Fig Honey Compote

Fresh Figs - 1 lb, chopped
Raw Honey - 3 to 4 tbsp depending on the sweetness of the fig or as per taste
White Wine Vinegar - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Star Anise - 1
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
Nutmeg - a pinch

Mix everything together in a saucepan and cook on low heat till the figs are soft and the sauce is thick and bubbly.

Cool and refrigerate in a glass container.

Serve over greek yogurt or ice-cream. We had ours with pistachio ice-cream.

Stovetop Tomato Paste

Fresh Tomatoes - I used a mix of home grown grape and cherry tomatoes
Olive Oil

Most recipes of tomato paste call for removing the skin and the seeds. Since I am using home grown cherry tomatoes here, I decided to use my vitamix blender to blend the tomatoes with the skin and seeds to make a smooth mixture.

Cook this mixture over stove top for a couple of hours over medium low heat. Stir frequently towards the end. Once most of the liquid has evaporated and the paste looks dry and starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, add olive oil. Mix well and cool completely. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator and use as required.

Instant Tomato Pickle

Fresh Tomato - 2 lbs
Oil - 2 tbsp
Tamarind - 2 tsp
Jaggery / Date Palm Sugar - 2 tbsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Methi / Fenugreek Powder -1 tsp (optional)
White Vinegar - 2 tbsp. (optional)

Oil - 2 tbsp.
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Methi / Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dried Whole Red Chili - 1
Curry Leaves - 10 (optional)
Garlic Cloves - 10, smashed in a mortar pestle

Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add the oil. Add the tomatoes and cook on high heat for a few minutes. Then reduce the heat, add jaggery and cook the tomatoes for around 20 to 25 minutes till they are completely cooked and oil begins to float on top. Remove from heat and add the dry tamarind, red chili powder, salt and methi powder. Mix well. If desired, you can also add 2 tbsp. of white vinegar. If you want a smooth paste, you can cool and run this mixture in the blender. I wanted some texture, so I left it as it is.

Heat a small pan and add 2 to 3 tbsp. of oil. Add mustard seeds, methi seeds, curry leaves, whole red chili and garlic cloves. Cook till the cloves slightly change color and curry leaves get crunchy.

Remove from heat and add this to the tomato mixture. Mix well, cool completely, transfer to a clean glass jar and refrigerate. Goes well with dosa and parathas. Should stay fresh in the fridge for a month.

 

 

 

 

Ginger Peach Sauce

 

Fresh Peaches - 2 cups, roughly chopped
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp.
Fresh Ginger - 1/2 tsp, minced
Arrowroot / Cornstarch - 2 tbsp.
Water - 1 tbsp
Raw Honey - 3 tbsp. (depending on the sweetness of peaches)
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

For Serving:
Pound cake or any other cake - a few slices
Butter - 1 tbsp, melted

In a medium saucepan, combine peaches, ginger, lemon juice, water together and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium low and allow it to cook until peaches are fork tender, around 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir the water and arrowroot together and add it slowly to the simmering peaches and stir until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat and cool.

To serve, brush the pound cake slices with butter and grill on a pan for about a minute on each side. Serve the peach sauce on top.

Instant Chili Pickle

Jalapenos - around 10, remove the stem, wash and dry well
Mustard Oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard Seeds or Paanch Phoron - 1/4 tsp
Rock Salt - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Coarsely Crushed Yellow Mustard and Fenugreek Seeds - 2 tbsp.
Yellow Mustard Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
White Vinegar - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Jaggery / Gur - 2 tsp

Cut the jalapenos into thick roundels

Heat mustard oil in a sauce pan. Add the mustard seeds or paanch phoron. Add a pinch of Hing.

Then add the jalapenos, crushed mustard and fenugreek seeds. Cook for a minute.

Add salt, jaggery, red chili powder, turmeric, mustard powder, vinegar and mix well and cook for a minute more.

Remove from heat, cool and transfer to a glass bottle. Store it in the refrigerator.

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2015/04/is-teacher.html

Pickled Chili Peppers

Red, Green & Yellow Chili Peppers / Jalapenos - 8, cut into thin rounds

Carrot - 1/4, peeled and thinly sliced

Red onion - 1/4, thinly sliced

Rice / White vinegar - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Garlic - 1 clove, peeled and lightly crushed

Sea salt - 1 tbsp.

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp

Black peppercorns - 10, lightly crushed

Bay leaf - 1

 

Heat the vinegar in a steel saucepan with the water, garlic, salt, sugar, oregano, peppercorns, and bay leaf until simmering, and the salt and sugar are dissolved.

Add the chilies, carrots, and onions. Cook in the pan for a minute, then cover, remove from heat, and let it stand for 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture into jars, close them, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Storage: The pickles will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator, and will start to lose kick after that.

Adapted from http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/10/pickled-jalapeno-chile-recipe/

Homemade Biryani Masala

Bay leaf - 2, tear into small pieces

Fennel seeds - 2 tsp

Coriander seeds - 6 tbsp

Shahi jeera / Caraway Seeds - 3 tbsp.

Green cardamom - 12

Black Cardamom - 1

Cinnamon sticks - 10 sticks of two inches each, break into small pieces

Cloves - 1 tbsp.

Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Star anise - 4

Mace flower - 5

Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp

 

Dry roast the spices together on very low heat till they turn slightly crisp.

 

Powder them in a mixer to a fine powder. Store in an airtight glass jar.

Sweet & Sour Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind - 3 tbsp
Jaggery - 1/4 cup (adjust the amount depending on how sour the tamarind is and how sweet you want the chutney to be)
Dates - a handful, chopped  (If dates are not available, increse the jaggery quantity)
Black Salt - a pinch
Water - 1/2 cup
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp

Soak the tamarind in water for at least an hour. Mash with your fingers to remove the juices. Discard the thick pulp and seeds.

Add jaggery, dates, salt, cumin and red chili powder. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer till it becomes thick.

Cool and mash a bit and use it as a chutney or a dressing for salad.

Basic Tomato Sauce for Pizza

Fresh Tomatoes - 3 large, peeled,  (preferably from the local farmers market)
Garlic Cloves - 4, minced
Dried Oregano - 1/4 tsp
Fresh Basil Leaves - 5
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and immediately add the minced garlic cloves. Saute for a few seconds.

Add the peeled tomatoes, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Cook over low heat and after a while crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

Cook for around 10 minutes till the sauce becomes thick. The sauce is ready when it becomes a little glossy and oil separates from it. Add the chopped basil leaves and remove from heat.

Savory Tomato & Onion Chutney

Roma Tomatoes - 3 (big), chopped
Sweet Yellow Onion - 1 (big), chopped
Fresh Grated Coconut / Dry shredded coconut - 1 tbsp or around 4 tbsp roasted peanuts
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Dried Red Chili - 3
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Paprika - 1/4 tsp
Virgin Coconut Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches (optional)
Urad Dal / Split Black Gram - 1 tsp (optional)
Curry Leaves - 4 leaves (optional)
Cayenne Pepper - a pinch (optional, depending on the desired hotness)
Salt

Heat a tsp of oil in a skillet and add the dried red chilies and garlic. Saute for a minute and add the chopped onion.

Saute till the onion starts to brown. Add the coconut /peanuts and cook till the coconut / peanuts becomes toasted

Add a tsp of oil and add the chopped tomato, a little salt, 1 tsp roasted coriander powder, paprika. Cook covered till the tomato becomes mushy.

Cool down the mixture, add a few tbsp of water, if required and blend in a blender to make a smooth paste. If the tomato is not sour enough, you can add a splash of lemon juice or 1 tsp tamarind paste.

Heat a tsp of oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they begon to pop, add hing, urad dal and curry leaves. Then pour over the tomato onion paste, mix and serve.

The chutney is thick, creamy, hot and tangy and goes very well with Spinach Dosa.

Gun Powder / Idli Podi

Dried Red Chilies - 1/4 cup, break the chilies into 1 inch pieces and measure in the cup
Urad Dal / Split Black Grams - 1/4 cup
Chana Dal / Split Bengal Gram - 1/4 cup
Brown Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup (optional, can be substituted with equal quantity of urad and chana dal)
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Rock Salt - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 10
Aamchur / Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Dry roast urad dal, chana dal, sesame seeds one by one separately over low flame in an iron wok till they are dark brown. The roasting should be done over low heat till the lentils become DARK brown.

Heat oil in the wok and over slow fire, roast the red chilies and curry leaves till they are crisp. Add salt , aamchur, turmeric and asafoetida.

Cool everything and grind together to a coarse or smooth powder. I like the powder to be a little coarse. Store in an airtight container. Can be served with idli or dosa.

Sending this recipe to the following event hosted by http://www.jagrutidhanecha.com/2012/07/announcing-event-grind-your-cooking.html

Spicy Sesame Powder

Brown Sesame Seeds - 1 cup
Chana Dal / Split Bengal Gram - 1/4 cup
Urad Dal / Split Black Gram - 1/4 cup
Dry Red Chili - 5
Black Peppercorns - 10
Asafoetida Powder / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt

Dry roast sesame seeds, chana dal, urad dal one by one separately in an iron skillet till they are slightly brown and crisp. Keep aside to cool down.

Add a tsp of oil to the skillet. Add the chopped garlic, black peppercorns, dry red chili and asafoetida. Saute till the garlic starts to brown. Remove from heat and cool.

Mix everything together and grind to a coarse powder. Store in an airtight container.

Can be served with rice or steamed idli.

Coconut Chutney

Fresh / frozen coconut - 1 cup, grated
Dalia / Roasted Chickpeas - 1/4 cup
Green Chili - 3
Ginger - 1/2 inch, grated
Shallot - 1 to 2 shallots or 4 to 5 red pearl onions, chopped
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Tamarind - 1/2 tsp, soak in a little water for 15 minutes and discard the pulp
Salt
Raw Sugar - 1/2 tsp

For tempering:
Peanut Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Green Chili / Dried Red Chili - 2

Grind coconut, dalia, green chili, ginger, shallot, cilantro, tamarind extract, salt and sugar together in a grinder to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to pop, add the urad dal, chili and curry leaves. When the urad dal changes color, remove from heat and pour over the coconut mixture. For a variation, can add a tbsp of yogurt or a tsp of lime juice and mix well before serving.

Serve with idli or dosa.

Adapted from http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/16/coconut-chutney-kobbari-pacchadi/

Dry Garlic Chutney

Garlic Cloves - 10 fat cloves
Red Chili powder / Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp depending on how hot you want the chutney to be
Dessicated Coconut - 2 tsp
Salt

Pound all the above together using a mortar and pestle till they become a coarse paste. Can be Stored in a glass bottle in the refrigerator for a week.

Tastes great with batata wada or with rice and dal.

Cilantro Mint Yogurt Chutney

Plain Yogurt - 1 cup
Cilantro - 5 to 6 strands, chopped
Mint - a handful of mint leaves
Green Chili - 1, half the seeds removed
Salt - a pinch
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Paprika - 1/4 tsp

Blend yogurt, cilantro, mint leaves, green chili, salt together till a smooth paste is formed.

Sprinkle roasted cumin powder and paprika on top and serve along with vegetable pulao.

Adapted from http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2012/02/17/black-eyed-beans-plantain-pulav-with-mint-chutney/

Mint Coconut Chutney

Grated Fresh Coconut / Thawed Frozen Coconut - 1/2 cup
Mint - a bunch
Roasted Chana Dal / Roasted Split Chickpeas / Dalia - 3 tbsp
Green Chili - 1, half of the seeds removed
Ginger - 1/2 tsp, grated
Yogurt - 1 tbsp
Salt
Coconut Palm Sugar - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice / Tamarind Extract - 1 tsp
Water - 1 tbsp (if required)

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 4
Dried Whole Red Chili - 1, broken into two

Mix grated coconut, chopped mint leaves, roasted chickpeas, green chili, ginger, yoghurt, salt, palm sugar, lemon juice, together and blend in a blender / grinder to get a smooth paste. If the paste gets too solid, add a little water while blending. Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a small skillet. Add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add cumin seeds, dried whole chili, urad dal and curry leaves. Saute till the urad dal becomes slightly brown.

Pour the hot oil plus spices directly the coconut chutney in the serving bowl.

We usually have this chutney with savory crepes. This also goes well as an unusual topping for crackers.

Pulao Masala

Star Anise - 5
Mace / Javitri - 5
Cinnamon - 2 sticks of 1 inch each
Green Cardamom - 10
Bay Leaf - 2 small

Dry roast all the above in a cast iron skillet over low heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool and grind in a spice grinder to make a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.
Use double the quantity to fill a standard glass spice bottle.

Adapted from http://tongueticklers.com/2012/02/matar-pulav-aur-pulav-masala-peas-pulav-pulav-spice/

Green Chili Pickle

Green Chili - 25 pieces
Juice of one big lemon
White Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 11/2 tbsp
Methi / Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 11/2 tsp
Split Mustard Seeds - 11/2 tbsp
Split Methi / Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard Oil - 1/2 cup

Wash the green chilies, remove the stem and dry well. Cut into small pieces. Place in a ceramic bowl and add salt and vinegar. Mix and keep aside for one hour.

Dry roast the whole mustard and methi seeds for a few minutes. Cool and grind to a powder.

Add the juice of the lemon to the chopped chilies in vinegar. Mix in the turmeric powder, mustard methi powder and the split mustard and methi seeds.

Heat the mustard oil till it is smoking. Pour it on the green chilies. Keep aside to cool down.

Once the mixture gets cold, pour in a clean glass jar. Place the jar in the sun for a few days and the pickle is ready.

Adapted from http://ahomemakersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/01/instant-chili-pickle-well-almost.html

Sweet and Sour Lemon Pickle

Adapted from  http://ahomemakersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-oil-sweet-and-sour-lemonpickle.html

Indian Lemons - 4, wash, dry and cut intp small pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
Green Chili - 10, wash, dry, remove stem and cut into small pieces
Ginger - 1/2 inch, cut into thin strips
Salt - 5 tbsp
Jaggery + Raw Sugar - 1 cup
Methi / Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Split Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Spice Mix:
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Methi / Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Dry roast 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp methi seeds and hing for a couple of minutes. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.

Mix the cut lemons, chopped green chili, salt, lemon juice, ginger, jaggery, salt, methi seeds, turmeric powder, split methi, split mustard and the ground spice mix.

Pour the mixture in a clean glass jar. Place the jar in direct sun for 4 to 5 hours everyday for around a month. Stir once in a while and check the taste and adjust salt and sugar according to the taste. Once the lemon pieces are soft and the liquid thickens to a syrup consistency, the pickle is ready.

Homemade Ghee / Clarified Butter

Organic Sweet Cream Butter - 32 oz

Add the butter to a heavy bottomed pan. Melt the butter over medium heat. Then lower the heat to the minimum and let it come to boil over slow heat. Do not stir at any point of time.

First the melted butter gets frothy and then slowly white solid particles will float. Then the liquid becomes transparent and the white particles disappear and settle at the bottom of the pan and turn brown in color. Now the ghee is ready. The entire process takes around an hour.

Sieve the ghee to remove the brown particles and store in a glass container. The ghee solidifies when completely cooled.

Warm Ghee

Ghee when cooled completely