Pudina Chutney with Coconut | Mint Chutney recipe with Coconut | Pudina Chutney for Idly/Dosa

Chutneys with mint and coriander leaves appear often in my mom's menu. I make them slightly rarely coz greens in chutney is not much accepted in my house :D But this one with coconut is a slight exception. It is an easy chutney recipe with nice flavours from the mint and also coconut is added which does not overpower the strong mint flavours (strictly for those who are not a fan ;)) So let's check out how to make this easy chutney then. 

The other chutney recipes that might interest you are 

Onion Tomato Kara Chutney

Easy Onion Chutney 

Pudina Chutney (without coconut) 

Pudina-Verkadalai Chutney
Red Coconut Chutney

Recipe Source: Ma

 

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

 

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Pudina	-	1 cup (tightly packed)
Coconut	-	½ cup
Urad Dal	-	1 tbsp
Ginger	-	1 tbsp (a 2 inch fat piece)
Green Chilly	-	3 nos
Asafoetida	-	¼ tsp
Tamarind	-	1 tsp (a small blueberry sized)
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Separate the mint leaves from the stalk. Rinse them nicely in water so that all the mud or dirt is removed

2. In a pan heat oil. Add the urd dal, chopped ginger and green chilly and fry till the dal turns golden in colour. Keep in flame in medium low

3. Now add the mint leaves and saute. Do not keep in flame for long. They have to just get wilted

4. When they get wilted add asafoetida and tamarind and allow them to just get warm. Don't have to saute for long. Remove from flame and allow them to cool

5. Now take them in a mixie and add grated coconut and salt. Grind them smoothly by adding little water. When ground, transfer them to a bowl. You can add more water as per your required consistency. Check for salt after adding water and add more if required

6. For the tadka, heat oil in a tadka pan. Splutter mustard. Then add curry leaves and off the flame

7. Add the tadka to the chutney and serve with idly or dosa !

Notes:

• You can add red chilly instead of green chilly. Taste may vary slightly but both variations taste great

• Can omit urad dal. Then the chutney will be more smooth. Urad dal imparts a crunchy texture to the chutney

Cheers,

Chitz

Pudina Chutney | Mint Chutney without coconut

Mint Chutney with Onions and Tomatoes (No Coconut)

Do you love fresh herbs? I love them.. Their aroma spreads and fills the kitchen with a refreshing feel, right? I love their aroma and taste especially in biryanis ;) The mint and coriander leaves create a magic which transforms the taste of the biryani to a different level na? Deeps refuses to make biryani if there is no fresh herbs available at home ;) I try to include mint and coriander leaves as much as possible in my diet as they are very healthy. Mostly I make chutneys or thogayals with them. Today's recipe is a simple mint chutney with onions and tomatoes and no coconut. If you like to try other versions of mint chutney then there are 'Mint chutney with peanuts' & Mint Coconut Chutney. Try them too.

The other chutney recipes that might interest you are Onion Tomato Kara Chutney, Easy Onion Chutney & Red Coconut Chutney 

Recipe Source: Ma

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

I Used:

Mint leaves	-	2 cups (tightly packed) (or A bunch)
Onion	-	1 no (small sized - roughy chopped)
Tomato	-	1 no (small sized - roughy chopped)
Tamarind	-	½ tsp
Red Chilly	-	2 nos
Channa Dal	-	2 tbsp
Asafoetida Oil	- -	½ tsp 1 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed

To Temper:

Oil	-	1 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Urad Dal	-	2 tsp
Curry leaves	-	A sprig

The Way:

1. Separate the mint leaves from the stalk. Rinse them nicely in water so that all the mud or dirt is removed

2. Roughly chop the onion and tomato

3. In a pan heat oil. Add the channa dal and fry for a minute till they turn slightly golden. Now add the red chilly, tamarind and asafoetida and fry

4. Add the onions and saute till they turn slightly brown. Then add the tomatoes and fry till they turn mushy. Take care that they don't get burnt

5. Now add the mint leaves and saute. Do not keep in flame for long. They have to just get wilted. Remove from flame and allow them to cool

6. Now take them in a mixie and grind to a coarse paste. I like them coarse but if you prefer a smooth chutney then grind them to your required consistency

7. For the tadka, heat oil in a tadka pan. Splutter mustard. Add urad dal. Take care they dont get burnt

8. When they turn golden in colour add the curry leaves and off the flame. Add the tadka to the chutney and serve with idly or dosa !

Cheers,

Chitz

Easy Veg Pulao | Easy Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulav

Hello folks, how are you all? Pooja celebrations are done and now you all must be gearing up for Diwali, right? In between this Pooja and Deepavali, we celebrated our DD's first birthday :) :) It was a small cake cutting function followed by dinner with our friends from around. I didn't prepare anything special for him except semiya payasam as he was down with fever and I didn't get the time nor had the mind to :(  I wanted to make muffins, that was in my mind, but maybe sometime later. However, anything fancy I make, he will not be able to relish or enjoy, as he is too small to understand that, right? So I have decided to make them according to his preference for his second birthday. Hopefully, he might be making a list then :) 

So coming to today's recipe, it's a simple veg pulao and can be made in a jiffy, especially if you are craving for some biriyani and do not have the time :) But this is very much subtle compared to biriyani as we do not use red chilly powder or any garam masala powders. The hotness for this one pot meal comes entirely from the ginger and garlic used. You can pair it up with raita and pappad, would taste just right and can be termed as the perfect comfort meal. I had them with oven fried cauli-flower, vinegared onions & pappad. 

Other rice recipes:

Ambur Mutton Biriyani
Capsicum Rice
Coconut Milk Rice | Thengai Paal Sadam
Nei Choru | Ghee Rice
Vegetable Biriyani

  

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves : 2 persons

I Used:

Oil+Ghee	-	3+2 tbsp
Cinnamon	-	An inch piece
Cloves	-	2 nos
Bay leaf	-	1 no
Onion	-	3 nos - medium sized -sliced
Carrot	-	1 no - medium sized - chopped
Potato	-	1 no - medium sized - chopped
Green Peas	-	½ cup
Coriander leaves	-	¼ cup - chopped
Mint leaves	-	¼ cup - chopped
Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Water	-	2.5 cups
Salt	-	As needed

To Grind:

Garlic - 8-9 pods (big sized) Ginger - 2-3 inch piece Fennel / Perunjeerakam/ Sombu - ½ tsp Green Chilly - 2-4 nos

The Way:

1. Grind the ingredients under 'To Grind' by adding a little water to a smooth paste. Preferably grind the green chillies to the end

2. De-skin the vegetables and onion and rinse them well. Then slice & chop them as required. If using frozen peas, keep them immersed in water for 10 minutes & rinse them and keep aside

3. Soak the basmati rice in water for about 10-15 minutes

4. In a pressure cooker, heat oil/ghee. Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cloves & bay leaf)

5. Add the sliced onions and salt. Saute well till they become translucent. It took around 4-5 minutes for me 

6. Add the chopped veggies (carrot & potato) and green peas. Give a nice stir

7. Now add the ground paste and saute well till the raw smell goes. This may take about 3-4 minutes

8. Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Give a nice stir

9. To this add the soaked basmati rice and give a stir so that all the grains are coated well with the oil & masala

10. Now add water and stir softly. Check for salt and add if required

11. Pressure cook till the rice is cooked. I kept for 1 whistle in high and 2 in simmer and it was done

Notes:

• You can add any veggies of your choice, can include beans, mushrooms, capsicums etc

• Do not compromise on the onions. If your onions are smaller in size, use more number. They give the pulav the flavour and taste

• While serving you can garnish with caramelised onions & fried cashews as well. They add a rich flavor and aroma to the pulao

• You can add half ghee-half oil or full ghee or full oil. Totally depends on you diet plan :)

• Rice: Water ratio is 1:2 here. I added extra 0.5 cup for the veggies. If you want you can make that 0.25 cup as well. The rice:water ratio works different for different variety of rice. So adjust the quantity of water according to the rice you use

Cheers,

Chitz

Kiwi Smoothie

I am an ardent fan of exotic fruits. I love tasting and experimenting with new fruits & also veggies for that matter, but Deeps mostly prefer to stick to tested & approved tastes! What's your choice? Having said that, now you wouldn't mind me posting this recipe at a time when kiwis are not much in season, right? This post had been in my drafts for quite long & I feel it's high time for it to feature here.

Kiwis or Chinese gooseberries are native to some European nations & New Zealand. When ripe, they taste real sweet & can be devoured as such. Loaded with anti-oxidants, they make an excellent & quick option for making smoothies for your busy packed mornings.

I Took : 10 minutes

Serves : 1 tall glass

I Used:

Kiwi	-	2 nos
Milk	-	¼ cup
Honey	-	2 tbsp
Mint	-	2 sprigs
Lime juice	-	From 1 lime
Ice cubes	-	½ cup

The Way:

Dunk in all the ingredients in a blender & blend to a smooth consistency. Adjust sweetness to your taste & serve chilled

Cheers,

Chitz

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie

I know I go on long unannounced breaks, but that has become completely unavoidable these days.. So what am I back with? It is another refreshing and healthy smoothie for all fruit lovers out there. Trust me, this combo tastes great and I just couldn't resist making them over and again..  And for those who do not like to eat fruits raw, what better way to take in those nutrients, than with this sugar free smoothie?

I Took : 10 minutes

Serves : 2 tall glasses

I Used:

Avocado	-	½ of a large one
Kiwi	-	2 nos
Milk	-	¼ cup
Almond powder	-	2 tbsp
Honey	-	2 tbsp
Mint leaves	-	A sprig
Ice cubes	-	3-4 cubes

The Way:

1. Place milk, almond powder, honey, mint leaves and ice cubes in blender & blend smoothly.
2. Now add the scraped avocado and cubed kiwi and blend again till smooth & creamy.
3. Serve chill for the refreshed feel !

Cheers,

Chitz

Pudina Verkadalai Chutney | Mint Chutney | Mint & Peanut Chutney

Roasted mint & peanut chutney with green chilly & garlic

Some of the very simple, hassle free recipes can be very powerful & add the extra zing to the other main dishes on the platter, right?? For instance pickle, I wouldn't say preparing them is hassle free, but it's very simple with minimal ingredients, but that adds life to the hot piping biriyanis na. And pappad, raita are some others in this genre which brings in an extra zest to the rich and elaborate dishes. In that line, is this chutney. Very healthy coz no coconut at all. My mom finds ways to avoid coconut & coconut milk, rather replace I should say !! Peanuts are the apt replacement for coconut in chutneys. Gives you the crunchy bite & a special aroma & an awesome taste. Pair this up with idly or dosa and you have the perfect sidekick. Or roll it over chappathi. I have it even with rice porridge. So shall we dive into the recipe?

The other chutney recipes that might interest you are 

Onion Tomato Kara Chutney

Easy Onion Chutney 

Pudina Chutney (without coconut) 

Mint Coconut Chutney
Red Coconut Chutney

Recipe from Ma

Yields : 1 cup (3-4 persons)

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

I Used:

Mint - A bunch (around 25-30 sprigs) Peanuts - 3 tbsp Green Chilly - 2 nos Garlic - 2 cloves Tamarind - a pinch Asafoetida - ¼ tp Salt - As Needed Oil - As Needed Mustard  - 1 tsp

The Way:

1. Pick the mint leaves from the sprigs, rinse them in water and keep aside
2. In a pan heat oil. Add the peanuts, green chillies, garlic, tamarind & asafoetida and roast them till they turn into a little golden color
3. Do not over-roast them. When done, keep aside
4. In the same pan roast the rinsed mint leaves. This may take about 30 seconds to a minute. The leaves will all shrink. Then remove the pan from flame
5. Grind together all the roasted ingredients except mint leaves. When the peanuts are half ground add the mint leaves and give the final blend
6. In a pan heat little oil. Splutter the mustard seeds and add it to the ground mint chutney

Cheers,

Chitz