1,000 Indian Recipes (65 page)

Dhania Chutni

Makes about 2 cups

Join the countless millions of Indians (including me) for whom this mild chutney, powered with the fragrance and taste of fresh cilantro, is the ultimate. You'll find a version of it in every home, no matter where you are in India.

It's so good, it shouldn't be limited to Indian food, either. Try it in sandwiches, tacos, and burritos, with fresh vegetables, fried or baked appetizers, in salads, steamed vegetables, or rice
pullaos
(pilafs), or simply serve it on the side with grilled foods.

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry Roasting Spices
)

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

3 to 5 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 small green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

5 to 6 scallions, green parts only, coarsely chopped

3 cups firmly packed, coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₂
cup fresh mint leaves

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1.
Prepare the cumin seeds and the chaat masala. Then, in a food processor or a blender, blend together the green chile peppers, ginger, bell pepper, and scallion greens until minced. Add the cilantro and mint to the work bowl and process, scraping the sides with a spatula a few times, until puréed. As you process, drizzle the lime juice through the feeder tube into the work bowl and process to make a smooth chutney.

2.
Add the chaat masala, sugar, and salt and process again. Adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a bowl and lightly mix in the cumin with some of it visible as a garnish. Serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

South Indian Cilantro Chutney

Kothmir ki Chutni

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

Kothmir
chutney, as this is called in southern India, is nothing like any you'll find in the northern parts. The southern version is sharper and more intense in flavor from the addition of sizzled spices and tamarind paste. This is typically a very smooth chutney, so combining with a blender is preferred.

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Tamarind Paste
, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

4 to 6 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, coarsely broken

1 tablespoon dried white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

3 cups firmly packed, coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds, red chile peppers, dal, and asafoetida. Cook, shaking the pan until the dal is golden, about 1 minute. Let cool and transfer to a blender (not a food processor) and blend until as fine as possible.

2.
Add the tamarind paste and then add the cilantro in 2 or 3 batches, adding more as the first batch is reduced to a smooth purée. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water, if needed. Mix in the salt. Adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

Scallion-Ginger Chutney

Harae Pyaz aur Adrak ki Chutni

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

Simultaneously sharp and gingery-hot, this chutney can also be made with regular onions. I prefer scallions because they are milder, and because they give this chutney a lovely, bright green color, which makes it all the more appealing. To make a smooth chutney, pick the youngest and most tender scallions—the greens tend to be less fibrous.

2 to 4 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1 (2
¹
⁄
₂
-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin quarter-size rounds

12 to 15 young scallions, with green parts included, coarsely chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

2 to 3 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 cup fresh mint or cilantro leaves

1.
Place the chile peppers, ginger, scallion greens, lemon juice, and yogurt in a food processor or a blender and process until minced.

2.
Add the sugar, salt, and mint or cilantro leaves, and process to a smooth purée. Adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

Coconut Chutneys

Fresh Coconut Chutney with Cilantro

Nariyal aur Dhania Chutni

Makes about 2
¹
⁄
₂
cups

This authentic chutney is best made with fresh coconut. Time- and labor-intensive though this might be, don't skimp here. The result: a naturally sweet coconut chutney that stays fresh about 10 days in the refrigerator and about 6 months in the freezer. To choose the best
coconut
.

2 to 3 tablespoons
South Indian Sambar Powder
(or store-bought)

1 fresh coconut

3 to 5 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

3 quarter-size slices of peeled fresh ginger

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup plain yogurt, nonfat or any kind, whisked until smooth

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon coconut or peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 tablespoons minced fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1.
Prepare the sambar powder. Then, shell the
coconut
. Then, with a vegetable peeler, remove the brown skin from the flesh and discard. Coarsely chop the coconut meat into
¹
⁄
₂
- to 1-inch pieces. In a food processor or a blender, process together the coconut, green chile peppers, and ginger until minced.

2.
Add the lemon juice, yogurt, and cilantro and process, scraping the sides of the work bowl a few times with a spatula until as smooth as possible. Add the salt and sambar powder and process again. Adjust the seasonings, then transfer to a serving bowl.

3.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add to the chutney and stir lightly with parts of it visible as a garnish. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

Hazram's Coconut-Tamarind Chutney with Mint

Hazram ki Nariyal Chutni

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

Hazram is my friend Neelam Malhotra's cook in India, and Neelam swears this chutney is the best in the world. You be the judge. Although this chutney is traditionally ground on a grinding stone (not a mortar and pestle) until it turns into a fine paste, I make mine in a blender. Its texture is not quite as fine, but it still is irresistible.

1 teaspoon coarsely ground dry-roasted cumin seeds (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Tamarind Paste

1 fresh coconut

6 to 8 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

3 to 5 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed