Peanut Chutney

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Another winner...goes wonderfully with khichi and qeema, papad, achaar. YUM! A perfect hyderabadi nashta!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tamarind paste

1 cup roasted peanuts

2/3 tsp red chilli powder
a pinch of turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

1 green chilli, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
Cilantro sprigs to garnish


Method:

Grind the roasted peanuts to a fine powder.

Boil tamarind and extract the juice.

Dice the onions and chop it finely.

Keep all the above inredients aside seperately.

In a bowl take the roasted ground peanuts and add salt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder and green chilli. Mix all the ingredients and make sure there are no lumps.

Add the onions and tamarind juice. Mix it in properly. Finally stir in some water and add the cilantro sprigs.

Khatti Dal

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This is another versatile dish that goes good with anything. I usually cook it up every other week to break the whole mutton, chicken routine. Its always nice to slurp on some dal when there's too much meat doing the rounds. Anyways, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 tsp oil
2 cups tuvar dal
2-3 tsp salt
2 tsp red chilli powder
3-4 whole garlic cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 green chilli
2-4 cups water
1 cup tamarind paste

For tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup mustard seeds
a few curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
1 garlic clove, cut length wise

Method:
Wash the tuvar dal in several changes of water and place it in a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water, garlic cloves, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and pressure cook for about 15-20 min's.

Let off the steam on the pressure cooker, if the dal seems to be a bit undone add the remaining water and cook a little more.

Finally add the tamarind paste. Using a blender, blend them all together.

Throw in the green chilli and cook the dal for as long as the chillies turn yellow, set aside in a serving bowl.

In a small pan, heat oil and add cumin and mustard seeds, as soon as they start spluttering, add the remaining ingredients and splash in onto the dal.

Serve with plain rice, achaar and papad.