TangySpicy – The Secret Ingredient

Easy Recipe

Tangy Mint Potatoes | Chatpatey Pudina Aloo

By anshu April 11, 2016

Its the third day of Navratras, the holy week of fasting for Hindus. Already I am tired of eating Sama Ke chawal ki Khichdi, Halwa, Phirni, Sabudana Khichdi, Sabudana Tikki and even the new Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Milk I tried a day back. The problem with me is I have to find something new to eat, whether fasting or not fasting. Its the kick which I get after trying new type of food. Of Course there are times I wanna stick to the traditional food which is where the comfort lies.

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Potato is one versatile vegetable which can be modified in any way you like. It makes great appetizers for parties, a fabulous main course option and even for desserts you can use it. And when you are fasting that’s one vegetable which saves the day 😉 I tried to make a minty tangy Potatoes which we can enjoy as a snack in the evening. They are without Garlic and Onion which makes it suitable for fasting as well. It has a very tangy flavour which will be simply fabulous for parties as a finger food.

Directions:
1. Wash and Boil some potatoes in water until al dente. Peel off their skin and cut them into cubes, set aside. You can also use baby potatoes for this.

2. In a blender add some washed coriander and mint leaves separated from their stems and also green chilies. Blitz them and make a smooth puree. Set aside.

3. In a pan or wok add some ghee or clarified butter. The vegans can substitute it with cooking oil.

4. Add Cumin seeds and wait for them to sputter.

5. Add the mint coriander puree and cook for a minute until the rawness fades away.

6. Season it with Salt, Red Chilli Powder.

7. Also add turmeric Powder and Amchur Powder. Combine them in the mint puree for another minute.

8. Add cubed boiled potatoes and toss them in the masala.

9. Add a little water and keep it on simmer till the potatoes absorb all the spice and the liquid evaporates.

10. Serve hot and enjoy the tangy minty Potatoes.

You said you love Mint? try this Mint Pulav or Mint Chutney you will thank me later.

Other Potato recipes you can try here are: Punjabi Style Dum Aloo, Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes, Pomegranate Potato in Spiced Yogurt, Yam Potato Chat, Potato Smileys, Tapioca Potato in Indian Spices.

MintPotatoes_Featured4 [whohit]MintPotatoes[/whohit]

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Ayurvedic Recipes

Kacchi Haldi ka Achar | Fresh Turmeric Pickle with Green Mangoes | Amba Haldi Pickle | Mango Ginger Pickle

By anshu April 9, 2016

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Turmeric is a gift from Nature and has numerous health benefits. Its has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and is used in Ayurveda medicine in India. In India and in other South East Asian Countries turmeric powder is used in everyday cooking in curries, in baking, in stews and plenty other dishes.

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When I saw Kacchi Haldi or Turmeric Root in the market I decided to buy it and make a pickle out of it. Ordinarily raw turmeric is cut into pieces and added to lemon juice with a sprinkle of salt and is eaten alongside main course. But this time I wanted to make a real pickle which does have some kind of shelf life. I decided to team it up with raw mangoes and I tell you the pickle was simply lip smacking. My fussy husband also liked it.

Directions:

1. Wash the Turmeric root and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Peel its skin and cut it into thin sticks. You may like to wear gloves if you don’t want your hands stained with yellow colour for the following days.

2. Grate a raw mango and keep aside.

3. In a coffee grinder or a dry spice grinder add, Fenugreek Seeds, Red Mustard or rai and Fennel Seeds or Saunf.

4. Pulse them together into a semi coarse mixture.

5. In a wok add some mustard oil and heat it till smoking point and turn the flame on low.

6. Add the spice blend in the oil and toss for a few seconds.

7. Also add asafoetida, salt and red chilli powder.

8. Add to the oil the turmeric sticks and grated mango. Mix them well with the spice induced oil. Turn the flame off and let the pickle come down to room temperature.

9. Transfer the pickle to a sterilized dry glass jar. The pickle should be ready to eat in another 2-3 days.

Other Pickles you can try here are: Instant Raw Mango Pickle South Indian Style, Stuffed Red Pepper Pickle and Ginger Garlic Pickle.

HaldiKaAchar_Featured4 [whohit]HaldiKaAchar[/whohit]

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Easy Recipe

Kacchey Aam Ka Achaar | Instant Raw Mango Pickle South Indian Style

By anshu May 30, 2015

Last week I spoke to my parents and they sounded very low. On asking the reason they said 6 buckets of raw mango fell down from our mango tree after a fierce storm. They were distributing them to our neighbors, friends and family. I told them my friend is visiting us the following day and they were suddenly excited. I knew what this excitement was all about. When my friend came she brought in about 10 kgs of raw mangoes along with other produce. So after she left I am busy utilising the raw mangoes. I finished making Raw Mango Chutney, this South Indian Achaar and Aam Panna is on cards!

The beauty of this pickle is that it takes absolutely no time to put it together. My friend Sonu posted this recipe sometime back and I knew it then and there that I will be making this. Not to mention even my Mommy made this pickle! My husband who is not very fond of pickles could not resist eating this. We love this specially with Curd Rice.

Directions:
1. Wash and peel raw mangoes.

3. Chop them into small pieces eliminating the seed inside.

3. Add salt and mix well. Let it sit for an hour undisturbed in a colander until the juices run out. Squeeze out extra water. Set aside.

4. Add mustard seeds and Fenugreek seeds in handy mortar and pestle and coarsely grind them. You can even use a dry grinder or coffee grinder for this purpose. Keep aside.

5. In a wok add some mustard oil.

6. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.

7. Add kaddhi Patta and coarsely ground mustard and fenugreek seed mix.

8. Add Red Chili Powder, Asafoetida and little Salt. Rememeber the mangoes are already salty.

9. Turn the flame off and add the raw mangoes. Mix thoroughly until the spices are well coated on mangoes.

10. Let the pickle cool down completely then transfer it to a glass container and refrigerate and enjoy with your favourite meal. This stays good for 4-5 days.

You can try this pickle with Curd Rice. You can even make Bharwan Lal Mirch ka Achar.

[whohit]InstantMangoPickleSouthIndianStyle[/whohit]

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Easy Recipe

Stuffed Red Chili Pickle | Bharwan Lal Mirch Achar

By anshu November 11, 2014

Stuffed Chili pickle is a delicious Indian pickle made with red fresno chilies. Indians go bonkers over pickles. No Indian meal is complete without a tangy spicy piece of pickle and pappad. Pickle may be understood as baby cucumbers sliced and dipped in brine to any person other than an Indian. However, in India pickle is much more than just some humble vegetables soaked in vinegar. Its a blast of spices rubbed over vegetables with oil and sundried on open terraces where the spices can marry the vegetables. It gives the pickle that Oooh wow soo yummy factor!! 😛

We Indians make pickle out of any thing under the sun, yes literally! We have pickle of mangoes. carrots, turnip. jackfruit and even chicken! Winter is approaching so markets are flooded with red fresno chilies or peppers. This variety of chilies is not same as red bell pepper. They are mildly hot and similar in taste to mild Jalapenos and spanish pimientos rojo found in other part of the world. If you cant find these red chilies you can substitute them with Jalapeno or Red Pimiento peppers. In India they are also known as bharwan mirch or achar wali mirch.

This stuffed red chill pickle used to be my favourite and still is. My mother loves to make pickles like any Indian housewife 😛 So this year I asked her to give me the recipe instead of sending the pickle itself. The pickle came out amazing, simply tasting like hers. Its easy and ready in minutes. You need to sun dry it for three days and you can enjoy it with your supper.

Directions:

1. Wash chilies and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. You can even put them in the sun for an hour to dry it completely.

2. Make a slit on one side of the pepper with a knife ensuring that the other end is intact.

3. Slightly toss the peppers to see if any seeds come out from the inside. Do not throw them away for we will add them to the stuffing.Need not remove the seeds which are attached to the peppers.

4. In a dry grinder or coffee grinder put red mustard seeds also known as Raai, fenugreek seeds also known as methi dana and fennel seeds also known as saunf. Coarsely grind them. psssssss… I forgot to take picture of raai. 🙂