Life..a miracle

Life..a miracle

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Cherished memories

Everyone I am sure has a particular restaurant or a food truck or even a good old stall around the corner of the road that they cherish in their minds for some of the best food they ever had. I have a few in my mind that I cherish oh so dearly and every India trip I make sure I go through that list even if I am suffering from an upset stomach. :P

This past weekend, I was missing the steaming hot idlis and the crispy buttery dosas from a restaurant in Mumbai that goes by the name Sadguru. Every person who has spend time in the suburban area of Chembur knows this restaurant and oh boy did they have huge waiting lines! What I loved about the south Indian food offerings in this restaurant was the fact that they served us three different kinds of chutneys to go with the main dish. I loved each of the chutneys because they weren't the watery kind and had a distinct flavor which made each of them stand out! Infact it was this assortment I was missing more than the actual dosas/ idlis. 

So of course, I got over the craving by making two differents chutneys to go with some instant mix dosas.. I know I know..I hear it..instant..really??? I was just too desperate to enjoy the sides and made way with the instant mix.. ;) One of these chutneys was something I made for the first time, I had the old flavor of the chutney lingering on my tongue and with a little bit of research online, I devised the recipe for this chutney with the help of this recipe. 

Tomato chutney


Ingredients:
2 medium tomatoes roasted and diced
1/2 onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic 
1.5 tbsp sesame seeds 
3-4 dried red chilies
1 green chili chopped
2 Tsp urad dal
2 Tsp chana dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 small piece of tamarind softened or 1 Tsp of Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp  + 1 tsp oil

For tempering:
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 curry leaves
  • Heat a pan and dry roast the sesame seeds just until you can smell the aroma. Set aside to cool.
  • Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the urad dal, chana dal, cumin seeds and the dry red chillies until the dals turn in to a light brown color. Set aside and sprinkle some water onto this mixture to help soften the dals.
  • To the left over oil, add the green chili and the chopped onions. Once the onions are getting transparent, add the fire / oven roasted tomatoes and the tamarind pulp . Allow for it to saute well and until all the water evaporates. Allow to cool.
  • Grind the dal mixture along with the sesame seeds followed by the tomato mixture. Adjust the salt to you taste. 
  • Transfer the chutney to a bowl and season with the tempering. Enjoy with your choice of idli / dosas.
The tangy flavor of the chutney was truly delicious and even with the effort involved it was truly worth it! 

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