Mint and Green Mango chutney

1 bunch of mint
1 bunch of cilantro
1 tablespoon of green chili or to taste
2 cups of chopped green mango
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
Enough water for grinding the above ingredients

Wash the mint and remove the mint leaves form the stalk.  Wash the cilantro and remove the thick stalks.  Peel and chop the green mango.  Grind all the the ingredients with enough water.  Remove from bender jar.  Add salt mix and serve.  Serves 4
Serve with samosa, pakoda 

Potato with Kalonji seeds

2 large potatoes
⅓ cup of oil
1 teaspoon of kalonji seeds
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
½ teaspoon of salt

Wash and chop the potatoes.  Heat a large pan with oil, when the oil is hot add the kalonji seeds.  When the seeds sizzles add the chopped potatoes  stir add turmeric powder stir cover and cook till the potatoes are cooked.  After the potatoes are cooked add salt stir and serve. Serves 2.

This dish is served with chapati or puri. The kalonji seeds or nigella has a very unique taste when you bite into it. It is a perfect seasoning for potatoes. This dish takes less than 15 minutes to make.


What is Kalonji? Read about it here http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-kalonji.htm

Baked Samosa with Spinach and Paneer stuffing

Ingredients for outer covering:
1 ½ cup of all purpose flour
⅓ cup of oil
¼ teaspoon of salt
¾ cup of water or enough to make  a stiff dough

Ingredients for filling:
1 bunch of spinach washed and chopped
1 cup paneer
⅓ cup of pine-nuts or any nuts
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
1 tablespoon of chopped green chili
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
4 tablespoon of oil
1 teaspoon of salt
¾ cups of water.

Prepare dough for covering: Combine the all purpose flour, oil, salt and water to make a stiff dough.  Cover and let it rest for 30 to 40 minutes covered.

Prepare filling: Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the spinach microwave it for a minute and allow it to wilt for 15 minutes, squeeze it to remove the water contained in it.

To a pan on medium heat add 4 tablespoon of oil.  When the oil is hot add the cumin seeds, fennel seed, wait for a few seconds till the cumin and fennel sizzle, add the chopped ginger and green chili, saute for a few seconds add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder saute for a few seconds add the paneer add a little water cover and cook for a few minutes add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes.  Add water as need to prevent the pan from burning at the bottom.  You want to have a dry filling to make the samosa. After the spinach is cooked  keep it aside and let it cool. When it is cool assemble the samosa as shown in the video

By baking instead of frying the oil used for making samosa has been cut down. These samosa are a lot less greasy yet the taste has not been compromised. This is a healthier version of samosa.



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Vathal Kolambu

1 cup small eggplant chopped
4 tablespoon oil for best results use Indian sesame oil
2 teaspoon channa dal
1 teaspoon urad dal
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek
2 dry red chili or to taste
4 teaspoon sambar powder or substitute with store bought adjust to taste
                       (easy home made recipe for sambar powder --- click here)
1/2 turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
1 teaspoon corn starch dissolved in water

In a pan on medium heat add channa dal and urad dal when the dal is brown add mustard seeds fenugreek seeds and dry red chili when the mustard seeds crackle add the eggplant saute for a few seconds, cover and let it cook for 6 to 8 minutes.  Add sambar powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida add water tamarind concentrate and salt let it boil for 6 minutes and turn the heat off.  Add corn starch dissolved in water.

A berry called "Sundakkai" is dried and used in this dish along with the other frying ingredients.  Vathal means dried in Tamil.  Since "Sundakkai" is not available locally I have substituted eggplant for it.