Fresh Coriander & Yoghurt Chutney
Fresh Coriander, Ginger & Coconut Chutney
Dry Chutney Made with Three Dals
Quick Yoghurt & Pickle Chutney
Red Chutney from the Konkan Coast
Gingery Cranberry Chutney with Mustard Seeds
Green Mango Relish with Mustard Sauce
Simple Seasoned Yoghurt, North Indian Style
Simple Seasoned Yoghurt, South Indian Style
Simple Seasoned Yoghurt, Telengana Style
My Yoghurt Dressing for Salads
Yoghurt with Cucumber, Kodava Style
Yoghurt Raita with Tomato, Shallots & Cucumber
Yoghurt & Pineapple Salad, Kerala Style
Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Koshambari
Salad with Indian-style Beansprouts
Simple South Indian Tomato Sauce
This is the simplest version of the green chutney that all northern Indians eat in their homes. It is dribbled over snack foods, used as a dip for fritters, and many a child, including me, has been known to take a green chutney and cheese sandwich to school in his or her lunchbox. You can also spread it on a Chapati (see here), along with leftovers of a cauliflower or potato dish, and roll it up for lunch or a snack.
Being a fresh chutney, this keeps only for a few days, though it can be frozen. Its bright green colour seems to bear witness to its health-giving properties – basically, lots of vitamins – as it includes fresh coriander, lime juice, green chillies and ginger. It is hot and sour and totally unlike any preserved chutney.
MAKES ABOUT
250 ml/8 fl oz
1 good-sized bunch fresh coriander, the greenest you can find
1 tablespoon lime juice
2–3 fresh hot green chillies, sliced into fine rings
2.5 cm/1 inch cube of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt
scant ½ teaspoon salt
Cut off the leaf-free stalks of the coriander. Wash and drain the remaining stalks and leaves. You should have 70 g/2½ oz. Chop well, as this will help in the blending.
Put the lime juice in your blender first, followed by the chillies, then the ginger, yoghurt and 4 tablespoons of water. Blend, then add the chopped coriander. Whiz to a smooth paste, pushing down the mixture as needed. Pour the chutney into a small bowl, add the salt and mix it in.
Green Chutney Hari Chutney
Made in less than 5 minutes, this chutney can be served with most meals. A coconut chutney is nearly always served with Indian dosas, the savoury pancakes for which you will find many recipes in this book. The coconut powder used here is dry, unsweetened and easy to store.
SERVES 4–6
30 g/1 oz fine coconut powder
1–2 fresh hot green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
Combine all the ingredients in a blender along with 120 ml/4 fl oz water. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate until needed. Coconut powder tends to thicken as it sits, so add a little more water before serving if you need to.
A simple, everyday chutney that could be served with most meals. It is also good drizzled over soups.
SERVES 6
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
60 g/2 oz fresh coriander, chopped
2–3 fresh hot green chillies, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Put 4 tablespoons of the yoghurt plus all the remaining ingredients into a blender and whiz until smooth, pushing down with a rubber spatula if necessary. If your blender seems to stick, add a little more of the yoghurt.
Empty the remaining yoghurt into a bowl. Beat lightly with a fork or a whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the mixture from the blender and stir until well mixed.
Similar fresh chutneys exist throughout western and southern India. This particular one comes from the Jains of Palanpur. For more information about them, see here.
You can serve this chutney with any Indian meal. It is particularly good with stuffed flatbreads and the dosa family of savoury pancakes.
For this recipe it is best to buy a large bunch of coriander and pick off the required weight of leaves with the small stems attached to them.
SERVES 6–8
60 g/2 oz small leafy stems of fresh coriander
1 cm/½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
½–3 fresh hot green chillies, chopped
7–8 fresh curry leaves, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
30 g/1 oz fine coconut powder
1 teaspoon olive or peanut oil
¼ teaspoon urad dal
generous pinch of ground asafoetida
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
Wash the fresh coriander and drain, then chop well. Place in a blender along with the ginger, green chillies, curry leaves (if using), salt and 120 ml/4 fl oz water. Blend together, then add the coconut powder and blend again. Transfer to a small bowl. Check the salt, adding more if you wish.
Put the oil in a small frying pan set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the urad dal and asafoetida. As soon as the dal begins to change colour, put in the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, a matter of seconds, pour the contents of the frying pan into the bowl of chutney and stir to mix.
This chutney will keep for several days in the refrigerator.
Tamarind chutney is an essential component of many Indian snack foods. It is used as a dip for fritters and samosas, and it can be dribbled over such disparate things as sliced bananas, seasoned potato patties and yoghurt relishes. It is sour, sweet, hot and quite delicious. It can be made by soaking tamarind, squeezing out its pulp and then seasoning it. Today the quicker option is to use a ready-made paste or concentrate, which seem to be the same thing, though there is a dizzying variety available. I use the concentrate, sold under the name Tamicon, because of its uniformity.
MAKES ABOUT
120 ml/4 fl oz
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (sold in bottles)
4 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds (see here)
¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
¼ teaspoon finely crushed dried mint or ½ teaspoon very finely chopped fresh mint (optional)
Put the tamarind concentrate in a smallish bowl, removing as much of it as possible from the measuring spoon with the help of another spoon or your finger. Add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and mix thoroughly. Add the sugar, salt, roasted cumin and chilli powder and mix again. Add either or both of the optional ingredients if you want them, and mix thoroughly.
You will now have a very thick chutney, good for dribbling on bananas, but too thick to use as a dip for fritters, samosas and other snacks such as the Salad of Puffed Rice, Cucumbers, Onions & Tomatoes (see here). In any recipe that requires it, I indicate how much to thin it out.
Simple Tamarind Chutney Aasaan Imli ki Chutney
Not all chutneys are wet and flowing. There are many, particularly in the southern half of India, that take the form of a powder or coarse crumble. This chutney, from northern Karnataka, resembles breadcrumbs, some quite fine and some a little bit coarser. Northern Karnataka and Maharashtra grow a lot of peanuts (and sesame seeds) and all the local people, more so vegetarians, commonly use them to add protein to their meals. This particular chutney may be strewn over rice or sprinkled over bread and savoury pancakes.
MAKES ABOUT
250 ml/8 fl oz
85 g/3 oz roasted, unsalted peanuts
⅓ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nice red chilli powder (or more if you like)
Put all the ingredients in a grinder and grind until you have a mixture of coarse and fine ‘crumbs’. Empty into a screw-top jar and store in a cool place.
This chutney is very much like the previous one, except that it includes garlic. I find it very delicious. It too may be strewn over rice or sprinkled over bread and savoury pancakes.
MAKES ABOUT
250 ml/8 fl oz
1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
85 g/3 oz roasted, unsalted peanuts
⅓ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nice red chilli powder (or more if you like)
Put the oil and garlic in a small frying pan and set over a low heat. Let the garlic slowly turn golden and crisp, stirring now and then. Lift the garlic out with a mesh spatula or slotted spoon and spread on kitchen paper to cool and become even crisper. (The leftover oil can be used for salad dressings or to cook vegetables.)
Put the garlic and all the remaining ingredients in a grinder and grind until you have a mixture of coarse and fine ‘crumbs’. Empty into a screw-top jar and store in a cool place.
Here is another dry chutney, this time made with three dals, all of which need to be slightly roasted first. It is very typical of Andhra Pradesh in south India, where such dry chutneys are known as ‘podis’ (or gunpowder!), and eaten with savoury pancakes and rice dishes.
This chutney can also be used as a seasoning for quick-cooked vegetables, such as aubergine, okra and bitter gourds. Generally speaking, the method is as follows: you put some oil in a pan and make a tarka (see here) with urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves (take care as these will splutter). Then you add a cut vegetable and sauté it until cooked through. Finally, you sprinkle some dry chutney over the top.
MAKES
250 ml/8 fl oz
4 tablespoons chana dal
4 tablespoons plain toovar dal
2 tablespoons urad dal
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
4–6 dried hot red chillies
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
generous pinch of asafoetida
8–10 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
salt
Set a small, cast-iron frying pan over a medium-low heat. When hot, add the chana dal and roast it, stirring, for about a minute. Add the toovar dal and keep roasting for another minute. Now add the urad dal, reduce the heat to low and roast until the dals are all a golden-red colour, about 5–6 minutes in all. Empty the dals into a bowl.
Put the cumin seeds, chillies, garlic, asafoetida and curry leaves into the empty frying pan, still over a low heat. (Take care as the curry leaves will splutter.) Stir and roast until the chillies darken and the curry leaves dry up, about 5–6 minutes. Add these seasonings to the bowl of dals and set aside to cool.
Pour the contents of the bowl into a grinder, add ½ teaspoon of salt and grind as finely as you can. The chutney will look like powder but be slightly granular. Taste for salt. It should be a little saltier than your normal food, so adjust as necessary. Store in a screw-top jar in a cool place.
Dry Chutney Made with Three Dals Kandi Podi
I just made up this recipe one day when I was searching around for something simple and spicy to eat with my Moong Dal Pancakes (see here). I used what I had lying around in the kitchen, including something labelled Mango Thokku, which I had bought from the pickle section of my local Indian store. Any paste-like pickle will do. As long as it has no big chunks, it will work fine. Aubergine pickle is generally paste-like, as are many others. Some that are not, like most lime pickles, can be chopped finely to become paste-like. I just add a little of this pickle to yoghurt and I am ready to eat. You could serve it with any of the pancakes in this book.
The day I made this chutney for the first time, my lunch was a big green salad from the produce in my garden, a moong dal pancake (two, if truth be told) and this chutney, which acted as a kind of dip. It was delicious. (This is also very good as a dip for crisps.)
SERVES 1
120 ml/4 fl oz natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon (or more, if desired) any ready-made paste-like Indian pickle
Put the yoghurt in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork until smooth and creamy. Add the pickle and mix it in thoroughly.
Here is a hot, savoury chutney, which can be eaten with almost any Indian meal. It comes from a south Indian Muslim cook in Albany, New York! He served it to me in the back of a small grocery store and I just guessed at what might be in it. A dollop of it in a soup, rather like a French rouille, perks it right up.
SERVES 4
2 tomatoes (340 g/12 oz in all), peeled, cored and very finely chopped
2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
¼ teaspoon urad dal
¼ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
5–6 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
Combine the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt and chilli powder in a small bowl.
Put the oil in a small, non-stick frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the urad dal. As soon as it starts to colour, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, a matter of seconds, add the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter) immediately followed by the contents of the small bowl. Stir continuously and fry for about 7–8 minutes, or until you have a dark, thick paste. When cool, remove the curry leaves.
The pretty, fertile Konkan coast slithers down the western side of India from just north of Bombay all the way south to Mangalore, partially covering the narrow coastal plains of two states, Maharashtra and Karnataka. That is where this lovely chutney comes from. It has dozens of variations and may be eaten at all meals, including breakfast, when savoury pancakes and steamed savoury cakes are served in villages along the coast with hot coffee sweetened with liquid jaggery (raw brown sugar) stored in round-bottomed terracotta pots.
SERVES 6
4 dried hot red chillies or 6–7 genuine Kashmiri or byadgi chillies, if you can get them
⅓ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons fresh grated coconut, or defrosted if frozen
¼ teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds (see here)
2 teaspoons sweet red paprika (not needed if using genuine byadgi chillies)
1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
generous pinch of ground asafoetida
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
5–6 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
Put the chillies in a small bowl and pour 120 ml/4 fl oz boiling water over them. Let them soak for 2–4 hours, until very soft. Lift them out of the water, remove the seeds and chop the flesh. Save the water.
Put the chillies, salt, sugar and reserved water into a blender. Add another 4 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Add the coconut, cumin and paprika (if using) and blend again until the mixture is as fine as you can get it. Scrape the chutney into a bowl.
Put the oil into a small frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the asafoetida, quickly followed by the mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds start to pop, a matter of seconds, throw in the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter). Quickly pour the contents of the pan into the chutney and mix well.
This chutney will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator, but can also be frozen. It tends to get thicker as it sits, so feel free to add a little water to thin it out.
Green, unripe mangoes, sour and rich in pectin, are used throughout India to make all manner of sour pickles and sweet chutneys. Many of the latter are like preserves and can be kept for a long time. But mangoes can also be made into fresh chutneys, such as this one, which needs to be eaten within a day or two. However, it is so delicious, it will hardly last you a few hours! The recipe comes from a Bengali village, where my friend, the documentary film-maker Kavery Kaul, was served it as a penultimate course, just before the sweets, by farmers returning home from a morning of tilling. In Bengal such chutneys are often eaten all by themselves in meals that start with fried foods, such as fritters (see here), go on to the rice, dal and vegetable course, then to the chutney and finally to the sweetmeats, which Bengalis love and specialize in.
My mangoes were large, so I needed just two. You will find sour green mangoes in Indian groceries, especially from April to August. You might need to adjust the salt and sugar as the amount of flesh and the sourness of mangoes can vary according to the variety and the time of picking.
SERVES 6–8
675 g/1½ lb green, unripe sour mangoes
salt
2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
2 hot dried red chillies
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
Peel the mangoes, then cut the flesh off the stone and chop into rough dice. Put the dice into a medium saucepan, adding 250 ml/8 fl oz water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 7–8 minutes, or until the mango pieces are very soft. Drain in a sieve.
Wash and dry the pan and set it over a medium-high heat. Add the oil and, when hot, the mustard seeds and chillies. As soon as the seeds pop and the chillies darken, add the cooked mango. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt and the sugar, then mash up the mangoes as they cook for another 5–6 minutes. Taste for the balance of sugar and salt, adding more of whatever is needed. Serve at room temperature.
This chutney is very easy to prepare. I make it with two cans of jellied cranberry sauce so no chopping or cutting is required. During the Holiday Season, I make enough to fill several jars that I take as gifts for friends. You may serve it at meals or on oatcakes or other savoury biscuits with tea. Indians love the combination of hot tea with something a bit sweet, sour and spicy.
MAKES ABOUT
900 ml/2 lb
2 x 400 g/1 lb tins of jellied cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
1 teaspoon whole yellow or brown mustard seeds
250 ml/8 fl oz cider vinegar
1 tablespoon peeled and very finely grated fresh ginger
8 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder (or more if you wish)
Place the cranberry sauce in a large bowl. Mash it as best as you can with a potato masher, or push it through a sieve or potato ricer. It will still be a little lumpy but that is fine.
Put the oil in a medium saucepan and set over a medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. They should pop within seconds. Quickly pour in the vinegar and add the ginger, sugar, salt and chilli powder. Stir, then simmer vigorously on a medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the liquid has reduced by about half. Stir in the cranberry sauce and bring to a simmer, then simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Let the sauce cool a little bit, then spoon it into sterilized jars. When the sauce has cooled completely, seal with lids and refrigerate. The sauce should be good for 2 weeks or more.
Gingery Cranberry Chutney with Mustard Seeds Cranberry ki Chutney
Many Indian villages have mango trees that, as they grow larger, provide ample shade for whole families to spread cots (rope beds) under them and rest in the afternoons. Throughout the early summer, they also provide hard, sour (unripe) green mangoes that can be made into quick, refreshing salads. Here is one such relish/salad from Bangladesh, given to me by my physical therapist. Similar relishes can be found in the Indian state of West Bengal. They are eaten as part of the meal or as a snack. Kasundi, the spicy mustard sauce used to dress the relish, comes in a bottle and can be bought in some Indian and Bangladeshi shops. In case you can’t find it, I have provided a quick version of my own (see Home-made Mustard Sauce, here).
Approximate seasonings are given for the relish because the sourness of mangoes can vary hugely. The amount of sugar used is really a matter of taste as well.
SERVES 4–6
2 large hard, sour green mangoes (about 675 g/1½ lb in all)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1–2 fresh hot green chillies, finely chopped, or ¼–¾ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
1–2 tablespoons Home-made Mustard Sauce (see here)
Peel the mangoes and grate them on the coarsest part of your grater. Place in a bowl, add all the other ingredients and mix well.
In the West it is very hard to find a bottle of kasundi, the Bengali mustard sauce used in West Bengal, India and Bangladesh as a dressing and a dip for all manner of sour fruit and vegetables (see my recipe for Green Mango Relish with Mustard Sauce here). Use it anywhere a grainy mustard is required.
I do not exactly make the mustard sauce from scratch. I buy a bottle of wholegrain mustard and then add seasonings so it tastes and looks almost exactly like the real thing.
MAKES ABOUT
120 ml/4 fl oz
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons ready-made wholegrain mustard
Put 5 tablespoons of water in a small pan. Add the vinegar, cumin, turmeric and sugar and bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat. Stir and simmer gently for a minute, then set aside to cool.
Spoon the mustard into a small bowl. Slowly add the cooled contents of the pan, stirring to mix. Store in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator.
This is the simplest of generic north Indian yoghurt relishes. It is also the base to which you might add vegetables (parboiled and chopped spinach, roasted and mashed aubergine, boiled and diced potatoes, chopped tomatoes and grated cucumbers, etc.) and cooked legumes (chickpeas, urad dal dumplings, etc.). It can be served with all Indian meals, especially northern ones.
SERVES 4
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds (see here), plus a little extra for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder, plus a little extra for sprinkling
Put the yoghurt, salt, cumin and chilli powder in a serving bowl. Beat lightly with a whisk or fork until smooth, creamy and thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle a generous pinch each of cumin and chilli powder lightly over the top.
This is the simplest of generic south Indian yoghurt relishes. At the Windflower Resort in Mysore it appears on the table with all orders of Indian food.
SERVES 4
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive or peanut oil
½ teaspoon urad dal or yellow split peas
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
2 hot dried red chillies
5–6 fresh curry leaves
Put the yoghurt and salt in a serving bowl. Beat lightly with a whisk or fork until smooth and creamy.
Put the oil in a small pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the dal. As soon as it changes colour, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, a matter of seconds, add the chillies, rolling them until they darken all over. Quickly add the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter), then pour the contents of the pan over the yoghurt. Do not stir – leave the seasonings on top as decoration.
Simple Seasoned Yoghurt, South Indian Style Mosaru Pacchadi/Perugu Talimpu
From Andhra Pradesh, this dish was part of a meal that S. Sampoorna cooked for me (see here).
Here the yoghurt is left in a rough state, not whisked until smooth. It can be served with Toovar Dal with Spinach & Sorrel (see here), some rice and Stir-fried Carrots (see here).
SERVES 4
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped shallots
1–2 fresh hot green chillies, finely chopped
generous pinch of ground turmeric
1 tablespoon oil
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
generous pinch of ground asafoetida
2 dried hot red chillies, one broken in half
6–8 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Add the salt, shallots and chillies. Stir roughly to mix, then place the turmeric on top of the yoghurt, right in the centre.
Put the oil in a small pan and set over a medium-high heat. When it is very hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida. As soon as the mustard seeds pop, add the chillies and stir for a few seconds until they darken. Add the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter), then quickly pour the contents of the pan over the yoghurt, aiming to cover the turmeric so that it gets ‘cooked’. Mix and serve.
A simple yoghurt sauce, this is particularly good with spicy or stuffed Indian flatbreads and pancakes. It can also be served with a meal.
SERVES 2–4
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
generous pinch of nice red chilli powder
Put the yoghurt in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Yoghurt (and other dairy foods) often completes the nutrition balance of vegetarian Indian meals, but sometimes I just want a ‘wrap’ made with an Indian pancake or bread and a crunchy green salad to accompany it, an East–West mixture that seems to have become part of my repertoire. I still need some dairy in the meal for its food value, so I have taken to dressing salads of crisp greens with a yoghurt dressing that I have created. Use just enough to coat the leaves lightly. The dressing can also be used as a dip.
MAKES ENOUGH TO DRESS A SALAD FOR 4
350 ml/12 fl oz natural yoghurt
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper
generous pinch of nice red chilli powder (optional)
½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds (see here, optional)
1½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Place the yoghurt in a bowl. Add the salt, black pepper, chilli powder and cumin (if using). Beat lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vinegar and olive oil, then taste for balance of seasonings and adjust as necessary.
Here is a simple northern raita that can be served with nearly all Indian meals. You could also make a light meal of it for two people by adding two handfuls of cooked, drained chickpeas to it.
SERVES 4–6
115 g/4 oz raw spinach
475 ml/16 fl oz natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
1 or 2 generous pinches of ground roasted cumin seeds (see here), plus a little extra for sprinkling
Drop the spinach into a small pan of boiling water and let it wilt. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze out the water and chop the spinach.
Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Add the salt, chilli powder and cumin. Beat with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the spinach, then sprinkle a little roasted cumin over the top.
Spinach Raita Saag ka Raita
Mynah lives in Siddapur in southern Coorg, Karnataka. The front of her house faces miles of open fields – she raises her guinea hens there – and at the back are the forests where she forages for mushrooms, wild fruit and wild greens, as all people in Coorg seem to love to do. She made a magnificent meal for me in her outdoor kitchen. This is the yoghurt relish she served, along with Simple Kodava Mushroom Curry (see here), fiddlehead ferns, young colocasia leaves (still furled up), the lightest of rice flatbreads and egg curry. For more on Mynah and the people of Coorg, see the introduction to her Kodava Mushroom Curry with Coconut (see here).
SERVES 4
3 tablespoons fresh grated coconut, or defrosted if frozen
1–2 fresh hot green chillies, finely chopped
generous pinch of English mustard powder
70 g/2½ oz piece of peeled cucumber, cut into 5 mm/¼ inch dice
1 teaspoon olive or peanut oil
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1 dried hot red chilli
5–6 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
Put the coconut, green chillies and mustard powder into a mortar and pound with the pestle until you have a coarse paste. Alternatively, whiz these ingredients in a small grinder.
Place the cucumber in a bowl. Add the coconut mixture and mix thoroughly.
Pour the oil into a small pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop, a matter of seconds, add the red chilli. When it darkens, add the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter). Quickly pour the contents of the pan over the cucumber.
Put the yoghurt into a serving bowl. Add the salt and whisk until the yoghurt is smooth and creamy. Stir in the coriander, then fold in the cucumber mixture. Taste for balance of seasonings, and adjust as necessary.
This raita has a slightly sweet and sour taste. If you wish, you can add a tablespoon of sultanas, but soak them first in boiling water for 30 minutes and drain them. Add them at the same time as the carrots.
SERVES 6
350 ml/12 fl oz natural yoghurt
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1 fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped, or ¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
1–2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2–3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, sugar and green chilli or chilli powder. Mix with a small whisk or fork until creamy. Add the coriander and carrots and mix well. Set a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, a matter of seconds, add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 5 seconds, then pour the contents of the pan over the yoghurt. Stir to mix.
Here is a raita that is almost a salad. You can eat it all by itself or as part of a meal.
SERVES 6
450 ml/16 fl oz natural yoghurt
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder or 1 fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped (add more if desired)
¾ teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds (see here)
2 large cherry tomatoes, each cut into 8 pieces, or 4 smaller ones, quartered
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped shallots
4 tablespoons finely diced cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Beat lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the salt, chilli powder and cumin and mix well. Fold in all the other ingredients, then taste for salt and adjust as necessary.
Pineapples came to India in the late 15th century with Portuguese traders. They first landed in Kerala, where locals disdainfully declared them to be ‘the jackfruit of the donkey’. They travelled all over the country, going as far north as the Moghul court in Delhi, where they were considered a wondrous curiosity. The British in India began to grow them, along with bananas and mangoes, on the lower reaches of their coffee and tea plantations. For their Sunday club lunches, they loved to combine hot curries with sweet fruit chutneys and relishes. The people of Kerala too began to use them in the same manner, as they did with some of their other fruit, either eating them fresh or incorporating them into their everyday foods. The pineapple yoghurt salad or relish is one such dish. Southern pachadis, rather like northern raitas, can be served with most meals.
SERVES 4
225 g/8 oz fresh pineapple chunks, cut into 7 mm/⅓ inch dice (save any juice)
2–3 fresh hot green chillies, finely chopped
generous pinch of ground turmeric
¼–½ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
salt
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut powder
2 teaspoons sugar
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1–2 dried hot red chillies
5–6 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
1 medium shallot, peeled and cut into fine slivers
Put the pineapple and its juice into a medium, preferably non-stick frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Add the green chillies, turmeric, chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, coconut powder, sugar and 120 ml/4 fl oz water. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside to cool.
Place the yoghurt in a bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cooled pineapple.
Put the oil into a small frying pan set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, add the red chillies. When they darken, add the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter). A second later, add the shallot. Stir and fry over a medium heat until it starts to brown at the edges.
Empty the contents of the pan over the pineapple salad. Leave the spices on top, like a decoration, and stir them in at the table.
In the north we call yoghurt relishes ‘raita’. In the south a yoghurt ‘pachadi’ or ‘pajji’ is very similar. This is a Kodava recipe from Coorg. (For more about that area, see Mushroom Curry with Coconut, here.) Naturally, this delicious sweet-and-sour relish has southern flavours, such as those that come from coconut and curry leaves.
Usha served this dish to us in her grand ancestral home, known as Chamaraja Villa in Coorg’s capital city, Madikeri (also called Mercara), filled with handsome Anglo-Indian furniture and objects. Coorg was an independent state until it merged with Karnataka in 1956. The British, who went on to build large coffee plantations here and who loved its hills, mists and hunting and fishing traditions, could not pronounce the name of the land, Kodagu, so they began calling it Coorg. Now both names are used.
You can eat this yoghurt dish by itself as a snack, but it is normally served with meals, as a relish. It is good with both north Indian and south Indian foods.
SERVES 4
250 ml/8 fl oz natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
¼ teaspoon tamarind concentrate (sold in bottles)
2 packed tablespoons fresh grated coconut, or defrosted if frozen
1–3 fresh hot green chillies, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
¼ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
5–6 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
½ medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled, sliced neatly and cut into 1 cm/½ inch dice
Put the yoghurt in a medium bowl and add the salt, sugar and tamarind. Beat lightly with a whisk until smooth and creamy, and well mixed.
Put the coconut and chillies into a mortar. Pound with the pestle until you have a rough paste.
Put the oil in a medium frying pan set over a medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, throw in the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter). Add the onion a second later and fry for about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the coconut paste from the mortar and stir for a minute. Now tip the contents of the pan into the bowl of yoghurt and mix well. Add the mango and mix again. Taste to check the balance of seasonings and add whatever you think is needed. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
I first had this salad in a Saraswat Brahmin home in Maharashtra at a formal meal served on a silver thali (platter), which contained all the dishes for our lunch. It had its special place, which was on the left. If it were to be served in a village on a banana leaf, it would still be on the left.
There are hundreds of versions of this salad (it is often eaten as a snack as well), which can be found all over Maharashtra and northern Kannada. It may be prepared with raw vegetables, such as carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes, or cooked vegetables, such as green beans, beetroot and potatoes. It can also include roasted nuts, such as peanuts, for added protein. It is always sour, made so with lime juice, though it could be tamarind water. It could have a slight sweetness from adding grated coconut. When it is served at weddings and festivals, it always has either soaked mung dal or sprouted mung beans in it. These are offered to God in the morning, then combined with the salad at mealtime for everyone to share the holy blessings.
What most of these salads have in common is a tarka (see here). Once the major ingredients have all been put together, oil is heated in a small pan and seasonings, such as whole mustard seeds, a bit of urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves, are allowed to splutter for a few seconds before being emptied over the salad. It is this that gives each salad its regional flavour.
Here the beans are cut and steamed before being dressed. Every home in western and southern India has at least one steamer in the kitchen. They used to be made out of wood and bamboo, but those are now for collectors to find and marvel at. The best of today’s steamers are made of stainless steel and are used for rice noodles, rice cakes, split pea savouries and vegetables.
This salad is generally served at room temperature, though it could be refrigerated and served cold. Add the lime juice at the last minute so that the beans do not lose their colour.
SERVES 4
250 g/9 oz green beans (round or flat), cut crossways into 5 mm/¼ inch pieces
3 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped shallots
1–3 fresh hot green chillies, very finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh grated coconut, or defrosted if frozen
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon olive or peanut oil
½ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1 tablespoon lime juice
Steam the beans for about 10 minutes, until tender but with a hint of crispness. (You could also parboil and then drain them.) Refresh with cold water, then pat dry. Place in a bowl, then mix in the shallots, green chillies, coconut, coriander and salt.
Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, pour the oil and seeds over the beans. Stir to mix.
Add the lime juice just before serving and toss again.
Here we have a light salad that can be served with most meals.
SERVES 4–6
3 large carrots (about 425 g/15 oz in all), peeled and grated
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
4–5 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed
1 teaspoon olive or peanut oil
½ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons sultanas (optional)
Combine the carrots, lime juice, sugar, salt, chilli, coriander and peanuts in a bowl.
Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, add the sultanas (if using). Immediately pour the contents of the pan over the carrots and stir well. Taste for balance of seasonings, adding whatever you think is needed.
Adjust the salt and lemon juice in the recipe according to the tartness of the tomatoes. It is best to combine all the vegetables in a bowl but add the seasonings shortly before you serve.
SERVES 4
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon olive or peanut oil
½ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1–1¼ teaspoons salt
1 or 2 generous pinches of nice red chilli powder
1–1½ tablespoons lemon juice
Put the tomato, onion and cucumber into a bowl.
Pour the oil into a small pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, pour the contents of the pan over the salad. Toss to mix.
Just before serving, add the salt, chilli powder and lemon juice and toss well. Taste to check the balance of flavourings, and adjust as necessary.
There are many possible variations of this nutritious, everyday salad from Maharashtra in western India. This version is the first one I ever ate, and I still love it.
The salad can be served with most meals, or by itself as a light lunch. You can add some natural yoghurt to it if you wish.
It is best to use small, firm cherry tomatoes here as they hold their shape best when cut.
SERVES 4
about 285 g/10 oz medium cherry tomatoes, cut into 5 mm/¼ inch dice
2 medium cucumbers with small seeds (about 200 g/7 oz in all), cut into 5 mm/¼ inch dice
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
60 g/2 oz Indian-style mung beansprouts (see here)
½–2 fresh hot green chillies, chopped, or 1–2 generous pinches of nice red chilli powder
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, carrot, beansprouts, chillies and black pepper in a bowl.
Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop, a matter of seconds, pour the contents of the pan over the salad ingredients. Toss well.
Just before eating, add the salt, lemon juice and fresh coriander. Toss again.
Salad with Indian-style Beansprouts Koshambir/Kosambari
More a salad than a pickle, albeit a very spicy one, this recipe comes from Nepal. It is traditionally made with mustard oil, which gives it a unique pungency that I just love, but if you find that a bit strong, use a very good virgin olive oil instead. Serve it as you would any potato salad.
In Nepal, this salad is made with sesame seeds that are roasted and ground. You can do so by adding 3 tablespoons of them, in which case you might need to use more oil later on. I have taken the easy way out and used tahini.
SERVES 4
500 g/1 lb 2 oz waxy potatoes, boiled and cooled, but not refrigerated
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
¼ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
generous pinch of ground turmeric
½–2 fresh hot green chillies, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mustard oil
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
¾–1 teaspoon salt
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2.5 cm/1 inch pieces.
Put the tahini in a good-sized bowl. Slowly add 4 tablespoons of very hot water, mixing to a smooth paste as you go. Add the chilli powder, turmeric, chillies, mustard oil, lemon juice, coriander and salt (starting with ¾ teaspoon). Mix well so you have a smooth paste. Taste for the balance of seasonings, adding more salt if you wish.
Add the potatoes and gently mix them in. Serve at room temperature or cold.
This is a wonderfully spicy sauce that can be thrown over pasta or rice noodles, spread over grilled aubergine or courgette slices, or used as a dip for a variety of crisp and crunchy Indian fritters, chips and pancakes.
As I use this sauce so often, I like to freeze it and always have it on hand. This way I can defrost it whenever the need arises.
MAKES ABOUT
650 ml/22 fl oz
800 g/1¾ lb ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 onion (70 g/2½ oz), peeled and chopped
1–2 fresh hot green chillies, sliced crossways into thin rounds
generous handful of fresh coriander tops, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon tamarind concentrate (sold in bottles)
¼–½ teaspoon nice red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
½ teaspoon urad dal
¼ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
8–10 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
Put the tomatoes into a bowl and crush them as much as you can with your hand to release their moisture. Add the onion, green chillies, coriander, ½ teaspoon of the salt, the tamarind, chilli powder and turmeric.
Set a medium pan over a medium heat and add the oil. When really hot, add the urad dal. As soon as it starts to turn reddish, add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, a matter of seconds, add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for a few seconds, then throw in the curry leaves (take care as these will splutter). Add the tomato mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until the sauce has thickened, about 20–25 minutes. Taste, adding the other ½ teaspoon of salt if needed. Cool a bit, then blend to a thick sauce and serve.
Somewhere between a salad and chaat (spicy snack food), this dish and others like it always remind me of my mother, who made them for us as a treat. In the bazaars of Delhi, similar salads were served in bowls made of large leaves stitched together with twigs. Simple wooden toothpicks took the place of cutlery. At home we had the salad on plates, though my mother always added the toothpicks to get some of the feel of the wild bazaar.
Peaches were never used in the bazaar as they were expensive. Starfruit, bananas, roasted white yams and guavas were much more common.
Serve this salad with lunch or as a snack. It should be made just before being eaten because it gets very watery as it sits.
SERVES 2–3
2 ripe peaches, peeled and each cut into 10–12 slices
⅓ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon roasted and ground cumin seeds (see here)
⅛ teaspoon chilli powder, or more as desired
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh coriander
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste for the balance of seasonings, adding more of anything you wish.
Fresh Peach Salad Aru ka Salaad
