urad dal
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
75 g (¼ cup) tamarind pulp mixed with 50 ml (¼ cup) water, mashed and strained
500 g (2¾ cups) diced fresh tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes
200 g (1 cup) sugar
1 red finger-length chilli, finely sliced
125 g (1 cup) pitted dates, quartered
¾ teaspoon salt
1 Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over low heat and stir-fry the dal and spices and the bay leaf until aromatic, 4 to 5 minutes.
2 Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the chutney thickens, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool, then store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Sweet Lime Chutney
500 g (1 lb) limes, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons salt
2 onions, chopped (about 1½ cups)
2 tablespoons mustard seeds, roasted and coarsely ground
300 g (1 cups) sugar
300 ml (1¼ cups) white vinegar
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
100 g (scant ¾ cup) raisins
1 Place the chopped lime pieces in a stainless steel saucepan. Sprinkle with the salt and mix well. Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat until the lime pieces become tender and the chutney thickens, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Serve as an accompaniment.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 mins
Spicy Mango Coconut Chutney
200 g (1¼ cups) peeled and diced unripe mango
250 g (2½ cups) grated fresh coconut
4 green finger-length chillies, cut into lengths
½ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon urad dal
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1¼ teaspoon asafoetida
1 Coarsely grind the diced mango, coconut, green chillies and salt in a blender and set aside.
2 In a small saucepan, heat the oil and fry the urad dal over low heat until golden brown. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and fry until the seeds pop. Add the asafoetida, mix well and turn off the heat.
3 Add the fried spices to the ground ingredients and mix well. Serve as an accompaniment to rice or breads.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Coriander Coconut Chutney
100 g (2 cups) fresh coriander leaves, chopped
500 g (5 cups) grated fresh coconut
4 green finger-length chillies, sliced into lengths
4 tablespoons lime juice
3 slices ginger
1 teaspoon salt
125 ml (½ cup) water
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Serve with thosai, idli or any savoury snacks.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: nil
Plain Basmati Rice
750 ml (3 cups) water
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ghee or oil
400 g (2 cups) uncooked basmati rice, washed, soaked for 20 minutes and drained
Place the water, salt and ghee or oil in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the drained rice, reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until done. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 10 minutes before gently stirring it with a fork to separate the grains. Alternatively, place all the ingredients in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Fragrant Mint Rice
150 g (3½ cups) mint leaves
2 green finger-length chillies
3 cloves garlic
2 cm (¾ in) ginger
750 ml (3 cups) water
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
400 g (2 cups) uncooked basmati rice, washed, soaked for 20 minutes and drained
1½ teaspoons salt
1 Place the mint leaves, green chillies, garlic, ginger and 250 ml (1 cup) of the water in a blender and blend until fine. Set aside.
2 Heat the ghee or oil in a wok and fry the cumin seeds until aromatic. Add the drained rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3 Combine the blended ingredients with the remaining water in a large pan and bring to a boil. Add the stir-fried rice and salt, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the rice is done. Set aside, still covered, for 10 minutes then fluff the rice up with a fork or the back of a wooden spoon. Alternatively, place the blended ingredients with the remainder of the water in a
