1,000 Indian Recipes (68 page)
Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
3
⁄
4
cup dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
20 to 25 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
4 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons salt, or to taste
1.
Place the dal in a small cast-iron or nonstick skillet and dry-roast over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool, then grind in a spice or coffee grinder to make a fine powder.
2.
Place the cilantro, green chile peppers, garlic, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor and process until smooth. Add the ground dal and the salt and process once again to mix. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Roasted Black Chickpea Chutney with Peanuts
Kaalae Channae ki Chutni
Makes about 1
1
⁄
2
cups
This dry chutney, made with store-bought roasted black chickpeas, is used mainly as a garnish with
dhoklas
(
steamed chickpea
dal
cakes
). Black chickpeas are by themselves a popular and healthy snack, similar to popcorn. Parents always have a supply in the pantry, because this low-calorie food is also high in protein, calcium, and other minerals. Roasted black chickpeas are available at Indian markets.
1
⁄
2
cup roasted black chickpeas (bhunae channae)
1
⁄
2
cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, red skin removed
1
⁄
2
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 to 2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1
⁄
2
teaspoon sugar
1
⁄
4
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1.
Rub off the black outer coating from the chickpeas (it comes off easily). In a spice or coffee grinder, grind together the chickpeas and peanuts until smooth.
2.
In a food processor or a blender, process together the cilantro, chile peppers, and lime juice, and then add the ground dal, peanuts, sugar, and salt. Process until well mixed. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Classic Hyderabadi Ginger-Sesame Chutney
Hyderabad ki Adrak-Til Chutni
Makes about 1
1
⁄
2
cups
Ginger and sesame seeds are used extensively in Hyderabadi cuisine, and this chutney is a classic example. It is made by sautéing ginger and sesame seeds until they are fragrant and then mixing in some jaggery (thickened sugar cane juice), which adds a rustic, molasses-like flavor—yet another dimension to puréed chutneys.
Serve this chutney as a condiment with a meal, use it as a base to make spicy curries, or serve it with crackers as you would serve
hummus
.
1
⁄
4
cup
Tamarind Paste
, or to taste
2 teaspoons Indian sesame oil
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, chopped with seeds
2 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
8 to 10 fresh curry leaves
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1
⁄
8
teaspoon ground asafoetida
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons grated jaggery (gur)
1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the ginger, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried ginger to a blender jar, leaving the oil behind in the pan.
2.
In the same oil, add the garlic and the green and red chile peppers and cook, stirring, until golden. Tilt the pan to gather the oil to one side and add the cumin and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the curry leaves, sesame seeds, and asafoetida.
3.
Transfer to the blender jar, add the jaggery, tamarind paste, and the salt, and process until coarsely puréed. Add a tablespoon or 2 of hot water, if needed, for blending. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Variation:
Mix some of this chutney into
Yogurt Cheese
, adjust the seasonings, and make yet another outstanding chutney.
Sesame-Peanut Chutney
Til aur Moong-Phalli ki Chutni
Makes about 1 cup
This is a terrific body-warming chutney (sesame seeds and peanuts are considered warming ingredi-ents in
Ayurvedic
medicine), intense in flavor and high in protein—but also high in calories. Enjoy it with popular southern Indian fare such as
dosas
(griddle-fried, fermented rice and
dal
crepes
)
,
iddli (
steamed, fermented rice cakes), and steamed rice. Also try it in sandwiches, with grilled meats, or mix some into
hummus
.
1
⁄
2
cup
Tamarind Paste
1
⁄
4
cup white sesame seeds
1
⁄
2
cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, red skins removed
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled
1
⁄
4
cup hot water
1
⁄
2
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, in a small skillet, roast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to a blender along with all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Yogurt Chutneys
Yogurt Chutney with Puréed Greens
Dahi ki Hari Chutni
Makes about 1
1
⁄
2
cups
This basic chutney is one of the most versatile and crowd-pleasing—the ultimate companion to all types of Indian appetizers and meals. Made simply by mixing puréed fragrant greens (herbs, scallions, and chiles) and spices with plain yogurt, this chutney can also be enjoyed with non-Indian appetizers, as a dipping sauce with vegetables, or as a salad dressing. Also try it as a marinade for fish and chicken.