Brinjal Pachadi / Chutney

Ingredients:

• Brinjals 4
• Tomatoes 5
• Green chilies  9
• Red chilies 3
• Tamarind  marble size
• Fenugreek seeds 1/4tsp
• Urad dal 3tsps
• Mustard seeds 1 1/2tsps
• Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
• Asafoetida 1 pinch
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnishing
• Oil 8tsps

Method:  

1. Wash and clean brinjals. Take water in a bowl, add salt and mix well.
2. Cut brinjals into small cubes and add them to the salt water. Wash them well in the salt solution so that the bitterness of the brinjal is removed. 
3. Take the washed brinjal into a microwave safe bowl. Add little salt and mix well.
4. Place this bowl in a microwave oven and cover it partially.
5. Cook the brinjals on high power for 10 minutes. Stir once in between.
6. Wash and clean the tomatoes. Chop the tomatoes finely. 
7. Take the chopped tomatoes into a microwave safe bowl and place it in the  microwave oven.
8. Cover the bowl partially and cook on high power for 5 minutes. Stir once in between. Keep this bowl aside.
9. Wash, clean and cut the green chilies into small pieces.
10. Break the red chillies into small pieces.
11. Wash, clean and chop the coriander leaves.
12. Now heat a pan and add oil to it. When the oil is hot add the fenugreek seeds and urad dal.
13. Fry till the seeds start changing color. Then add the mustard seeds and fry till they splutter.
14. Add the cut green chilies and fry well. Add the red chili pieces and asafoetida.
15. Fry well and remove this seasoning by leaving the oil in the pan. Take the fried seasoning into a plate and allow to cool.
16. To the remaining oil add the cooked brinjal pieces.
17. Add turmeric powder and little salt to the brinjal pieces and mix well.
18. Fry the brinjals well till dry roasted. Take them into a plate.
19. Now add the cooked tomatoes and salt to the pan and fry until the tomatoes are thick without water. Take these cooked tomatoes into a plate and let it cool.
20. Now take a mixie jar and grind the seasoning coarsely with tamarind and remove it.
21. To this jar add the fried brinjal and grind coarse, remove it.
22. Now finally add the fried tomatoes and grind to a coarse paste. Remove it.
23. Now mix all the grounded paste together well.
24. Adjust salt if required.
25. Heat a pan pour little oil, when hot add the grounded paste and saute for few minutes.
26. Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with coriander.
27. Serve hot with rice along with ghee.

Note:

1. Be careful with the salt, as you will be adding too many times but very small amount.
2. Do not grind brinjal and tomato together, taste differs.

Ginger Chutney

Ingredients:

• Tamarind – lemon Size
• Ginger – 2" piece
• Red Chillies – 8
• Fenugreek Seeds – 1/2tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1tsp
• Urad dal – 2tsps
• Jaggery – powdered 1 tsp
• Salt to Taste
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
• Asafoetida – 1/8tsp
• Curry Leaves – Handful
• Oil – 12tsps

Method:

1. Take tamarind in a microwave safe bowl and add some water. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Keep the cooked tamarind aside for cooling and then remove the extract.
2. Wash and clean the ginger and dry it completely with paper towel.
3. Chop the ginger to small pieces and keep it aside. 
4. Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add fenugreek seeds and urad dal. Fry till the seeds start changing color. 
5.  When the seeds start changing color add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
6.  Now add asafoetida and red chili pieces. Fry all the seasonings well.
7. Take care of the Red chili, it soon gets brunt if we are not alert.
8.  Finally add the curry leaves and fry till dry.
9. Now filter the seasoning mixture in a bowl so that all the oil is collected down in the bowl.
10.  Grind the seasonings in a mixer grinder along with ginger pieces, turmeric powder, salt and  jaggery .
11. Now add the  tamarind extract along with very little water. Grind to a paste adding water if required.
12.  Finally add the oil and mix well. Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl.
13. Serve with idli, dosa, vadas, etc..

Green Chutney (Chat chutney)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Mint leaves
• 1/2 bunch Coriander leaves
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 cup Onion
• 8 Green chillies  
• Salt to taste 

Method: 

1. Add these all ingredients in a mixie jar and grind to a smooth paste.
2. Add little water to grind it.

3. Freeze and store for months.
4. Use this chutney for chats.

Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Roasted peanuts
• 4 Green chillies
• 2 tbsp Coriander
• 2 tsp  Red onions
• Tamarind  size of lemon
• 1/2 tsp Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Urad dal
• Curry leaves few
• Water
• 1 tsp Oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind peanuts, green chilies, Tamarind with little water at a time.
2. When ground to a fine paste add the onions, salt and coriander and grind again just for few seconds.
3. Switch to a bowl .
4. Heat a pan add oil, mustard, urad dal and curry leaves.
5. Pour on the chutney and serve

Red Chutney (Onion or Tomato chutney)

Ingredients:

• Onion 1 cup
• Tomato 1 1/2 cup
• Green chili 3
• Dry red chili 3
• Garlic 1 clove
• Ginger 1/2" piece
• Salt to taste
• water
• Oil 3 tsp
• Mustard 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaf 1 sprig

Method:

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and fry onions, green chili, ginger, garlic and dry red chili.
2. When onion has turned brown add tomatoes and fry until they are cooked.
3. Cool it and grind to a fine paste with little water and salt.
4. Switch to a bowl.
5. Now heat a pan with remaining oil, add mustard when splatters add urad dal and curry leaf.
6. Pour to the red chutney and serve.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients:

• Mint 1/4 cup
• Coriander 1/2 cup
• Onion 1/4 cup
• Garlic 1 clove
• Green chili 5nos.
• Tamarind Size of marble
• Coconut 2tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil 3 tsp
• Mustard 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal 1/2 tsp
• Chana dal 1tbsp
• water

Method:

1. Heat a pan, add 2tsp of oil.
2. Add chana dal, onion, mint, coriander, garlic, green chili, tamarind and coconut.
3. Fry them well.
4. Cool it and grind to a fine paste with little water and salt.
5. Switch it to a bowl.
6. Now heat the remaining oil, add mustard, when splatters add urad dal. Fry until the dal changes to light brown and pour on top of the chutney.
7. Serve with snacks or breakfast.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 2  tsp fried gram 
• 1" piece ginger peeled and chopped
• 4  green chillies chopped
• 1  tsp mustard seeds 
• 1 tsp urad dal 
• ½  tsp asfoetida powder
• 4  curry leaves 
• 2  tablespoon(s) oil
• Salt to taste 

Method:

1. Grind the coconut, roasted gram, green chillies, salt and ginger to a fine paste using a little water.
2. Pour the paste / chutney into a bowl and adjust the consistency using suitable amount of water.
3. Heat the oil in a pan on medium level for about 2  mins till it is hot enough.
4.  Add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter and then add the urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida powder. Fry briefly till the urad dal turns red and pour it on the chutney.

Ridgegaurd Tomato pachadi (chutney)

Ingredients:

• Ridge Gourd – 1 large
• Tomatoes – 3
• Green Chilies – 4
• Red Chilies – 2
• Mustard Seeds – 1 1/2tsps
• Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4tsp
• Black Gram – 3tsps
• Tamarind (size of small marble)
• Salt To Taste
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
• Coriander For Garnishing
• Asafoetida – A Pinch
• Oil – 7tsps

Method:

1. Wash all the vegetables. Cut ridge gourd into small pieces. Do not peel the skin. Add half of salt and turmeric powder to these pieces and keep aside.
2.  Cut tomatoes also into small pieces. Add the remaining half of salt and turmeric power to these pieces and also keep aside.
3. Cut green and red chillies into small pieces.

4. Chop coriander finely and keep aside.
5. Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add black gram and fenugreek seeds. Fry them for a while till they change color. When the seeds become light brown in color add mustard seeds and fry till they splutter. Then add asafoetida, green chilies and red chilies and fry well. When the chilies get fried well in oil they won’t be that hot. Strain this mixture through a strainer and remove the oil.
6. Take that oil back to the pan and add the ridge gourd pieces and mix well. Cook covered on low heat till the pieces are soft. As we have added salt it oozes water and the vegetables get cooked—and because of the oil they get fried. When the ridge gourd pieces are cooked take them out from the pan and keep separately to cool.
7. Then to the same pan add tomato pieces along with salt and turmeric powder. Cook covered till tomatoes are soft. Keep them also aside for few minutes to cool down.
8.  Take the seasoning ingredients into a mixie jar and add a small piece of tamarind to it. When you are using country tomatoes then we can omit this tamarind as those tomatoes will be sour. If using hybrid variety tomatoes add this small piece of tamarind. Add some portion of the cooked tomatoes to this and make it into a paste.
9.  Also make a coarse paste of the remaining tomatoes and the ridge gourd pieces. Mix all these pastes and some coriander. Transfer this to a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve.

Note:

1.         Do not throw away the peel of gourd. Grind them along with other masala ingredients and use it in any gravy dishes. As all vitamins lie just beneath the skins.