Chef Vinod

Curry leaf drink on NPR

 Thanks to Monica Bhide for featuring my curry leaf drink on NPR. Here is the article :

September 28, 2011

 This savory beverage is wonderfully refreshing.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 sprig fresh curry leaves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 ounce peeled fresh ginger (about 1/2 inch)

1/2 serrano green chili, seeded (optional)

2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

2 1/2 cups water

Salt

Ice cubes, for serving

Cut the curry leaves into fine shreds. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Let cool and crush to a coarse powder in a spice grinder. Cut the ginger into fine shreds. Coarsely chop the chili, if using.

Combine the curry leaves, cumin, ginger, chili (if using), yogurt and water in a blender and mix well. Blend in salt to taste. Serve with ice cubes.

Variations

For a milder-flavored drink, lightly crush the curry leaves, ginger and green chili, stir them into the yogurt and water along with the crushed cumin, and refrigerate. Strain out the solids and season with salt before serving over ice.

If you do not want your drink to be spicy hot, omit the green chili.

for more on the article and curry leaf recipes: http://goo.gl/EaQni

 

Mint Chutney - Bagels and Chutney Anyone?

Mint continues to be in season and in my last post I demonstrated how to make a simple Mint chutney (pudina chutney) - Here is another method of making the chutney. Although, this method has a few more ingredients, it is still a very simple process. Don't be intimidated by seeing the number of ingredients. 

1. Arhar Dal- 2 tablespoons
2. Urad Dal (polished) - 1 tablespoon
3. Channa Dal - 2 tablespoons
4. Tamarind * - 2 pieces  - about 2 ounces
5. Shallots - 2 pieces
6. Ginger - 2 small pieces
7. Hot pepper/jalepano/green chilie - 7-8 pieces
8. Grated coconut* - 3 tablespoons
9. Vegetable oil - for frying
10. Mint leaves - 6 - 8 heaped cups

  

 1. Wash and rinse mint leaves.

2. Heat oil, add arhar dal, channa and urad dal and fry till golden brown in color, add shallots, green chilies, ginger, coconut and mint leaves.Stir for a minute or two till all the mint leaves are wilted, add grated coconut, stir well and grind them to a smooth paste in a food processor using little water. Check for seasoning. If you like it more hot, blend in a few more hot peppers, if you like it more sour add some more tamarind or you can add some lemon juice.

TEMPERING (OPTIONAL)

Ingredients

1. Veg. oil
2. Mustard seeds
3. Curry leaves

Now the next step is to temper the chutney. This is again a very simple process. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, and when the mustard seeds starts to crackle, add the curry leaves and take them off the fire and add it to the chutney and mix well.

Mix well and serve. These chutneys are so versatile, they can be served with almost anything. Are you bored of taking the same old sandwiches for picnics ? Add a dash of this chutney with your next tomato or cheese sandwich or try bagels with mint chutney and cream cheese ... use your imagination and have fun...

* Tamarind : is available in Indian grocery stores in various forms. It comes as a slab - which is what I have used in this recipe. You can use tamarind paste if you like...

* Grated Coconut : Is available in frozen form in Indian grocery stores - if you don't want to go through the hastle of buying a whole coconut, breaking and grating a fresh coconut.

Mint Chutney (Pudina Chutney)

 

It is this time of the year that my backyard is full of Mint leaves. Let us explore the various ways of making a Mint Chutney. Through the following pictures, I am going to illustrate that making a pudina chutney is a very simple process.

In India there are various ways of making Mint or Pudina chutney. Just as the cuisines vary so much from state to state, region to region -

The above ingredients clockwise (starting from top left) are: salt, green chilies & ginger root,tamarind, and Anardana* powder (Available in most Indian grocery stores). If you are not able to find it - don't worry too much about it, we can make it without the Anardana - just increase a little bit of tamarind. :-)

Basically, it is as simple as putting all the ingredients and putting them into a blender with a little bit of water to grind. Check for seasoning.

*Anardana are pomegrante seeds - available in Indian grocery stores in the seed or powdered form.

In the next post we will check out various other ways to make Mint chutney and more ...

Variation: You can add some plain beaten yogurt and then adjust the seasoning.

For more on Mint read Joe Yonan's post here in the Washington Post food blog.