JHATPAT CHATPAT- FOR QUICK, EASY AND TASTY RECIPES: April 2008

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Beerakayi Chutney(Ridgegourd Chutney)

Ridgegourd (Beerakai in telugu and heerekai in kannada) chutney is prepared in different ways in various regions of South India. Since it is a little spicy by nature, it tastes excellent with plain rice. With this item in your meal, you do not really need any other side dish. Learnt to prepare it from a telugu friend who is a very good cook. Thanks Pushpanjali! This is one of the tastiest dishes i've ever had.

Time Taken: 20-25 minutes.

Serves about 2-3 people.

Ingredients Required:

1 large sized ridgegourd.

4-5 spicy green chillies.

2 cloves of garlic.

Half a tsp tamarind paste concentrate.

Quarter cup of coriander leaves.

2 tsp grated coconut.

Half tsp refined oil.

Half tsp mustard seeds.

2-4 curry leaves.

Half tsp urad dal

4 green chillies

Salt to taste.

Method of Preparation:

Wash the ridgegourd well. Chop it into 2-3 big chunks and cook it with its peel/skin in a cooker along with slit green chillies and half a cup of water. When the ridgegourd chilly mix cools down a little, grind it along with raw garlic, tamarind, coriander leaves, grated coconut and salt into a thick, smooth paste using a mixer. Then, in a pan, warm up a little oil. Sputter mustard seeds and curry leaves in this oil. Add urad dal and red chillies(cut into halves) and stir with a ladle until the dal turns light brown. Pour in the chutney now and cook till a boil.

Labels: Beerakayi, Chatpat, Chutney, Jhatpat, Ridgegourd, Spicy, Telugu

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Methi Salad

Methi or Fenugreek salad is a very healthy addition to your meal. It is very tasty at the same time. Am documenting it right now while i'm on vacation to India at my mom's place. We have prepared it for lunch and i cannot believe that there is absolutely no bitterness in the salad. While amma usually uses lemon for sourness in this recipe, today, she has added tomatoes along with lemon. So, what you want to use is your choice. Both taste different and are good in their own way.

Serves about 4-5 people

Time taken: 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients Used:
1 big bunch of Methi/Fenugreek leaves
2 small onions
1 tomato(optional)
a big squeeze of lemon juice
a handful of grated coconut
1-2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 curry leaves
1-2 spicy green chillies
a dash of asafoetida.
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

Wash methi leaves well chop them finely. Put it in a salad bowl and add finely chopped onions, tomatoes(if you want to), grated coconut, lemon juice and salt. Then, in a small frying pan, warm up oil. Sputter mustard seeds. In this, add curry leaves, asafoetida and finely chopped green chillies. Add this seasoning to the salad mix and eat fresh.

Labels: Chatpat. quick, dry salad, Easy, fenugreek, Healthy, Jhatpat, kosumbari, Methi, Salad, Tasty