Paruppu Chutney and Squash Poriyal (Stir Fry)

Chutney is very common side dish in South Indian cooking. It goes well with idli,dosai,rice and sometimes even chappathi's. Ingredients varied slightly makes it a suitable side dish for the particular main course. Growing up, though I have tasted several kinds of chutneys I did not pay special attention to their taste or the method of preparation. But now I am simply fascinated by them.

Chutneys ground using aatu oral are far tastier than anything we can whip up using the blender. I have heard even idlis made from idli mavu(dough) ground with the stone one tasted much better than the electric grinders. But in this fast paced world the age old utensils probably would end up in museums, I don't see anybody using them anymore.

Here is a slight twist to the original thuvaram paruppu (toor dal) chutney. I added kozhu paruppu (horse gram dal). Lot of people have not heard of this dal and I cannot get this in grocery stores here, have to bring them from India, it is very tasty and is supposed to be very good antidote for common cold.

Paruppu Chutney



rice, squash poriyal and chutney

Ingredients:
1. Toor Dal - 3 tbsp
2. Horse Gram Dal - 3 tbsp
3. Red Chillies - 4
4. cumin and pepper few
5. a small piece of tamarind
6. 4-5 curry leaves
7. Coconut -2 Table spoons
8. salt to taste.




Method:
1. In a pan dry roast the dals, red chillies, cumin, pepper, tamarind, curry leaves.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients after the dals have been roasted and the toor dal has a slightly brown tinge.
3. Add the coconut and salt in the end and remove from the fire after a quick toss.
4. Now blend the mixture adding very little water. The chutney should have a thick consistensy so add water sparingly.

Goes very well with rice.

Squash Poriyal
I used Butternut squash for this recipe. I have tried several varieties of squash, Butternust squash was the one that came close to the taste and texture of arsanikkai (Pumpkin). I have tried with Orange pumpkin (the ones that we see a lot during Halloween) but the texture is stringy. Acorn Squash depending on the ripeness(??) more ripe the better also tastes very similar to the butternut squash.



Ingredients:
1. Butternut Squash cubed
2. 1/4 onion diced
3 Red chillies halved seeds removed
4. seasoning - cumin,mustard, urad dal and curry leaves.





Method:
1. In a pan heat oil, add urad let them turn brown, add curry leaves, cumin and mustard
2. Add the onions and fry them till they turn slightly brown
3. Add the diced squash, salt
4. Cover the lid and cook till they turn soft.

It is slighty sweet and soft. It tastes yummy with yogurt rice.