Dondakaya or Tindora Pachadi

Today, I am posting this chutney or pachadi which is a simple yet delicious one using Dondakaya or Tindoras. Those of you who dont like Tindora will be surprised when they taste this chutney, because you wont be able to make out with what vegetable it is made of :D. So, let me start with the recipe then.

Serves 2-3
Cooking and Preparation Time 15-20 mins

Ingredients :

Tindora/Dondakalu - 1/4 lb approx washed properly and each slit vertically into 4 pieces roughly and sprinkle with little salt and keep aside
Tomato - 1 small or 1/2 from big one
Green chillies - as your spice level, I used 2
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tbsp
Garlic flake - 1/2
Salt to taste
For tempuring : Urad Dal, Mustard seeds, Dry red chillies, crushed garlic flake(1/2) Oil, few curry leaves
Oil 1-2 tbsp

Method :

1. In a non stick pan, heat oil, add the cut tindora, green chillies, tomato, garlic and cook covered until the tindora is 3/4 cooked and you can cut it with a spoon.
2. Now keep it aside for cooling in a plate.
3. Add a small quantity of oil in the same non stick pan, heat urad dal and corainder seeds until reddish brown and remove them into a grinder chutney jar without the oil.
4. Grind them once, then add the cooled mixture of tindoras and grind together again. Remove the paste into a bowl.
5. Do tempuring and add salt according to your taste. When you add the crushed garlic flake into the tempuring you will get a nice aroma.
6. Serve with dosas, idlies or even dal and rice. You will love for sure.

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Pongal (Rice-Pesar Pappu ) with Coconut-Tamarind Chutney

Whenever I feel tired or want to prepare something in less time, the one thing that comes to my mind is Pongal which is very easy to make and healthy too. One can have it as breakfast or lunch and can be served with favourites chutneys or yogurt. This recipe can be prepared using a pressure cooker(with 2-3 whistles) or in a heavy bottomed vessel. I have prepared it in a vessel.

Serves 2-3 people
Preparation Time 30-40 mins

Ingredients for preparation :
 
Rice Ordinary/Basmati 1 cup
Pesarpappu/Split Yellow Moong Dal 1/2 cup (Soaked in water for 5-10 mins)
Ginger Grated 1 tbsp
Mint leaves 1/4 cup
Coriander chopped 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp (optional)
Peppercorns 1/2 tbsp
Green Chillies 3-4
Jeera 1 tbsp
Onion chopped 1 small
Oil or Ghee 1 tbsp (preferably ghee for better taste)
Salt to taste
Water 2 1/2 cups

Method:

1. Heat oil/ghee in the vessel. Add peppercorns, jeera, chopped onions, slit green chilles, chopped coriander, mint leaves and grated ginger.
2. Fry them till the onion loses its transprency.
3. You can add turmeric powder if you like.
4. Then add salt according to taste, rice along with the soaked moong dal/pesar pappu to it and mix well.
5. Now add the water and cook with covered lid on medium heat till the rice and dal are cooked evenly.
6. Rice - Pesar pappu/Moong dal pongal is ready.
7. Serve it with chutney or yogurt.

Coconut -Tamarind Chutney

Serves 2-3 people
Preparation Time 20-25 mins
 
Ingredients for preparation :
 
Coconut grated 1/2 cup
Tamarind soaked for 5 mins a small ball
Red Onion small 1/2
Salt to taste
Jeera 1/2 tbsp
Dhanyalu/Coriander seeds 1/2 tbsp
Green Chillies 2-3 (according to your spice level you can increase or decrease)

Method:

1. First dry roast coriander/dhanyalu, jeera without burning them and make a powder.
2. To the powder add coconut, tamarind, green chillies, salt and grind well. Add very little water if its too dry to grind.
3. Once you see a paste of it add the red onion and just try to grind roughly for a sec and not much so that the chutney still has small pieces of onion which will give a nice taste when eating.
4. Chutney is ready to be served and goes well with rice.

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Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney is easy to prepare and goes well with rice, roti or idlis. Basically, a chutney can be made dry or wet. Since it is intended to be consumed quickly after preparation it does not contain any preservatives in it unlike the pickle which contains preservatives and stays for longer period.

Serves - 4 to 5 people

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients for preparation :
 

Tomatoes 5-6
Green chillies 4-5 or more according to your spice levels
Lemon sized tamarind ball soaked in water for few mins.
Mint leaves 1/2 cup
Jeera 1/4 tbsp
Oil 2 -3 tbsp
Salt

For Seasoning :

Oil 1 to 2 tbbsp oil
Mustard Seeds 1/2 tbsp
Jeera 1/2 tbsp
Dry Red chillies 1 - 2
Urad dal 1/2 tbsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Few curry leaves
Garlic cloves 2

Method :

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut each tomato into 2 or 3 pieces roughly and keep aside.
2. Now take a saute pan, add oil, then add tomatoes,green chilles, jeera, mint leaves, one garlic piece and lastly salt.
3. Cover the pan and let it cook on low to medium heat for 10-15 mins till the tomatoes become soft and the water that comes out from them evaporates.
4. Remove the tomatoes mixture in a plate and let it cool for few mins.
5. After cooling, make a paste of it in mixer/grinder along with the tamarind ball.
6. Put the paste in a container.
7. Now, for seasoning heat oil in a small pan and add the pinch of asafoetida to it.
8. Then immediately add urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chilles, curry leaves, crushed garlic piece to it. (Cruching garlic and then adding it gives a nice aroma and taste)
9. Lastly add this seasoning to the tomato paste made and mix well.
10. Tomato chutney is ready to serve.

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