Spicy Tangy Tomato Chutney

There are numerous ways of making tomato chutney - with onions, garlic, tamarind, coconut, coriander... every twist is a new taste.

This Chutney is a combo with rice, but it makes a good partner with idlis and dosas as well. My MIL makes this often and it is always my favorite. 2 reasons.. One because of the simplicity. It hardly takes 10 minutes to make this. Second, I like the raw taste of tomato. Yes, the reason being tomato is cooked as whole.. No cutting or chopping!! So if you can't stand the raw smell of tomato, I am afraid, this chutney will be a disappointment. Of course, you can add variations like grinding a pod of garlic or a few red chillies. But please do not chop the tomato or you'll miss the authentic taste of this lip-smacking recipe. When I say lip-smacking, I bet you'll!!

Spicy Tangy Tomato Chutney

Serves 2

What we need:
Tomato, big - 1
Green chilli - 1
Salt - as needed
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Broken Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.

How to do:
1. Break the green chilli into 2 pieces.
2. Heat a tbsp of oil in a kadai. Drop the tomato and green chilli into the kadai. Pour hot oil from the kadai over the tomato. Close with a lid
3. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the tomato to other side and leave it again for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Remove from flame and let this cool for a while. Coarsely blend them together with salt.
5. Heat oil in a smaller pan and add mustard. When it starts to pop, add cumin and broken urad dal. Add the tempering to the chutney.

Serve with rice and papad or with dosa and idly.

Peas Pulav

While Potatoes top the charts in my home, Peas comes next. A pod that never lets me down, a pod that never fails!! It was yet another time of scratching the brain for a dinner menu when the packet of frozen peas came to rescue. Now since I don't have a story to ramble on, we go directly to our recipe


Peas Pulav
Basmati rice cooked with peas and mild spices
Serves 2


What we need:
Peas - 1 cup
Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Green chilli - 1 or 2, minced
Garlic - 2 or 3 pods, minced
Peppercorn - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) -1 tbsp.
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Coriander - for garnishing
Salt - as needed
Water - 2 cups

How to do:
1. Wash and soak the rice for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan, and add the pepper corn and cumin. When they sizzle, add onion, green chilli, garlic and salt.
2. Fry till the onion turn soft. Now add water; when it starts boiling, drain and add the soaked rice.
3. Cover and cook for about 8 to 9 minutes. When the rice is about half-done, add the frozen peas and mix gently.
5. Let this cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Check by mixing with a wooden spatula.
6. Once the rice is done, remove from flame and garnish with coriander.

Generally peas pulav is bland on its own; so instead of raitha, you can combine it with any gravy like Paneer Butter Masala or Dal Makhani.

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani always meant extravagance to me. Yes, having seen a tiny caption in the menu card of every restaurant "Black Urad dal and Red Kidney Beans slow cooked in a rich gravy overnight"... I had decided that this is one recipe I'd leave it to the chefs! Until my last birthday..

A good friend of mine rang me to tell that she had made Dal Makhani and wanted to give me some. As usual, my hubby dear was made the messenger and he picked it up on the way home. Needless to say, it was recreated to perfection and we actually fought for the last spoonful!

Now it has become a regular visitor to our dining tables. But I must admit that though I try to copy the recipe to book, I am still reminded of my first experience of home-made Dal Makhani by my friend.. Just like everyone remembers their first date! ;)

Dal Makhani
Black Urad dal and Red Kidney beans in a rich cream gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
Black urad dal - 1 cup
Rajma (Red Kidney beans) - 1/4 cup
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Green Chillies - 1 or 2, minced
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Garam masala - a pinch
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Oil/Butter - 2 tbsp.
Fresh heavy cream - 2 to 3 tbsp.
Kasoori methi - 2 to 3 tsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed
Coriander - for garnishing

How to do:
1. Wash and soak the dals overnight. Change the water and cook them in a pressure cooker for 4 to 5 whistles or till they are done.
2. Heat oil or butter in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.
3. When the cumin starts to sizzle, add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry till they emit a nice aroma and add tomato puree.
4. Stir in the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Cook till oil starts to separate.
5. Now add the cooked dal and water. Reduce the flame and let this cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low flame.
6. Add the kasoori methi (gently crush it before adding)
7. Drizzle in 2 to 3 tbsp. of cream and mix well. Remove from flame.

Serve with naan, roti or paratha.

Egg Masala Dry

Now I don't have a story to go with this, we are going directly to our recipe. I can almost hear some of you jumping with joy because of the escape from my boring rants! :)

Egg Masala Dry

Serves 2

What we need:

Boiled eggs - 2 to 3

Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped

Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped

Coriander, finely chopped - 3 to 4 spoons

Green chilli - 1 or 2, minced

Garlic - 2 to 3 pods, minced

Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.

Cumin Powder - 1 tbsp.

Coriander (Dhania) Powder - 1 tbsp.

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Garam Masala - a pinch Optional

Kasoori Methi - 2 tbsp, crushed

Mint leaves, chopped - 8 to 10 leaves

Salt - as needed

Oil - 3 tbsp.

How to do:

1. Boil the eggs, remove the shell and cut them into quarters.

2. Heat oil and add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add onions and salt.

3. Fry till the onions turn soft, and add turmeric powder, green chilli and garlic. Once they are done, add tomatoes and mint leaves.

4. In 2 or 3 minutes, tomatoes will be done and will start to pulp out. Then throw in the dry spice powders (Cumin, Dhania, a pinch of Garam masala). Sprinkle little water to avoid burning.

5. When the mixture starts to get lumpy texture, add the boiled eggs. Mix slowly and carefully to coat them with the masala.

6. Let this sit for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the crushed Kasoori Methi and remove from flame.

Garnish with coriander. Goes well with Rotis, Naan as dry side-dish. Try this also with Sambar rice, or rasam rice.

I always add a few mint leaves to most of the egg-based dishes, because I don't like the smell of egg when it starts cooling down and the overwhelming flavor of mint covers it.

Paneer-liciously Yours!!!

I know, by now the title should have suggested my love for Paneer...! So is the case with my dear hubby. As I has said in my previous post, I have started trying out different varieties with this yummy dairy product and the results are always edible!

But Paneer Bhurji was one recipe that didn't come up to my expectation. Because when I grate and add paneer, I feel that oil starts coming out of the dish, and in the end, I end up having more oil in my plate that what I had actually added. Maybe it is my mistake in the way of doing it.

So I have started chopping Paneer into fine small pieces (yes, of course a lot of work, but really worth the effort!). Now I see that it is no more oily as it used to be. And yes, the texture of the dish is too good, as the pleasure of biting into chunky paneer pieces is definitely INCREDIBLE!

Quick Paneer Bites
Indian cottage cheese snack
Serves 2
What we need:
Paneer - 150 g, chopped into small fine pieces
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Green chillies - 1 or 2, minced
Ginger - 1", grated
Garlic - 2 to 3 pods, minced
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) powder - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek) - 2 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Chopped Coriander - for garnishing

How to do:
1. Heat oil in a pan, and add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add onion and salt.
2. Fry till the onions turn soft. Add green chillies, ginger, garlic. (You can also use a tbsp. of ginger-garlic paste).
3. Once they are done, add the tomato and dry powders (chilli, turmeric, jeera powders). Stir and mix well till the tomatoes are soft.
4. Now half of the kasoori methi (crush gently before adding) and the paneer. Mix well, and coat the paneer pieces with the masala.
5. Reduce the flame and let this sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. When the paneer starts turning brown, add the remaining kasoori methi and remove fro flame.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve as a snack. It also goes well with rotis and naan as a dry side dish.