Pudhina Chutney / Mint Chutney (no coconut)

Whenever a chutney is made what goes without saying is that there is coconut in it. At least in South India. Coconut is plentiful, gives the chutney texture and of course it is tasty. I love coconut and no I don't think it is bad for you but there are days that I have cooked with coconut 2 meals in a row and want to make something without coconut.

Also back home my mom(or the cook) used to make mint chutney without coconut for my dad(by extension for all of us) usually for dinner. It has a different taste without the sweetness of coconut but still very tasty.

Saute the dal, cumin, peppercorns with a bit of oil and transfer them to the blender. In the same pan saute the onions, mint leaves and the rest of the ingredients.

I generally do not buy mint leaves during the winter months when it is usually expensive. For that matter neither do I buy them during summer. I usually have mint leaves that I have frozen from the summer which always comes in handy for a cold winter's night or a rainy morning when the fridge in bare.

Pudhina Chutney / Mint Chutney (no coconut)
Preparation Time:5 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 cup of packed mint leaves
2. a small bunch of coriander leaves
3. 6 green chilies
4. 1/2 tbsp of channa dal (Bengal Gram/Kadalai Paruppu)
5. 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds
6. 1/4 tsp of pepper corn
7. a few coriander seeds
8. a small piece of tamarind
9. salt to taste
10. 1 -2 tsp of oil

Method

1. In a saute add half tsp of the oil, saute the channa dal first and when it starts to brown add the cumin,coriander seeds and pepper corn. Transfer them to the blender.
2. Add the remaining oil and saute the onions till they start to become translucent and brown. Add the green chilies and tamarind. Saute for a minute more. Now add the coriander and mint leaves and saute till they are wilted. Add salt.
3. Once it is cool, transfer the contents to the blender and blend to a smooth paste. I added about 1/2 cup of water to get the consistency I wanted. Lightly loose for eating with idli or dosai.
Note:If you do want to add any water, powder the dal and spices first and then add the rest of the ingredients and blend to a paste.

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Quinoa Puliodharai - Quinoa in a spicy tamarind sauce

Tamarind rice has a special place in my heart. It is one of the first non dal recipes that I learned to cook. When we first moved into our neighborhood we had a pot luck party and I carried with me the one other dish I could make that tasted good that was not a sambhar. I was not under illusions. Tamarind rice I figured was something that only only a typical Indian taste bud can really appreciate or so I thought.

I was quite surprised that it was almost over and one of our neighbors wanted the leftovers. Besides being pleasantly surprised I realized that the taste of tamarind was not that exotic after all.


It was time for Quinoa and Tamarind to come together. Tamarind Quinoa with some fried potatoes on the side is a perfect meal. Precooked Quinoa and tamarind sauce come together in this simply but very tasty combination.

If you like puliodharai with rice better - Puli Sadam.

Quinoa Puliodharai
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:10 minutes(if quinoa and puliodharai are precooked)
Ingredients

1. 2 -3 cups of cooked quinoa
2. 1/4 cups of puliodharai mix
3. 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil (optional)

Method

1. Mix in the puliodharai mix with the precooked quinoa. Add the sesame oil if needed and gently mix them together.

Serve with some roasted potatoes or chips.

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