Chutney Pudi Recipe | Chutney Powder Recipe | Gunpowder Recipe [Video]

Chutney Pudi recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Chutney Pudi is a popular condiment from North Karnataka. Chutney Pudi is a spicy peanut and roasted gram powder that can be eaten as a dry chutney along with ghee or oil. Chutney Pudi is served as an accompaniment to idli, dosa, chapati or rice.

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This wonderful orange spicy powder with an odd crystal of sugar or a small bit of tamarind was basically my school lunch. Yes, I am not joking. I cannot tell you how much I loved chutney pudi as a school kid. Every day for four years my mother had to make me 2 chapatis and then slather them with homemade ghee (yummm) and lots of chutney pudi, fold it into small triangles and pack it off with me. I'm not sure why, but I would not eat anything else for lunch/snack. I mean my "lunch" break was at 10am, so that was definitely a snack, and not really lunch. I was definitely the teacher's pet for getting a healthy snack while some of the other kids got cookies and other sweet treats, which for some odd reason did not tempt me back then. Not so much now, I'd gobble up a cookie anytime.

Having chutney pudi at home is extremely convenient for those busy days when you don't have time to cook. It is also extremely convenient that chutney pudi has a reasonably long shelf life, it will easily last you from 6-8 weeks if you use fresh and high quality ingredients. 

Chutney Pudi is a popular condiment that is served along with idlis or dosa. Mix it with ghee or oil and make an instant chutney that can be mopped up with the idli or the dosa. It is mixed with curd or yogurt and popularly eaten along with Joladda Rotti or Jowar Roti in North Karnataka. I loved dunking my pav or bread in curd and chutney pudi back in the day. I have made butter and chutney pudi sandwiches, that taste really nice by the way. As I already told, you can eat chutney pudi with chapati or roti. Mix it along with hot steamed rice and ghee or coconut oil and make it an easy meal.

Every family, region, community in the Southern and Western parts of India makes their own version of dry chutney aka spicy lentil powders. This recipe is my mom's recipe. There are a few of her recipes that I listed down when I could and I don't change anything in them. I won't tweak them or enhance them. They are perfect the way they are. This Chutney Pudi is one of them. My recipe is made from roasted or fried gram (chickpeas), peanuts and dry coconut. Some make it with chana dal and some just with peanuts or dry coconut. Some add garlic, some don't. Except for the one with chana dal, I'll eat any other chutney pudi. 

My version of chutney pudi is very simple. The ratios of roasted gram to peanuts to dry coconut is 2:1:1. The peanuts are roasted to extend the shelf life and to help you deskin them. I don't deskin them because it really doesn't make much of a difference in the end product. But you can deskin them or use skinned roasted peanuts (preferably, unsalted). The dry coconut is warmed only to extend shelf life. It doesn't need to change color. The pan was way too hot while I was shooting this video which led to the slight coloring of the coconut, but usually, it doesn't. The coconut and the peanuts need to be at room temperature before you grind them, else they will release their oils. The peanut and coconut are ground together until you have a coarse powder of sandy texture or slightly bigger grains. Grinding the coconut and peanuts longer will make them release their oil. I recommend pulsing the mixer instead of running it continuously. 

The roasted gram or puthani or futana is divided and ground with different ingredients - first time with roasted red chillies and the second time with tamarind. Lightly roasting the dry red chillies in oil makes them crispy and help them in grinding into a fine powder. While grinding the tamarind, try to grind it until the tamarind is broken into small bits. It will never become a fine powder though. Sugar is optional, but tastes good. You can add jaggery powder too. Salt is mandatory. The tempering adds to flavor and extends the shelf life. But you need to ensure that the mustard has spluttered and that all the curry leaves are crispy, undercooked curry leaves can drastically decrease shelf life. If you don't have access to curry leaves, skip them. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Chutney Pudi Recipe | Chutney Powder Recipe | Gunpowder Recipe

Chutney Pudi is a popular condiment from North Karnataka. Chutney Pudi is a spicy peanut and roasted gram powder that can be eaten as a dry chutney along with ghee or oil. Chutney Pudi is served as an accompaniment to idli, dosa, chapati or rice.

Recipe Type:  Condiment
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     30 minutes
Yield:                3 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups Roasted Gram (Puthani / Futana)
1 cup Dry Coconut, grated
1 cup Peanuts
1 tsp Tamarind
10-15 Red Chilies
0.5 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
10-12 Curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2.5 Tbsp Oil

Method:

1. Dry roast the peanuts until they are slightly browned and tiny black spots appear on the skin. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool. Peel them if desired.
2. Add the grated dry coconut to the pan and roast until warm. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Add 1 tsp of oil and add the dry red chillies and roast until they are puffed up and crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Add 1 cup of roasted gram to the mixer and add the roasted chillies. Grind until smooth. Empty the powder to a large mixing bowl.
5. Grind the peanuts and dry coconut to a coarse powder (sand like consistency). Add the powder to the mixing bowl.
6. Grind the remaining roasted gram with tamarind to a smooth powder. Add the powder to the mixing bowl.
7. Add salt and sugar and mix well until completely combined. Add red chilli powder if the chutney pudi is not spicy enough.
8. Heat the remaining oil in a pan for the tempering and add the mustard seeds.
9. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and fry until crisp.
10. Add the tempering to the chutney pudi and mix gently.
11. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for weeks.

Step by step photo instructions:

If you liked this, you may also like:

Instant Mango Pickle

Moringa Chutney

Mint Peanut Chutney

Read more ...

Moringa Chutney Recipe | Drumstick Leaf Chutney [Video]

Moringa Chutney is a warm and healthy chutney made from cooked moringa leaves (drumstick leaves), tomato, onion and garlic. Moringa chutney is tangy and can be spiced to taste. It stores well in the fridge for a few weeks.

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Hi folks! Long-time no see!

So yeah, my other non blogger life consumed all my time for the last month and I have been slowly limping into this life since last week. More of that later, or maybe never.

It is in those super busy days, that I appreciate simple recipes like this Moringa Chutney. It is easy and quick to make, it stores well in the fridge for a few weeks and it is so delicious and versatile. You can eat it as a side with roti/chapati, you can mix it with rice and make flavored rice, you can spread it on bread or you can dip chips in it.

And the best thing about it? It's also very healthy.

Moringa, also commonly known as drumsticks in India is a plant native to Africa and Asia. The seed pods are called drumsticks and are popularly added to curry in South India. The leaves are the most nutritious part of the tree. Moringa leaves are rich in vitamins and protein. They are also used as a dietary supplement to enhance weight loss.

Since it is the season when the leaves are available aplenty in the market, it is just appropriate that I share this recipe with you guys.

To make the Moringa Chutney, wilt the moringa leaves by cooking them on low heat in a little bit of oil. Keep it aside to cool. In the meantime, cook onions, garlic, green chillies, and tomatoes until they are soft. I used green tomatoes because they were in season, you can use regular red tomatoes as well. I also used the non-spicy banana peppers or bhajji chilli instead of regular green chillies, but you can use what you have available to spice up the chutney. Once everything is cooked down and cooled, blend it with a little salt and water until you have a smooth paste. Make a quick tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves and add the chutney to it and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

The chutney can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Moringa Chutney is vegan and gluten-free. It also suits a plant-based diet. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Moringa Chutney Recipe |  Drumstick Leaf Chutney 

Moringa Chutney is a warm and healthy chutney made from cooked moringa leaves (drumstick leaves), tomato, onion and garlic. Moringa chutney is tangy and can be spiced to taste. Vegan, gluten-free and delicious. 

Recipe Type:  Chutney
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 Minutes
Cook time:     20 Minutes
Total time:     30 Minutes
Yield:                Makes 2 small jars

Ingredients:

4 cups Moringa leavesor 1 bunch Moringa leaves
1 large Onion
3 or 4 medium Tomatoes
1 or 2 Green Chillies
4 to 5 Garlic cloves
3 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Remove the moringa leaves from the stem and rinse 2-3 times in clean water.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a kadhai and add the moringa leaves. Cook on low heat until the leaves wilt or shrink. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a kadhai and add in sliced onions and garlic pods. Saute until the onions are translucent.
4. Add in the tomatoes and green chillies. Cover and cook on low heat until the tomatoes soften. You can add 2-3 tbsp of water to help the cooking process. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Blend the moringa leaves and onion-tomato with a little water and salt to taste until smooth.
6. In a kadhai, heat the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add in the curry leaves and the blended chutney. Simmer on low heat for 6-8 minutes. Adjust seasoning if required. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
7. Store in a clean glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Tamarind Date Chutney

Tondekayee Chutney

Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Mint Peanut Chutney

Heerekai Sippe Chutney

Olive Hummus

Read more ...

Dahi Bread Chaat Recipe

Toasted bread layered with crispy papdi and boiled chickpeas, topped with sweet yogurt, a mix of chutneys,spices and pomegranate seeds!! 

Happy Tuesday! I hope all of you had an awesome fun filled weekend. I sure did. In fact, I had a fun filled week!

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know, I was out vacationing the last week in Karkala at my in-law's place. I met a lot of relatives, ate a lot of good food and visited a lot of places. And my favorite among them was this beautiful little Jain temple at Varanga. Set amidst a lake and surrounded by greenery, it was mesmerizing. The temple is 850 years old!!! Check out the pics on Instagram.

There was also a TV serial shooting going on there, so we had some of our own fun directing it among ourselves, we created so many story lines in a short span on 10 minutes. Don't you just love making up your own movies? I definitely do. 

Now back to my recipe - Dahi Bread Chaat. I asked a few of my readers who I know personally what they would like me to publish, and a few of them wanted quick snacks, so here it is. This Dahi Bread Chaat is my take on Dahi Bhalla, only it is super instant. No soaking, no grinding, no frying. Healthy and ready in a jiffy. Could you ask for more?

Dahi Bread Chaat is made by layering a few goodies like papdis and boiled chickpeas along with plain toasted bread and soaking them in generous portions of dahi (yogurt), tamarind chutney and green chutney. A dash of spice and a sprinkle of fresh pomegranate seeds and you have a delicious healthy snack to squash that evening hunger. The recipes for baked papdi, yogurt, tamarind chutney and mint-coriander chutney are all available on the blog, however, you can also buy them in stores or online here- Date and Tamarind Chutney, Mint Chutney,

Dahi Bread Chaat is the perfect dish, if you are personally catering to a small group of friends or family or kitty parties. It requires minimal prep and can be assembled quickly, so you won't be spending all your time in the kitchen instead of mingling with your loved ones. This is also ideal as an after school snack for kids.

To make this dish vegan, use any vegan yogurt such as soy yogurt or cashew yogurt.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Dahi Bread Chaat Recipe

Dahi bread chaat - Indian street food with toasted bread layered with crispy papdi and boiled chickpeas, topped with sweet yogurt, a mix of chutneys,spices and pomegranate seeds.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     10 minutes
Total time:     25 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 slices Brown Bread
1 cup cold Yogurt
0.5 cup boiled Chickpeas
12-15 Papdi
3 Tbsp Date Tamarind Chutney
3 Tbsp Mint Coriander Chutney
0.5 cup Pomegranate Seeds
1.5 tsp powdered Sugar
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Chaat Masala
2 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Whisk the yogurt and add the powdered sugar to it. Mix well and chill till you are ready to assemble the chaat.
2. Toast the bread and cut the bread into 9 small pieces.
3. Divide the papdi and layer in the plates that you will be serving the chaat in. The following instructions are to be repeated for each plate.
4. Place the bread over the papdi. 
5. Add the chickpeas to the plate.
6. Now spoon the whisked yogurt over the plate.
7. Drizzle the sweet date and tamarind chutney and the spicy mint coriander chutney.
8. Sprinkle red chilli powder, cumin powder and chaat masala.
9. Sprinkle salt as required.
10. Add fresh pomegranate seeds.
11. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and serve.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Sweet Potato Chaat

Pani Puri

Masala Puri

Read more ...

Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Picnics, Trips, Breakfast, Lunch - Eat this Coriander Chutney Sandwich anytime you want! Making it is child's play and it makes a great travel companion...

I was almost embarrassed to blog about this Coriander Chutney Sandwich. This is one of the simplest, basic recipe I have ever blogged about. I have been arguing with myself - should I or shouldn't I, for weeks now. Finally, the "should I" won. Winning arguments - I love simple recipes, and I'm sure so do you folks. No dish is too basic when it has all the right flavors. Flavor triumphs everything else

And there was also the fact, that this has been a favorite family Picnic meal forever. Literally, forever, as long as I can remember!! We don't go on picnics anymore, although I think we totally should. But in my head, you can only go for picnic to the beach. You can remove the girl from Goa, but not the Goa from the girl !! I miss that deep blue sea, the white sand and the shade of coconut trees under which we spread our bedsheets and picniced. While all my cousins and Gee swam without fear of the big bad ocean, I safely sat on the shore and built sand castles. They may think they enjoyed more, but I was closer to the food. Ha!!

I like Bangalore, but my only complain is it is only flanked by land on all sides, no beaches in site anywhere, the closest one is at least 400kms away. I can go to the gardens, but let's face it a garden is no beach and once you have tasted the sea, there is just no satisfying the soul with anything else!! So no picnics in sight anywhere, but we do take a lot of road trips. Not as many as I would like off late, but hey, something is better than nothing. And our little triangular Chutney Sandwich still accompanies us on these road trips along with bags of chips and bottles of soft drinks and chocolates. Of course chocolates!!!

Sometimes this Coriander Chutney Sandwich becomes my Saturday breakfast. I make the Coriander Chutney at night and store it in the fridge, so Saturday breakfast is a breeze. No one has to wait for me to wake up and make breakfast - slapping on some butter and chutney onto 2 slices of bread is definitely child's play. So I get to sleep in. And I myself don't need to worry about "what to cook for breakfast", the most tiresome question I ask myself most days.

This Coriander Chutney is made by blending / grinding together fresh grated coconut, fresh coriander leaves, green chillies for the heat, tamarind for sourness and salt with a little bit of water. A regular coconut chutney that is eaten with Dosa or Idli usually has a lot more of coconut than coriander, but here the quantity of coriander is far more than the coconut. The coconut is there just to add body to the chutney and perhaps, a little sweetness, but otherwise the Coriander steals the show. Add a little mint and sugar to make this chutney extra special.

This is one of "those" recipes which does not follow a recipe. Just take the quantity of the ingredients below as a guideline and change it to suit your palate. There is no right or wrong in making a chutney. The only thing I'd be cautious about is the quantity of water, start small and increase as you go. A watery chutney will lead to a soggy sandwich and no one likes a soggy sandwich, am I right? Except Gee, of course, how can sibling ever agree on anything, I wonder!!!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life is there on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email (How convenient!!)

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Beetroot and Cauliflower Burger - Burger made from beetroots and cauliflower served with an eggless mayo.
• Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich - Sandwich inspired by the Panera Bread sandwich of the same name.
• Breakfast Bruschetta Duo - Two bruschettas, one topped with avocado and olives and other with tomato and onions.
• Grilled Paneer Sandwich - Sandwich made with rye bread and grilled marinated paneer along with a home-made tartar sauce and lettuce.

Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Coriander Chutney Sandwich is made using a simple coconut and coriander chutney, bread and butter.

Recipe Type:  Sandwich
Cuisine:            Indian
Total Time:     15 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the Coriander Chutney:

1/2 cup freshly grated Coconut
1.5 cups loosely packed Coriander leaves
1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1-2 Green Chillies
2-3 Tbsp Water
1/4 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

To assemble the Sandwich:

Bread
Butter

Method:

Grind/ blend together all the ingredients to get a smooth chutney.
Add the water by the spoonful to get a thick chutney. Do not add all the water in the beginning, the coriander and coconut will leave their own juices and the chutney may end up being runny.
Spread one slice of bread with butter and the other with the coriander chutney.
Stick the 2 slices together and cut into triangles to make Coriander Chutney Sandwich.

Read more ...

Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney

Today was Potluck at office. I took Dahi Kebab and Pathrode. My other friends got some really amazing dishes that I not only ate but packed in a box and got it home for dinner to share with my family.

Lunch was definitely my only extravagant meal of the week. I've been eating super simple food all week. More because the weather is just awesome and I cannot be coaxed out of bed to cook. It's been drizzling all through the week and it is cold outside. Perfect weather for snoozing, don't you think?

So what food does a lazy me cook or eat? Dosa and Chutney! I can eat that all week long and not get bored - true blue South Indian at heart and stomach. 

Let's get real, 50% of the taste of the dosa comes from its accompaniment, whether it is chutney or sambar. But I'm totally a chutney girl. So throughout this blog, you'll find me talking chutney many a times. And this Tondekayee Chutney is just one among my favorites. 

There is this little cart or gaadi near my house that makes awesome pillowy soft dosa and idli. It is a simple affair and very economical. The dosa is always served with 2 chutneys, a green coriander-coconut chutney and a red chutney. For a long time I believed the red chutney was made from tomatoes, so every time I made the chutney, I was always left wondering why my chutney tasted so different from his. I found out from Raj that the red chutney is actually made from ripe tondekayee (tendli | tindora | ivy gourd). The non foodie in the house knew more about chutneys than I did, what a shocker for me.

To make this chutney you need ripe tondekayee, the ones you usually throw away as they are squishy and mushy. Quarter the tondekayee and fry them up along with red chillies, garlic, chana dal (split bengal gram) and urad dal (split black gram). Grind it along with tamarind, salt, jaggery or sugar and a little water to a smooth chutney once the mixture has cooled. Add a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves, and enjoy your crispy hot dosa with this red chutney.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mint Peanut Chutney - Indian version of pesto, cooked peanut and mint chutney.
• Tamarind Date Chutney - Tangy sweet chutney made from tamarind and dates. Perfect for chaats.
• Heerekai Sippe Chutney - South Indian chutney made from fresh coconut and peel of ridge gourd.
• Mint Coriander Chutney - Popular green chutney of chaats made using fresh coriander and mint.

Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney

Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney is a South Indian chutney made from ripe ivy gourd and mixed dals. 

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                1 bowl

Ingredients:

18-20 ripe Tondekayee (Tendli or Tindora or Ivy Gourd)
2 dry Red Chillies
2-3 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1.5 Tbsp Chana Dal
0.5 Tbsp Urad Dal
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1/2 tsp Jaggery powder or Sugar (Optional)
4-5 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Wash and chop the tondekayee into quarters.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the chana dal, urad dal and red chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes on low heat until the dals are slightly browned.
Add the garlic and chopped tondekayee and mix well.
Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Grind the fried mixture along with tamarind, jaggery, salt and 2-3 Tbsp of water into a coarse paste.
Remove to a serving bowl.
Heat the remaining oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and immediately pour this tempering onto the chutney.
Serve the chutney with rice or dosa.
It stays fresh for around 7 days in the fridge.

Read more ...

Sweet Potato Chaat Recipe | Shakarkand Chaat Recipe [Video]

Sweet Potato Chaat recipe with video instructions. Sweet Potato Chaat is a flavorful street food inspired snack that is made with baked sweet potato, sweet and spicy chutneys, finely chopped vegetables, spices and sev.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

I had an in-between kinda week. Some ups, some down, but definitely busy on all fronts.

Firstly, lots of work at office. I've been spending all my time in meetings and discussions. For once, talking is really tiring me out. I've gone super early to work (by my standards) and left late almost everyday this week. And worst of all, I've been working after I reach home too. Sad state of affairs there. I hope it ends soon.

Raj had potluck on Wednesday and I cooked him a big batch of food to take to work. I took that as an opportunity to click my first ever food video. Video, Guys!!! Exciting stuff there. I'm waiting for some time so I can start editing my humongous video and add some nice captions so I can post my very first video post. If that work out, I bet you'll see more of that in the future.

I think I was all buzzed up with energy this week (or may be it was that large scoop of Cold Stone ice cream), I actually managed to finish off 2 novels this week. I'm glad that I'm back to my reading self that had taken a backseat in the recent past. It may have been something to do with the fact that James Patterson novels were so thrilling, it was impossible to put them down. I'm on his third novel and absolutely loving it as of now. I see myself reading quite a bit this weekend.

Now that the weekend is almost upon us, what are your plans? Doing something interesting or just relaxing?

I would love to tone it down a bit and relax this weekend, but I don't see it happening. My aunt is coming from out of state for just the weekend. I see a lot of running around taking her places in store for us. Gardening takes a back seat, yet again this weekend. 

I'll now stop ranting about busy weeks and busy weekends and get down to business.

This Sweet Potato Chaat is E-X-P-L-O-S-I-V-E ! Yup, it totally is. Every spoonful is a flavor bomb.

Chaat is one word for a variety of Indian street food that is served in tiny little carts all across the country. There are so many different types of chaat available - Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, Sev Puri, Masala Puri etc. This Sweet Potato Chaat is inspired from Aloo Chaat and Dahi Puri. 

This Sweet Potato Chaat has many layers, the first is baked sweet potato. While it can be fried, I chose to bake it just to keep it healthier. You can deep fry it or parboil the sweet potato and then shallow fry them. I had imagined that the sweet potato will turn too sweet for my chaat, but with all the chutneys and sprinklings, it actually tasted very good and added just a slight hint of sweetness to the entire dish.

The Sweet Potato Chaat is incomplete without the chutneys. I used 2 chutneys out here - spicy and fresh Coriander Mint Chutney and the tangy and sweet Tamarind Date Chutney. The 2 chutneys balance each other out in flavor. If you are making these chutney, make a little more and store it in the fridge, they both taste amazing with a variety of finger food or make really awesome marinades and dressings.

Chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander add crunch and freshness to the chaat. I would recommend that you do not skip any of them if you can help it.

I also zinged up the chaat with yogurt, but if you are a vegan, feel free to skip it. 

Chaat is never complete without the chaat powder. Chaat Powder is a mix of spices and you can easily get them in stores. I also add Black Salt in all my chaats, it gives it another layer of flavor. It has a funky smell and can be turning off to some people. You can replace it with Himalayan Pink Salt or regular salt. 

Add a handful of fine Sev and a squeeze of lime and you are done. 

Don't get bogged down by all the instructions, just mix up everything in one bowl and serve it. The ingredients below are just a guiding value, customize the chaat according to your liking. Adjust the quantities as per your taste. If you tried the Sweet Potato Chaat, leave me a comment with your experience.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Masala Puri - Bangalore street side favorite food made with green peas and a spicy sauce.
• Baked Sweet Potato Chips - Crispy baked sweet potato chips
• Bombay Pav Bhaji - Another popular street food of bread and spicy vegetable mash.
• Tawa Pulao - Mumbai's favorite street food, spicy masala fried rice.
• Baked Potato Skins - Crispy potato skins stuffed with tomato, peppers and cheese.

Video Recipe

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Sweet Potato Chaat

Sweet Potato Chaat is a flavorful street food inspired snack that is made with baked sweet potato, sweet and spicy chutneys, finely chopped vegetables, spices and sev.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 large Sweet Potato
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
0.5 cup whisked Yogurt
3-4 Tbsp Tamarind Date Chutney
3-4 Tbsp Mint Coriander Chutney
2-3 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 cup fine Sev
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2-3 tsp Oil
2-3 tsp Lime Juice (optional)
2-3 tsp Chaat masala 
2-3 tsp Roasted Cumin powder to taste
1-2 tsp Black salt to taste
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degree Celsius.
2. Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1 cm sized cubes.
3. Mix in oil, 2 tsp red chilli powder (optional) and salt with the sweet potato and place it on a baking tray in a single layer.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked.
5. Allow it to cool a little.
6. Depending on how many servings you want, divide the sweet potato.
7. Place the sweet potato on a plate.
8. Add in mint coriander chutney, tamarind date chutney, cumin powder, black salt, red chilli powder and chaat masala as per taste and mix well. Add lime juice if desired.
9. Add in finely chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander leaves.
10. Top with fine sev and serve immediately

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Tamarind Date Chutney

Guys...I have no words to describe this chutney.

It has become my number one favorite chutney! Zoomed right to the top...

So guys, how was your weekend? Good, bad, somewhere in between?

After a not so great week, I had a decent weekend. I had a thought provoking weekend. It  has been all about defying what I thought I liked. Hmmm.

I went Sari shopping with my mother in law and picked up a sari I never imagined myself buying. I bought a Mysore Silk, my first! I went so certain I wouldn't even buy silk. I surprised myself by picking up this mustard yellow and green Mysore Silk. The color combination I love, in a fabric I never though I could love. But it is lovely and I hope I enjoy wearing it. I've already started planning how to accessorize the Sari.

But my weekend got a lot better before I picked up the Sari. The reason? This awesome delicious amazing fabulous Tamarind Date Chutney I made earlier in the day and enjoyed with an even more delicious Sweet Potato Chaat (Recipe coming up soon, watch out!!)

Tamarind Date Chutney is an Indian version of barbeque sauce. It is tangy, it is sweet, it has a subtle taste of spice.

I am a more traditional South Indian coconut chutney kinda girl. At least I was, until I made this one.

I had one spoonful of the Tamarind Date Chutney and my mouth exploded. Seriously. Exploded with flavor. And I could not have enough of it. I kept sneaking in spoonfuls as I walked in and out of the kitchen while the chutney cooled. I'm sure I saw Raj do it too though he totally denies it.

It's not like I've not made Imli ki Chutney or Tamarind Chutney before, it's just that I'd never made it with dates. It was usually with sugar or jaggery and tamarind. While the sugar added to the sweetness it never gave the chutney that kind of depth it got from the dates.

This chutney can be eaten with anything and everything. You can use it as a marinade where ever you would use barbeque sauce. You can eat it with french fries or Samosa. I even topped a cracker with it and relished it off while no one was around.

The above para just states what you can do.... but not what you need to. You NEED to add this chutney to your chaat*. No chaat is complete without a tangy sweet tamarind chutney and once you've made chaat with THIS Tamarind Date Chutney, there is just no turning back.

*Chaat is Indian version of street food 

My message is clear - Eat this with absolutely anything. But eat it for sure. This chutney is what cravings are made of (when not chocolate cravings, of course, nothing beats chocolate in my world). Try it and tell me what you think.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Coriander Mint Chutney - Another must have for chaat, a tart spicy chutney made with fresh coriander and mint leaves.
• Mint Peanut Chutney - Simple cooked chutney made with mint and peanuts. Almost like a pesto.
• Creamy Pumpkin Sauce - Vegan creamy sauce made from ripe pumpkins.

Tamarind Date Chutney

Tamarind Date Chutney is an Indian version of barbeque sauce. It is tangy, it is sweet, it has a subtle taste of spice.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                3/4 cup

Ingredients:

0.25 cup Tamarind
1.5 cup warm Water
6-8 pitted Dates
1-2 tsp Jaggery powder or Brown Sugar
0.5 tsp Cumin Powder
0.25 tsp Red Chilli Powder

Method:

Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Squeeze the tamarind pulp and extract all tamarind juice.
Chop the dates finely.
Combine the tamarind and dates in a pan and cook on medium flame until it starts bubbling.
Add the cumin powder and red chilli powder and mix.
Cover and simmer on low flame for 8-10 minutes.
Allow it to cool and then blend into a smooth chutney.
Add jaggery powder or brown sugar if the chutney is not sweet enough.
Add water if the consistency is very thick.
Serve chilled.

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