Thakkali Chammanthi / Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney is a tangy and tasty South Indian chutney made from tomatoes, herbs and spices, there is no onion no garlic or coconut in it. There are many variations of making Tomato chutney / Thakkali Chammanthi. 

Ingredients
3 Rip Tomatoes - diced
3 Dried Red Chillies
1 Tablespoon Split Urad Dal
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil or as required
1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Ginger
1 Whole Clove
For The Tadka
A Sprig Curry Leaves
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Heat oil in the pan and add in the urad dal first. On low heat allow it to turn light golden. Now add in the ginger , red chillies (break them into pieces) and the clove. Sauté for a minute till the red chilly changes color. Now add in the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook the tomatoes till they are soft and mushy.

Take off heat and allow this mix to cool. Now grind this mixture to a fine paste and keep aside. While grinding, you can add 2-4 tablespoons of water to get the desired consistency of the chutney.

For The Tadka

Heat oil in a small tadka pan add the mustard seeds when they splutter, add the asafoetida and curry leaves give this a good mix. Add in the ground tomato chutney, taste for salt, add if needed. Cook for 2 minutes till all comes together. Take it off heat and enjoy this yum..mm chutney!

This Tomato Chutney taste good and is a perfect accompaniment to enjoy with Idli, Dosa, Vada, Uttapam or even rice and dal. 

We enjoyed this with Ragi Idli and Drumstick Sambar | Murungakkai Sambar... a perfect combo!! 

Labels: Vegan, No Onion No Garlic, Chutney, Tomato, Gluten free, Appetizer, South Indian

Bhendi / Okra Masala Dry#Foodieextravaganza

Bhendi also known as Okra or Ladies finger is a very nutritious green vegetable is available as year round so it's a regular in our weekly menu.
This Bhendi Masala Dry has great flavors, it's vegan and taste awesome. This can be enjoyed as a side dish with roti or rice.

Ingredients
200-250 Grams Bhendi / Okra
1 Medium Onion - chopped
2 Medium Tomatoes - chopped
¾ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon Garam masala powder
½ Teaspoon Amchur powder
Salt to taste
2 + 2 Tablespoons Heaped Oil
1 Teaspoon Kasuri Methi

Method

Rinse the bhendi well in water and pat it dry then wipe with a clean kitchen towel.
Cut the top and the tail of the bhendi then chop them into 2" thick pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons heaped oil in a kadai/wok or pan. Add the bhendi and saute till they are nearly cooked. Keep stirring them on medium flame. Once nearly cooked, remove the bhendi on to a plate keep aside. In the same pan heat another 2 tablespoons heaped oil, add the chopped onions and fry till they become translucent. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. If the tomato mixture becomes too dry add about ¼ or ½ cup water and continue to cook, don’t cover the pan with the lid till the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add all the dry spice powders, stir well and sauté for a minute or two. Add the sautéed bhendi, kasuri methi & salt and mix so that the onion-tomato masala coats the bhindi well. Cook for 2-3 minutes or till the bhendi is cooked, stirring in between. Once cooked switch off the flame.

Serve the Bhendi Masala garnished with some coriander leaves. Enjoy with chapatis, rotis or naan.
Labels: Foodie Extravaganza Party, Side Dish, Gluten free, Bhendi, Okra, Vegan, Lady Finger, Sabzi 

November is World Vegan Month, so we are celebrating this in Foodie Extravaganza. Check some of the other vegan recipes here.

• Baba Ghanoush from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Bhendi - Okra Masala Dry from Sneha’s Recipe
• Capsicum Potato Curry - Aloo Shimla Mirch from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Chickpea Falafel Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Lumina Pumpkin Olan from Magical Ingredients
• Sticky Pudding Carrot Pineapple Cake from Food Lust People Love
• Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Caramelized Apple Dessert Cups#SundayFunday

Caramelized Apple Dessert Cups are an easy, delicious, and no bake dessert. Make these cups , they are irresistible and perfect for easy dessert! Hope you will enjoy this special dessert.

Ingredients
For The Caramel Apples
2 Medium Apple - chopped
22 Caramel Candies
¼ Cup Milk
For The Cups
500 Ml Full Fat Milk
3 Tablespoons Corn Flour
3 Tablespoon Sugar
½ Cup Whipping Cream

Method 
For The Caramel Apples

In a heavy bottom pan add the candies and milk, on very low flame let the candies melt, when they melt add the chopped apples and saute till they are coated and cooked. Cool and keep aside. 

For The Cups

Take half a cup milk from the 500 ml and mix the cornflour to make a smooth slurry. Keep aside.
In a heavy bottom pan heat the remaining milk, when it comes to a boil add the sugar and mix well till sugar melts, then add in the corn flour slurry whisking continuously till it starts to cook and mixture forms a thick custard . Cook on very low flame stirring continuously or else it will burn at the bottom.
When it thickens whisk it continuously till it cools.
Whip the cream till it forms soft peaks. Add in the cooled custard and mix it well till it forms a smooth custard.

Fill this into the small cups, top it with the caramelized apples and cling wrap each cup and refrigerate till chilled. 

Serve chilled.
Labels: Caramel, Apple, Sweets & Desserts, Dessert, Sunday Funday

• Caramel Apple Cookies by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Caramel Apple Strudel by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Caramelized Apple Dessert Cups by Sneha’s Recipe
• Spiced Caramel Apple Cake by Culinary Adventure with Camilla
• Warm Caramel Apple Dip by Palatable Pastime 

Atta Ladoo/Whole Wheat Flour Ladoo#SundayFunday

Atta Ladoo is a popular sweet that is prepared during festivals and winter. It's a rich, made with desi ghee and nuts. It makes a sweet dessert or snack. This is commonly made in every house hold with some variations. It is a simple recipe with few ingredients, but the texture and taste is amazing!

For this ladoo you require coarsely ground whole wheat flour which is also used to make Kada Prashad, this is readily available in the market as Jada (coarse) or Ladoo Atta.

Make 20 to 25 Medium Ladoos
Ingredients
3 Cups Coarsely Ground Whole Wheat Flour
1 ½ Cup Desi Ghee1
½ Cup Bura Sugar / Karara Sugar
¼ Cup Almonds
¼ Cup Cashews
¼ Cup Golden Raisins
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder

Method

Dry roast atta, in a thick bottom pan, on low medium heat until lightly colored this takes exactly 15 minutes. 

After this keep adding ghee 3 tablespoons at time and continue roasting, stirring continuously, when this is mixed add another few tablespoons of ghee and continue to stir continuously till all the ghee is used. 

Keep stirring on medium low flame till the atta will be light brown and will release a fragrant sweet aroma of roasting. 

This should take about 20 to 30 minutes or till it reaches a brown color and starts leaving ghee.

Once it reaches the desired color take off flame. Remove it it on to a big flat plate to cool. 

Now in the same pan add the almonds and cashewnuts and fry till they are toasted add the rasinis and fry for a minute.
When cooled chop the almonds and cashewnuts.

As you can see the ghee has surfaced on top. At this stage I, used a paper towel and dabbed off all the excess ghee that surfaced as much as possible. I did not want so much ghee in my ladoos. 

Now when the atta is lightly warm add the chopped almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, bura / karara sugar and cardamom powder. With your palms rub it into the atta mix so that all are incorporated nicely.

To make the ladoos, take about 2 - 3 tablespoons of atta mix into your palm. Gently press the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round ball.

Leave the ladoos on a plate to cool to room temperature before putting into a airtight container. 

These ladoos can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks.

These are so delicious and mouth melting and assure you that you can't stop at one.  
Lables: Ladoo, Atta, Whole Wheat Flour, Desi Ghee, Raisins, Cashewnuts, Almond, Festival Sweets, Christmas Sweet, Snack, Sweets & Desserts, Diwali Faral

For Sunday Funday our today's theme is Diwali Party Recipes.  

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Aloo Tikki
• Sneha’s Recipe: Atta Ladoo / Whole Wheat Flour Ladoo
• Palatable Pastime: Chicken Tikka Nan Pizza 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Chocolate Kalakand 
• Cook with Renu: Condensed Milk Instant Kalakand 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Crunchy Chickpeas Masala
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla : Gulab Jamun 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Vegetable Pulao (Indian Rice Pilaf) 

Seer Fish/Surmai Kujit- East Indian#FishFriday

Fish Kujit is a traditional fish stew. This East Indian Fish Curry has a slight tangy taste from the use of vinegar with the freshly ground green masala and the goodness of fresh coconut milk. It's delicious stew.

I have made this with seer fish you can use any white fish. I remember as kid, this was my comfort food and would enjoy this with hot Hand breads(Apas), you can also enjoy this with any crusty bread or steamed rice.

Ingredients

500 Grams Surmai Fish fillets
1 Medium Onion - thinly sliced
6 Green Chillies - slit
1" Piece Ginger - cut into juliennes
6 Cloves Garlic - cut into juliennes
1 Small Tomato - chopped
Vinegar to taste
2 - 3 Tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste
½ Freshly Grated Coconut - remove milk (first & second extract)-keep separately
Grind To Paste
6 Cloves Garlic
½" Piece Ginger
1 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1½ Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
10 Black Peppercorns
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves
2 Green Chillies
2 Tablespoon Grated Coconut

Method

Grind the given ingredients to a fine paste using the second extract of the coconut milk if required (do not use water). Keep this aside.

Heat oil in a pot or mud vessel/treezal, fry the ginger, garlic, green chillies, onion and tomato, sauté till the onion is translucent ( I removed a little of this for garnishing). Now add the ground masala , wash the mixer jar with little water and fry till oil surfaces. Add the first extract coconut milk and salt to taste, give it a good mix , slowly slide in the pieces of seer fish and give it a light mix so that fish is submerged in the gravy. Let this come to boil on medium low flame. Cover and let it simmer for 2 minutes or till the fish is cooked. Switch off the flame add the vinegar, taste for sourness if needed add according to your taste.

Garnish with the sautéed onion, green chillies, ginger garlic and tomato. 

Serve hot with steamed rice or Hand Breads(Apas)
Labels: Fish Stew, Fish Friday, East Indian, Main course, Seafood/Fish

For Fish Friday our theme is Seafood Or Fish Stews.

• Food Lust People Love: Malaysian-style Curry Laksa 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories:  Shrimp, White Bean, and Kale Stew 
• Palatable Pastime: Shrimp and Crab Gumbo 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Seer Fish/Surmai Kujit- East Indian 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Sausage and Halibut One Pot Stew