Pirandai Thogaiyal | Pirandai Chutney| Healthy Chutney Recipes

Pirandai Thogaiyal | Pirandai Chutney is a healthy chutney made with pirandai. Pirandai is a creeper which has amazing health benefits. Pirandai in Tamil is known as Adamant Creeper, Veldt Grape, Devil’s Backbone in English.  This herb is excellent in treating digestion problems. That is why,  tradition is being followed in South Indian Brahmin families to include this thogayal as a “Must-to-do” recipe during some specific occasions on which they make an elaborate menu. It is rich in calcium and hence it is good for treating bone related problems.

Now-a-days, pirandai is available in local markets. You can choose tender pirandai and try out this recipe.

Recipe for Pirandai Thogaiyal | Pirandai Chutney| Healthy Chutney Recipes:

                          Cuisine : Indian| South Indian

Category: Chutney| Dip

Preparation time : 10 Minutes

Cooking time : 10 Minutes

Serves  – 4

Ingredients:

• Pirandai (chopped) – ½ cup
• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Urad dhal – 1 tbsp
• Bengal gram dhal – 1 tbsp
• Red chillies – 5 Nos.
• Asafoetida – ½ tsp
• Tamarind – small gooseberry size
• Coconut gratings – 2 tbsp
• Gingelly oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt to tsate.

Method:

1. Wash pirandai very well in running water, break near the joints, peel the hard outer veins and chop into small pieces. Keep aside.
2. In a kadai, add  1tsp oil and when it is hot, add mustard. Then add urad dhal & Bengal gram dhal and saute till dhals turn golden brown. Add red chillies & asafoetida and  saute until they become crisp. Transfer it to a plate.
3. In the same kadai, add the balance oil. To this add the pirandai pieces and sauté in simmer for 3-5 minutes till pirandai pieces got shrunk in size. Switch off.
4. Transfer all to a mixie jar. To this add tamarind, coconut gratings & salt and grind coarsely by adding little water.

Healthy, tasty Pirandai chutney is ready. You can have it with idli/dosa or curd rice. You can even mix with hot steaming rice.

Note:

• While cleaning pirandai, apply oil on both of your hands to avoid itching. Else you can use hand gloves.
• Don’t avoid adding tamarind in this recipe as it helps in suppressing the itchiness of pirandai.
• Always choose tender pirandai.
• If you like, you can season the chutney with mustard.

Tags: Pirandai chutney recipe,  Pirandai thuvaiyal, Thogayal recipes, Chutney recipes, South Indian chutney recipe using pirandai, pirandai recipes, Healthy chutney recipes, Herbal recipes, side dish for idli/dosa, side dish for rice

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Onion Tomato Chutney | Red Chutney | Easy Thakkali Vengaya Chutney

Onion Tomato Chutney | Red Chutney | Easy Thakkali Vengaya Chutney is the best match for soft idlies and sponge dosas.  My grandma used to make this chutney by grinding manually and we ate as many number of idlies/dosas until when we were asked to stop dumping anymore. Those were the days, we used to keep on moving, hardly sit at one place and so whatever we ate, would get digested immediately. Of course our metabolism would be higher at younger age.

Coming to the recipe, there are many methods of preparing this chutney and this recipe, which I’m going to share here is the simplest one. This simple onion-tomato chutney, with the right combination of onion, tomato and spice powder  would be a perfect accompaniment for our South Indian breakfast like idli, dosa, idiyappam, kuzhi paniyaram, etc.

Ingredients:

For grinding:

• Onion (chopped) – ½ cup
• Tomatoes (chopped) – ¾  cup
• Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste.

For seasoning:

• Gingelly oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Urad dhal – 1 tsp
• Shallots (finely chopped) – 5 Nos
• Curry leaves – few.

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients given to a fine paste. No need to add water.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, season with mustard and urad dhal.
3. Then add finely chopped onion and curry leaves. Sauté till onion becomes translucent.
4. To this add the ground paste with ½ cup of water. Allow it to boil.
5. Cook covered in simmer for about 5 minutes.

Tasty Vengaya Thakkali Chutney is ready to enjoy with hot steaming idlies | spongy dosas. We have enjoyed this chutney with Mudakathan Dosa and we always have this chutney with a tablespoon of sesame oil over it.

Note:

• Depending on the sourness of tomatoes, qty of red chilli powder may be varied.

Tags: Easy chutney recipes, Onion tomato chutney, thakkali chutney recipe, vengaya chutney recipe, onion tomato chutney recipe, chutney for hot steaming idlies, spicy chutney for sponge dosa, Dip for soft idlies, South Indian chutney varieties, South Indian breakfast recipes.

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Vallarai (Indian Pennywort) Chutney | Vallarai Keerai Thogaiyal

Vallarai Chutney | Vallarai Keerai Thogaiyal | Vallarai Thuvaiyal  is a healthy chutney which can be enjoyed with soft idli or dosa. Vallarai keerai in Tamil is known as Indian Pennywort in English and Brahmi Booti in Hindi. The word ‘Brahmi’ appears in most of the Ayurvedic medicines. It is very popular and widely used in South Asia.

I know everyone knows about vallarai as a herb which will improve memory power. Other than this, vallarai is beneficial in treating diabetes, anaemia, tuberculosis, urinary infection etc. So it is good to include these leaves in our regular diet. The leaves would taste bitter but when it is combined with the right ingredients, we could prepare a tasty chutney | dip.

Here we go for the recipe…

Ingredients:

Vallarai keerai  – 1 cup

Urad dhal – 2 tbsp

Garlic – 2 pods

Shallots – 10 Nos

Red  chillies – 4 Nos

Asafoetida  - ½ tsp

Coconut (grated) – 3 tbsp

Tamarind – 2 pods

Gingelly oil – 2 tsp

Jaggery – a little (optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

In a kadai, pour a tsp of gingelly oil, add vallarai leaves and sauté till the raw smell of vallarai leaves out. Transfer the leaves to a plate and allow it to cool.

In the same kadai, fry  urad dhal  till it becomes golden brown in a tsp of oil.

Add garlic & shallots and sauté till you get nice aroma.

Then add red chillies, asafetida, coconut & tamarind. Fry for few minutes and allow to cool.

Grind the ingredients along with salt & jaggery(optional)  by adding little water. Transfer the contents to a serving bowl.

Your healthy Vallarai Chutney is ready to be served with hot steaming idlies or crispy dosas! You can also have this chutney for sambar rice, curd rice, etc.

Note:

• If you want, you can temper with mustard and curry leaves in a tsp of oil.

Tags: Vallarai chutney, Vallarai Thogaiyal recipe, Mooligai chutney recipe, Herbal Chutney, Brahmi chutney, Thogaiyal with Vallarai Keerai,  How to prepare chutney using vallarai keerai?, greens chutney recipe, How to use vallarai leaves for making chutney?, Side dish for idli/dosa, Chutney recipe for hot idlies, spicy chutney recipe for idli/dosa, Vallarai Keerai Thuvaiyal Recipe, Healthy chutney recipe

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Kadalai Maavu Chutney | Besan Flour Chutney | Bombay Chutney

Kadalai Maavu Chutney | Besan Flour Chutney | Bombay Chutney is very easy to prepare and comes handy when we don’t have ingredients other than onion & tomato  at home or have very little time to cook. I love to have this chutney with hot, steaming idlies even though  it goes well with dosa, chapathi, roti, poori, etc. My mom is an expert in making this chutney and I remember those days when we sat together and had this chutney with thick pizza-like dosa (but soft!)!

Here is my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:

• Bengal gram flour | Besan flour | Kadalai maavu  - 2 tbsp
• Onion (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro | Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cinnamon – 1 “ stick

Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and season with cinnamon stick & fennel seeds.
2. Add finely chopped onion and fry till it becomes translucent.
3. Add tomato and sauté until it becomes mushy.
4. Now add besan flour and fry in simmer until the raw smell of besan goes off. Ensure that the flour doesn’t form lumps.
5. Then add 2 cups of water and salt. Bring it to a boil.
6. When the besan flour gets cooked, switch off, garnish with coriander leaves and transfer to a serving bowl.

Your tasty Bombay Chutney is ready to serve! As I said, it goes well with soft idlies, spongy dosas, rotis, etc.

Note:

• Care should be taken while frying the flour in oil i.e. the raw smell of the flour should go off, the flour must not form lumps and it must not get burnt.

To view  Kadalai Maavu Chutney | Besan Flour Chutney | Bombay Chutney Recipe in Tamil, click http://ranisarusuvai.blogspot.in/2013/12/blog-post_28.html

Tags:Besan flour chutney recipe, Bengal gram flour chutney, simple chutney recipes, Chutney for Idli/Dosa, Side dish for poori, Side dish for Indian flat bread, Quick side dish for chapathi/roti, Bambay chutney recipe, Kadalai mavu chutney recipe, secret of making bombay chutney perfect, side dish for soft idli, side dish for sponge dosa, kadalai mavu chutney recipe

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Capsicum Chutney | Green Bell Pepper Chutney | Kudamilagai Chutney

Capsicum Chutney | Green Bell Pepper Chutney | Kudamilagai Chutney is an Easy Chutney Recipe and tastes yummy with hot, steaming idlies. It needs minimal ingredients and really a good recipe to try with capsicum  as a main ingredient. I know some are allergic ie don’t like the flavour of capsicum. In this chutney you can’t feel the capsicum’s unique flavour instead, you will get a nice blend of onion and green chillies along with capsicum. I can say it for sure since my son who falls into the above category, loves this chutney very much. My son only made me to find many ways to include capsicum in different forms.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Capsicum – 1 No.
• Onion – 2 Nos
• Green chillies – 4 Nos
• Tamarind – 2 pods
• Gingelly oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Gingelly oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – few

Method:

1. Cut onion and capsicum into big cubes, slit green chillies into two and keep aside.
2. In a tbsp of oil, sauté  onion, green chillies, capsicum by adding one after another in simmer and fry till the raw smell of capsicum goes off. Switch off and allow to cool.
3. Grind the above items with tamarind and salt by adding little water.
4. Pour oil in a kadai and season with the items given “For seasoning”. Then add the ground chutney and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Spicy, tasty capsicum chutney is ready to be served with hot idlies. If the chutney is spicy, you can mix some gingelly oil with the chutney.

Note:

• Care should be taken when frying capsicum in step(2) so that you will get the green coloured chutney as shown in the pic.
• If you want more sourness in chutney, you can increase the amount of tamarind.

Tags: Easy chutney recipe, Capsicum chutney recipe, Green bell pepper chutney, green capsicum chutney recipe, capsicum chutney for idli/dosa, easy chutney recipe for idli & dosa

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Mixed Vegetable Chutney | Cabbage-Capsicum-Spring Onion Chutney

Mixed vegetable chutney can be prepared very easily with leftover veggies. But the secret in making yummy chutney lies in selecting specific combination of  vegetables in  specific  proportions. We can add those vegetables which our kids normally don’t like to eat but the challenge is to hide those flavours so that your kids don’t find out the ingredients you have added. So it is purely in our hands to prepare either a  chutney or a medicine! It is always better to follow some tested proportions while making vegetable chutney.

Today, I have tested the chutney with capsicum, cabbage & spring onion and this spicy chutney  tasted great with hot idlis. Immediately, I want to share the recipe for the same so that you can also enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Cabbage ( finely chopeed) – ¼ cup
• Capsicum  (finely chopped)– ¼ cup
• Spring onion (green part- chopped) – ¼ cup
• Spring onion (bulbs & white part) – ¼ cup
• Tomato  (chopped ) – ¼ cup
• Red  chillies – 3 Nos
• Green chillies – 2 Nos
• Coconut (grated) – 2 tbsp
• Tamarind – 2 pods
• Gingelly oil – 2 tbsp
• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Urad dhal – 2 tbsp
• Asafoetida  - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a kadai, pour gingelly oil and temper with mustard and urad dhal.
2. When urad becomes golden brown, add red chillies, green chillies and asafoetida and sauté well.
3. Add spring onion bulbs and sauté well.
4. Add finely chopped cabbage and sauté till the raw smell of cabbage goes off and colour of the cabbage turns to light brown.
5. Then add capsicum and sauté until the raw smell of capsicum goes off.
6. Add tomatoes and sauté till the skin of the tomatoes get wilted.
7. Then add coconut and spring onion(green part) and sauté well till you get a nice aroma.
8. Allow the contents to cool.
9. Grind the ingredients along with salt and tamarind and transfer the contents to a serving bowl.

Your spicy, capsicum-cabbage chutney is ready to be served with hot steaming idlies or crispy dosas! You can also have this chutney for sambar rice, curd rice, etc.

Note:

• Normally I don’t do tempering once again. If you want, you can temper with mustard and curry leaves in a tsp of oil.

Tags: Vegetable chutney, How to prepare chutney using vegetables?, Mixed vegetable chutney recipe, Left over veggies chutney, How to use left over veggies for making chutney?, Side dish for idli/dosa, Chutney recipe for hot idlies, spicy chutney recipe for idli/dosa, Capsicum-cabbage-spring onion chutney recipe

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Quick Onion Tomato Chutney (அவசர சட்னி)

Preparation time :5 minutes     

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves 3 

Difficulty :  Easy

There are many versions of making onion tomato chutney. This recipe does not need the  grinding part and we can make it in a jiffy with minimum ingredients. Hence, in our family, we name it as “Avasara Chutney” (அவசர சட்னி).  But don’t under estimate its taste, I can assure that it tops every other chutneys.  

I am categorizing this chutney under Bachelor’s recipe since it does not need grinding and more over, it needs only one vessel! You can make it in large quantities and keep it in a refrigerator for a week’s use. With store bought ready made idli flour, you can enjoy this chutney with hot steaming idlies or dosas!

Ingredients:

• Big Onion (finely chopped) – 2 Nos. (or)                                                                                 Shallots (finely chopped) - ½ cup
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 2 Nos.
• Red chilli powder – 3 tsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Urad dhal – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – few
• Gingelly oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Pour oil in a kadai, season with the items given “for seasoning”.
2. Add onions and sauté till it  becomes tender and turns light golden colour.
3. Add tomatoes and required salt, sauté until the tomatoes get mashed well. Close it with a lid and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add red chilli powder, sauté well till the raw smell of chilli powder fades away.
5. Add ½ cup of water, stir everything well, bring it to boil for 2 minutes.

Your quick onion tomato chutney is ready to be enjoyed with hot steaming idlies or crispy dosas! It can even be had with chapatti, curd rice, etc.

Tags: Easy onion tomato chutney recipe, onion chutney without grinding, tomato chutney without grinding, easy chutney recipe, best side dish for idli/ dosa, quick chutney for idli/dosa, tomato onion chutney

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Pachai Malli Chutney (Green Coriander Chutney)

Preparation time : 5 minutes     

Cooking time : Nil

Serves 4 

Difficulty :  Easy

This is a simple chutney which my grandma used to make it a side dish for idli/dosa. Please don’t get it confused with the green chutney we make for chat items. The term “Pachai” refers to raw i.e uncooked, no cooking or seasoning needed for this chutney.  The taste and flavor of the chutney which my grandma used to make those days still linger in my memories. The tangy and spicy taste of the chutney along with the fresh flavor of coriander,   mixed  with  cold pressed gingelly oil (செக்கு நல்லெண்ணெய் )  when eaten with soft, hot idlies!…..mmm… ok… let us go for the recipe. Now, this has become my family’s favourite chutney especially during rainy days.

Ingredients:

• Coriander – 1 bunch
• Small onion – 15 Nos.
• Green chillies – 4 Nos.
• Tamarind  - small piece
• Salt to taste
• Gingelly oil as needed.

Method:

Clean and wash coriander leaves in running water and chop it. Grind these leaves along with all the ingredients except gingelly oil. Transfer it to a bowl and drizzle gingelly oil over it and serve it as a side dish for idli/dosa. This can also be used as a spread for bread sandwich.

Note:

1. Don’t add water while grinding chutney , water content in the onion itself is enough for getting  thuvaiyal consistency.
2. Shallots (Small onion) suit best for this recipe. If you don’t have any, you can use big onion instead.

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