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November 29, 2017

Pudalangai Kootu – Snake Gourd Masala Kootu Recipe

Pudalangai kootu
I learnt this pudalangai kadalai paruppu masala kootu / snake gourd kootu for rice from my friend Megha. This is not like the usual version of kootu. This kootu has a mild masala flavor with ginger garlic paste. I have already shared a brinjal masala kuzhambu learning from my friend Megha. This is also a very similar recipe but I have used soaked chana dal/ kadalai paruppu. In some hotels, they serve this kind of kootu. I make this kootu  directly in a pressure cooker to ease my job. I also make it slightly thin like a gravy and mix with rice & ghee. If you make it thick, you can have it as side dish for rice or chapathi. It tastes more like kurma kulambu. Whenever I make this pudalangai kootu, I make some spicy rasam to go with it. It would be a simple but comforting meal for us. Ok,  Lets see how to make snake gourd kootu with chana dal for rice.

Do check out my Arai Keerai/ Amaranthus kootu, Manathakkali keerai kootu, Palak Keerai kootu, Carrot kootu, Cabbage kootu, cluster beans kootu, Beetroot kootu and mixed vegetable kootu recipes too.

Snake gourd kootu

Snake gourd kootu / Pudalangai kootu


Snake gourd kootu / Pudalangai kootu

Snake gourd kootu with chana dal & masala - Pudalangai kadalai paruppu kootu


Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Kootu Recipes
Serves: Serves 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Snake gourd / Pudalangai - 1 medium sized
  • Chana dal / Kadalai paruppu - 3 tbsp
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Ripe tomato - 1 no
To grind
  • Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
  • Cinnamon – 1 small piece
  • Cloves – 1 no
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Coriander leaves - 1 sprig
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds powder / Dhania powder - 1 tsp
  • Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
To Temper
  • Coconut oil or cooking oil - 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few

METHOD

  1. Wash and chop Snake gourd into small pieces.
  2. Soak chana dal in enough water for 15 minutes.
  3. Grind the items given under “To grind” to a smooth paste.
  4. Heat oil in a cooker base and temper mustard, urad dal and curry leaves.
  5. Saute chopped onion, tomato until mushy. Add snake gourd pieces, chana dal and ground masala paste.
  6. Saute till raw smell goes off. Add enough water and salt. Mix well and pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Serve with rice or chapathi.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and soak chana dal in enough water for 15 minutes. In the mean time, wash and chop snake gourd into small pieces. Chop onion and tomato into small pieces and set aside.
    Pudalangai kootu

  • Grind all the ingredients given under “ To grind” to a smooth paste adding water. Set aside.
    Pudalangai kootu

  • Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Saute onion and tomato pieces. When tomato becomes mushy, add chopped snake gourd and soaked chana dal.Mix well.
    Pudalangai kootu

  • Now keep the flame medium and add the ground masala paste. Saute till raw smell goes off. Add water and required salt.
    Pudalangai kootu

  • Mix well and pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles.Remove the lid after the steam is released. If the kootu is watery, boil for sometime to make it thick. If its too thick, add little water, mix well and boil for few seconds.
    Pudalangai kootu

  • Enjoy mixing with hot rice adding ghee Or as a side dish for vatha kuzhambu sadam & chapathi / roti. Enjoy !

Note

  • Soaking chana dal is very important else it won’t cook properly. You should soak at least for 15 minutes,
  • You can use ridge gourd, bottle gourd or chow chow  instead of  snake gourd and make the same.
  • You can also use 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder if making for chapathi.
  • Grinding onions and gg paste gives a nice flavor.So do not avoid them.
  • You can skip coriander leaves if you don’t have in hand.
Try this yummy snake gourd masala kootu easily in a pressure cooker and enjoy !
Snake gourd kootu recipe
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November 26, 2017

Mushroom Peas Pulao Recipe In Pressure Cooker – Indian Style Mushroom Rice Recipe

Mushroom peas pulao recipe
Last Sunday I prepared this Indian style mushroom peas pulao with some leftover mushrooms and fresh green peas in a pressure cooker. Its a very simple and easy pulao recipe just like my vegetable pulao. It can be prepared directly in an Indian pressure cooker. So it gets ready under 15 minutes. No grinding or big chopping works needed. You can prepare it for your lunch box easily and quickly. Since its a mild pulao recipe without much of garam masala powders, you can enjoy it with any spicy kurma as side dish. But my family liked it with simple onion raita. Usually people add coconut milk instead of water. But I used only water to cook the rice. Still it was good with nice flavor. Lets see how to make this simple and quick mushroom peas pulao with step by step pictures.

Check out my crispy mushroom 65


mushroom pulao

Mushroom Peas Pulao Recipe


Mushroom Peas Pulao Recipe

Mushroom Peas Pulao - Easy Pulao Recipe using a pressure cooker


Cuisine: Indian
Category: Mushroom Recipes
Serves: 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Mushroom - 10 nos
  • Green peas or dried peas - 1/4 cup
  • Basmati Rice - 1 cup
  • Water or coconut milk - 1.75 cups
  • Cooking oil+ Ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch
  • Cloves - 2 nos
  • Cardamom - 1 no
  • Black stone flower/ Kalpasi - 2 small
  • Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Bay leaf – 1 no
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Ginger Garlic Paste - 1.5 tsp
  • Green chilli - 3 nos ( Use 2 for less spice)
  • Mint leaves - a handful
  • Salt - as needed
  • Lemon juice – Few drops

HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM PULAO

  1. Wash and clean mushroom. Slice it and set aside.
  2. Heat oil + ghee in a cooker. Saute whole garam masala.
  3. Add onion, gg paste, green chilli, mint leaves and saute till transparent.
  4. Add mushroom, peas and saute for a minute. Add rice, saute for a minute.
  5. Lastly add water or coconut milk and mix well.
  6. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and clean mushroom with a cloth. Remove the stem and slice it. Keep aside.Finely chop onion and slit the green chilli. Wash the basmati rice and set aside. No need to soak it.
    Mushroom peas pulao
  • Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker base. Saute cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, cardamom and black stone flower. Add fennel seeds, big onion, gg paste and green chillies. Saute in medium flame till onion turns transparent.
    Mushroom peas pulao
  • Add mint leaves, mushroom and peas. Mix well. Lastly add the washed rice and saute for a minute.
    Mushroom peas pulao
  • Then add 1.75 cups of water or thin coconut milk. Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice. Mix well and pressure cook in very low flame for one whistle. Remove the lid after the steam is released.
    Mushroom peas pulao
  • Mix gently, fluff the rice and serve hot with any spicy kurma or raita !
    Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of green chilli as per your taste.
  • You can use thin coconut milk instead of water.
  • I used lemon juice. You can saute one finely chopped tomato along with onion.

Try this easy, yummy, healthy mushroom pulao and enjoy ! I served with raita and Paneer 65.
Mushroom pulao recipe in pressure cooker
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November 23, 2017

Chow Chow Poriyal – Spicy Chayote Curry Recipe

Chow chow poriyal
Chow Chow Vegetable( Chayote in English, Ishkus in Hindi, Seemai Kathirikai in Tamil, Seeme Badanekayi in Kannada, Seema vankaya in Telugu) makes its appearance in my kitchen at least twice a week. I make sambar, poricha kuzhambu and kootu with it. Chow chow poriyal was in my try list for long time as I have never seen my mom & MIL making poriyal with it. Here in Bangalore, most of the hotels serve this chow chow curry in their lunch thali. So I wanted to try that way. Its a very simple dry curry recipe but spicy in taste. People call it as Seeme Badanekayi Palya in Kannada. As chow chow vegetable is bland in taste, I have used spice powders to bring the masala flavor. I prepared this chow chow curry directly in a pressure cooker to ease my job. Yes it was done under 10 minutes. This recipe is ideal for bachelors and working women to whip up a quick side dish for sambar rice and curd rice. Do try this spicy chow chow curry for rice and enjoy. If you like, you can have it with roti a well.

Check out my other PORIYAL RECIPES too !

chayote curry

Chow Chow Poriyal / Chayote Curry Recipe


Chow Chow Poriyal / Chayote Curry Recipe

Chow chow poriyal for rice,roti - Chayote dry curry recipe, spicy in taste !


Cuisine: Indian
Category: Poriyal Recipes
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS


  • Chow Chow / Chayote - 1 no (Big)
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Garlic cloves - 5 nos
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
  • Dhania powder - 1 tsp
  • Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
  • Salt & water - as needed
To Temper
  • Coconut oil or cooking oil - 1.5 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Chana dal - 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE CHOW CHOW PORIYAL

  1. Wash and peel the skin of chow chow/chayote. Slice the head and tail portion.
  2. Chop into small cubes.Chop onion and garlic finely.
  3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker base. Splutter mustard seeds, urad & chana dal.
  4. Saute onion, garlic and chayote. Add salt and spice powders. Mix well.
  5. Add very little water and pressure cook in high flame for 2 whistles.
  6. Boil if there is excess water. Let it become dry. Lastly add grated coconut, mix well and serve !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and slice the head and tail part of chow chow. Peel the skin completely and chop into cubes. Chop onion and garlic cloves finely and set aside.
    Chow chow poriyal
  • Heat oil in a pressure cooker base. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal and curry leaves. When dals turn golden, add chopped onion, garlic and chow chow cubes. Saute for a minute.
  • Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder, garam masala powder and salt. Mix well.
    Chow chow poriyal
  • Add little water say 3 tbsp and mix well. Less water is needed because chow chow will release some water while cooking. Pressure cook in high flame for 2 whistles.
    Chow chow poriyal
  • Open the lid after steam is released. Mix gently and check for excess water. If its there, boil in high flame for a minute to drain all the water.Do not mix often because poriyal may become mushy. Toss gently. Poriyal should be dry. Lastly add grated coconut, mix well and serve with rice or roti !
    Chow chow poriyal
    Chow chow poriyal
Enjoy !

Note

  • Chow chow needs less water and less time to cook. So do not add more water while pressure cooking.
  • Chow chow becomes mushy if you cook for more time in pressure cooker. So its better to cook in high flame for 2 whistles. It cooks in the steam itself.
  • Adjust the quantity of chilli powder to make it more spicy.
  • You can also skip garam masala powder but it adds a nice flavor to the curry.
  • You can follow the same recipe and use bottle gourd / sorakkai instead of chow chow.

Try this easy, yummy chow chow poriyal at home and enjoy with sambar rice, rasam rice & curd rice.
Chow chow curry

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November 21, 2017

Vazhaithandu Masala Dosa Recipe – Banana Stem Dosa - Dosa Varieties

Vazhaithandu masala dosa
Vazhaithandu masala dosa – When we saw this dosa recipe in Salem Saravana Bhavan Hotel menu, Sendhil ordered it immediately. Salem Saravana bhavan restaurant has become our must visit place during Salem trip. Raksha loves their Ghee roast very much. We too like their varieties of dinner recipes with millets. So every time we visit there, we try to order some new and interesting dish. I too have a habit of trying the same at home. I had already tried and shared their Vazhaipoo dosa/ Banana flower dosa recipe recently. This morning I tried valaithandu masala dosa for our breakfast. This masala recipe is very similar to our South Indian style kurma but thick in consistency. I won’t say this banana stem stuffing tasted exactly like hotel recipe but it was close to it. Sendhil liked it a lot. We felt this dosa is one of the best way to consume banana stem for people who doesn’t like to eat vazhaithandu or vazhaipoo in the form of poriyal or kootu. Ladies, do try it for your husband even if he is a hater of banana stem. I am sure he will like the uniqueness and taste of this recipe. Ok, lets see how to make Vazhaithandu masala dosa / Banana stem dosa at home with step by step pictures.

Do check out my Vazhaipoo Dosai Recipe too.

Banana stem masala dosa

Vazhaithandu Masala Dosa - Banana stem dosa recipe


Vazhaithandu Masala Dosa - Banana stem dosa recipe

Vazhaithandu masala dosa recipe - Banana stem masala stuffed dosa for breakfast / dinner


Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Dosa Recipe
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Banana stem / Vazhaithandu - 1 no (Medium size), Finely chopped
  • Big onion - 1 no (Finely chopped)
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
  • Salt & water - as needed
To grind
  • Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
  • Green chilli - 2 nos
  • Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
  • Garlic - 6 cloves
  • Cashew nuts - 3 nos
For Dosa
  • Dosa batter - 2 cups ( I used my idli rava idli batter)
  • Gingely oil or cooking oil or ghee - to drizzle dosa

HOW TO MAKE VAZHAITHANDU MASALA DOSA

  1. Wash and chop banana stem into fine pieces.Keep in buttermilk or water.
  2. Grind the masala and keep aside. Heat oil in cooker base.
  3. Saute onion and banana stem pieces. When it turns soft, add the ground masala, garam masala powder.
  4. Saute till raw smell goes off. Add very little water and pressure cook in high flame for 2 whistles.
  5. Remove the lid after steam is released. Mix well and boil if there is any excess water.
  6. Make the masala thick and spreadable. Keep aside.
  7. Now make thin dosa. After its cooked 3/4th on one side, spread the masala and drizzle oil / ghee around the dosa. Cook for a minute till dosa turns golden in the bottom. Fold the dosa and serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato chutney !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and slice the banana stem into thin rings.Discard the thread like portion that comes while slicing the banana stem. Chop the rings finely and keep them immersed in buttermilk( to avoid discoloration) or water. Chop the onion finely and set aside.

  • Heat oil in a cooker base.Saute finely chopped onion and finely chopped banana stem till it turns soft. You can add some salt to quicken the process. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

  • Grind coconut,green chilli, fennel, ginger and garlic to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the banana stem mixture. Add garam masala powder. Mix till raw smell goes off.

  • Add very little water say 3 tbsp and mix well. Pressure cook in high flame for 2 whistles. Remove after the steam is released. Mix well and boil if there is excess water. Make thick masala. You can sprinkle some lemon juice if you like. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and keep the masala ready.

  • Take 2 cups of dosa batter. Dilute it slightly if the batter is too thick. Heat dosa pan. Spread the dosa batter and make it thin. When the top of dosa is 3/4th cooked, spread 2 tbsp of masala in the center of dosa.

  • Drizzle two tsp of oil around the dosa. Cook till the bottom of dosa turns golden. Fold the dosa and remove. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato chutney. Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of green chilli as per your taste.
  • You can also use red chilli powder instead of green chillies.
  • You should chop the banana stem very fine else it would be difficult to eat. Actually I couldn’t chop it fine like hotel.
  • You can use any dosa batter. I used my idli rava idli batter and made dosa with it.

Try this different dosa variety with banana stem and enjoy !
valaithandu masala dosa
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November 18, 2017

Mushroom 65 Recipe – How To Make Crispy Mushroom fry - Kalan 65 Recipe

Mushroom 65
Mushroom 65 / Crispy mushroom fry ( Kalan 65 in Tamil) is one of the easy Indian snacks recipes using mushroom. We have tasted this several times in restaurants/hotels. Many vegetarians avoid mushroom as it gives the smell of taste of eating non-veg food. But I include in my cooking once in a while as it has amazing health benefits. Its low in calories, gluten free, high in anti oxidants, high in potassium to control blood pressure, helps in weight management, boost immunity and much more. But we should be careful while buying mushroom. Always choose fresh ones to avoid ailments like stomach upset, food poisoning etc. 

Yesterday I bought a pack of fresh, edible button mushrooms from Metro Cash n Carry. Usually I make biryani with Mushrooms. This time I tried crispy mushroom 65 following my fail proof Gobi 65 recipe. It came out very crispy and tasty. Sendhil & myself liked it a lot. I am planning to try some kurma or kuzhambu with the leftover pieces. I also made Paneer 65 with the remaining batter for Raksha. 

If you follow this recipe, you can make crispy paneer 65, baby corn 65 and gobi 65. Its an all rounder recipe. If you want to keep it crispy for long time, you need to deep fry it twice just like the hotels and street side shops. Yes, To make restaurant style crispy mushroom 65, we need to deep fry it twice without worrying about calories. This is the only secret, nothing else I feel. I have shared this point in my Gobi manchurian post too. After all we are going to make it once in a while at home. But don’t feel bad, this recipe itself gives you crispy mushroom 65 even if you don’t deep fry it twice. Ok, lets see how to make mushroom 65 with crispy exterior and soft exterior with step by step pictures.

Check out this post on how to choose n buy, clean mushroom, Thalapakkatti biryani with mushroom, Thala ajith style biryani with mushroom and easy mushroom biryani in pressure cooker.
How to make mushroom 65

Mushroom 65 Recipe - How To Make Crispy Mushroom 65


Mushroom 65 Recipe - How To Make Crispy Mushroom 65

How to make crispy Mushroom 65 at home with easily available ingredients


Cuisine: Indian
Category: Snacks
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Mushroom – 10 nos
  • All purpose flour / Maida – 1/2 cup
  • Corn flour – 1/2 cup
  • Red chilli powder or green chilli paste – 2 tsp
  • Ginger – garlic paste – 1.5 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
  • Crushed fennel seeds or fennel seeds powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Lime juice – Few drops
  • Salt & water – As needed
  • Cooking oil – To deep fry

HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM 65

  1. Wash the mushroom, discard its stem. Chop into cubes.
  2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients given for the batter except cooking oil.
  3. Mix it to thick bajji batter consistency. Add mushroom cubes and marinate for 30 minutes.
  4. Heat oil. Deep fry the marinated mushroom pieces. Cook till bubbles cease.
  5. Drain in a tissue paper and serve hot with tomato sauce. Enjoy !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash the mushroom twice and discard the stem. Wipe it dry and chop into cubes.
    Mushroom 65
  • In a wide bowl, mix maida, corn flour, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, fennel seeds powder, lemon juice, salt and required water. Mix well without lumps.
    Mushroom 65
  • Make into thick bajji batter consistency. Thin batter makes tails while frying. So batter should be thick and coat mushrooms well. Add the chopped mushroom. Mix well and let it marinate for 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate the batter if you keep it for long time. You can also prepare this batter well in advance, refrigerate and deep fry when needed.
    Mushroom 65
  • Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated , put a drop of batter and check the oil temperature. If it comes to top immediately, heat of the oil is right. Now take the batter, put the mushroom pieces one by one in the hot oil using a spoon. Do not use your hands for dropping mushroom in the oil because the coating may go off. So its better to use a spoon.
  • Deep fry in medium flame by tossing it regularly. Flip and cook both sides till golden brown in color. Bubbles should also cease well. No problem if there are one or two bubbles.
    Mushroom 65
  • Remove using a slotted ladle and drain in a tissue paper. Deep fry few curry leaves for garnishing. Add to fried mushroom. Serve hot for best taste. Kids love to have with tomato sauce.
    Mushroom 65
    Enjoy !

Note

  • Remember batter should be thick and coat able. If its thin, tails may form in oil while dropping mushroom.
  • You can skip marination if you are in a hurry.  
  • This mushroom 65 stays crispy for 15 to 30 minutes. To make it super crispy that holds for long time, you should deep fry it twice. 
  • No need to use curd in this recipe.
  • If you don’t have corn flour, you can use rice flour.
  • You can also add crushed kasoori methi in the batter for more flavor.
Try this easy, yummy , crispy mushroom 65 recipe at home and enjoy !
Mushroom 65 recipe


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November 15, 2017

Kara Chutney Recipe – Hotel Style Kara Chutney For Idli, Dosa

Kara chutney hotel style
I am a big fan of hotel kara chutney recipe. Whenever we visit a restaurant for breakfast or dinner, myself and my dad ask for more servings of kara chutney (Spicy chutney in English) than coconut chutney and green chutney even though it tastes too spicy. We call it as red chutney. 

Having tasted so many hotel kara chutney recipes, I wanted to try it badly at home. So I came up with this basic version of  hotel style kara chutney and got good results. It tasted great with hot idli and dosa. I hope this chutney tastes good with adai, paniyaram, pongal and instant idli varieties. This chutney will surely remind some hotel taste to you. 

There are many type of kara chutney prepared in Tamil nadu hotels. Usually Tomato, onion, garlic and red chilli forms the base for this chutney. In some places, its also prepared without onion, with coconut or carrot to get nice orange color. In popular hotels like Saravana bhavan, Adayar Anandha bhavan they put urad dal, chana dal, coriander leaves or mint leaves in addition for more yield.

During my recent trip to Salem, we took a parcel of idli sambar along with ginger flavored coconut chutney and kara chutney/Red chutney from A2B, Chinnar. I shared a picture in my Instagram page as well. I wanted to replicate its taste at home. I smelt and tasted every bit of the red chutney to replicate at home. I found tomato, onion, red chilli, garlic, dals and coriander leaves were used to make that chutney. This kara chutney tasted so close to it as I din’t add coriander leaves. 

If you want to make the original A2B style kara chutney, you can add some coriander leaves in this recipe. I am sure you will get the same taste. Also don’t forget to use Kashmiri red chillies / Byadgi chilli and a small portion of red chilli powder to get bright red color. This chutney stays good for one to two days with refrigeration. Lets see how to make restaurant style kara chutney at home with step by step pictures and video.

Do check out my another version of Kara chutney, Hotel style Veg kurma, Hotel style Tiffin Sambar, poori masala, Parotta salna recipes. 



Kara chutney

HOTEL STYLE KARA CHUTNEY RECIPE


Hotel Style Kara Chutney Recipe
Kara chutney recipe - How to make hotel style kara chutney/ spicy chutney for idli,dosa
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Chutney Recipes
Serves: 3
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 15 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
To Saute in oil
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
  • Ripe tomato - 2 nos (Medium sized, 1 cup)
  • Big onion - 2 nos ( Small sized, 3/4 cup)
  • Garlic cloves - 5 nos ( small)
  • Urad dal - 1.5 tsp
  • Chana dal - 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli - 4 nos ( 2+2 - spicy chilli + Kashmiri chilli. add 6 for spicy chutney)
  • Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Salt - As needed
  • Coriander leaves or curry leaves or mint leaves – 1 small sprig (For variations)
To Temper
  • Cooking oil - 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - few
HOW TO MAKE KARA CHUTNEY
  1. Wash and chop tomato,onion.Peel garlic and keep it ready.
  2. Heat oil and saute dals, red chilli, garlic, onion till transparent.
  3. Then add chopped tomato, red chilli powder, salt and cook till pulpy.
  4. Cool down and grind to smooth paste.
  5. Temper mustard, curry leaves. Add to kara chutney. Mix well & serve with idli, dosa.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and chop tomato, onion. Peel garlic. Keep it ready. Heat oil in a kadai.
    Kara chutney - hotel style
  • Add urad dal, chana dal, red chilli ( I used 2 spicy long chilli & 2 Kashmiri chilli) & garlic cloves. When dals turn golden, add chopped onion. Saute till transparent.
    Kara chutney - hotel style
  • Add tomato, red chilli powder, salt. Saute till tomato turns mushy. Switch off the flame & let it cool down. If adding coriander leaves, you can add now & mix well.
    Kara chutney - hotel style
  • Grind to smooth paste adding water. Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves & add to the chutney. Mix well & serve with hot idli and dosa.
    Kara chutney - hotel style

    Enjoy !
NOTE
  • Do not add dals more than the mentioned quantity because the taste of dal dominates & chutney looks like a thick paste.
  • You can also skip chana dal & make only with urad dal.
  • You can add equal quantity of tomato, onion and try this chutney.
  • Add more chillies if you want spicy chutney. I made it medium spicy.
  • For variations, you can add 1 tbsp grated coconut or 1/2 tbsp coriander/mint leaves.
  • If you like the flavor, you can add few curry leaves or 1 tbsp grated carrot, saute with onion and make this chutney.
Try this yummy hotel style kara chutney at home and enjoy with idli,dosa !
I served it with Instant quinoa idli ;))

Hotel style kara chutney
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