Chettinad Chicken Masala Recipe (Dry) - Easy Indian Chicken Recipes

I have always been partial towards the extra spicy and curry-leaf-rich Chettinad cuisine ever since I can remember and Anjappar is one of my favourite restaurants in SIngapore to get spicy Chettinad food. Their Chicken Masala is particularly good - bite-sized pieces of chicken cooked in a rich spicy gravy and reduced to a consistency where the gravy is just about coating the chicken pieces. It goes great with rice and roti alike and is absolutely delicious. While I love the Kerala-style Roasted Chicken Recipe too, this one is easier and almost as good.

Chettinad Chicken Masala and Poricha Kuzhambu

Many months back, I tried to replicate that taste at home and came close with one attempt. So here's me sharing the recipe all you chicken lovers. Check out more Indian Chicken Recipes here.

CHETTINAD CHICKEN MASALA RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken thighs (with bone)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 ripe tomato, cubed
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp of roasted jeera, powdered
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp of black pepper + fennel seeds powdered together
• 1 tsp of chicken masala (or add more coriander powder)
• 1 tsp of garam masala powder
• 1 tsp of grated ginger
• 1 tsp of minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 fistful of fresh curry leaves

How to Make Chettinad Chicken Masala:

1. Heat oil and add the onions and curry leaves. Saute until the onions turn golden brown.

2. Next, add all the spices - turmeric + cumin + coriander + chicken masala + pepper + fennel + chilli powder and saute for 30 seconds until frangrant.

3. Add the ginger and garlic and saute for 5 seconds before adding the cubed tomato. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and juicy.

4. Meanwhile, wash the chicken pieces and make some slits on the meaty portion. Add this to the cooking masala and toss to coat well.

5. Add 1 cup water and some salt and cook covered for 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked and soft. Open the lid and cook further until the gravy turns thick and the masala coats the chicken. If you want more gravy, you can add more water but I like it on the thicker side.

6. When the chicken pieces are ready, sprinkle garam masala on top, mix, and remove from fire.

Serve hot with rice - it's delicious!

Notes:

1. The curry leaves are an important ingredient. You can add coriander leaves but that would change the flavour so I don't add them usually to Chicken Chettinad
2. You can also use cubed boneless chicken, just adjust cooking time accordingly
3. The tomatoes are optional, I just like the sourness it lends to the masala
4. You can temper the hot oil with mustard seeds. I sometimes add them and sometimes not
5. Update: the chicken masala I have had at Anjappar titled Chicken Chettinad didn't have coconut. There's a version with coconut but it's called something else (Anjappar special something). I haven't tried that version so bear with me. You can definitely add some roasted and ground coconut to this masala if you wish, and avoid the tomatoes. 
6. You can also substitute the garam masala with freshly ground spices - a mix of cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaf, dry roasted until fragrant

Spicy Tawa/Tava Idli - Quick & Easy Indian Snack Recipe with Leftover Idlis

Tawa or Tava Idli is a delicious and quick snack - a medley of leftover idlis, some pav bhaji masala and basic spices, onion, tomato, and lemon juice. It takes all of 15 mins to make and tastes great as an evening snack with some tea or coffee. I also make a milder version of tawa idli for breakfast since it breaks the monotony of eating idli and chutney or idli upma, which is the usual way to use up leftover idlis.

I am usually lazy to cook for just myself and end up eating dosa for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on days like that. Since I also make idlis in bulk and store them, I rotate idli and dosa through all meals. Needless to say, this gets a bit boring, especially the idlis since I am not a huge fan of them. Dosa I can eat all day every day forever as long as I change up the side dishes. So yeah, what do you do when you get bored of idlis and don't want to make anything else? You improvise with the idlis you have in hand and that's exactly what I did.

SPICY TAWA IDLI RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 1
Recipe source: Tarla Dalal

Ingredients:

• 4 idlis, cubed (here's how I make idli at home)
• 1/4 cup of minced onions
• 1 small, ripe tomato, cubed
• 2 tsp of ghee or butter
• 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of pav bhaji masala (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp of grated ginger
• 2 tsp of lime or lemon juice
• A fistful of chopped coriander leaves, for garnish

How to Make Tawa Idli:

1. Heat the butter or ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onions, turmeric and ginger. Saute until the onions turn pink and fragrant. Next, add the chopped tomatoes and saute until they turn mushy.

2. Meanwhile, get out your pav bhaji masala and chop the idlis into small cubes. I like to cut them smaller than normal so the flavours will mingle better.

3. Once the tomatoes are soft and mushy, add the pav bhaji masala and salt. Mix well and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the cubed idli and toss well to coat. Finally add the lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve spicy tawa idli hot with tea or coffee!

Notes:

1. If the idlis are refrigerated, they behave better when cubing and tossing
2. You can reduce the amount of pav bhaji masala and add 1 chopped green chilli

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust Recipe (30-Min Pizza Dough from Scratch)

Pizza is TH's absolute favourite food of all times. That and Palak Paneer - in fact I am planning to combine the two soon and try a fusion version! Wherever we travel to we taste the local pizza from there, he's that into it. On that note, the Japanese make amazing pizza (among almost all other things) and their version with mayo and sweet corn is incredible. So anyway, since he loves pizza so much and Pizza Hut is not exactly the healthiest of choices, I make pizza at home as often as I can. I make the dough for the pizza base in bulk and refrigerate it to use it on a weeknight. In fact, if you have all the ingredients for the topping, pizza is a super quick weeknight meal that requires very litte hands-on time.

The pizza recipe that I always default to is the one I made with Gouda cheese. The original recipe is from PW and I have tweaked it over many attempts to make it my own. But a couple of weeks back, I had about 1 hour to make lunch and I wanted a super quick and easy pizza base to throw some topping on and bake while I cleaned up the kitchen (ok fine, while TH cleaned up the kitchen!).

Super spongy and soft pizza base in 30 mins - win!

This recipe hit the mark and it had so many rave reviews that I had to try it. The result was fabulous and I make a thick crust with loads of tomatoes and capsicum, just the way TH likes it. I also had some almost-limp broccoli which I threw into the mix. Let your imagination go wild, I really have no fixed recipe for pizza since the toppings are pretty much what I have in hand but this pizza dough recipe, it sure is a keeper!

QUICK & EASY PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Rising time: 25 minutes
Makes 1 hearty 12" pizza
Serves 4
Recipe source: bestrecipes.com.au

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of plain flour / maida
• 2 and 1/4 tsp (one sachet) of instant or active dry yeast (I use and recommend Fleischmann Yeast)
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of warm water

How to make the Pizza Dough:

1. Combine all the ingredients and gently knead with fingertips until a slightly sticky dough forms. You don't have to knead too much, just until the dough forms. In the Kitchenaid, it took me about 3 mins.

2. Place in an oiled bowl and turn the dough so the oil coats it. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for about 20-25 mins or until doubled in volume. In sunny Singapore, it barely took me 25 mins.

3. Punch down the dough and knead lightly until it forms a ball. Transfer to a floured surface.

4. Roll the dough into a circle or rectangle, flouring it as you go. You can make two smaller pizzas, use half the dough and refrigerate the rest, or just make one large pizza like I did. I just transferred the dough to my baking tray and used my fingertips to flatten it.

5. First, add some tomato sauce (if you are using it). My easy pizza sauce involves about 4 tbsp canned tomato sauce boiled for 2 mins with some dried basil and oregano with some salt. Add some cheddar cheese on top and then pile on any vegetables you wish to use. I have used broccoli, cherry tomatoes, onion, and some capsicum.

6. Sprinkle more salt + oregano on top and bake for about 15 mins in a pre-heated oven at 200C. The vegetables will get charred a bit and the base will turn a lovely golden brown.

Notes:

1. As I mentioned, go crazy with your own idea for toppings for the pizza
2. The dough can be refrigerated for a day or two but it will continue to rise slowly. If you plan to use it after a day, I'd recommend refrigerating the dough as soon as you have mixed it up; don't let it rise outside
3. I find that my homemade pizza always lacks salt so I increased the amount of salt in this than the original recipe. It was still on the less-salty category so keep that in mind if you try this quick and easy pizza dough

Potato Fry - Indian Potato or Aloo Fry Recipe (No Onion No Garlic Indian Recipe)

This super basic and easy potato fry is from my childhood memories. My grand mom used to make this on rare days when she was feeling indulgent. We rarely cooked with potatoes and my mom often refers to them as the backup vegetable, only to be used if we run out of the 'normal' vegetables in the refrigerator. She also doesn't believe in using too much masala and spices and I don't ever remember her buying or using garam masala until very recently. I normally make this potato roast which TH loves and while that's really very easy to make, this potato fry is actually even easier. This potato fry also uses no onion and no garlic.

While my grand mom cuts the potatoes into small cubes to make potato fry, I chose to cut them up a bit differently. However you chop the potatoes, this dish is dead simple and there are no complicated spices to mask the earthy flavour of the aloo or potatoes. Since this fry is very mild, it pairs beautifully with sambar or any coconut based gravy like kara kuzhambu.

BASIC INDIAN POTATO FRY RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe: from my memory of my grand mom cooking it

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes, cut into very small cubes or into long thin fingers
• 4-5 dry red chillies
• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp of split urad dal / ulutham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu

How to Make the Potato Fry:

1. Heat the oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds pop, add the potatoes and stir until the oil coats the pieces.

2. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently until the potatoes are half cooked. Add the turmeric powder, red chillies torn into halves, and salt.

3. Mix and continue to stir fry and cook until the potatoes are soft. The trick is to stop cooking before the potatoes totally crisp up. The outside will be crispy and the insides soft and spongy. Cutting the potatoes into cubes is a better idea for this dish, really.

Serve hot.

Notes:

1. You can do a number of variations of this potato fry, obviously. I sometimes add a sprig of curry leaves, a tsp of minced garlic, or some other additions I feel would enhance the taste
2. I always make this with russet potatoes since they cook up nice and buttery and I love that texture. The cooking time will depend on the type of potatoes you use
3. Serve potato fry hot with rice and any curry of choice

Dingri Dolma - Mushroom Paneer Masala Recipe - Awadhi Cuisine

The name Dingri Dolma (or Dhingri Dolma) struck me as funny the first time we read it on a menu in one of our favourite Andhra recipes in Singapore. TH ordered it since the Dingri Dolma had two of his favourite ingredients - paneer and mushroom, a popular Awadhi dish from Lucknow beautiful because of its Mughal and royal influence. We both fell in love with the dish instantly and each time we go back to that restaurant, it's very hard to pick anything else knowing that their Dingri Dolma is so delicious.

Even then, it never occurred to me to make Dhingri Dolma at home although I cook with paneer and mushrooms all the time. Then one day, while talking to Dassana, she mentioned that she had made Dingri Dolma from Jiggs Kalra's book Prashad which she highly recommended. She was kind enough to send me a picture of the recipe page and I followed the recipe verbatim except to reduce the ridiculous amount of ghee mentioned in the recipe. The restaurant version of Dingri Dolma has some gravy whereas this version was semi-dry but we loved it.

Dingri Dolma is an Awadhi or Lucknowi dish and its simplicity really shone through in this recipe. I served it with some jeera rice and homemade curd and we had a lovely lunch that day.

DINGRI DOLMA (MUSHROOM PANEER MASALA)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe source: The highly recommend book Prashad by Jiggs Kalra (buy in US, or much cheaper in India)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of button mushrooms, quartered (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup of crumbled or grated paneer
• 2 tbsp of ghee
• 1 tsp of black cumin / shahjeera / caraway (called cake jeerakam in Kerala)
• 1 cup of chopped onions
• 1 tsp of ginger, grated
• 1 tsp of garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
• 1 tsp of pepper powder
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp of garam masala (I used Kitchen King masala)
• A small bunch of coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped

How to Make Dingri Dolma:

1. Prepare all the ingredients first since cooking this dish just involves adding them one by one to your heated pan.

2. Heat ghee in a pan and add the caraway seeds.

3. When they sizzle, add the onions. Saute until light brown. Follow with the ginger and garlic and fry until fragrant and the moisture leaves the mixture.

4. Next, add the chilli powder, pepper and salt and stir to combine.

5. Throw in the mushrooms, mix, and cook for 3-4 mins.

6. Add the paneer and cook for another 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally.

7. Add the tomatoes next and mix well. Stir and cook for another 5 mins until the tomatoes are soft and almost mushy.

8. Finally, sprinkle garam masala on top, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and remove from fire.

Serve Dingri Dolma hot with roti, jeera pulao, vegetable pulao, etc.

Note - I used canned button mushrooms which explains the colour and texture you see in the pictures.

Easy Vegetable Biryani Recipe (Pressure Cooker-Rice Cooker Method)

I always turn to my trusted rice cooker when it comes to making an easy vegetable biryani on a busy weeknight or lazy weekend. Biryani is often seen as time-consuming and needing many ingredients but it needn't be that way. Often, I just make this one-pot, healthy, and easy vegetable biryani with whatever vegetables I have in hand and it makes a wholesome meal with some raita and papad. I have quite a few different biryani recipes in here so check it out if you want some variety. Here's an easy veg pulao recipe if that's what you are after but this veg biryani with mirchi ka salan makes a fabulous meal - highly recommended! You may also want to try this egg biryani for a spicy treat or a very simple vegetable rice if you are short on time.

So if you are not a biryani purist (and for my sake, I hope you are not!), then this one-pot vegetable biryani that you can make in your pressure cooker or rice cooker may be just the thing you need in your life. I use store-bought biryani masala because I am not the kind pf person who makes biryani masala at home but you can use freshly ground spices if you are feeling up to it. I have done that once or twice but find that biryani masala works just as well. Another option is to temper with whole spices which would give your biryani a much lighter colour but it would taste awesome either ways.

VEGETABLE BIRYANI RECIPE (RICE COOKER METHOD)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of basmati or any long-grained rice
• 2 cups of mixed vegetables, chopped (I use what I have in hand - broccoli, carrots, beans, cauliflower, peas, corn, baby corn, capsicum, etc)
• 2 tsp of biryani masala (or 3 cloves, 3 cardamom, 1" piece cinnamon, 1 star anise)
• 1 fistful of mint leaves
• 1 small bunch of coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 2-3 green chillies, minced
• 1 tsp of red chilli powde (adjust to taste)
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup of curd (optional)
• 1 tbsp of ghee
• A few cashew nuts or almonds (optional)
• 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste

How to Make Veg Biryani in Rice Cooker:

0. Wash the rice and and soak it in some water while you go about with the rest of the preparations.

1. Heat the ghee in a wide pan and roast the nuts (if using) Drain and add the sliced onions and roast until golden brown. Set aside half of it and add ginger garlic paste. Saute until fragrant.

2. Next, add the green chillies, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin, and some salt. Saute until the spices are roasted - about 1 minute.

3. Top off with the chopped vegetables and mix well. Add the biryani masala and the chopped mint and coriander leaves (see notes on how to use whole spices).

4. Transfer this to your rice cooker pan and add about 2 cups water and the curd - the measurements will vary according to rice cooker used - and the soaked rice. (See notes for pressure cooker biryani method)

5, When the rice is done, open immediately and give it a good stir-through when still hot. Add the reserved roasted nuts and onions. Garnish with more coriander leaves and sprinkle some lemon juice if desired.

Serve with papad or chips and a nice cooling raita.

Notes:

1. If using whole spices instead of the biryani masala, add it first to the hot ghee and then roast the onions. You will also need to increase the amounts of cumin and coriander powder to make sure the spice levels are right. Of course, adapt this to personal preference
2. If using the pressure cooker, I highly recommend only cooking for about 2 whistles, otherwise the vegetables will turn to mush. I generally use the rice cooker for vegetable biryani and it gives great results
3. A biryani is one of those dishes where you need to play around with the ingredients and make it your own. Don't be afraid to experiment, I always do and my vegetable biryanis never look or taste the same every time

For Vegetable Biryani recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, etc please use the Google Translate button on the top right of this website.

Banana Mango Milkshake Recipe (Vegan Option Included)

Banana Mango Milkshake is a delicious and filling breakfast option if you are a lazy cook in the mornings or just want something quick and healthy. I have made a vegan version with coconut milk and a regular milkshake with cow's milk and love both. Take your pick! 

This mango season has been very kind to us. Usually, the mangoes we buy in Singapore are average at best and I am nostalgic about the hot Kerala summers and mango memories at this time of the year. But this year, I got amazing mangoes at Mustafa and bought them by the kilo. They are definitely more expensive but oh-so-totally worth it if you are mango lover like it. Use them up in a simple mango lassi, a milkshake like below, a mango cake, or even a more pretty dessert like a layered eggless mango cheesecake.

I generally don't make fruit milkshakes or smoothies unless I have excess amounts of fruits I need to use up. But this mango banana milkshake was really a wonderful weekend breakfast for TH and I. I got the idea to use coconut milk in my milkshake to make it vegan, from Dassana of Veg Recipes of India. I experimented with a bit of coconut milk and didn't mind the taste so went with it on day one. On day two, I just used fresh cow's milk and it was delicious.

I have read and heard about how banana and cow's milk is not a great combination and that it often creates lethargy. I have had my fair share of banana milkshakes (in the form of Sharjah Shakes) and never faced an issue but let's not argue with ayurveda, ok? Try this milkshake with coconut milk and stick to it if you like the taste. Otherwise, just use regular milk, whatever works best for you.

{Also check out this super creamy and delicious Avocado Mango Milkshake Recipe}

BANANA MANGO MILKSHAKE RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 ripe mango
• 1 cup of light coconut milk or regular milk
• 2-3 drops of vanilla essence (optional)
• 1 cup of cold water, more or less

How to Make Banana Mango Milkshake:

1. Peel and chop both the fruits. I refrigerated them overnight to keep them chilly.

2. Throw all ingredients into whichever blender you own. I use my stick blender for fruit milkshakes and smoothies and it does a good enough job.

3. Blend away until smooth and of pouring consistency. If too thick, add more coconut milk/milk or water.

That's it. Pour into glasses and serve chilled. You can refrigerate this for about an hour but I highly recommend consuming fresh fruit milkshakes immediately. Add a splash of honey or some sugar if your fruits are not sweet enough.

Green Chutney for Chaat - Mint Coriander Green Chutney Recipe

I have been making this green chutney (hari chutney) for years now. This mint coriander green chutney goes with all types of chaat, masala papad - this is the same green chutney or dip Indian restaurants serve with papadas as soon as you sit at your table - a spread for sandwiches, with dhokla and pakoras, heck, I even serve it with South Indian bajjis. One of my favourite ways to use green chutney is in a sandwich with cheese. Just these two ingredients and bread makes for an amazingly quick snack. One of my favourite ways to use this chutney is in bhel puri or vada pav.

The reason why I have never shared the recipe is because the green chutney I make at home wasn't the best. I mean, it still works great with chaat and in sandwiches but I had a feeling it could be better. And so I never bothered sharing my just above-average green chutney recipe here.

Then, Jey, Raks, and I met for tea at Jey's place one day and that's where this story takes a happy turn. She had make dhokla and some green chutney to go with it and it was fabulous! I immediately asked her for the recipe and realised it was Raks' recipe. The missing link between mine and this green chutney was the amount of garlic and the addition of chaat masala. I had been  adding way too little garlic and no chaat masala at all! Instead, I was adding roasted jeera powder instead and some sugar. I still like the bite of jeera in green chutney and the mild sweetness but I reduced the amount in this batch and altered proportions to make it my own. Hello, green chutney perfection! 

Chutneys are a great way to add an extra something to your meal very easily and I make a large-ish batch of this green chutney and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. This is great when TH needs a quick breakfast - all he needs to do is spread some chutney on toasted bread, add slices of cucumber or tomato or both, sprinkle some salt, and take large bites. He loves savoury sandwiches for breakfast and this is a clear winner which doesn't require any interference from me in the mornings. Green chutney sandwiches work equally great for tea time snacks for kids after school and as a quick snack for parties too. Also check out my date tamarind sweet chutney recipe.

{Check out my Mint Chutney Cheese Sandwiches. I use a different chutney in that sandwich}

GREEN CHUTNEY FOR CHAAT (MINT CORIANDER CHUTNEY)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Makes ~ 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 1 cup of mint leaves, packed
• 2-3 of green chillies (I like a less spicy green chutney - adjust to your taste)
• 1/4 cup of chopped onions
• 2 cloves of garlic (the large kind, if smaller, use more)
• 1 pinch of roasted cumin / jeera (optional)
• 1 heaping tsp of chaat masala
• 1/4 tsp of sugar
• A squeeze of lemon or lime juice

How to Make Green Chutney:
Grind all ingredients together with enough water and salt to a smooth chutney. Adjust ingredients and taste as you grind because from what I have seen, personal preferences change a lot with this chutney

These proportions make a perfect chutney to me and I have nailed it down in my head and make no changes anymore. You can store this chutney in the refrigerator for up to a week but freshly made chutneys always taste be

Enjoy green chutney with chaat, paani puri, as a sandwich spread, as a dip for masala papad, pakora, etc, and with samosas!

Tomato Thokku Recipe - Thakkali Thokku - Step by Step Recipe

Tomato Thokku is one of those condiments I make often and store in the refrigerator to serve with dosa, idli, chapati, rice, pretty much anything, on a busy weekday. A good tomato thokku is probably the easiest thing to make since most of the cooking time is passive and you can go about your other work while the thokku gets cooked on the stove. While not as quick to prepare as the tomato onion chutney, this tomato thokku has a longer shelf life and so I make it in larger batches.

Tomato thokku is probably the most flexible thing you'll make. You can add and subtract ingredients as you please and it lends itself really well to all variations. I add garlic sometimes, blend the tomatoes or add them chopped, throw in some minced bell pepper, the choices are endless. The version of thakkali thokku I am sharing today is the simplest and uses no onion or garlic.

I also find that adding a pinch of jaggery to tomato thokku really enhances the flavour. A pinch of sugar would work great too. Also, while adding whole pieces of tomatoes to the thokku gives it a nice bite, some may prefer a smooth tomato thokku to a chunky one. Now, a word about how I get the deep red colour in most of my dishes (in the recent past anyway).

During my last trip to Bombay, I brought back a packet of fiery red Resham Patti chilli powder from Food Spot (if you live in or visit Bombay, I highly recommend that store, it's a treasure trove full deliciousness, and no, they are not paying me to say this). Although the bright red resham patti chilli powder is meant mainly for pickles, I have been using it in pretty much everything and enjoying the lovely deep dark red colour it gives to dishes naturally. This chilli powder is stronger than the regular kind so a little goes a long way. If you are unable to find resham patti chillies, substitute Kashmiri chilli powder but remember that it's much milder and you'll have to adjust quantities accordingly.

Check out a list of chutney recipes here. The chutneys I keep making regularly are the Onion Tomato Chutney, Coconut Coriander Chutney, and Basic South Indian Coconut Chutney. They go great with breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, etc. 

TOMATO THOKKU RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes ~ 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of ripe tomatoes (about 8-10 orange-sized ones)
• 1 tsp of red chilli powder
• 1 small piece of jaggery (or 3/4 tsp sugar)
• 1 strand of curry leaves
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds / methi / uluva

How to Make Tomato Thokku:

1. Cube or puree the tomatoes and set aside. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the fenugreek seeds and within 5 seconds (otherwise they'll burn), add the tomatoes.

2. Mix well and add the chilli powder, jaggery/sugar and some salt. Wash and throw in the curry leaves too.

3. Keeping the heat on medium, stir well and let the tomatoes let out water. Soon the mixture will become very watery. At this point, lower the heat to a simmer.

4. Continue to cook and stir occasionally until the tomato thokku cooks and becomes thicker.

5. After about 30 mins, it will be quite thick and most of the water would have left the thokku. Check for salt and spice level at this time and add more of either if required.

6. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator. Use as required always using a dry spoon. This thokku, if properly handled, will stay fresh for up to a week.

Serve Tomato Thokku with dosa, idli, uthappam, paniyaram, vada, upma, chapati, roti, rice, curd rice, parathas, nan, pretty much anything you want!

South Indian Coconut Chutney Recipe for Idli Dosa (with Curd)

As I mentioned in the Tamil Hotel-Style Coconut Chutney post, South Indian chutneys come in many varieties and often are the best combination with idli and dosa. Fresh coconut ground with green chillies, roasted Bengal gram, ginger and tempered with mild spices - what's not to love? This variation of South Indian chutney has curd which lends a lovely body and sourness to the chutney and goes perfect with idli, dosa, and even masala paniyaram.

The gorgeous chutney you see in the pictures was made by my good friend Disha who hosted a lovely brunch at her place this Saturday for a few friends. I absolutely loved the freshness and mild sweetness in this chutney and asked for the recipe immediately. She had adapted it from Chandra Padmanabhan's Simply South.

Now, a quick word about Chandra Padmanabhan's cookbooks. Although Dakshin (US | India) is her more popular and award-winning book, I am partial to Simply South and have tried quite a few recipes from it. If you want a set of good cookbooks to guide you through South Indian vegetarian cooking, I recommend her books. I have all three of her books (her latest book is a compilation of best recipes from the past three with a few new ones added and I don't own this one).

SOUTH INDIAN COCONUT CHUTNEY (WITH CURD)

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Makes ~1 cup
Adapted from: Simply South by Chandra Padmanabhan (US | India)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of grated coconut
• 1/4 cup of roasted Bengal gram (pottukadalai / bhuna chana)
• 3-4 of green chillies
• 1/2" piece of ginger
• 2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves
• 3 tbsp of curd or plain yogurt(ideally with a bit of sourness)

For tempering:

• 1 tsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of urad dal / ulutham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu
• 1/4 tsp of asafoetida / hing / perungayam
• 1 of dry red chilli, torn into halves
• 1 sprig of curry leaves

How to Make South Indian Coconut Chutney:

1. Grind together - coconut + Bengal gram + ginger + coriander + green chilies + salt to a smooth consistency adding about 3-4 tbsp of water
2. Add curd to this and mix well
3. Heat oil for tempering and add the ingredients for tempering in the order given
4. When the mustard start to pop, dunk the content into the prepared chutney and mix well
5. Serve South Indian coconut chutney with dosa, idli, adai, vada, uthappam, pakoda, etc.