GARLIC CHUTNEY PUDI

Zzzzz…zin…zind….Zindabad …oh those pearls from Vegetabad!

Come…fall in love with these cloves quaintly wrapped in a beautiful bulb that builds your bones and brightens your health. Awed by its aroma?  Yeah… awesome maybe to many like you, gruesome perhaps to some like me J, this kind and gentle garlic is waiting to greet you yet playing pranks, hiding! Wanna know its hideout? Dig into this recipe only to find these precious pearls grounded amidst …. 

Garlic Chutney Pudi, a dry coarsely textured powder, is a must Masth Masala condiment that is used pretty commonly in Hamaara Bhaarath breakfast and snacks, be it for Plain roti, Pav Bhaji, Bhakri, Idli or Dosa. Mixed with rice, spread on masala dosa / burger or sprinkled on sandwich, its powerful pungent scent makes its strong presence felt even before it is smelt! Well known for its health benefits, brought about chiefly by Allicin, a sulphur compound that lends a distinct aroma, this gorgeous Garlic is most commonly used to combat common cold.

Dish type: Spice Powder

Time required: 20 min approx.

Yield: 100 gms approx.

Ingredients

Garlic                         15 to 20 pods

Peanuts                       1 tsp

Sesame seeds             1 tsp

Cumin seeds              1 tsp

Methi seeds               1 tsp

Coriander seeds         2 tsps

Red chillies                4 nos. (2 nos. byadagi variety and 2 nos. guntur variety) or 1 tbsp. red chilli powder

Tamarind                    A small piece (marble size)

Dry coconut grated    1 cup (100 gms)

Curry leaves               few sprigs

Salt to taste                1 tsp approx.

Jaggery                      1 tsp (optional. If using, adjust quantity to suit your taste)

Directions

Roast all the above ingredients separately over low flame in a pan. After each ingredient is roasted keep transferring to a plate. Let them cool thoroughly at room temparature.

Wash curry leaves, drain out the water, spread it on a clean towel and let it dry thoroughly in shade before roasting. While roasting , colour of leaves should not turn dark brown.

A drop of oil can be used for roasting red chilies only.

Dry coconut can be roasted last. When you are done with roasting all other ingredients, turn off the flame. Heat that still remains in the pan after switching off the flame is enough to roast dry coconut.

Powder them coarsely. Store Garlic Chutney Powder in an absolutely dry air tight container.

Tete - Tete:

Garlic pods can also be chopped to smaller uniform sized pieces before roasting since the size and thickness of each pod varies.

For a spicier taste, 1 tsp roasted pepper corns may also be ground and added.

Skip curry leaves if you wish to get deep red coloured powder.

In case Chutney powder has lumps (due to use of tamarind) dry it in sun for about an hour before transferring it to air tight container. This longers the shelf life of the powder.

While preparing, storing or serving any spice powder, pan used for frying, grinder used for grinding, container used for storing and spoon used for serving, all of these have to be absolutely dry. Even a drop of water for grinding is a big No-No!

While preparing any masala powder, it is always advisable to dry fry ingredients separately due to variance in size, thickness and texture of ingredients.

Healthy Tips:

To get rid of itchy athlete’s foot, soak your feet in a bath of warm water and crushed garlic.

Did you know…you can fix hairline cracks on glass using garlic? Crush some pods and rub the juice on the crack. Wipe away any excess.

Few cloves of garlic squeezed through a garlic press and mixed with extra virgin olive oil plus a pinch of salt makes for a healthy dressing!

Recipe contributed by my septuagenarian mother in law, Smt. Nanda Ramesh, expert at preparing Sweety n Spicy condiments

Also view in this blog:
Menthyada Hittu (Fenugreek Powder)
Pepper Rasam Powder
Vangibath Powder
Sambar Powder
Rasam Powder
Miligayi Pudi (Spice Powder for Idli/Dosa)

Ragi Malt Powder (for an awesome Health Drink!)

Few recipes using curd (yogurt)
Ondelaga Thambuli (Spicy yogurt using Brahmi Leaves)
Doddapatre Thambuli (Spicy yogurt with Coleus)
Hasi Majjige Huli (Spicy Sambar using Curd and Chayote)

Recipes viewed here are a part of  "Mangala's Potluck" section in this blog