Peanut Chutney

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1/2 cup of unsalted roasted peanuts
1/4 cup of fresh ground coconut can substitute with dry coconut
2 small green chilies or according to taste
a few cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/4 cup of yogurt
1/2 teaspoon of salt

For seasoning
1 tablespoon of oil
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
2 teaspoon of channa dal
1/2 teaspoon of urad dal

Grind the peanuts, coconut, green chili and cilantro with a little water.  Remove from the grinding jar and pour it into a bowl.  Add yogurt and lemon juice and mix.

For seasoning:  Heat a pan with one tablespoon of oil add channa dal and urad dal.  When the dal sizzles add the mustard seeds, when the mustard seed crack add it to the chutney add the salt and mix.

This is a variation of coconut chutney.  It is served with dosa, idli, upma, pongal etc.

Cucumber raita

1 small cucumber
1/2 cup of yogurt
1 tablespoon green chili or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt

For seasoning:
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds or jeera
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder or haldi

Wash and remove the skin from the cucumber.  Remove the seeds from inside and discard them.  Cut the cucumber into small pieces, add yogurt, green chili, salt and mix.

Season: Heat oil in a pan when hot add cumin seeds.  When the cumin seeds start sizzling turn the heat off add turmeric powder and pour it into the cucumber.  Mix and serve.
This raita is served with rice or chapati.  Serves 2

As cool as a cucumber.  Indian food is spicy and hot, to balance the heat raita is usually served.  It is a part of every meal.  In Southern India raita is called pachadi.  The recipe for pachadi has a slight variation in it.  Raita also serves as a great salad dressing or dip.

Asparagus and cream peas

1 lbs asparagus
1 cup frozen cream peas
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 salt
1 teaspoon of zest of orange
Clean and cut the asparagus into 1" pieces.  Heat a pan with oil add cream peas  and a little water and cook for about 3 minutes.  After three minutes add asparagus and cook till the asparagus is done it takes about 8 to 10 minutes, add salt, Italian seasoning and orange zest.  Served with rice or chapati.
Serves 2.

You find really good asparagus in spring.  It is a delicate vegetable.  Like spinach it rots fast.  If I am not cooking it right away I usually keep the cut ends soaked in water in the refrigerator.

Bitter melon curry

1 lbs of chopped bitter melon (also know as bitter gourd or karela)
3 tablespoon of oil
2 tablespoon of sambar powder (recipe is in this blog, or substitute with store bought, store bought sambar powder has more chili, adjust it to taste)
2 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

The bitter melon are washed and cut.  If the seeds are tender they can be used if the seeds are hard  or ripe they are discarded.

Heat oil in a pan add bitter melon cover and cook.  When the melon is cooked add salt and sambar powder, stir add lemon juice stir and turn the heat off.

Bitter melon as its name states is bitter tasting.  It is an acquired taste.  Adding lemon juice or tamarind to it reduces its bitterness.  

When I was a little kid I used to hate this vegetable, my dad used to get me to eat bitter melon saying "Bitter melon is so good for you that it will make your tummy so tough that if you eat a rock it will get digested".