Celery Thogayal / Celery Pachidi / Celery Chutney

Celery Thogayal / Celery Pachidi / Celery Chutney

Celery Chutney/Thogayal/Pachidi was made only due to the unavailability of my regular chutney items like coconut, tomato, groundnuts, onion..at home. .All I had was only few bunches of Celery and Coriander stems which i stored in the refrigerator..And I very badly need to make some good healthy chutney for my Pongal and Dosa for the day..So, I decided to make use of  these Celery Sticks which have very less calories and more dietary fiber and they are highly recommended for weight loss. Though its best to eat raw Celery Sticks, this time I used them in our regular cuisine. The Chutney was really tasty but it would be an excellent side for our Idlies. Try to substitute this chutney during breakfast time with your regular chutney and enjoy this healthy chutney with any South Indian Tiffin items. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Ingredients

Celery Sticks - 1 Full Bunch ( Cut Celery Sticks come up to 3-4 Cups )

Coriander Stems - 1 Cup

Green Chillies - 2

Ginger - 1 Small Square

Red Chilli - 1

Tamarind - 1 small square

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Powder - 2 tsp

Gingelly Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 4 or 5.

Method

1. Wash the coriander stem, celery sticks and cut them into pieces.
2. Grind them raw with green chillies, red chilli, ginger, tamarind and make a coarse paste.
3. In the frying pan, add oil first. Finish the tempering by adding little Hing,Mustard seeds and Urad dal.
4. Pour the grounded paste and add required amount of salt to the chutney.
5. Fry them in the pan till it becomes little thicker and comes to the chutney consistency.
6. Good to enjoy with hot idlies, dosa, Pongal or even with Hot rice alone.

Tips/Variations

1. As its my first trial on Celery, I don't find any tips or any variations which I could suggest at this time.You can customize in your style and try this out...But Celery is definitely an ideal choice for any cooking.

Mint Chutney / Pudina Chutney

Mint Chutney / Pudina Chutney

I  always love Pudina / Mint due to its unique flavour and refreshing taste and I never fail to keep at least one Pudina / Mint bunch in the refrigerator.  Also, the Mint Leaves have abundant health benefits. For our breakfast, I decided to make this fresh Pudina Chutney yesterday. It was very tasty and tempted us to eat more idlies.

Ingredients

Mint / Pudina Leaves - 1 Big Bunch

Coriander Leaves / Stem - 2 stems

Green Chillies - 3 Big

Ginger - 1 small square

Fresh Coconut Flakes - 1 Cup

Pottu Kadalai / Putnalu Pappu / Roasted Gram - 1 Handful

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 or 3

Red Chili - 1

Salt - To Taste

Oil - 2 to 3 tsp

Method

1. Wash the Mint Leaves, Coriander Stem and grind them along with Coriander Stem, Pottu kadalai, Coconut Flakes, green chillies, ginger and salt.
2. Then, do the tempering using Mustard seeds, Hing, Urad Dal and Channa Dal, dry red chilli and curry leaves and pour them over the Chutney.
3. If you want this to be little watery, you can add some water. And you can enjoy this healthy chutney in any consistency you like for any South Indian tiffin varieties like Idly, Dosa, Pongal, etc.,

Spicy Red Capsicum Chutney

Spicy Red Capsicum Chutney

Red Capsicum Chutney recipe was told by my friend Preetha, an awesome chettinad cook. I tried this recipe and it came out very well.. As the nutrition and health benefits of Capsicum ( Bell Peppers ) are beyond description, its really wiser to make use of this vegetable in our food whichever way we like. As red capsicum tastes very well, the taste of this chutney is really different and a perfect combo for idlies, dosa, or even can be eaten with white rice. We have started loving this red chutney at home and has become one of our regular chutneys for our tiffin. I am sure you will also like this chutney and thanks preetha for sharing this wonderful recipe to us.

Ingredients

Fresh Red Capsicum - 2

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Jeera - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham paruppu / Mina Pappu - 2 tbsp

Channa Dal / Senaga Pappu / Kadalai Paruppu - 2 tbsp

White sesame Seeds/Ellu  - 1 tsp

Tamarind  - 1 small pinch

Salt - To Taste

Dry Red chillies - 4 or 5

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Wash and cut the red capsicum into small pieces and keep it ready.
2. In the kadai, add Olive Oil first on medium heat. When it gets heated, add Hing / Asafoetida, jeera, urad dal, channa dal, sesame seeds , tamarind,dry red chillies and fry them for 2-3 minutes till they turn golden brown.
3. After the contents get cooled, transfer the contents into a mixer grinder and grind them nicely and keep.
4. Fry the red capsicum for 2 minutes till they get fried and cooked little bit.
5. Then, transfer the capsicum part into the mixer grinder and grind everything together.
6. Add required amount of salt to the Chutney now.
7. For tadka / Thalimpu , add only mustard seeds in the heated oil and pour them over the chutney.
8. Now the spicy Red Capsicum Chutney is ready to eat with your favourite tiffin.

Variations

You can add more spicyness to your chutney as you like, but for two medium red capsicums, it tastes really great with this proportion.

Coriander Chutney / Kothamalli Chutney

Coriander Chutney / Kothamalli Chutney

Coriander, a regular herb which we use in our regular meal has various health and medical benefits. First, it has antioxidants like other spices,  has antibacterial chemicals in it, used in the treatment of diabetes as the coriander extract has both insulin-releasing and insulin-like activity. Coriander juice is an excellent treatment for acne by applying it on the face as a toner.  So, its definitely a healthy choice to add coriander leaves in all the dishes we prepare at home. I made a coriander chutney for my idli as I got more fresh coriander bunches from our local farm market this week....

Ingredients

Fresh Coriander Bunch - 1 Big Bunch or 2 medium bunches.

Green chillies - 4 medium ones

Red Chilly Dry - 2

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Urad Dal / Ulutham paruppu / Minna Pappu - 1.5 tbsp

Tamarind - 1 Small pinch

Jeera - 1 tsp

Salt - To taste

Sugar - 1 pinch

Fresh Coconut Flakes - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

1. Wash the coriander leaves and cut them into pieces. Keep the other ingredients ready before starting the heat.
2. On medium heat, add Olive Oil first. When its heated, add jeera, urad dal,hing,dry red chillies,green chillies, tamarind, sugar in order. When its slightly toasted, switch off the flame.
3. Add the cut coriander leaves and stem to the kadai and fry them nicely for a minute. Finally add the fresh coconut flakes into the kadai and fry again for few more seconds.
4. Transfer them into a mixer grinder, add required amount of salt into it and grind it into a coarse paste with very little water.
5. Pour some mustard seeds,urad dal tempered in oil over the green coriander chutney.
6. Serve it with idlies, dosais, adais or with any tiffin.

Groundnut Chutney / Peanut Chutney / Verusenaga Pachidi

Peanut Chutney is a good substitute for Coconut Chutney.  Any south indian tiffin varieties can be nicely accompanied by this creamy, spicy groundnut chutney.   As its one of my daughter's favourite, I make this chutney more often at home. Very easy to make with minimal ingredients. 
Ingredients
Groundnuts - 1 Cup
Dry Red Chillies - 6 or 7 
Jeera - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 1 small pinch
Salt - To Taste
For tempering
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Urad Dal / Minna Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 1 big
Curry Leaves - 3 or 4 crushed
Method

1. Roast the groundnuts, dry red chillies, jeera, urad dal, tamarind with a tsp of Olive Oil till the groundnuts turn golden brown. But don't roast them to black. Keep it aside.
2. On the same pan, add Olive oil and add the ingredients in order for tempering.
3. Grind the groundnut mix in a mixer grinder and add required amount of salt into it.
4. Pour the tempered oil and its contents over the chutney. Mix it well and serve with idli, doasa, pongal or any other south indian tiffin.

Variations
You can add more red chillies to the chutney to make it more spicy. Spicyness totally depends on the type of red chillies to

HOW TO COOK Mullangi Pachidi \ Mullangi Thogayal \ Radish Pachidi

Due to the strong and pungent taste of radish, many people do not like to see radish in their plates. But due to its high nutritional value, its wiser to include radish in our regular cooking. This mullangi thogayal \ mullangi pachidi is very tasty and made with fresh, juicy radish and other spices.

Ingredients

Fresh juicy Radish \ Mullangi - 1 Big one

Urad Dal \ Ulutham Paruppu \ Minna Pappu - 2 tsp

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Hing \ Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Dry Red Chillies - 4 or 5

Fenugreek seeds \ Menthilu \ Vendhayam - 5 or 6 seeds

Salt - To Taste

Tamarind - 1 small pinch

Jaggery - 1 tsp

For Tempering

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Urad Dal \ Ulutham Paruppu \ Minna Pappu - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 4 or 5.

Method

Peel the mullangi skin and grate the Mullangi or cut it into small thin pieces. On a kadai, add oil first. When its heated, add Hing, urad dal, dry red chillies, tamarind, fenugreek seeds and fry them slightly on low heat till they get roasted. Take it out and transfer the contents into a mixer grinder. On the kadai, now add the mullangi pieces or grated mullangi and fry them in the same oil for few minutes till the mullangi cooks completely. After that, transfer them too to the mixer grinder. Add required amount of salt and little jaggery to the grinder and grind everything together to a coarse paste. After its done, transfer the Mullangi Chutney \ pachidi to a bowl. Finish the tempering process by adding the ingredients as mentioned. Pour the tempered oil and its contents over the chutney. Serve it with hot white rice with ghee or as a side for any south indian tiffin.

Beerakaya Thokku Pachidi \ Ridgegourd Skin Pachidi \ Peerkangai Tholi Thogayal

Ridge gourd ( Peerkangai in Tamil and Beerakaya in Telugu ) is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol and has very high fiber content in it..Its an ideal vegetable for optimum health and weight loss. It has excellent cooling properties and good for all ages.  Ridge gourd as a whole is used in Indian Cuisine in many different ways. We can make currys, Kootu, Bajjis, Thogayal or pachidi, a simple dal or in any other forms. This Ridge gourd skin Pachidi is also one of the tastiest dishes made with less ingredients and Ridge gourd skin. If the skin is fresh, it enhances the taste of the Pachidi as well....

Ingredients

Ridge gourd Skin -  1 full cup

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Hing \ Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Urad Dal \ Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera \ Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 5 or 6 based on your spice level

Garlic Pods - 2 or 3 big ones

Salt - To Taste

Method

• In the kadai, add Olive oil and add all the ingredients except the Ridge gourd Skin and roast them well to golden brown but not black.
• Transfer them to the mixer grinder and fry the Ridge gourd skin in the remaining oil thoroughly. Cover it while frying for a minute in order to cook them well too...
• Then transfer the fried Ridge gourd skin too to the mixer grinder and grind everything in the mixer grinder together along with some salt.
• Grind them coarsely and not to a fine paste. Now the pachidi \ Thogayal is ready to be eaten with hot white rice, rotis, chappathis.

Peerkangai Thogayal \ Beerakaya Pachadi\ Ridgegourd Thogayal

In this version, the thogayal is made with the inner flesh of the vegetable not with its skin. Mostly we make this Thogayal when we really bored of the regular Sambar, Rasam varieties. With a side of some papads, this thogayal rice is very tasty.

Ingredients

Fresh Ridge Gourd -  1 Big

Urad Dal \ Mina Pappu -  21\2 tsp

Tamarind -- 1 small pinch

Dry Red Chilli --- 4

Cumin Seeds --- 1 tsp

Hing \ Asafoetida -- 1 Dash

Salt - To Taste

Oil -- 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves -- 3

Method

• Peel the skin of the Ridge Gourd and cut the flesh of the vegetable into smaller pieces and keep them ready.
• In a kadai, add half a tbsp of oil and add Hing, 2 tsp of Urad Dal, tamarind, dry red chillies and fry them well first. When it turns into golden brown, transfer them to a mixer grinder.
• In the same kadai, fry the Ridge Gourd pieces for few minutes and transfer them to the mixer grinder.
• When the Ridge Gourd pieces reduce in size and becomes little soggy, its mostly well fried and cooked.
• Grind the contents in the mixer grinder with required amount of salt. When its done, transfer the Thogayal into a small bowl.
• In the same kadai, add little bit of oil. When it gets heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, half tsp of Urad Dal and 3 or 4 curry leaves and finish the tempering process.
• Pour them over the Thogayal and mix it well. Now the Peerkangai Thogayal is ready to eat.

Tips

Try to taste a small pinch of  raw Ridge Gourd before actually making the Thogayal. If its bitter, then it will totally spoil the Thogayal taste. So, don't proceed in this case.

Pudina Thogayal \ Pudina Pachadi \ Mint Thogayal

Fragrance of fresh Pudina leaves always tempt us to use them immediately in our cooking.  One of my favourite combo is the Pudina Thogayal rice with any Mor Kootu or Mor Kuzhambu. Its a wise idea to use Pudina leaves in regular cooking as its known for its medicinal effects. Though we use Pudina leaves in many of the dishes we make, this Thogayal variety is unique and goes well with white rice, as a good side for Idly, Dosa too..

Ingredients

Fresh Pudina Leaves -- 1 Bunch

Urad dal \ Mina Pappu \ Ulutham Paruppu -- 3 tsp

Hing \ Asafoetida -- 1 Dash

Dry red chillies -- 3

Green chilli -- 1

Tamarind -- 1 small pinch
Jaggery - 1 small pinch

Salt -- To Taste

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

In a Kadai, add the oil first. When its heated up, add all the ingredients as mentioned above into the oil except Pudina Leaves. Fry them well and transfer them to a mixer grinder. Fry the Pudina Leaves in the same kadai with the remaining oil for few minutes till they get fried properly. Transfer them too to the mixer grinder. Grind them well to a coarse paste. Add required amount of salt to the Thogayal. Transfer the Mint \ Pudina Thogayal to a small bowl and its ready to eat. I don't add tadka to this Thogayal at all. If you wish, you can add some tadka to the Thogayal.

HOW TO MAKE Thengai Thogayal / Kobbari Pachidi / Spicy Coconut Hummus RECIPE

Thengai Thogayal / Kobbari Pachidi is one of the most common item in the festival menu. Also, we could see this item along with some spicy vegetable fry during normal days. Fresh coconuts are always tastier and they taste better if its made with a good punch. Even today, I like to scrap the coconut flakes instead of cutting them across and grinding them with spices.

Ingredients

Fresh Coconut shredded - 1 Cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Hing /Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Urad Dal / Minna Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tbsp

Dry Red Chillies - 6 -7

Tamarind - 1 small piece

Curry Leaves - 5 or 6

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Jaggery - 1 tiny piece

Method

• Using a proper shredder, take out the fresh coconut flakes and keep them ready.
• In the pan, add oil first. When its heated, add Hing, Urad Dal , dry red chillies and roast them slightly on medium flame.
• When they turn golden brown, add the tamarind, jaggery and mix them well. Switch off the flame.
• Add the coconut flakes into the pan and mix them very well and transfer them to the grinder jar.
• Grind them coarsely and add required amount of salt and keep the thogayal ready.
• In a separate tempering pan, add oil and when its heated, add Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, little urad dal, curry leaves and fry them for few seconds.
• Pour the tadka over the Thogayal/Pachidi and serve with hot rice.

Tips

Dont reduce the spice level. If the coconut is sweeter, it might reduce the spicyness of the Thogayal.

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