Baigan Bharta | Smoked Aubergine Chutney

I love baigan/baingan bharta and successfully converted DH to love this wonderful dish too thus I make this more than once a month.  This simple bharta goes well with roti, paratha, rice or even with idly, dosa but I love it with baati.   I have blogged here before baigan aloo bharata, though the recipe is almost similar but I had few pending request to blog to baigan bharta in specific and this time I thought of doing it, I wouldn’t take step vise picture but if you can refer to my baigan aloo bharta post for stepwise pictures.  You can also boil and make this bharta, @ my in-law place it prepared this way and it’s also knows as bhaata chutney but personally I liked only when the eggplant is smoked, it bring the wonderful smoked fragrance to bharta making it more delicious.  A perfect dish to try when you fire up your bbq grill.  Grill eggplant and make barta, you will love that. 
And before moving over to recipe Wish every Happy Tamil New Year.
Ingredients:
Eggplant/Aubergine - 1 medium OR 300 gms
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1/2 tbsp [chopped]
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 1 large
Green Chilli- 3 [to taste]
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Crushed Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp [optional]
Cilantro - 1-2 tbsp chopped

Method:
1. Wash, pat dry smear oil all over the eggplant (I forgot to apply the oil)
2.  Roast the eggplant in direct flame (medium to slow), rotating eggplant in all direct in regular intervals to gets it roasted properly.  Do this until you see the skin turns black and the eggplant becomes little soggy.  You can also insert a fork or knife in the centre of eggplant to check it's cooked well.
3.  Meanwhile finely chop onion, garlic, green chilli and tomato, keep aside.
4. Once eggplant roasted allow it to cool a bit, remove stem & peel of burnt skin and mash cooked eggplant.
5. In a pan heat oil add cumin seeds and let it crack.
[I used mustard oil for any bharta, you can use any cooking oil]
6. Add chopped garlic and roast until light brown, add chopped onion & chilli and fry until onion turns golden brown in medium heat.
7. Add turmeric and chilli powder and mix well.  Now add tomato and cook until soft, add mashed eggplant, salt, crushed kasuri methi and mix everything well.
8. Cook for 5-8 minutes in slow/medium flame or until everything gets cooked, add cilantro and off flame. 

Variations:
~ You can add 1/2 of garam masala along with salt to that extra kick.  
~ Kasuri methi is optional, you can skip it if you like.
Have a nice day ~~

Peanut Chutney | Mungfali Ki Chutney

Like most of the recipes, peanut chutney is also made in multiple ways and I have my own styles too, though I make the same chutney in different way but this method I use often, of all the chutneys, peanut is my favourite one & so of my nephew, I still didn’t blog the recipe as most of us do know how to make this wonderful chutney.  One of friend was over our place to stay and one day I made upma with apple cilantro chutney plus this peanut chutney for breakfast and from then she is asking me to blog this recipe, this time when I made it I decided to take pictures and to write down, so here presenting peanut chutney in my style.

There are lot of variations in this simple peanut chutney too, you can try with coconut, without roasted gram dal, with ginger etc & that’s makes this chutney perfect side dish for idly, dosa, upma, pongal, vada and for me I can have it with roti, parata, any variety rice…just anything  so do try this and I am sure you will love this simple, easy, quick chutney too. I say easy cause I don’t really do much of tempering in all, this time I did since I knew am going to blog it so let’s make the chutney looks pretty! Otherwise if you ignore the tempering you are not missing anything great. 




Ingredients:

Peanuts/Ground nuts/Ver Kadalai/Mungfali - 1/2 Cup
Roasted Gram/Dhalia/Pottu kadalai - 1/2 Cup
Dry Red Chillies - 3-4
Chopped Garlic - 1 tsp
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Tamarind - peas size
Hing/Asafoetida Powder - A pinch
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Water - As needed (around 1/4 cup)

For tempering
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Dry Red Chilli - 1
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp


Method:

1. Soak Tamarind in little water and keep aside until we are doing below listed tasks.
2. In a pan or wok heat oil, add cumin seeds and allow to splutter.  Add dry red chilies, garlic and sauté until brown.
3. Now add peanuts and sauté until brown but not burnt, add roasted gram/dhalia and sauté until light brown.
4. Off flame and transfer everything to a bowl or plate and allow it to cool.
5. Once all fried items in room temperature, transfer it to a mixer or blender, add soaked tamarind with water, salt, Asafoetida and grind into smooth paste/chutney.  Add water in intervals if required.
Transfer the chutney in a bowl and add little more water and adjust salt if required. Amount of water depends on how you like your chutney consistency.
For Tempering
6. In a small pan heat oil, add all ingredients listed under tempering in given order, sauté until urad dal becomes brown.
7. Pour the tempering over prepare chutney and give a stir.
Our chutney is ready, the steps seems long but while preparing it’s simple. 


Have a nice day ~~

Sweet Chutney Recipe | Imli Khajur Ki Mithi Chutney

Sweet chutney or Imli ki chutney is one that I absolutely love after green chutney, it’s used for all most all the chat times, dahi bhallas, samoas, kachori, pani puri and the list goes on.  Some time I will just scoop out little chutney and relish it as it is, ya that’s me.  Even use this some times as spread for sandwich that’s delicious too.  But then don’t use this sweet chutney for the vegetable sandwich, it doesn’t do justice to the wonderful sandwich that tomato sauce does, this is from my experience, the best thing about this chutney is it can be store for up to a month or may be more than that but then I never use it more than a month if store properly.  So here is the simple recipe. 

Ingredients:

Tamarind/Imli - 1 small lemon size ball
Dates - 15-16
Jaggery - 1 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Rock Salt/Kala Namak -1/2 tsp [optional]
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Water - as needed

Method:

1.  Chop pitted dates, pressure cook dates and tamarind for 2 whistles with drizzle some water around 1 tbsp of each.  You can pressure cook both together or separately, normally I keep them separate.

2. Once cooker release pressure grind dates into smooth paste, use little water if required.  Extract juice from cooked tamarind.



3. In a pan add tamarind extra, dates paste and 1/2 cup water and mix well.  Add jaggery and bring it to boil.  Now add cumin, red chilli powder, rock salt, salt and mix everything well.



4. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the thick consistency reached, it will be thick like sauce.  It’s up to you how you like the chutney to be very thick or little runny.  Adjust spice and salt if required.



5.  Allow it to cool completely, store in air tight container and you can refrigerator it up to a month.  Just remember to use every time clean, dry spoon and scoop out always from one corner and move further rather then using the chutney from all over the bottle/box. 

Variations:

~ You can use sugar instead of jaggery.

~ Add 1 tbsp of raisins for that extra kick.

~ Instead of rock salt you can use chat masala.

~ You can extract tamarind juice as you normally do, let it boil and then add finely chopped dates and cook until it becomes soft and mash while it’s cooking and then follow the remaining steps.  I make this chutney this way too. 

~ I normally make my chutney thick like you see in the pictures and store.  If I need to dilute I just add little water every time I use the chutney. 

~ If you don't want to pressure cook then microwave tamarind and dates for 2 minutes in high and extra juice and cook as above.

Have a nice day ~~

Vegetable Sandwich | Street Style

As most of you liked Murukku Sandwich recipe, I thought I should post this sandwich recipe too which is my all time favourite.  I simply love this sandwich for it’s simplicity.  This Vegetable sandwich goes a long way, on our every trip to Elephant Gate (also known as Sowarpet) in Chennai this is must along with fresh, yummy sugarcane juice.  And when I started studying there then it was regular for lunch, we group of friends will go and enjoy juice, chaat items or these sandwich and this used to cost us only Rs. 5 ahh those were the days. 

This is one of most simple sandwich to make and taste so delicious, so far to whomever I have served this all have enjoyed and asked for more.  My nephew love this and he always asks me for second serving.  If you have unexpected guests then it’s a wonderful sandwich to greet them along with tea or coffee or you can have this as a quick breakfast or as evening snack to munch on guilt free.  You can use whole wheat bread or multi grain bread whatever you like.  It’s normally made with white bread. 


Ingredients: [Serves 2]
Bread Slices - 4
Onion - 1/2
Ripe Tomato - 1
Boiled Potato - 1 small
Cucumber - 1/2 or 8 pieces
Green Chutney/Sandwich Chutney - 2-3 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - 2-3 tbsp
Butter - As needed to spread  [optional]

Method:
1. Cut all the veggies in round shape. I like to separate few of onion circles so I can use less of onion as doesn’t like to have onion smell after eating.

2. Trim bread edges and spread butter (if using) on two slice.  Apply green chutney or sandwich chutney on top of butter and in another two slice spread tomato sauce/ketchup. [ I didn’t use butter]

3. Arrange the veggies as you like on the slice we have applied chutney.  I normally first keep cucumber pieces, followed by tomato, onion and potato, cover it up with another slice of bread.
Try to keep tomato slice in middle so that it doesn’t makes the bread soggy.

Cut in desire shape and enjoy these yummy beauties.  You can arrange the sandwich and make it as toast but I personally don’t like that as the veggie becomes little soggy while we toast. Or you can toast the bread and then arrange the sandwich too then I find the bread becomes chewy   so I just do this way using white or brown bread.

Serve with tea/coffee, juice or anything of your choice.  This can be a quick snack or breakfast if you have chutney ready, I normally keep my green chutney in fridge which lasts me more than a week. 
Arrange the sandwich just before eating or the bread might become soggy due to chutney and veggie.  And this goes to Archana’s Fast Food Not Fat Food, a event started by Priya

Have a nice day ~~

Murukku Sandwich & Sandwich Chutney Recipes

 

Yes, that’s right it’s indeed Muruku Sandwich.   Are you thinking what’s on earth is that, well it’s nothing but vegetable layer between two mini muruku pieces to make sandwich.  It apparently famous in Chennai, I gain knowledge about these sandwiches from my sister.  I liked the idea so thought of sharing with you all, hope you like it too. 

We all know about green chutney and most of us use same for sandwich too but then my dear sister told me about this sandwich chutney which made in a little different way than green chutney.  This recipe is from street vendors whom sell bread sandwich on road side.  In this chutney one ingredient used is cucumber peel, after peeling all the cucumber for sandwiches they use peel/skin to make chutney, interesting right?  I asked my sister 10 times is she sure this the way it’s done and she assured me this is the recipe indeed.  

Sandwich Chutney Recipe

Ingredients:

Cilantro - 12 sprigs

Mint Leaves - 2 springs

Cucumber Skin/Peel -1/2 cup or of 1 cucumber

Roasted Gram Dal/Dalia - 1/2 tbsp

Garlic Pod - 1

Green Chillies - 2

Lemon Juice - 1/2 tbsp

Rock Salt/Kala Namak - 1/4 tsp  [Or chat masala]

Salt - To Taste

Method:

1.  Grab all the ingredients, make sure to wash well cucumber before you peel it.  [ I missed out lemon here]

2.  Grind all the ingredients in a mixer or blender and add 1 tbsp of water only if required.  

Adjust salt n chilli if required and our sandwich chutney is ready. You will get light green colour chutney, I used little extra of mint and got the dark colour! Consume this chutney same day and do not try to store.

Let’s move on and make the sandwich now.

 

For Murukku Sandwich

There is no measurement here as we have to use the ingredients to our taste and requirement.

Mini Murukku - 12 pieces or as required

Tomato Pieces - Few

Cucumber Pieces - Few

Onion Pieces - Few

Boiled Potato Pieces - Few [optional]

Sandwich Chutney or Green Chutney - To spread

Cheese - For Topping

Thin Sev - For garnishing [optional]

Method:

Normally these sandwiches are made from mini murukku smaller than what you see in the picture since I don’t have those super mini one’s I am using these.

~ Cut all the vegetables in tiny pieces, use boiled potato if you wish.  You can also use any other vegetable of your choice. 

To arrange the sandwich apply chutney on muruku pieces, keep one cucumber piece, onion pieces followed by tomato and cover it up with another muruku piece. 

Our muruku sandwich is ready, how simple is that?  In shop it comes as pair of 9 sandwich here I made of 6, you can make as many as you like.

Sprinkle cheese to make it Cheese Muruku Sandwich, in shops it serves with lot of cheese topping.  No wonder kids loves this!

Or instead of cheese you can sprinkle little of thin sev, you can make it as open sandwich too for that don’t cover the sandwich top with muruku piece. 

Use toothpick to make these yummy sandwich as party appetizers, what you say?

Kids love this and so adult.  A very quick snack to make and please your kid, family or guest. 

Have a nice day ~~

Palak Dhokla

So you all are ready to watch the finals today?  I'm all geared up too and before that this post is coming as during Ind Pak match I had lot of fun in facebook watching the match together and commenting with other bloggers friends and decide to cook something up n post for the finals to munch on and enjoy the game.  We call it Chak De India event :)

I never ate palak dhokla before but was try for a long time and today seems to be perfect day it's one the quick, simple, tasty, healthy and filling snack to enjoy with game :)

 Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak -1 bunch [makes 1 cup puree]

Chickpeas Flour/Besan - 1 cup

Semolina/Suji - 1tbsp

Yoghurt/Curd - 1/2 Cup

Green Chillies -2

Ginger - 1" piece

Oil - 2tsp + for greasing

Cooking Soda - 1/4 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp

Eno/fruit salt - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste 

Water - if required

Cilantro - for garnishing [optional]

For Tempering

Oil - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies - 4 slit

Curry Leaves - few 

Method:

1. Clean and blanch spinach and grind to smooth puree with green chillies and ginger, keep aside.

 2. In a bowl mix chickpeas flour, soda, salt, suji and curd and make a smooth paste.

3. Add spinach puree, oil, lemon juice and mix well, if required add little water to make thick pouring consistency batter with no lumps.

4. Prepare a steamer or steam water in pressure cooker and grease a bowl or plate with oil.

5. Mix well eno salt with batter, pour in grease bowl and steam for 15-20 minutes or until a fork/toothpick comes out clean.  Do not put whistle on the cooker lid.

6. Meanwhile prepare tempering, heat oil add asafoetida, mustard seeds once it starts to crack add slit green chillies, curry leaves and sauté for a minute off the flame.

7.  Take out the dhokla once it slight cool to handle and remove from the bowl, pour the tempering over it and cut in desire shape.

Serve with green chutney and enjoy the dhokla 

 I also made this drink to sip and enjoy the game :)

 Have good day :)

Tandoori Chicken

I have blogged Tandoori Chicken and Tandoori Chicken on Stove Top, but this is a little different recipe which I followed from Saptha Blog.. This one I prepared on popular demand for a get together and it goes without saying everyone loves it :).  

I was getting late & clicked the picture in hurry; couldn't real take proper pictures so kindly excuse that but rest assure it's a wonderful recipe.  Thanks to Saptha for posting this simple and wonderful recipe,  Saptha also have tandoori masala recipe in her space, check that out if you want to make home made one ...here I use readymade masala.  

 Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg

Tandoori Masala - 8 tbsp

Ginger-Garlic Paste - 6 tbsp

Thick Curd - 1/2 cup

Lemon Juice - 1/4 cup

Butter - for brushing

Salt - to taste 

Method:

1.  Clean, wash and slit the chicken pieces.

2. In a large bowl/plate mix tandoori masala, ginger-garlic paste, curd, lemon juice, salt and stir well.  Now add the chicken pieces and mix everything well (if required adjust salt, lemon and tandoori masala).   Marinate for 3-4 hours or keep over night in fridge.

3. Preheat the oven in grill settings, meanwhile brush the chicken pieces with butter and grill at 250C for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.  Brush again with little butter on top

OR use normal oven settings at 250C, brush chicken with butter; line on a foiled baking tray and cook for 15 minutes, turn to other side & brush with butter cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.  Take out the tray and brush again with little butter.

Serve warm with green chutney, chopped onion and lemon.  Enjoy the feast. 

Enjoy your day ~~

Green Chutney | Chaat Chutney

Green chutney or also known as chaat chutney and I'm sure most of you love this chutney or at least I do, I can simply have this chutney with anything and everything and indeed this one is very versatile goes well with any chips, papad, chaat, vada, tikki or even with idly/dosa.  It also works great as sandwich spread  or base.  

Ingredients:

Cilantro - 1 cup

Mint Leaves - 1 cup

Green Chilies - 4

Onion - 1 small

Garlic - 2 pods large or 4 small pods

Chaat Masala - 2 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1.  Clean, wash and roughly chop cilantro and mint leaves.

2. Chop onion in medium size chunks; grind all the ingredients to smooth paste.  Adjust salt n lemon juice if required.

Store in a clean, air tight container, refrigerate and it stays good for 2-3 weeks.

Normally I don't add water and just keep as thick paste so it's works good for sandwich base and add little water as and when required for other purpose like I did to have along with Sabudana Vada.

Sending this to Krithi's Event Herbs & Flowers - Coriander, a event started by PJ


Have a good day ~~