Tomato chutney

Generally for parathas, thalipeth or when tomatoes are extra I make this chutney. This chutney is a bit oily and the original recipe used ginger but since my people like garlic I have substituted. The amount of garlic can be adjusted as you need. You can also use onions chopped fine, however fry it till it becomes translucent before adding tomatoes. Use it also as a quick base for any vegetable. It can be stored in the fridge for one week.

4-5 red tomatoes chopped fine

1 tsp garlic

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp haldi

1 tsp chilli powder

Curry leaves

2-3 pieces of red chilli

1 tblspn oil

Salt

Sugar

Make a fodni of oil mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

Add broken bits of red chilli, curry leaves.

Add the tomato and garlic mix well.

Cover and cook till pulpy.

Add haldi, chilli powder, salt and sugar.

Paneer Bhurji

My friend, Sunita once brought a vegetable which she shared with me, it was finger licking delicious. All my queries as to what it was made off met with an enigmatic smile and reply, “Finish all this then I will tell you.” Afterwards she told me it was paneer bhurji, she had made out of the little milk that had curdled. Till then it had never occurred to me that a paneer bhurji is a nice way to get rid of the last one cup milk that has curdled. I make it quite often, since the last little milk and I cannot bear one another.

For paneer bhurji you will need to strain the curdled milk through a muslin cloth (traditionally) but I cant stand that piece of cloth ever again so I stain it through a maida sieve or a big strainer with fine holes. Discard the liquid what you have in the sieve or strainer is paneer

1 cup paneer
1 onion chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
A little kasuri methi
Coriander
Salt to taste

Heat the oil, add mustard when they splutter add onion. When the onions become translucent add garlic. Fry till light brown in colour. Add the tomatoes and fry till they become pulpy. Mash all the tomatoes with a ladle, add the dry powders. Fry for a couple of minutes then add the kasuri methi and paneer mix well. Add salt garnish with coriander.

Raw Tomato Kosambri

My grandmother had made this salad I faintly remember it when I see raw tomatoes in the market, today I decided to make it. Ajji made it quite pungent but since no one can eat pungent stuff at home I made a milder version. Hats off to my memory it was the same stuff, milder, but same.

This is what I used

2 raw tomatoes
2 green chillies
2 tblspn puthana/futane
½ tblspn oil
½ Mustard seeds
½ tsp hing
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnishing


1. Cut the tomatoes in to fine pieces.
2. Add salt.
3. Grind green chillies, futana coarsely in the chutney pot. Add to tomatoes.
4. Heat oil, add mustard when it splutters add hing.
5. Mix with the tomatoes.
6. Garnish and serve.

Sambar Masala

This is my mother’s sambhar masala. I try out new masalas that I get from my friends but I seem to always come back to this one. Please note that the dagadphool is not star aniseed which has a pungent aroma, this is more like black and white stands, smells mild.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dhania(coriander seeds)

1 1/2 tbsps chanadal

1 1/2 tsps urid dal

1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)

1 1/2 tsps jeera

8 seeds methi(fenugreek)

1/4 cup dry grated coconut

8 byadgi red chillies (you can use any kind but then adjust the number for pungent you need)

3 sticks of dalchini (cinnamon) 1 inch each

dagadfool 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

1) Roast grated coconut

2) Roast dhania and red chillies with a liitle oil

3) Roast rest of the ingredients individually with a liitle oil

4) Cool and dry grind

PS Roast on low flame till you get a fragrance.