Beerakaya pachadi or Ridge Gourd churney or Heerekayi chutney

Needed

1. Ridge gourd or beerekaya or heerekaayi - 1
2. Oil - 1 table spoon
3. Urad dal - 1 table spoon
4. Tamarind paste - 1 tea spoon
5. Coconut - 1/2 cup
6. Green chillies - 2
7. Asafoetida - a pinch
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed

Method

1. Without peeling the skin, wash the ridge gourd thorouhly and cut into small cubes.
2. Add 1/2 table spoon oil to the saucepan and fry the green chillies and ridgegourd pieces.
3. Once they become tender, transfer hem to another plate and keep them aside.
4. In the same saucepan, fry 1 tablespoon of urad dal till they turn brown.
5. To the blender, add fried urad dal, green chillies,coconut, tamarind,salt and grind to a coarse paste.
6. Now, add the fried ridge gourd pieces and grind again into coarse paste.
7. Heat 1/2 table spoon oil, add mustard seeds and asafoetida and as they splutter, add the seasoning to the coarse paste.
8. Close the lid and let the flavors sink in for 10 minutes, serve the cutney with hot rice.

Ginger Chutney

Ingredients

1. Ginger - 1" piece
2. Onions - 1
3. Red chillies - 3
4. Grated Jaggery - 1 tea spoon
5. Cilantro or Coriander - 3 strands
6. Oil - 1 table spoon
7. Salt - 1 tea spoon or as needed

Method

1. Heat 1 table spoon of oil in a saucepan
2. Add ginger,onion,red chillies and fry them till the onions turn brown
3. Switch off the stove, let them cool to room temperature for 2 minutes before adding them into a blender. (Saves the blender blades from heat and improves the taste)
4. Add salt, grated jaggery, coriander and the above mixture to the blender and grind to a coarse paste.

Bendekaayi Chutney / Ladysfinger chutney / Bendakaaya Chutney

Needed 

1. Okra/ Ladysfinger - 10 to 15
2. Green chillies - 5
3. Coriander - 1/2 bunch
4. Asofaetida - a teaspoon
5. Coriander powder - 2 tablespoons
6. Oil - a tablespoon
7. Tamarind paste - 1 table spoon
8. Salt as needed
9. Coconut - 1/4 coconut

Method

1. Fry in tablespoon , green chillies and okra.
2. Grind with coriander powder, tamarind,salt,coriander,asofaetida and coconut to make into coarse paste.

Tomato Chutney

I should say this is a chutney which works just fine for the last minute cravings. Takes extremely small amount of time and hardly any chopping of vegetables.

(Serves 4)
Needed

1. Tomatoes - 3
2. Greeen chillies - 4
3. Red chillies - 2
4. Turmeric - a pinch
5. Salt - 1 tablespoon or as needed.
6. Sugar - 1 tablespoon
7. Coriander - 1/2 bunch
8. Oil - 1 tea spoon
9. Urad Dal - 1 tea spoon
10. Chana dal - 1 tea spoon
11. Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon squeezed

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a sauce pan.
2. Add chana dal and urad dal, let them fry for half a minute.
3. Add green chillies, tomatoes and fry them till the tomatoes get half cooked.
4. Add turmeric and fry for a minute.
5. Once cooked add the mixture to the grinder.
6. Put coriander, salt, sugar to the mixture and grind to a coarse paste.
7. Add lemon juice to the mixture and serve.

This has been one of my favorite chutneys. Apart from satiating your taste buds with the tangy taste, it provides an antioxidant called "Lycopene". When tomatoes are heat processed, the bioavailability of Lycopene actually increases rather than the anticipated decrease. Two bucks and one arrow , isn't it !!

Brinjal Tomato chutney

(Serves two)

Ingredients

1. Smal round brinjal - 3
2. Tomato -1
3. Tamarind Paste - 1 tablespoon
4. Salt as needed
5. Coriander - 1/4 bunch
6. Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
7. Oil - 2 tablespoons
8. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
9. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
10. Green Chillies - 1
11. Asofaetida - a pinch

Method

• Heat the oil in a sauce pan.
• Add mustard,jeera and asofaetida and fry till they splutter.
• Fry the green chillies in the same oil.
• Add tomato pieces and fry till the tomato gets half cooked.
• Add brinjal pieces and cook till they get soft.
• Tamarind paste has to be added and mixed with the veggies.
• Transfer the entire content into a grinder.
• Add salt, coriander and grind into coarse paste.

Kalchina vankaaya chutney/Smoky Brinjal chutney

(Serves 2 people)

Needed:
Tiny round Brinjal - 5
Oil - 2tablespoons
Green chillies - 1
Tamarind Chutney - 1 teaspoon
Coriander - 1/4 bunch
Salt as needed
Asofaetida - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

1. Peel the skin of the brinjal stem on the body. Let the s
2. tem remain intact to help us burn the vegetable.
3. Coat the brinjal with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
4. Place it on the stove and burn the vegetable till the skin turns black.
5. Let the brinjal cool down. Meanwhile fry the green chilly in oil.
6. Peel the binjal skin.
7. Add brinjal, gree chilli, salt, tamarind paste, coriander and Asofaetida to a grinder and turn it into a coarse paste.
8. Season the chutney with mustard and urad dal.

Tomato Bisi uppinakayi

Needed

1. Ripe Tomatoes - 6
2. Red Chillies - 5
3. Sesame seeds -2 teaspoons
4. Fenugreek Seeds - 1 teaspoon
5. Oil - 2 tespoons
6. Asoefatida - a pinch
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Salt as desired

Method

1. Add 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan.
2. As the oil gets heated up, add the tomatoes and boil on medium flame,with a close lid.
3. Keep stirring in between to avoid the puree getting burnt.
4. Boil the tomatoes till the raw smell vanishes resulting in a thick puree. 
5. Meanwhile fry the sesame and fenugreek seeds in a pan on medium flame.
6. Grind them into soft powder.
7. Heat a teaspoon of oil in another pan, add few sesame seeds, a pinch of asoefatida and red chillies.
8. Fry till the red chillies turn light brown.
9. Add the boiled tomato puree to this mixture.
10. While stirring add the sesame and fenugreek powder,turmeric, chili powder and salt.
11. Heat the mixture on low flame with close lid for 3 minutes.
12. Serve with rotis to enjoy the tangy uppinakayi.