Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
1,000 Indian Recipes (67 page)
Green garlic is to garlic what green onions (also called scallions) are to onions—they are the younger, milder, and fresher versions of these aromatics. Here, I purée together the tender white garlic bulbs with nuts, herbs, and green chile peppers to make a pesto-like chutney. Garlic lovers will savor it on the side with most Indian appetizers and meals, and especially with
pakoras
(batter-fried fritters) and
iddli
(steamed fermented rice cakes). This chutney is also useful in many non-Indian dishes, including dips, salad dressings, pizzas, and pastas.
Look for green garlic (with shoots and bulbs) at farmers' markets or specialty produce stores. Pick the youngest and most tender green garlic—they tend to be less fibrous. If you can't find green garlic, use 3 to 5 cloves of regular fresh garlic and the greens from 4 scallions.
3
⁄
4
cup shelled and coarsely chopped mixed raw nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pine nuts
3 to 5 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
5 to 7 green garlic shoots (with bulbs), bottom 3 to 4 inches only, thinly sliced
1
1
⁄
2
cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1
⁄
2
cup fresh mint leaves
1
⁄
4
cup fresh lime or lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons salt, or to taste
1
⁄
2
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1
⁄
2
teaspoon cumin seeds
1
⁄
2
teaspoon black mustard seeds
1
⁄
8
teaspoon ground asafoetida
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground paprika
1.
In a food processor or a blender, process together the nuts, green chile peppers and garlic until minced. Add the cilantro and mint to the work bowl and process, stopping a few times to scrape the sides with a spatula, until puréed. As you process, drizzle the lime juice through the feeder tube into the work bowl and process until the chutney is smooth. Add the sugar, salt, and black pepper and process again. Adjust the seasonings. Remove to a bowl.
2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin and mustard seeds; they should splatter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan and reduce the heat until the splattering subsides. Stir in the asafoetida and paprika just to blend, then transfer the spice mixture to the chutney and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Peanut and Garlic Chutney
Moong-Phalli aur Lassun ki Chutni
Makes about 1
1
⁄
2
cups
This could be India's answer to peanut butter, if it weren't for the bold flavors—delicious, but these flavors require some getting used to. With every bite a hot and tangy mouthful, this chutney is best served with
dosas
(griddle-fried fermented rice and
dal
crepes) and plain flat breads.
1
⁄
4
cup
Tamarind Paste
or lemon juice
4 to 5 dried red chile peppers, such as chiles de arbol, broken
1
1
⁄
4
cups roasted unsalted peanuts, without red skin
1
⁄
2
cup dried shredded unsweetened coconut
2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
5 to 7 fresh curry leaves
1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, in a small skillet, dry-roast the red chile peppers until a few shades darker. Place the peppers in a food processor or a blender. Add the peanuts and process until fine. Then add the coconut, garlic, tamarind (or lemon juice), and salt, and process to make a thick, smooth paste, adding up to
1
⁄
4
cup water, as necessary.
2.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the spice mixture to the chutney and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Garlic and Fresh Red Chile Pepper Chutney
Lussan aur Laal Mirch ki Chutni
Makes about 1
1
⁄
2
cups
Although an innocuous-looking red purée, this chutney should be eaten in small doses, unless you have a hearty constitution. It is indispensable with
bhel
-
pooris
(a savory snack made with puffed rice, potatoes, and many chutneys),
dhokla
(steamed chickpea
dal
cakes), and other savory street snacks, and is also lovely in sandwiches and pizzas, or as a rub for meats.
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, dry-roasted and ground (
Dry Roasting Spices
)
6 to 8 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
6 to 8 quarter-size slices of peeled fresh ginger
15 to 20 fresh green chile peppers, such as serranos, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 red bell peppers, chopped
1
⁄
4
cup fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1
1
⁄
2
tablespoons ajwain seeds, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 to 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1.
Prepare the peppercorns. Then place the garlic, ginger, red chile peppers, bell peppers, and lime juice in a food processor or a blender and process until smooth. Add the paprika, ajwain, 1
1
⁄
2
tablespoons pepper, and the salt and process again until smooth.
2.
Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the remaining pepper, and serve. This chutney stays fresh in the refrigerator about 1 month or in the freezer about 6 months.
Variation:
Make a simpler garlic chutney by processing together 2 large peeled heads fresh garlic, 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper, 1 small tomato, 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt to make a smooth paste.
Bean and Legume Chutneys
Roasted Dal and Fresh Green Chile Pepper Chutney
Bhel-Puri ki Chutni
Makes about 1
1
⁄
2
cups
This chutney is the one carried all over India by vendors of
bhel-puri
(a snack made with puffed rice, potatoes, and many chutneys). Even after we had gobbled down our plates of
bhel-puris
, we used to walk over for extra chutney because it was so good on its own. Very spicy and hot, but very good. Have a cold drink handy.