Brinjal Chutney/ Pachadi

Ingredients:
1lb Brinjals
1 tspn Chilli powder
½ tspn Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Seedless Tamarind as big as a grape
¼ cup Vegetable Oil for frying Brinjals
Green Chillies that turn red 6 nos
½ tspn Asafoetida powder

For Seasoning: 4 Tbspn Oil (you could use the oil from the fried brinjals, too)
1 tspn mustard Seeds
Curry Leaves
2-3 Dry chillies de-seeded & broken into two pieces

Preparation Time : 30 mins Cooking Time : 20 mins

Wash & cut the brinjals into cubes and keep them aside.
Take a Kadai (wok) add oil for frying the brinjal pieces. Fry till the Brinjals change colour and are soft. Remove from oil & keep aside to let it cool. When the brinjal pieces are cold, take a little of the fried Brinjal pieces and grind with the Green chillies that've turned red, along with the tamarind & salt to a fine paste & keep aside.

Now take another kadai, pour the oil kept for seasoning. When oil is hot add the seasoning ingredients & fry till the mustard seeds crackle. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder & fry on low heat for a minute or two. Now, add the ground paste & fry for another 2 mins on low heat or till oil comes to the surface. Then add the fried brinjal pieces and asafoetida powder. Mix well & continue to fry for another 2-3 mins. on low heat. Check the salt & add if required. Remove from heat and cool . You may use it immediately or bottle it for later use. Tastes yum with stuffed parathas or steamed rice and ghee.

Green Chicken Fry or Pudina Chicken

Pudina Chicken or famously known as Mint chicken / Green chicken is one of my favorites among Chicken delicacies. I always try to get the flavor and taste of green chicken that my mom makes. But ... it always falls short of that touch and her TLC in preparing that dish for us. Tho' I resisted a lot to put up this recipe for public, I think it's time for my mom to know how much I miss her and more so her cooking.



Here we go with the Ingredients:

Chicken 3-4 lbs
Onions 3 medium sized
Oil 1 tbsp
Turmeric 2 pinches
Salt - per taste
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tspn
Coriander powder - 2 tspn
Chilli powder - 2 tspn
Green Chillies -13- 17 medium sized
Mint - leaves from one bunch
Coriander - 15 stalks
Fenugreek leaves/Methi leaves - 1tbsp when crushed


Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 20-25 mins


Make a paste of half the quantity of onions, mint leaves, methi leaves, coriander leaves, and green chillies. This, we call as the 'green paste'. Now in a wide mouthed pan, fry onions in oil till they are translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and turmeric to the onions and saute well. Now add the chicken pieces and salt. Place a lid on the pan and allow the water in the chicken to cook the pieces. Now when the water is no more and the chicken pieces are about to stick the base of the pan, add the green paste and mix thoroughly. Let the paste make its way into every piece. If not, add half cup of water to the green paste and mix again. Keep the pan on medium heat and then add coriander powder, chilli powder and stir. Now remove the lid from the pan and let the water evaporate. Remember, the outcome must be dry chicken. Best is when the pieces have just begun to turn brown. This one beats the best of roast and fry chicken. Garnish it with a dash of lemon and savor it with rasam and steamed rice. Uhhmm! Yummy Green Chicken.