Methamba

In my last trip to the grocery store, I spotted some nice green mangoes. Back home, in Pune, this was a sure sign of the advent of summer. Mangoes got a very special treatment , whether raw or ripe...there were pickles and panha (cool mango drink), bhels with small chunks of raw & sour mangoes...yumm! When the markets were flooded with ripe mangoes there was aamras (mango pulp) & poli , mango milkshakes and mango ice cream made in pot! I still remember the fun filled summer evenings, the entire family...uncles -aunts, cousins and grand parents, getting together and having a pot ice cream party. It was so much fun fighting for a chance to churn the pot in the initial stages and later shying away from all the labor ! :)

There are so many ways that one can use mangoes, especially raw ones in every day cooking. The recipe I am going to share is just an example of a great and simple way to transform a nice tangy green mango into a yummy relish. Pair it up with some rice and dal and you will have a delicious meal in minutes. Methamba, as this relish is called, uses very few ingredients and takes no time to cook. You can even make some in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy Methamba with rice, poli, bread or even as a dip...you can be assured that people will be left wanting more!


Ingredients:
(the quantities here are really estimates as it all depends on how sour the mango is)
1 raw/green mango
1/4 tsp methya (fenugreek seeds)
1/4 cup jaggery (approximately...this will depend entirely on how sour the mango is)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil
hing (asafoetida)
salt to taste

Method:
Peel the mango and cut into small cubes. In a pan, heat the oil and then add the mustard seeds to it. Once the seeds start to pop, add the hing and then the methya. Let cook for a few seconds. Then add the chopped mango to the pan. Add a little bit of salt and let the mango cook. Normally you would not need to add water, but if the mixture starts drying out, only then add a few teaspoons of water to prevent it from burning. Don't add too much because once you add the jaggery it will let out some moisture. Once the mango s completely cooked, and feels mushy, add the jaggery and red chilli powder and cook till everything is cooked together. Check for taste and adjust the salt/chilli powder and jaggery. The mixture is supposed to be a combo of sweet/sour/spicy. Once ready , take it off from the heat and let it cool. Store in a container and refrigerate the leftover.

Wasn't that easy? This was supposed to be my entry for Anupama's Mango moods, but unfortunately could not make it in time. Anyway, I hope you do try this out and enjoy the bounty of summer!

Laal Mirchicha Thecha...Finally!

How time flies! I cannot believe that its almost 2 months since my last post...I have been really lazy, for sure :). So, in my last post, I got a lot of people excited about laal mirchicha thecha, which really is a type of chutney that goes as a great side, especially with bhaakri (jowar roti). The Thecha which is made with fresh red chillies is not to be taken lightly...it is super hot and needs to be consumed with care. If you are not a person with a ''hot/spicy tooth'' ;), worry not, as there are a number of ways to enjoy this. So before I get lazy again and abandon this post halfway...lets get to the recipe.

Ingredients :
About 15 fresh red chillies
4-5 Garlic cloves
2-3 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp Mohri (mustard seeds)
Hing (Asafoetida)
2 pinches of fenugreek powder
Lemon juice (1 full)
Salt to taste

Method:
Coarsely grind the chillies and garlic in the mixer/food processor and keep aside. Now, in a pan, heat the oil and add the mohri, hing and methi powder (to make methi powder, dry roast the methi seeds, cool them and grind them to a powder). Next, add the ground Chillies to the pan. Stir fry the mixture till it you see the oil separating. Once done, cool it completely and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix well. Store it in the refrigerator for 15-20 days. Your thecha is ready!
There are a number of ways to enjoy this thecha...some of my favorite are :
With plain dal and rice
With bhaakri and spinach bhaaji
With poli (roti) and any bhaaji
To spread some on sandwiches to add some kick ---like in 'Sour cream sandwiches'

Some indirect ways to enjoy this thecha :
Add this thecha to make any bhaaji/sabji to enhance its flavor, especially alu-gobi. Add this to your favorite dal while cooking, or also to your Chinese noodles...you will be pretty happy with the results. This thecha can add the right zing to your Marinara sauce as well as your pizza.
So what are you waiting for...shed all fear and give this thecha a chance to spice up your kitchen ! :)

Kairichi Chutney (Raw Mango Chutney) & FAHC

This recipe was supposed to be posted so long ago, but just got side tracked for some reason or the other. Things have been pretty busy at my side and I am finding it difficult to post as frequently as before. A poem that I learned in school has been in my thoughts these days and I thought that I should share it with you guys. I found it online here.

Leisure

WHAT is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

---W.H. Davies

Coming back to the recipe, I know that the season for raw mango is over in India, but I spotted some in the Indian store last week and I decided to post this recipe anyways, hoping that at least some of you could try it out this year.
I never really fancied eating raw mangoes or 'Kairi', as we call it in Marathi, just like that. I think I just don't have a sour tooth ;) (if that term exists)! But I loved it when my mom transformed this tangy fruit into a delicious sweet & sour chutney. This chutney was a highlight of our summer meals and it goes perfectly with rice-dal, chapatis, or parathas. My mother-in-law also makes this chutney, a little differently, but equally delicious! She also prefers to make it the traditional way, using a 'paata-varvanta' (stone mortar and pestle), so the texture of her chutney is chunkier, which can be achieved in the food processor. I am going to post both the versions, which are lip-smackingly delicious, and I hope that you will enjoy these as much as we do in our family.

Mom's Version :

Ingredients: (the proportions are approximate)
1/2 Kairi (Raw Mango---i used the other half for the other version)
2 tsp Grated Coconut (i use frozen coconut)
1/4 tsp Dried fenugreek seeds fried in oil
3-4 tbsp Jaggery (depends on how sour the mango is)
2-3 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

For the phodni (tadka):
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 tsp Mohri (Mustard seeds)
1/4 tsp Jeera (Cumin seeds)
1/4 tsp Hing

Method:
Peel the kairi (raw mango), and remove the seed. Chop it into small chunks and throw these into the mixer along with the rest of the ingredients. Grind till you get a paste (do not use any water while grinding). Check for taste and adjust accordingly. The chutney should be sweet & sour to taste with a little spiciness from the cayenne pepper.Remove this chutney in a bowl. In a small kadhai, heat the oil, add the mustard and cumin seeds to it. Add the hing and then pour this phodni on the chutney. Mix it and voila your chutney is ready to savor.

Now, if you think, you liked this version, wait till you see the next one... :)

My Mother-in-law's version :

Ingredients: (proportions are approximate)
1/2 Kairi
2 tsp Roasted unsalted peanuts
3-4 tbsp Jaggery (as per the sourness of the kairi)
2-3 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Method:
Throw in all the ingredients listed above in the food processor and pulse them together. As above, do not use any water and unlike the previous version, leave it a little chunky. Check for taste and adjust. Remove the chutney in a bowl and pour some phodni (tadka) on top. Mix it and enjoy !

Note: This chutney stays good for almost 15-20 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can also freeze it, for up to 2 months.
(Picture source for 'Paata-Varvanta' : here)
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Before I sign off, I would like to remind everyone about FAHC started by V.K.N. of My Dhaba. It is a non-profit organization and their mission is to help feed hungry children one by one and to join the fight against global poverty. Read more about this here. The event will close on October 23rd. There is also a raffle arranged by Indira of Mahanandi for the benefit of this cause. Read about the details of the raffle and the prizes here.
My grandfather always believed that feeding the hungry was the most rewarding and noble act and I think the same way. So I am heading to contribute my share to the cause and I hope that you will join me too :) Please feel free to use the ChipIn Widget located on the right hand side of the page to make your contribution. Thank You.

Daanyachi Chutney (Peanut Chutney)

As promised in my last post, I am posting the recipe for a family favorite---daanyachi chutney. This is a dry chutney and can spice up almost any meal or snack. There are two versions that I am going to post along with the numerous ways to enjoy it. So here goes...

Ingredients: (this is my mom's version)
1cup Roasted and skinned peanuts
1 clove garlic
2 tsp Cayenne pepper (adjust according to taste)
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind together the peanuts, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt in a mixer or food processor. Pulse the mixture to avoid too much oil coming out of the peanuts. Check for taste and adjust accordingly. Daanyachi chutney is ready!

My mother-in-law's version:
Skip the garlic and instead add 1 tsp of Jeera (Cumin seeds). Rest of the ingredients and method remain the same.

The two methods can also be combined and this chutney can be made by adding both garlic and cumin seeds.

Ways to enjoy this chutney :

• Apply some tup (ghee) to a hot poli (chapati) from the griddle and sprinle some daanyachi chutney on it. Roll it up and sink your teeth in. I always had this when my mom used to make polis at home.
• Mix the chutney with some dahi (plain yogurt) and eat it with chapati or bhakri. Alternatively, you can also add some finely chopped onion and some tadka to it. This is how my hubby loves it and this is a great side dish.
• Spread some unsalted butter (especially the home made white butter) or tup (ghee) on a toasted slice of bread, and sprinkle this chutney on top. You have a spicy and tasty toast/sandwich.
• Mix in a little chutney in Dahi-Bhakri, or Curd rice. It gives a nice kick to the dish.

I hope you all enjoy this extremely simple and delicious chutney recipe.

Set Dosey -- RCI Karnataka & JFI

I finally did it! 'Two birds in one stone'...:) Ok, before you guys think I have gone crazy, let me explain. Last week I decided to make dosas for the weekend as it was a really long time since I made them at home; the sole reason being, that everytime I used to forget to soak the rice and dal. But not this time...I was determined to have dosas over the weekend. But, instead of the regular dosas, I decided to make Set Dosey. At that time, I had no plan for posting this recipe for a particular event, but I had taken some pictures, just so that I would be able to post it sometime later. Then, on Monday morning, I was generally going through the link that Asha had provided for RCI Karnataka, and while reading through the information, I realized that 'Set Dosey' comes from Karnataka and that this would be a perfect entry for RCI ! And before I could pat myself on the back for such a brilliant discovery, it struck me that this was also a great entry for JFI -- Rice, hosted by Sharmi. This was really a proud moment for me...such brilliance is rare ! ;)) And so I achieved the impossible and 'Two Birds in one Stone'. :))) (How I wish blogger had some smileys....would have made a better impact!)


Karnataka is a state with a lot of diversity in culture and food. The cuisine of North Karnataka is a lot different than that found in south Karnataka. More about this beautiful state here. What comes to my mind when I think of Karnataka?--- First of all its my dad's birth place. He was born in Bijapur, which is famous for the 'Gol Gumbaz', and the only place where I saw brown colored ice being sold on hand carts! :) How shocked was I to see this and imagine the quality of the water...but this was a long time back, when I was still in school... haven't been there since then. Apart from the water experience, its a beautiful place to visit. Foodwise, I associate Karnataka with Dharwadi pedhe (yum!), Kardantu, Mandige, Kunda, Mysore Pak, Mysore Masala Dosa, Chitranna...well, the list is quite long but I just love their cuisine :).
Coming to the recipe, I was first introduced to Set Dosey in Mysore, where I was vacationing with my family and they were the best that I have eaten till date. I also found some really good Set Dosey in one of Pune's popular Udupi Restaurant, 'Wadeshwar'. Set Dosey, are different from the regular dosey, due to their small size and their thickness. Also, in addition to the usual Rice and Urad dal, the batter also has Thick Pohe (Flattened Rice). These dosas are generally served as a pair, hence the name. I have also seen some restaurants serving them in stacks of 3 or 5 just like Pancakes. I am not sure but I vaguely remember these dosas being served with a vegetable curry, but I just paired mine off with Sambhar and green coconut chutney, called 'Kaayi Chutney (green)'. On researching further, I found that there are numerous versions of the recipe. The recipe that I have, was taken from a neighbor back in India, who got this from another friend. This time I used Brown rice for the batter and did not use any oil while making the dosas (thanks to my Non-Stick Tawa), which made these dosas even more healthy ! Enjoy! :)
As mentioned earlier, this recipe is going to both Asha & Sharmi for the RCI event and JFI event respectively.

Ingredients: (makes about 15 dosey)
3 katoris Brown Rice or Regular White Rice
1 katori Thick Pohe
1/4 katori Urad Dal
1 tsp Methi dana (Fenugreek seeds)
Salt
A pinch of sugar (not in the original recipe but I add it because I like it)

Method:
Soak the rice, dal, pohe and methi seeds in water, separately, for at least 6-7 hours. The methi seeds can be soaked along with the urad dal. Once soaked, grind each of them separately and then mix together. The batter should be ground finely. Season with salt and leave it to ferment (preferably overnight). Normally, this takes about 12- 16 hours here in the US. To help the fermentation, preheat the oven a little and then switch it off. Then keep the batter in the oven, covered and with a big plate below to take care of any spills that might occur once the batter has fermented.
Once the batter is ready, heat a non-stick tawa (griddle) and then pour a ladle full of batter on it. Do not spread it as you would while making regular dosa. This dosa is supposed to be thick and small in size. If not using a non stick tawa, coat the tawa with a little oil before you pour the batter and then sprinkle a little oil on the sides of the dosa. Cover it with a plate and let cook for a few minutes. Make sure that the tawa is not too hot otherwise you will end up with dosas that are brown but not cooked through. Once cooked through, flip it and cook a little on the other side (I have read that these are generally cooked only on one side, so its optional to flip and cook them). Once the dosa is nice and golden brown, remove from the tawa and serve hot with chutney and sambhar.

For the Kaayi chutney:
Grind together some grated coconut (I use frozen), cilantro, 1-2 green chillies, and dalia split. I also add some cumin seeds to this.Heat some oil and then add 1/4 tsp urad dal to it. Once it starts turning reddish, add some mustard seeds. When the mustard seed start crackling adda little hing. To this, add a few curry leaves (kadhi patta) and fry for a minute. Pour this over the ground chutney and add some salt to it. Also add a little yogurt to it. Mix well and serve.

(I will post the recipe for Sambhar along with the recipe for sambhar masala in another post later)

JFI -- Chillies -- Phodnichya Mirchya

'Phodnichya Mirchya' is a Maharashtrian side dish, served on the left side of the plate. 'Phodni' means 'Tadka' and 'Mirchya' means 'Chillies'. So basically, its a simple stir fry recipe with loads of flavor. Although, looking at the recipe might make you think that it will be very hot, but if you choose the right kind of chillies, you won't feel a thing, I promise. I am sure of this because my hubby too is scared of eating hot stuff, so I cannot afford to make things extra hot :).
This is a recipe that has been passed down from my grandmother (maternal) to my mom, and from her to me. This can be made in two ways, the first one is, with potatoes and the other way is using just green chillies. It tastes great with Rice and dal or curd rice and even with chapatis. This is my entry for JFI--Chillies, hosted by Nandita of Saffron Trail, originally started by Indira.

Ingredients:
7 green chillies chopped into small pieces
1/2 a medium sized potato, thinly sliced into small triangular pieces (optional)
3 tsp daanyacha koot (roasted peanut powder)
1 tsp grated coconut (fresh or dried) (optional)
1/2 tsp mohri (mustard seeds)
1/2 tsp jeere (cumin seeds)
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp halad (turmeric)
1 tbsp oil for phodni (tadka)

Method:
Choose fresh green chillies that are thick and long. These chillies are generally not that hot. If you go with small, slender chillies, the dish will become too hot (like Thai chillies). Now chop these chillies into small pieces. Next, peel the potato and make small, thin triangular pieces like this,

Normally, the chillies and potato should be in equal proportion, but today, I have used a little more potato than usual. You can also skip the potato entirely and make this with chillies only. It tastes amazing!
Now, in a pan, heat the oil and then add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle and then add the hing and halad. Now throw in the sliced potato and the chillies in the pan. Let them cook and turn a little golden brown. Keep stirring. The chillies should become slightly crunchy. Once that is done, the next step is to mix in the roasted peanut powder and grated coconut (if using). Add some salt and mix well. Take it off from the heat and store in a clean container. This lasts for upto 4-5 days in the fridge. Enjoy it with your lunch or dinner alongside your favorite veggie, and pretty soon you will get hooked on to it!

Phutanyachi Chutney (Dalia Split Chutney)

As promised, I am back with my next recipe which is in continuation of my last one --- 'Paalakachi Mudda Bhaaji'. So today, I am going to share my family's recipe for 'Phutanyachi Chutney'. This is a dry chutney and is an excellent companion for poli (chapati), bhakri (jowar roti) or bread. My mom always made various dry chutneys at home and these would add a lot of spark to our regular humdrum meal (or so I thought ;)) Phutanyachi chutney can be eaten mixed with some yogurt or oil. It can also be eaten just like that on the side or can also be spread on a toasted and buttered slice of bread...Yum!


Ingredients: (the quantities of ingredients are just for an estimate)
Dala (Dalia Split) 1cup
Kislele Suke Khobre (grated dry coconut) 1/2 cup
Cayenne pepper 2-3 tsp or to taste
Hinga powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Warm up the grated dry coconut in a pan. Then, put all the ingredients along with the warmed up dry coconut in a mixer and make a powder. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. It should be a little spicy. To check if the chutney is done, hold it between your fingers; if the chutney sticks together, its done, if not then you need to add a little more grated coconut to it.
Transfer it into a jar and enjoy anytime...here is a closer look at this delicious Phutanyachi chutney.