and butter. Mix well 
• Finally, add mashed bananas, blue berry and raisins. Mix all these ingredients well
• Pour the mixture into a buttered 4 x 8 loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour until tooth pick (or fork / knife) inserted into loaf  comes out clean
• Cool the bread for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice to serve

Paneer Lettuce Wrap

"Paneer Lettuce Wrap"  is a vegetarian option for Chicken Lettuce wrap. Its crisp, rocking, joyful and crowd-pleasing appetizer. 

Ingredients

250 gms Panner, cut into cubes or rectangle slices

1 Iceberg Lettuce

1/4 cup of Oil 

For Marinade

1 bunch of Cilantro

2 Green Chilies

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 inch Ginger

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Bell Pepper, diced

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Sweet Chutney

Procedure

• Using a blender make a smooth paste of all ingredients listed for Marinade. Add water if required.
• Apply green chutney over panner and freeze for 15 minutes, so that the marinade sauce sticks to paneer and it does not fall of while frying
• In a flat pan, heat 3-4 tsp of oil and place panner one beside other. Slow roast them evenly in medium heat setting until it turns to brown. The sweet chutney from marinade helps to caramelize paneer. (Each side should take about 2 minutes to roast)
• Serve paneer over a bed of Iceberg lettuce

Kabuli Channa Chat

Chats are popular street foods in India. There are wide variety of chats like pani puri, bhel puri, masala puri, seve puri and the list goes on.

The recipe that I have presented is called "Kabuli Channa Chat". It is prepared mainly with with Kabul channa or garbanzo beans and it is accompanied with puris, onions, cucumber, sweet and green chutney.

  

Ingredients

1 cup Garbanzo beans (Kabul Channa), soaked overnight

1 onion, chopped

1 Cucumber, chopped

1 Tomato, chopped

Small bunch of Cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup, yogurt

For Puri

1 cup fine semolina (chiroti rava)

1 tsp Rice flour

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of Baking soda

For Sweet Chutney

3/4 cup Tamarind pulp

1 cup Jaggery

1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder

For Green Chutney

1 bunch Cilantro

1 bunch Pudina (mint)

3 Green chilies

1 inch Ginger

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Chat Masala

Procedure

Puris

• In a bowl, mix semolina, rice flour, salt and baking soda. Add water enough to knead the dough. The dough should be very tight
• Allow it to rest for 1/2 hour until semolina absorbs moisture
• Divide the dough into equal balls and using a rolling pin, roll into circles (not too thick or not too thin). Cut it into small squares
• Now heat oil in a pan for deep frying puris, put small squares into oil slowly and fry in medium flame  until it turns to dark golden brown 

Sweet Chutney

• Melt jaggery in a pan. Simmer until it completely dissolves
• add tamarind and red Chili powder. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir often until thickens
• After it cools, strain the liquid and refrigerate

Green Chutney

• Using a blender make a paste of all ingredients that are listed for Green chutney. Add little water if required
• Refrigerate the chutney

Chat

• Boil Garbanzo beans (Kabul Channa) in a pressure cooker up to 4 whistles
• In a bowl, mix boiled garbanzo beans,onions, cucumber, and tomato

• Add 2-4 tsp of sweet chutney and 2-4 tsp of green chutney and mix well
• In a plate, put handful of puris and spread it evenly, next add spiced garbanzo and vegetable mix and spread it evenly. Garnish with Yogurt, sweet chutney , green chutney and cilantro
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Tip:

Puris can be made in advance and can be stored in an air tight container. It lasts up to two weeks or may be more. Sometimes it becomes soft, if it is exposed to air, then you can toast these puris in a preheated oven for 15 minutes to make it crispy

Sweet Chutney and Green Chutney can be made in advance and can be stored in an air tight container. Refrigerate after every use it increase its shelf life.

Hari (green) Chutney

Hari (green) Chutney is a basic accompaniment for chat, sandwich or even in salads. It is prepared with fresh herbs like mint, cilantro ...

I have recreated this recipe making it  little unique from other recipes. Also, I wanted a create a firm base for this chutney so that the consistency is very thick and smooth. 

Ingredients

2 cloves of Garlic

1/2 inch Ginger

2 Green Chilies

1/2 cup Grenn Bell pepper, diced

Hand full of Cilantro

1/4 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Imili (tamarind) chutney

1/4 tsp salt

Procedure

• using a blender, make a smooth paste of all ingredients that are listed above. Add few tablespoon of water if required. The consistency should be thick.

Tip: you can prepare this chutney in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container

Imili Ki Chutney (Sweet Chutney)

Imili (or Tamarind or Puli in tamil)  is one of the chief accompaniment in many chats. Its a sweet and sour recipe made with tamarind and jaggery ("bella" in Kannada or "gur" in Hindi).

This recipe has many variations. Some recipes add additional spices like black pepper, garam masala and salt. But my recipe is made with  just 3 ingredients and turned out to be toothsome and scrumptious!!

I also used this chutney as salad dressing and it was delicious.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Tamarind pulp

1 cup Jaggery, grated (otherwise shavings  or small pieces of jaggery should be good)

1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder

Procedure

• In a heavy bottom vessel, add 2 tsp of water and jaggery. Melt jaggery until it dissolves completely
• Now add tamarind pulp and simmer for 10 minutes in medium heat setting, until it gets semi thick
• Add red chili powder and mix well
• optional step : After it cools, strain the liquid and discard the content

Tip: you can refrigerate this chutney for up to 10 days or freeze it