Hot & spicy raita - A perfect Dip

Raita the most popular south Indian dip can be made in different variations.  This is simple & easy way of making raita just with onion & tomato as the main ingredients.  Addition of grounded coconut spicy paste adds the flavour & taste simply delicious.  Perfect side dish for biryani & I served it with chicken biryani this weekend.

Ingredients :

1. Curd - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 no (Finely chopped)
3. Tomato - 1/2 no (chopped)
4. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup ( Finely chopped)
5. Corriander leaves - 1 tbsp (Finely chopped)
6. Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
7. Green chillies to spice
8. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
9. Chaat masala to sprinkle
10. Salt to taste

Direction to cook :

1.   Grind together the coconut, cumin seeds & green chillies.

2.   Combine all the ingredients together along with the grounded masala.  Adjust the salt to taste.

Sprinkle the chaat masala & serve it with biryani.

Read more...

Cucumber Raita

This cool yoghurt salad is the perfect for hot & spicy food.  Especially, it taste delicious with biryanis.  Addition of raisins makes this raita more tasty from the regular method.  Amma makes this very often during the peak summer days.  Even now I try to add this in my regular menu during summer.  Very cool & refreshing salad perfect partner for hot Indian dishes.

Ingredients :

1. Cucumber - 1 medium sized 
2. Curd / yoghurt - 1 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Raisins - 1 tbsp

Direction to cook :

1.   Peel the skin & grate the cucumber.  Press the cucumber through a strainer to remove some of the water.

2.   Combine the other ingredients & refrigerate it.

Serve cool.

Read more...

Coconut Chutney

.


Ingredients :

1. Coconut grated - 1 cup
2. Green chillies - 4 nos
3. Urad dal - 1 tbsp
4. Oil - 1 tsp
5. Tamarind - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Water 
   

Directions to cook :

#   Heat oil in the kadai & add urad dal.

#   Grind coconut, urad dal, green chillies, tamarind & salt together.



Serve with pongal.

Read more...

Tomato chutney

.

My husband & myself are not the great lover for idlies. So, I cook them occasionally along with the complete side dishes. Hot idlies with sambar & tomato chutney are the perfect combination which melts & slide inside the mouth.

Amma makes very soft & fluffy idlies for the breakfast with lotz of chutneys predominately tomato chutney would be in the menu. Those days are really memorable :)

Ingredients :

1. Riped tomatoes - 4 nos
2. Oil - 2 tsp
3. Urad dal - 2 tsp
4. Red chillies - 4 nos (as per us spice level)
5. Salt to taste
6. Ginger piece - 1 inch sized
7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
9. A pinch of hing
10. Coconut - 1/2 cup

Directions to cook :

£ Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan, add 1 tsp of urad dal, 2 red chillies, ginger, chopped tomatoes & salt.

£ Cover and cook them for 5 min or till tomatoes are soft & done.

£ Cool them to the room temperature & grind them with the coconut.

£ Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of oil in the frying pan.

£ Add mustard seeds, 2 red chillies, 1 tsp urad dal & curry leaves.

£ Add the fried seasonings in the chutney.

Serve them with dosa or idlies.

Read more...

Coconut chutney & an award

Coconut chutney is the most popular & frequently made dip in the south India. Simple and delicious which taste good with idlies, dosa, pongal, vada &along with sambar.

I like the seasoned red chillies, when we squeeze that it releases the juice which taste great with chutney. Enjoy this :)

.

Ingredients :

1. Coconut pcs - 1 cup
2. Roasted gram dal - 1/4 cup
3. Green chilly (or) Red chillies - 3 to 4 nos
4. Ginger - a small piece
5. Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp
6. Water to grind - approx 1/2 cup
7. Salt to taste

For seasoning :

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Urad dal - 1 tsp
3. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
4. A pinch of hing
5. Oil - 1 tsp
6. Red chillies - 2 nos

Directions to grind :

# Combine all the ingredients together (expect seasoning ingredients ) and grind them to a fine smooth paste, adding water little by little.

# Heat oil in the kadai, add mustard seeds & let them splutter. Add urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves and a pinch of hing.

# Finally, add the seasonings in the grinded chutney & serve.

Serve with idlies and dosas.

My Award time :

Thanks pooja for thinking about me & passing this cute award to me. You are really lovely person.

I would like to pass this award to Padma, Parita, Dhanya nabirajan, Renu, , Varunavi, Rak's kitchen, kittymatti, Kitchen flavours, Divya, Mangala bhat. Plz pass this award to atleast 10 bloggers.

Read more...

Mint chutney

Most of the south indian houses, chutneys are often made to accompany with dosa, idly & sometimes even with rice. Chutney with sambar are the best partners to specify. Mint chutney is really tasty and healthy dip for its medical benefits.

.

I like to serve this chutney with the seasonings on the top (without stirring them). Even the leftover can be used in the other dishes like chicken curry, sandwich and even in eggs. It's really handy :)

.

Ingredients :

1. Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
2. Coconut - 1/2
3. Red chilly - 4 nos
4. Hing a pinch
5. Ginger - small pc
6. Urad dal - 2 tsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Tamarind juice - 1 tsp
9. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
10. Oil - 2 tsp

Directions to grind :

# Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan, add 1 tsp urad dal, 2 red chillies, hing, ginger piece and finally mint leaves. Saute it for 2 min & switch off the heat. Dont overcook the mint leaves.

# Once cool, grind the mint leaves with the coconut, tamarind juice and salt to taste.

# Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan, add urad dal, mustard seeds, 2 red chilly & curry leaves.

# Mix this seasonings in the grinded chutney.

Serve with dosa, idly or even with rice.

Read more...