Mango Chutney

In mango season without mango chutney how can I be without making it.

1 raw mango(coarsely chopped)
1 spring of mint leaves.
4 green chillies
4-5 cloves garlic.
1 table spoon of black salt.
1 piece of ginger/ coarsely chopped.
2 tablespoon of mango powder
water  and salt
Refrigerate and serve cold.

Mint chutney

Pudina/mint--bowl full

Coriander--1/2 bowl

Garlic---5 to 6 cloves

Ginger--Optional 1/2 ''

Green chilli

And salt

 

Grind all together, your mint chuteny is ready

Could not stop sharing it

Unce upon a time on Indian terraces

Radhika D Shyam, May 25, 2013 , DHNS :

Living in the kitchen

Radhika D Shyam reminiscences the goold old days when terraces playes a makeshift kitchen storage area.

Come summer and in most Indian households till a few years ago, terraces looked vibrantly colourful with the bright glare of yellow turmeric roots and the rich red hues of brittle, dry chilies. Ceramic and glass jars with succulent pickles would glisten in neat, straight rows.

Homes would be engulfed with aromas of jeera, dhaniya seeds, pepper and the like being roasted, to be later powdered individually or mixed and ground in fixed proportions to make a variety of masalas. North Indian and South Indian neighbours would generously exchange their respective specializations – garam masala and sambhar powder, lest giving the recipe on request seemed curt.

Women of the house got busy pounding spices and preparing pickles, papads and ready-to-eat crunchies.

They would even personally choose and buy sacks of the best grains and cereals, clean them to sundry and store for the entire year, sometimes with the assistance of domestic help if lucky and privileged. Mills and machines have made grinding large quantities of all such things easier.

However, the emergence of nuclear families, the growing force of working women and decrease in availability of open terraces have caused a steady reduction of such practices.

It is now very convenient to go to the nearest store or supermarket and pick up branded packets off the shelf – and these are in small quantities that will suffice till the freshness of these ingredients last.

The older generations though, swear by the quality of the flour, spices and masalas that are home-made. The very few surviving joint families still follow the old regime, choosing quality over convenience. The tedious cleaning methods reinforce the fact that standards are difficult to maintain when such essentials are made for commercial purposes.

To date they go to the mills to get their thoroughly cleaned cereals and dals ground under personal supervision. They still prepare varieties of pickles and papads to make the most of sunlight. They powder their masalas and pack them in zip-locks to retain their freshness throughout the year.

Sometimes, before the clothes are hung on the clotheslines, ready-to-fry kachoris made from various vegetables are strung on them to bask in the sun and make a meal complete, some day.

If reading this has made tempted you enough into trying something like this on a lazy weekend in a limited sun spot of your balcony, here are few things you could attempt.
And, if you’re asking “But why?” the answer would definitely be – “To not lose that touch of legacy passed on through generations and for the sheer joy of personally contributing to cooking up a dish that is made wholly and truly at home!”

Garam Masala:

Ingredients: 10-12 big pieces of cinnamon; 2 tbsp cloves; ½ cup jeera; 8 black cardamoms; 18-20 green cardamoms; 1 nutmeg (jafar); 2 mace (javitri); 2 tbsp peppercorns; 1 tbsp shah jeera; 2-inch piece dry ginger; 3-4 bay leaves; 1 tsp sugar (optional).
Method: Dry-roast each ingredient separately. Cool, mix, and grind to a fine powder. Sieve and store in a dry air-tight container.
Sambhar Powder
Ingredients: 5 cups dry red chilies (2 ½ cups wrinkled variety like Beidige for the colour + 2 ½ cups shiny variety like Guntur or Resham Patti for spice); 2 ½ cups dhaniya seeds; 1 cup jeera; ½ cup thoor dal; ½ cup whole moong; ½ cup udad dal; ½ cup chana dal; 1 tbs methi seeds; 1 tsp mustard (optional); ½ cup raw rice; 3-4 tsp turmeric (or preferably its root in equal quantity); 1 bunch curry leaves (wiped dry); 1 tsp peppercorns (optional); 2 tsp hing (asafoetida).

Method: In a thick-bottomed pan, roast all the dals together and keep aside. Roast the chilies till brittle and keep aside. Roast all the other ingredients separately till completely dry and fragrance is emitted. Cool and mix all the ingredients to a very fine powder. Cool once again and store in zip pouches or dry air-tight containers.

Sabudaana (Sago) Papads:

Ingredients: ¼ kg sabudaana (good quality); 1 tsp jeera(roasted); 1 tsp peppercorns (optional); 1 tsp chili flakes; salt to taste; a pinch of soda-bi-carbonate; 1 tbs oil.
Method: Soak the sabu daana in 2 glasses of water for an hour. Strain the water. Boil the sabu daana in 2 glasses of fresh water with salt and oil for 10 minutes or till the sabu daana is cooked and it is of pourable consistency.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread a clean plastic sheet on a mat under direct sunlight. Pour this sabudaana broth onto the mat with a ladle to form round papads. After an hour or so, turn the side of the papads. Place these papads on a mat for 2 more days in direct sunlight changing sides alternately, till completely dry and hard. Make sure no moisture has been retained or trapped.

Store these in dry air-tight containers and deep fry in hot oil whenever required.