Coconut Chutney (Spicy Coconut Dip)

Coconut chutney is a spicy flavorful dip that is generally served with South-Indian delicacies. It is very easy to make and needs just handful of ingredients which will all be easily available at any of your local Indian grocery stores.

Do give this recipe a try and let me know your feedback in the comments below.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Fresh Grated Coconut (I used the frozen variety)
• 2 tbsp Roasted Urad Dal/Black Gram/Black Lentil
• 2 tbsp Cilantro
• 1/4 cup Water (or adjust to your liking)
• For Tempering:
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Urad Dal/Black Gram/Black Lentil
• 2-3 Dry Red Chillies
• 4-5 Curry Leaves
• 1/8 tsp Asafoetida 

Method:

• Grind the urad dal in a food processor.
• Add the cilantro and grind again.
• Finally, add the grated coconut and grind it one more time. Add water to aid the grinding process (only if necessary).
• Take the ground chutney in a serving bowl and add the remaining water.
• In a small saucepan or a small tempering bowl, heat the oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and black gram and let the mustard seeds crackle. Lastly, add dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and pour it immediately over the prepared chutney mixture.
• Stir to combine and serve!
• Enjoy!!

Serving Suggestions:

Coconut chutney is served with South Indian delicacies like idly, sambar, medu vada, etc.

Sambar (Spicy Vegetable Lentil Soup)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Toor Daal/Arhar Daal/Split Pigeon Peas
• 2 cups Assorted vegetables diced medium (I used Onions, Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, French Beans, Tomatoes, Drumsticks)
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• ¹/₂ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• 8-10 Curry Leaves
• ¹/₈ tsp Asafoetida 
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• ¹/₂ tsp Tamarind Extract
• 2 tbsp Sambar Powder
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as needed

Method:

• Wash and rinse the toor daal well (until the water runs clean)
• Add the daal into the pressure cooker and add water to reach a level about an inch above the daal. Season it with salt and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. 
• In a big saucepan, heat the oil; when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and allow them to crackle. When they are done crackling, add the curry leaves, asafoetida and ginger paste and saute the vegetables on medium flame (add water as necessary) for 3-5 minutes or until they are almost tender. Season with salt and red chilli powder. 
• Mix the tamarind extract with about ¹/₄ cup of water and stir until it dissolves. Set it aside. 
• Mix the sambar powder with ¹/₄ cup of water and stir until no lumps remain. Set it aside.
• Open the lid of the pressure cooker when the pressure goes off and using an immersion blender or a hand churner, blend the daal well. Add it to the sauce pan with the veggies and mix. Add water as necessary to get the soup like consistency.
• Add the tamarind mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine.  
• Add the sambar powder mixture to the saucepan while stirring continuously to avoid any lump formation.
• Check for seasoning and add salt/red chilli powder as required. 
• Simmer the sambar for 20-30 minutes. Add water, if needed, to adjust the consistency. 
• Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions:

Sambar can be served with a variety of dishes, viz. Idli, Medu Vada, Dosa or just Plain Rice!

Baingan Ka Salan

Baingan ka Salan - I was introduced to this heavenly dish by a friend of mine.. It has this amazing nutty tangy flavor to it (you'll know when you taste it).. It is very easy to cook and here is how :-)

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Indian Baby Eggplant 
• ¹/₄cup oil (to cook the eggplant)
• 2 large onions
• 1¹/₂ tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste 
• 1¹/₂ tsp crushed green chillies (I use Serrano pepper) - adjust to the level of heat you prefer in your food 
• ¹/₃ cup sesame seeds (roasted)
• ¹/₃ cup + 1 tbsp - peanuts (roasted)
• ¹/₂ cup grated coconut
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1¹/₂ cup tomato purée 
• ¹/₂ cup oil (to cook the gravy) 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ¹/₄ tsp fenugreek seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida 
• ¹/₂ tsp turmeric powder 
• 1¹/₂ tsp red chilli powder (adjust to your taste)
• 1 tsp tamarind extract dissolved in 1¹/₂ cups of water
• Salt - to taste

Garnishing:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Above - Eggplants wrapped in aluminum foil

Above - The different purées used in this recipe

Method:

• First of all we will prep our eggplants. Preheat the oven to 325F. Wash the eggplants and dry them thoroughly. Keep their crowns attached; coat eggplants with a thin layer of oil and wrap each individually with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 minutes.
• Let them cool down a bit (enough for you to handle them) and then remove the aluminum foil.
• Add the oil to a skillet and once hot, add the eggplants and cook them on a medium-low flame for about 5 minutes.
• In a food processor/blender, add the roasted sesame seeds, peanuts and fennel seeds and make a fine paste. To this, add the grated coconut and process again. Set the paste aside.
• Purée the onion, Serrano pepper, ginger & garlic and set aside.
• In a saucepan, add the oil; once the oil is hot, add cumin, mustard & fenugreek seeds and when they crackle, add the asafoetida and the prepared onion purée. Stir and let it cook covered for 3-5 minutes or until the onion changes color (this is to get the rawness of onion out before we proceed to the next step).
• Now add the tomato purée, stir and let it cook covered for another 8-10 minutes (till you see the oil separate from the side.
• Now stir in the sesame, peanut, coconut paste, spices and the tamarind water. Let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes (add more water if you like the consistency of the gravy thinner).
• Garnish with the cilantro and serve!

Serving Suggestions:

The baingan ka salan can be served and relished with Roti and/or Rice
Enjoy!