Demon Chutney (Chettinad Garlic Chutney)

Demon Chutney !!!!! Wondering what this is? Though I know the making of this chutney for quite some time, I have been reluctant to make it for the fear of its spiciness. But when I saw this recently in a TV serial while browsing the channel, decided it is high time, I try this. In the serial it was ground in Ammi Kuzhavi.

Honestly speaking, though I have tried grinding things in this, I was not able to do it the right way, ending up hurting my fingers. So ended up using our own modern kitchen equipment the mixie. The name Demon Chutney was given by my daughter, after she tasted it. 

Ingredients:

Garlic - 100 gms

Red Chilly - 8 nos

Tamarind - small ball 

     or 

Tamarind Paste - 1 tsp

Salt (Rock Salt) - To taste

Gingely Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:

       Grind Garlic, Red Chilly, Tamarind and Salt together to a fine paste. Heat a pan, add the gingelly oil,

heat it and add it to the ground paste. Serve it with Idly, Dosa or Chappati or even curd rice.

       Alternatively, the ground paste can be sauted in the generous portion of gingely oil in a pan. That will become a thokku form. Which also gives a very good taste

Chettinadu Masala Kuzhambu

Chettinadu Kuzhambu is always very very tasty especially their masala kuzhambu or kara kuzhambu. This can be had with hot rice and gingely oil and ghee.

Ingredients:
Small Onions- 18 nos or 1/4 kg
Raddish or chowchow or drumstick or brinjal (numbers depending upon the quantity of veggies one need for a family of four)
Tamarind Paste - 2 tbsp
Red Chillies - 4 nos
Vathakozhambu powder - 2 tbsp
Gingely Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Coconut grated - 1/4 cup
Fennel Seeds (sombu) - 1 tsp
Onion big - 1
Tomato - 1
Garlic pods - 6 nos
Curry leaves - a handful
Bay leaf - 1 no
Cinnamon sticks - 2 nos

Method :
Heat 1/4 of the oil and fry big onion first in it then a hand ful of small onions. Add the tomatoes and 4 of the garlic pods and saute them. Remove from flame and add coconut, 1/2 of the fennel seeds, curry leaves and grind them to a fine paste.

Heat half of the remaining oil in a hard bottom pan and add bayleaf, fennel seeds and cinnamon. Cut the small onions into 1/4th and add it to the pan. Add garlic pods and a few curry leaves and saute them till the onion turns slighly brown. Add the vegetable or vegetables of your choice and mix them thoroughly. Add the vathakozhambu powder and saute for a min. Add tamarind paste and 1/2 cup of water and salt and let it cook till the vegetables become soft and the tamarind water looses its raw flavour. Add the coconut paste and allow it to boil till the oil separates. The consistency will be semi thick.

Remove from flame. Heat the remaining gingely oil and add it to the cooked gravy. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Note:
If you want to avoid tamarind add more tomatoes especially the tangy ones.

Baby Potato fry Chettinad Style

Baby potatoes are always every one's favourites but making same recipes every time is quite boring. While searching the net, I came across a recipe which is prepared in Chettinad style.

Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes - 1/2 kg
Shallots - 250 gms or 24 nos (medium sized)
Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Red Chillies - 6 nos
Black pepper corn - 12 nos
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil the potatoes and peel them. Prick them with a tooth pick to make small holes in each one of them.

Dry roast urad dal, red chillies, black pepper, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Grind them to a fine powder (Alternatively Chettinad Masala powder can also be used).

Peel the shallots (sambar onion) and if they are large cut them into halves. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the shallots and fry till they turn glassy. Add the potatoes, salt, ground masala powder and mix well. Cook on low flame and keep turning the potatoes so that it turns golden brown all over.

Chop the coriander leaves finely and add it to the potatoes and mix. Serve with rice or with rotis.

Note: If you are serving it with rotis, cut the baby potatoes into half before adding to the pan.

Garlic Kuzhambu - Chettinad Style

Ingredients:
Tamarind paste - 3 tbsp
Garlic - 2 nos
Methi seeds - 1 tbsp
Tomato - 4 nos
Shallots - 8 nos
Curry leaves - few
Vatral Kuzhambu powder - 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Water - 2 cups

Method:
Heat 1/2 of the oil in a pan. Add the methi seeds and garlic pods and shallots and fry till they become soft. Chop the curry leaves and tomatoes finely. Add both to the pan along with turmeric powder. Mix well and reduce the flame. Cover and cook till the tomatoes get half cooked.

Mix the tamarind paste with 2 cups of water. Add vatral kuzhambu powder, salt remaining gingely oil and tamarind water and bring it to a boil. When the gravy is thick add 1 tbsp of sesame oil/gingely oil and turn off the heat.

Variations:
Grind 1/4 cup of coconut with a spoon of pepper and add it to the gravy. This can be substituted in the place of 2 tbsp of vatral kuzhambu powder. Add just 1 tbsp.

Recipes from Chettinad

Chettinad Cuisine - is a part of Tamil Cuisine, have some exciting vegetarian recipes.

*Chettinad Masala Powder
*Dry Chilly Chutney
*Chettinad Biryani Using Baby Potato
*Rice and Green gram Porridge

*Chettinad Masala Kuzhambu
*Garlic Kuzhazmbu Chettinad Style

*Garlic Pickle Chettinad Style

*Garlic Rice

*Ennai Kathirikkai kara kuzhambu Chettinad Style

Rice green gram porridge - a healthy gruel recipe

Ingredients:
Jeeraga Chamba Rice - 1 cup
Green gram - 1 cup
Shallots - 12 nos
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Red Chilly - 3 nos
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Salt to taste
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:
Wash and soak rice for about 1/2 an hour. Soak green gram for 1 hour. Mix them together and pressure cook along with finely chopped shallots, slit green chillies. Pressure cook for 5 whistles.

Grind coconut and red chillies together along with a little salt to a coarse paste with less water. Mix it to the cooked gruel and boil it for another few minutes.

(If it is served for diabetics, the coconut can be avoided. While serving the kids, the number of chillies can be altered. While giving it for pregnant women and kids, the porridge have to be thick and less spicy)

Add little ghee on top before serving.

Chettinad Briyani using Baby Potato

Whenver the term Chettinad Briyani is spoken, it is normally non-vegetarian briyani with Chicken pieces. But here is a recipe retaining the same flavour and taste but is made with baby potatoes. Though one cannot expect the taste of juice of chicken in the briyani, still this tastes heavenly and almost just the same.

Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes - 1/2 kg
Onions - 2 nos
Tomato - 1 no or Tomato puree - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 2 nos
Basmati Rice or Jeeraga Samba rice - 2 1/2 cups
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Cloves - 2 nos
Cardamom - 2 nos
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece 2 nos
Bay leaf - 2 nos
Fennel seeds (Perunjeeragam) - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Thick unsour curd - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup

Method:
Mix chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp of salt and curd. Beat well and keep it aside. Boil the baby potatoes for about 15 mins or pressure cook it for 1 whistle. Peel the skin and poke the potatoes with a fork making about 6 to 9 small holes. Add the potatoes to the curd mixture and ensure all the potatoes are coated with it. Let it marianade for about 45 mins.

Wash and soak the rice in luke warm water for 10 mins. Drain the water thoroughly. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee and fry the rice till it all separates and doesnot stick to the pan. Remove and spread it on a plate. 

Chop onions to small pieces. Slit the green chillies into 2. Dice the tomato into small pieces

Heat 4 tbsp of ghee in the pan, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon pieces, bay leaf and fennel seeds. Add onion, chillies and tomato or tomato puree. Saute till the onion turns glassy. Add the marianated potato pieces and saute in medium heat. Cover and cook in low heat for about 5 mins. Add the coconut milk along with 2 cups of water. Add desired salt to taste (better add less and if needed a bit more can be added later). When the water boils add the rice. Cover and cook till the rice gets cooked. (This will take about 8 to 10 mins). Alternatively, the mixture can be transferred to a hard bottom vessel and pressure cooked for 1 whistle.

Remove from flame and mix thoroughly. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. (Can also garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins, if preferred).

Serve with Onion Raitha or Chettinad Ennai Kathrikaai.

Garlic Pickle Chettinad style

Ingredients:

Garlic - 1/2 kg

Lemon Juice - 1 1/2 cup

Gingely Oil - 150 ml

Coriander seeks - 1/2 cup

Fenugreek powder - 1 tbsp

Red Chilli powder - 3 tbsp

Jaggery - 1 tbsp (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/4 cup 

Method:

Dry roast coriander seeds and grind it to a fine powder. Peel the garlic and cut it into two halves length wise. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the garlic pieces and saute it till the garlic becomes soft. Reduce the flame and add the lemon juice to it and allow it to cook for about 5 mins. Add coriander powder, fenu greek powder, chilli powder and salt. Keep stirring all the ingredients till the oil comes out. Add jaggery, mix well and remove it from the flame. 

When cool transfer it to a clean and air tight bottle.

Chettinad Style Dry Chilly Chutney

Ingredients:
Red Chilly - 12 nos
Garlic - 10 pods
Shallots - 8 to 10 nos
Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Gingely Oil - 3 tbsp
Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Broken Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Method:
Grind red chillies, garlic, shallots, salt and tamarind paste to a fine paste. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan add mustard seeds and when it splutters add the broken urad dal and asafodeita. When it turns golden brown in colour, add the ground paste. Keep stirring till the oil comes out of the sides. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of gingely oil to it when still hot.

The chutney will be quite hot and if needed, the number of red chillies can be reduced a bit.

Goes well with steaming hot idly and also with Adai.

Recipe for Chettinad Masala Powder - How to make it at home

Ingredients: 

Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup

Red Chillies - 4 nos

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Ginger - 1/4 inch piece

Garlic - 2 pods

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Cardamom - 1 no

Cloves - 15 nos

Black Kalpaasi (stone flower) - 1 inch

Anise seed -1 no.

Black pepper - 2 tbsp

Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:
In 1 tsp of oil shallow fry the coconut, red chilly, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, kalpasi bark, anise seeds, pepper corns, curry leaves. Grind it to a thick, fine paste along with turmeric powder.