Black Grapes & Gooseberry Rasam

           Experimented with a new combination of black grapes and gooseberry to make this amazing rasam. It turned out real lip smacking with a slight hint of sweetness and tanginess mixed together. You can go easy in the use of pepper to make it equally spicy too. Well, you can relish it with plain steamed rice for a great comfort meal or can enjoy as a piping hot soup, especially during a cold winter night.  

• 8-10 black grapes, pureed
• 2-3 tbsp. gooseberry puree
• 1 tbsp. ghee / oil 
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 
• 1 sprig curry leaves 
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• salt to taste 
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1/2 tsp. whole peppercorns 
• 2-3 garlic
• 2 cups water
• 1-2 green chilies, slit (opt)
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Grind the cumin seeds, peppercorns, garlic and some water into a smooth paste. 

          Heat ghee / oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the ground paste and sauté till the oil separates. Add water, pureed grapes, pureed gooseberries, salt and green chilies. Bring it to a boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

          Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy with plain steamed rice or as a soup. 

Bitter Gourd (Karela) Chutney

          All Bitter Gourd lovers will simply love this amazing chutney. It was my first try and I really fell in love with this side dish. A very easy recipe, it simply tastes yummy with hot steamed rice and a drizzle of some extra ghee. It is lip smacking with all the flavours in it - spicy, tangy, sweet and a slight hint of bitterness. You may also relish it with chapati, curd rice, idli or dosa. It is definitely a must try recipe.

• 4 long bitter gourd, seeds discarded & sliced
• 8-10 dry red chilies 
• 1 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp. split black gram (urad dal)
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1-2 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp. jaggery / sugar to taste
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves

          Add some salt and turmeric powder to the sliced bitter gourd and leave aside for 30 minutes. Then rinse well and squeeze properly. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil and fry the bitter gourd, turmeric powder and salt to taste on a low flame till golden brown in colour. Keep aside to cool.

          Heat remaining oil and fry the other ingredients starting from - dry red chilies to black gram. Keep aside to cool.

          Dry roast the coconut till golden in colour and set aside to cool.

          Grind into a paste all the stir fried ingredients along with tamarind, jaggery, salt to taste and required quantity of water.

         Heat ghee in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the curry leaves and asafoetida. 

          Sauté for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Pour this tempering over the chutney and relish with plain steamed rice or chapatti. 

Satay Peanut Sauce / Dip - Malaysian Style

          This aromatic and mouth watering sauce is a perfect accompaniment to chicken satay. This Malaysian style Peanut sauce is extremely tongue tingling with all the flavors like spicy, sweet and sour. 

          Peanuts, being the main ingredient, is combined with galangal, garlic, red chilies, tamarind paste and sugar to make this delicious dip. This sauce can also be served with kebabs, tikkis or vegetable crudités. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1-2 lemongrass, chopped (only the white portions)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1" galangal, sliced (ginger can be used as a substitute)
• 6-7 dry red chilies
• 1 cup roasted peanuts, powdered
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1-2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. oil

          Blend together lemongrass, garlic, galangal and red chilies along with some water into a paste. 

          Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion till light brown. Now add the ground paste and fry on a medium flame till the oil separates.
  
          Add the peanuts, salt, sugar, tamarind paste and a cup water. Mix everything well and simmer till it thickens slightly and the oil separates. Serve along with chicken satay.

                                Heat oil & saute onion till light brown. 

                              Add ground paste & fry on a medium flame till oil separates.
  

                               Add peanuts, salt, sugar, tamarind paste & a cup water. 

                                Mix well & simmer till it thickens slightly.....

                         

..... and oil separates. 

                               Serve along with chicken satay.

Ragda Samosa Chaat - Savoury Street Snack

          Chaats are of different types and forms and happens to be one of my favourite snack. They are yummy, light on the stomach and extremely tongue tingling. The ingredients can be mixed and matched to dish out this delicacy. Today I would like to share a delicious RAGDA SAMOSA CHAAT, where the Ragda is a white peas curry. 

          To this, some crumbled samosa is added, topped with some spicy, sweet and tangy chutneys, onion, tomato, sev, some dry spices and coriander leaves. They are relished as a tea-time snack, as a light dinner or anytime of the day. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

Ragda....

• 1 cup dry Yellow / White Peas, soaked overnight
• pinch of baking soda
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste (opt)
• 1 tomato, pureed
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

Chaat.......

• 2-3 samosa, roughly crumbled
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1-2 fresh red / green chilies, chopped
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. roasted peanuts
• 2-3 tbsp. mixture farsan
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1/2 cup sev (fried gram flour noodles)
• sweet tamarind chutney as required
• mint-coriander chutney as required
• beaten yogurt as required
• salt to taste
• red chili powder to taste
• chaat masala to taste
• roasted cumin powder to taste 
• lime juice as required
• chopped coriander leaves as required

         Ragda ......Boil the soaked peas in 2 1/2 cups water, turmeric powder and a pinch of baking soda for 2-3 whistles.

          Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices (except salt) mixed with little water. Fry on low flame till oil separates.

         Add the tomato puree and tomato paste. Continue to fry till dry. Add the boiled peas, salt and 3/4 cup water if required. 

           Cover and simmer till the gravy thickens. Add the coriander leaves and mix well. Keep aside.



To assemble the chaat......

          For serving, pour a cupful of the prepared ragda in individual bowls. Then arrange the samosa first.

          Top it up with the onion, tomato and chilies, followed by the tamarind chutney, green chutney and yoghurt.

          Next add all the dry spices, followed by some sev, peanuts, fresh coconut, farsan, chopped coriander and lime juice. Relish as an evening tea-time snack or as and when desired.

                                  Ingredients needed for the chaat.

                                 Ingredients needed for the chaat.

                                  For serving, pour a cupful of ragda in individual bowls. 

                                  Then arrange samosa first. 

                                 Top it up with onion, tomato & chilies.

                                 followed by tamarind chutney, green chutney & yoghurt. 

                 Add all dry spices, followed by some sev, peanuts, coconut, farsan, lime juice
                 & coriander leaves. Relish as a tea-time snack or as & when desired.

Samosa Chaat (Savoury Snack)

          Chaats are savoury snack and in general is one of my favourites. It is enjoyed by young and old alike. So here is my version of a SAMOSA CHAAT, which is very easy and simple to prepare if you have any leftover chole or samosa. It just needs a wee bit of assembling.

          So get going and dish out this amazing Indian street food that is spicy, sweet and crunchy. As they say - waste not, want not! Enjoy this mouth watering delicacy in the comfort of your home with family and friends. They can be had as a tea-time snack, appetizers, as a light dinner or anytime you desire. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 2-3 samosas, roughly crushed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1-2 fresh red / green chilies, chopped
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. roasted peanuts
• 2-3 tbsp. mixture farsan
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1/2 cup sev (fried gram flour noodles)
• sweet tamarind chutney as required
• mint-coriander chutney as required
• beaten yogurt as required
• salt to taste
• red chili powder to taste
• chaat masala to taste
• roasted cumin powder to taste 
• lime juice as required
• chopped coriander leaves as required

          On a plate, arrange the crushed samosa first and top it up with the tamarind chutney, green chutney and yoghurt. Then add the onion, tomato and green chili.

          Next add all the dry spices, followed by some sev, peanuts, coconut and farsan. Again drizzle some more chutneys and yoghurt.

          Add some chopped coriander and lime juice to the finished product and relish as an evening tea-time snack or as and when desired.

Chop onion, tomatoes, fresh chilies & coriander leaves. You also

 need lime.

Keep some sev, farsan, roasted peanuts & fresh grated coconut ready.

                                  On a plate, arrange crushed samosa first.

                                 Top it up with tamarind chutney, green chutney & yoghurt. 

                                  Then add onion, tomato & green chilies.

                            Add dry spices, followed by some sev, peanuts, coconut & farsan. 

                                  Again drizzle some more chutneys & yoghurt.

                   Add chopped coriander & lime juice. Relish as a tea-time snack or as and 
                   when desired.

Simple, Spicy & Tangy Mutton Fry

          If you are looking for a simple and an absolutely easy dry Mutton fry, then here is one just for you. It is a bit spicy and tangy, which can be adjusted accordingly. It has minimum of spices, yet it was delicious. 

         Garnish with some fried curry leaves, red chili flakes and a dash of lime and relish with some pulao, raita and salad as accompaniments. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1/2 kg mutton on bones, boiled & drained
• 2-3 onions, sliced
• 5-6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• fried curry leaves & a pinch of red chili flakes to garnish
• 1 tsp. lemon juice to garnish

          Heat oil in a pan and saute the red chili and garlic till they turn light brown. Then add onion and saute for two minutes.

          Add the curry leaves and continue to fry till it turns light brown. Now add the salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and a sprinkle of some stock.

          Mix everything well and fry on a medium flame till dry. Garnish with fried curry leaves, red chili flakes and a dash of lime. Serve with any form of Indian flat bread or flavoured rice.

                               Heat oil & saute red chili & garlic till they turn light brown. 

                                Then add onion & saute for two minutes.

                                Add curry leaves & fry till it turns light brown. 

                                Now add salt, turmeric powder, 

                               ......red chili powder & a sprinkle of some stock.

                                Mix well & fry on a medium flame till dry. 

                 Garnish with fried curry leaves, red chili flakes & a dash of lime. Serve with
                 any form of Indian flat bread or flavoured rice.