Gongura Pachadi

Gongura / Pulicha Keerai Pachadi recipe..

Ingredients

Gongura leaves - 1 medium sized bunch
Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Broken Urud dhal - 2 tea spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Red chilies - 7
Gingelly oil - for frying
Tamarind - lemon size
Shallots (small onions)  - 15 pieces or 1 big onion (optional)
Garlic - 30 pieces
Salt to taste


1. Wash gongura leaves thoroughly in water.Drain them under fan for 1 hour by spreading the leaves.
No water should be left out.

2. Heat 2 tea spoon of gingelly oil (cooking oil as an alternative) and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, broken urud dhal, methi seeds , red chilies and fry them until they turn brown..(No over frying). At the end add mustard seeds and fry for a minute.

                               { The tea spoon which I use to measure is depicted above... }

3. Remove the fried items and in the same kadai, fry peeled garlic.

4. Fry the small onions till they turn brown,remove them and keep aside..

5. Now add 2 tea spoon of gingelly oil and fry gongura leaves. Fry till they shrink and turn completely brown.

6. Grind all the fried items from step 2 into smooth powder. Do not add water.

7. Now add gongura leaves ,3/4 th  of fried garlic pieces,salt , tamarind extract .

8.  Mix well with spoon and grind to a coarse paste. No addition of water.
Note:  No over grinding...gongura leaves should look like mashed..

9. Finally add fried onions and whip the mixer 2 rounds.
Note : Adding onions is optional.

10. Transfer the contents to bowl. Heat 8 tea spoon of gingelly oil and add to the ground pachadi.

11. Add remaining 1/4 th of fried garlic pieces.

12. Mix well and serve with rice.

Note : Add some more hot oil to preserve this for 1 week...

Mint Chutney (Pudina Chutney)

A common south Indian recipe often served as a side dish with idly or with rice...

Ingredients

Mint leaves - 100 gm ( 2 medium sized bundles )
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Urud dhal (broken) - 2 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
Garlic - 5 pieces
Grated coconut - 3 table spoon
Tamarind - 1 small piece
Coriander leaves - some
Red chilies - 5
Pepper seeds - 7-8
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1
Curry leaves - some


1. Wash the mint leaves and remove the stem

2. Heat some oil in kadai and fry coriander seeds, urud dhal , cumin and pepper along with red chilies.
TIP : Fry in low flame until the items turn brown, add red chilies at the end

3. Remove them and fry tomato and garlic in the same kadai.

4. Add grated coconut to it and fry for a minute

5. Remove them and add little oil and fry the mint leaves and coriander leaves(some) for 3 minutes till they shrink

6. Remove and allow it to cool. Cut onions into medium sized pieces and fry them with little oil.

7. Grind the ingredients except mint leaves and onions to a smooth paste. Add salt and a small bit of tamarind to it.

Tip: Grind without adding water and gradually add some water and make a smooth paste.

8. Now add mint leaves and grind into a coarse paste.Finally add fried onions and whip with the mixer for a minute.

9. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, once it splutters add curry leaves.

10. Add this seasoning in the chutney and... ready to serve.