Peanut Chutney (Dry version)

The idea of a very fulfilling breakfast for me would be Idli/Dosa with some chutney. Simple yet very delicious and it does please the South Indian in me. It never seems monotonous if we keep switching between the chutneys that we eat with the dosa/idli. We have chutney fans here in our home and I can always have the dosa/idli batter handy and be ready to just feed them with just some chutney done.

This peanut chutney is one among the many chutneys that we make to have with dosa and its so flavourful and delicious that even the little one keeps asking for more. I do make it less spicy for my kido. if you would want to spice it up as per your taste, just increase the amount of chillies that goes into it.

Cranberry Pickle ~ No cook version

If you want to stock on some pickle without much effort then this pickle is the best. Effortless and tasty - two characteristics of this pickle that makes me make it every year during this time. Pickle is not mandatory for me to have with my meals generally, but during Advent/Lent it is one thing that I would prefer with my meals. And this cranberry pickle is the best. 

The very first time I made it, I was a little hesitant how it would turn out to be and hence had made it in very small quantity and it was so awesome that it vanished in less than a weeks time. Now, every cranberry season has to have this pickle made at home and in larger amount too. Here's the recipe to the awesome cranberry pickle.

  

Aam Ka Achar / Indian Mango Pickle in Mustard Oil

Mango pickle is something that we love pairing with chapathi - dal or poori-bhajji combinations. They are a pure bliss. Having spend half my life in north India, I had a special liking towards this pickle. Every time my parents would visit us, they would bring a jar of this pickle knowing that it is my favorite. But J would never understand what is so special about this pickle. He has a hate relationship with mustard oil. But having lived together for some years together and me going umm ahh over it whenever I eat :D, he started trying it and guess what I have to share the pickle with him too now .. he he. My kido too likes it. He, for some reason, calls pickle as Olli. I have no idea where he got that word from, but every time he sees me take out the pickle jar he will go on saying he wants it. 

We used to help mummy break open the mangoes, as a kid. It was a family affair if we were pickling this particular mango pickle. Right from sourcing the mangoes from our own mango tree to pickling, everyone in the family would be involved. My brother would pluck the mangoes. Washing and wiping it dry would be done by mummy and me. Breaking it open would be done by papa and mummy and we used to pull out the seeds and clean up. And pickling would be done by mummy. Everyone would then wait patiently for the pickle to be ready to eat. It tastes good if you pickle it with the hard cover of the seed on it. But you can always use just the flesh part of the mango to make it. I was lucky that the vendor did chop it out for me, which made the whole process such a breeze.

Pickled Jalapenos

Every time we get our sandwiches/pizzas from outside, we love to have the jalapenos by the side to take a bite with every other bite of sandwiches. We love it that way rather than spreading it inside the sandwiches. Having married to a pickle lover, we always have stock of the indian pickles in the fridge. Now to add to it we have pickled jalapenos too that goes on top of pizzas every time we make it. Unlike Indian pickles, these pickled jalapenos are super easy to make too.

If you too are a pickle fan and would love to have it with your sandwiches and as toppings on your pizza, make it at home. Trust me, you would never go back to the store bought ones.

Green Chilly Pickle / Green Chilly Achar

When I say Chilly pickle, my taste buds just go out of control. I can literally feel my mouth flooding with water. And then I start walking down the memory lane which includes a red chilly pickle and Alice aunty. Once, Alice aunty came home after she went for pickle shopping. She brought in some red chilly pickle and gave us some to taste. Wow, super hot but delicious it was. I still remember having it with hot chapathis. It was heavenly.

I had never ever had such a mouthwatering pickle before. They were so good. While I was making this pickle, all the while I kept thinking about the red chilly pickle I had years and years ago and if only I could recreate that recipe. If you have a recipe, please do send me. I would be so grateful to you.

Chocolate Sauce

When you have a chocolate lover at home, you got to have this chocolate sauce handy. This homemade sauce is in stock always to go with pancakes, waffles or to drizzle on some icecream or even to dip some strawberries to enjoy it as snack.

This easy and yummy sauce can be put together in just minutes and stored in the refrigerator. So why not make it and stock it rather than getting it from store.

Mango Salsa

With the weather getting better, you might be planning for a barbecue party. For any party or get together, this summer, this Mango Salsa would be just perfect to include in the menu. This is one thing that could be made in just minutes time, when you have many other things to worry about. And its least likely that anyone would not like it. At our home, at the very sight of it, everyone just digs into it.

Serve it with some tacos, chips or nachos or may be just like a salad. they make one amazing starter.

Aam Ki Launji / Sweet and Sour Mango Pickle

We are so found of pickle, esp. mango pickle. Now, we have a set of mango pickle that we make every mango season. So last mango season, we thought why not try different pickles out of the raw mangoes. And me and my husband put forth suggestions of pickles that we might have tasted from friends, families or restaurants and like them.

My husband is not very fond of sweets. So I was amazed when he suggested Aam ki lauji that we had at a restaurant in Pune. It was new to him. The sweet and sour pickle seemeed to make his mouth watery, which was a surprising fact for me. You know these men, you can never predict anything ... he he. Anyways, I was happy that he suggested it, because I love Aam ki Lauji and knowing the fact that someone else also is interested in it, would make me happy to try it.

Strawberry Jam

Strawberries - Smoothies, desserts, jams and what not can be made out of these beauties. Last year, when we went to Mahabaleshwar , we got those fresh strawberries home. I knew not the entire lot would be eaten up. So to avoid wastage and preserve them in another form to last longer, I converted the remaining batch to strawberry jam. I then realized that it is not a big task. Its simple and could be made in just minutes.

Jacob was full of praise for this jam. He would be caught having it plain. I also did add these in strawberry smoothie to give extra richness. My fear of wasting the strawberries was unnecessary. Converting it into jam, made it get over in a weeks time. Now that they are available in the market again, it was time to get some and make jam out of it.

Capsicum Chutney / Bell pepper Chutney

Belonging to Southern part of India means, you definitely would have a soft corner for idli/dosa. For me, I wouldn't mind having it for any meal of the day. Bringing in variety in the usual combination makes it even more interesting.

I was not introduced to any other chutneys to go with Idli/dosa other than the red coconut chutney and the chana dal chutney. But thanks to so many blogger friends from across the globe and the blogging community that I have been a part of, I got introduced to variety of food. This capsicum chutney was introduced to me by the blogging world.

Tomato pickle

Jacob is a big fan of pickle. He could even eat it plain. Whenever we are out grocery shopping he would always pull out a pickle and place it in the cart and I would be the one to place it back saying I would make it at home. The amount of oil, salt and preservatives that goes into it are the very reason for me to put them back. But I had been delaying the pickling process for a while now. 

Finally the other day I got hold of some perfectly ripe tomatoes that I grabbed them to make this pickle at home. It's usually the first step which is being procrastinated by me. So once that was overcomed by purchasing the ingredients I made it the very next day.

Manga Chammanthi / Mango Chutney

For me, some Moru kachiyathu and manga chammanthi is enough to have stomach full of rice. I wouldn't even bother any other curry not served with rice. It is just perfect to tickle the tastebuds that you would never even feel the absence of any other curry to go by the side for rice.

I am sure, anyone who has had it atleast once would never forget the taste of it and wouldn't say no to it. They are just perfect to pair with rice.

Ginger Garlic Paste

Ginger garlic paste is readily available in the market. But the scary thought of preservatives added into them.... I prefer not to buy those but make some fresh at home by myself. And it is not that big a task. Peeling garlic is a task but if you know the shortcut to peel the garlic it is such an easy job. Moreover, for me, I do it while my kid is sleeping and me catching upon some movie :).

To peel the garlic easily, place it in a large steel container and cover it. Now shake it up and down real hard for about 3 minutes. 90% of garlic would be peeled off. I used to go for freshly peeled garlic and ginger every time I cooked. But after having Jordan, lack of time, made me switch to this ginger garlic paste. And cooking started to look much easier for me. Every time I peel the ginger and garlic in bulk to make this paste, the smell of it makes Jordan think that I am making Chicken and keeps asking me if Chicken is ready....he he he

Pomegranate Raita

Curd lovers, we are. Both me and Jacob hate milk. Infact, we are kind of allergic to it. So the milk intake is substitutes in the form of curd, buttermilk etc. Guess what, our lil Jordan is following the same path.

Raita is another form in which we love curd. It is a must to go with Aloo paratha or fried rice etc. Growing up, I have usually had cucumber or onion raita. But pomegranate raita was kind of new to me. The first time we had it, it was instant hit. Every bite on the pomegranate seeds combined with the yogurt was so refreshing. It has the blend of tastes- sweetness of pomegranate, sourness of yogurt, salty and spiciness of the chillies. Ever since, we have been frequently making it to pair it with some main dish or to eat it plain.

Key Lime Pickle / Naranga Achar

This achar is a must serve at home if we are serving Biriyani/Fried rice. And if stored properly, these tend to stay good for a long time.

Not only are they served while serving biriyani, but its good to trigger your taste buds when they happen to stop functioning esp. if have a bad fever. Some kanji, papadam and this pickle can make for a good lunch when you are sick.

Kadumanga Achar / Kerala Style Mango Pickle

Any Sadya is incomplete without pickles. For us, every lunch/dinner is incomplete without it. Now that we tend to have pickle everyday, it vanishes very quickly.

So when I make pickle, I would rather choose to make the simplest of the recipes than investing a huge amount of time making something fancy and see it vanish fast. This is one such pickle - quick and simple to make, provided you manage to get raw mangoes easily.

Lemon Pickle / Naranga Achar

Pickle is something that is associated with Indian meals/Sadhya always. At our home, we need to have a pickle for lunch/dinner. Lemon pickle being our favorite, I decided to give it a try.

I had been addictive to lemon pickles, but only the ones those turn out to be tender. I have heard people say, that such tenderness in pickles happen, when it is made by people with Kaipunyam. I don't know how far is it true. But I am sure that this recipe is gonna deliver you with one even if you might happen to lack kaipunyam :).