Quick Lemon Cucumber Chutney

Dosakaya Nimmakaya Pachadi.

For lemon cucumber chutney, spices and lentils are fried till golden brown in color. They are then crushed into powder and chopped lemon cucumber / dosakaya is added to the spices and lightly crushed. Serve quick lemon cucumber chutney with steamed rice or with dal rice.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Quick Lemon Cucumber Chutney.

Ingredients:

Lemon Cucumber 1
Lemon Juice 3 Tbsps
Salt to Taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 4 – 5
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Peel, wash, remove ends and halve the lemon cucumber.
Discard the seeds and chop the lemon cucumber into small pieces.

Heat a pan on low heat, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, remove from heat and add to a bowl and add salt.
Using a pestle thoroughly crush the spices and herbs together.
Now add the chopped cucumber pieces and lemon juice to the crushed spices.
Crush cucumber pieces together with spices for couple of times and leave the cucumber chutney aside for a minute or two.
Adjust any seasonings if necessary and serve quick lemon cucumber chutney with steamed rice or with dal rice.
Notes: Make sure not to burn the spices.

Suggestions: Adjust the red chiles according to preference. Use a food processor if necessary to lightly crush the cucumber pieces.
Variations: Check other recipes with lemon cucumber here.
Other Names: Quick Lemon Cucumber Chutney, Dosakaya Nimma Pachadi.

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Bottle Gourd Toor Dal Curry

Anapakaya Kandi Kura.

Bottle gourd is chopped and cooked in oil along with spices. It is then finished with cooked toor dal and scraped coconut. Serve bottle gourd toor dal curry with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Bottle Gourd Toor Dal Curry

Ingredients:

Bottle Gourd 1/2 of Medium Size
Toor Dal 1/3 Cup
Scraped Coconut (Fresh or Frozen) 4 Tbsps
Green Chiles 4 – 5
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Peel, wash, remove ends and chop the bottle gourd (around 2 Cups).
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.

Refresh toor dal under fresh water.
Bring to boil around few cups of water, add toor dal.
Let toor dal cook and turn soft and translucent but not mushy.
Strain the cooked toor dal and keep aside.
Reserve the cooking liquid for later use.

Heat oil in a wok, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add green chiles and fry for couple of seconds.
Then, add the chopped bottle gourd.
Cook covered on low flame till bottle gourd turns soft but not mushy.
Uncover and stir in cooked toor dal, coconut, turmeric powder and salt.
Fry for a minute or two to evaporate any excess moisture.
Serve bottle gourd toor dal curry with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure to cook the toor dal and bottle gourd right.

Suggestions: Add a splash of reserved liquid (if necessary) while cooking the bottle gourd.
Variations: Check other bottle gourd recipes here.
Other Names: Bottle Gourd Toor Dal Curry, Anapakaya Kandi Kura.

Idly with Daliya Powder

Idly with Daliya Powder.

Idly batter is steamed in a wide vessel layered with powdered dalia. The steamed idly is then finished with chopped garlic and spices. Serve idli with dalia powder with any chutney of your choice.
Makes: around 2 Servings of Idly with Daliya Powder.

Ingredients:

Idly Batter around 2 Cups
Dalia Powder 3 – 4 Tbsps
Garlic 4 Cloves
Salt to Taste
Ghee 1 tsp

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 6 – 8
Curry Leaves 10
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Peel and roughly chop garlilc cloves.
In a mixing bowl, mix together idly batter, salt (if required) and water (if necessary) to make into little thinner consistency.
Grease a wide vessel with ghee and pour the above batter into the vessel.
Sprinkle a thick layer of the dalia powder on to the idly batter.

Heat a pressure cooker with few cups of water.
Carefully place the vessel and without a whistle pressure cook for around 15 minutes or until idli is soft and toothpick comes out clean when pierced into the idly.
Once done, cool the idli to room temperature and cut into big chunks.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add garlic cloves and stir in the idli chunks.
Fry briefly for a minute or two and remove from heat.
Serve idli with dalia powder with any chutney of your choice.
Notes: Make sure idli is cooked well.

Suggestions: Adjust spice with red chiles. If idly comes out thick, next time thin out the batter with little water.
Variations: Check other spicy steamed idly here.
Other Names: Idly with Daliya Powder.

Spinach Chutney

Palakura Pachadi.

Spinach leaves are chopped and cooked in oil and ground into paste along with freshly roasted spice powders. Serve spinach chutney with steamed rice.
Makes: around 1/2 Cup of Spinach Chutney.

Ingredients:

Spinach Leaves a Bunch
Tamarind 1/2 inch Piece
Whole Red Chiles 1 – 2
Chana Dal 1 Tbsp
Coriander Seeds 1 tsp
Salt to Taste
Oil 1 tsp

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/8 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/8 tsp
Urad Dal 1/8 tsp
Oil 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash and roughly chop spinach leaves.
Heat a pan on low heat, add chana dal.
Fry briefly, add coriander seeds and red chiles.
Fry till aromatic and remove from heat.

Grind the roasted ingredients into fine powder along with salt.

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped spinach and cook for around 5 minutes until spinach is cooked.
Add tamarind to the pan and remove from heat.
Once the spinach cool to room temperature, grind it along with the previously ground powder into paste.
Remove the spinach chutney onto a bowl.

Heat oil in a pan on heat, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, remove from heat and add to the chutney bowl.
Mix well and serve spinach chutney with steamed rice.
Notes: Make sure spinach is cooked well.

Suggestions: Adjust spice with red chiles.
Variations: Check other spinach chutney recipe here.
Other Names: Spinach Chutney, Palakura Pachadi.

Sesame Potatoes

Sesame Potatoes.

White Sesame seeds are toasted and ground into powder with dried red chiles. Potatoes are peeled and fried in oil till golden brown in color and finished with sesame seeds powder. Serve sesame potatoes with steamed rice.
Makes: around 3 Servings of Sesame Potatoes.

Ingredients:

Potatoes 2 Large
Sesame Seeds 4 Tbsps
Whole Red Chiles 1 – 2
Salt to Taste
Curry Leaves 10
Oil 1 Tbsp

Method of preparation:

Peel, wash and chop the potatoes into small cubes.
Heat a pan on low heat, add sesame seeds.
Fry till the sesame seeds change to light brown in color.
Remove from heat and add broken red chiles and fry briefly to crisp them up and remove from heat.
Grind red chiles and salt into fine powder, then add the sesame seeds and grind again into powder using a spice grinder.

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped potatoes and fry on medium flame for around 8 minutes.
Keep stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
Stir in curry leaves and fry for another minute or two until potatoes turn golden brown on all sides.
Stir in sesame seeds powder and remove from heat.
Serve sesame potatoes with steamed rice.
Notes: Make sure potatoes are fried well before adding the powder.

Suggestions: Adjust spice with red chiles or add red chili powder along with sesame powder if necessary.
Variations: Check other variations with potatoes here.
Other Names: Sesame Potatoes.