Tamatar Nariyal Chutney (Tomato Coconut Condiment)

This one is my favorite. It fits with my diet and adds flavour to my food. What more can I ask for? It's a perfect condiment for idlis, utthapams, dosas, or vadas, often relished at breakfast. There are so many variants of this condiment out there. I have one on my blog too (without the tomato). Check it out here.

Try it to believe it. I bet you will love this one!

Ingredients:
1. 1 large semi ripe tomato, chopped.
2. 1/4 cup shredded or grated coconut
3. 1 green chili
4. 1 dried red chili
5. A fistful of chana dal
6. A fistful of urad dal
7. tamarind pulp 3-4 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
10. Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
11. Curry leaves, a couple
12. Oil, 2 tsp

Directions:
1. Heat a wok and add one part of the oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle.
3. Add green chili, red chili, urad dal, and chana dal.
4. Let it fry until the lentils turns brown.
5. Add coconut and fry more.
6. Next add the tomatoes and cook until it looks dry.
7. Let this cool.
8. Add into a blender and add salt, and tamarind pulp and blend to a smooth paste.
9. To temper, heat the rest of oil in a wok, when the oil is hot add in curry leaves and mustard seeds.
10. When the start to seeds pop, the temper is ready. Pour it into the paste.

Voila!

Coconut Condiment

Nariyal ki Chutney is a South Indian condiment often served with Dosa, Utthapam, and Idlis. It's my personal favorite when it comes to condiments. I have always dreamed of being able to make this condiment right. Today was my second attempt and I won.

Ingredients:
1. 1/4 cup chana dal (yellow gram), soaked in water for 1/2 hr
2. 1 shredded coconut
3. Oil
4. Mustard seeds
5. Cumin seeds
6. Green chili, slit, 7-8
7. Salt
8. Tamarind pulp
9. Heeng, 1/2 tsp
10. Red chili, dried, 1
11. Curry leaves, a sprig


1. Heat oil in a wok.
2. Add cumin seeds. Let it sizzle.
3. Add soaked chana dal and slit green chilis. Fry for 5 mins until the ingredients change colour.
4. When cooled, grind into a paste with some water. You can add tamarind pulp at this time.
5. Add salt and mix. Set the paste aside.
6. Heat oil and add mustard seeds
7. When it starts to splutter, add heeng.
8. Add curry leaves and red chili.
9. Temper the paste with this.

Chana dahl Chutney (Indian lentil condiment)

Chutney for Indians symbolizes spicy, tangy, or a sweet and sour mouth watering condiment. The Hindi translation of "to make chutney" is a common idiom meaning "to crush". This is because the process of making chutney often involves the crushing of ingredients together. Chutney can be of many types, coriander-mint chutney, peanut chutney, tomato chutney, mango chutney, or coconut chutney to name a few.

The use of a stone mortar and pestle is often regarded as vital to create the ideal chutney. It consists of a small stone bowl or a flat piece of stone (called a "sil") on which the ingredients are crushed together with a rounded stick of stone or wood (called a "lohra"). Once the ingredients have been crushed, it is tempered in flavoured oil and the ingredients are mixed together and then simmered slowly. Chutney is traditionally made to be eaten fresh, using at least one strongly-flavored ingredient. It serves the purpose of ketchup with Indian dishes.

This is my mom's lip smacking chutney or chatni recipe.

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup chana dahl
2. 5 tablespoon shredded coconut
3. 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seed powder
4. 3 tablespoon lemon juice
5. 1/2 inch ginger, shredded
6. 1/2 teaspoon rock salt
7. Table salt to taste
8. 1 green chili, chopped
9. 1/2 cup water
10. 5 tablespoons plain yogurt

For tempering:
1. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2. 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
3. 3-4 fresh curry leaves
4. 1 tablespoon oil


Instructions:
1. Roast the chana dahl. Set aside and cool.
2. Grind the roasted chana dahl.
3. Put the ingredients 2 to 10 in a blender with the chana dahl and blend until the texture is course to smooth.
4. Transfer to a glass bowl.

Tempering:
1. Heat oil and add mustard seeds
2. When the seeds splutter, add red chili powder and curry leaves.
3. Spread this flavoured oil over the blended mixture.

Serve as a condiment with Idli (rice cakes) or Dosa (Indian crepe)

Thanks mommy!