Apple Chutney

Apple as the saying 'An apple a day keeps a doctor away' needs not much explanation to say it is beneficial. It has cancer preventing properties and may also help with heart disease, weight loss, and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fiber, which reduces cholesterol by preventing re-absorption.

I was working on how to get it into a serving where one is happy eating even as he/she is not an apple liker and the result is this yummy chutney.

Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple#Health_benefits, http://www.allaboutapples.com/health/index.htm

Serving: This recipe will serve 3-4

Ingredients:

• Apple- 1 Large 
• Urad dal/ Split blach gram seeds 1/2tsp
• Chana dal/ Split chick peas 1/2 tsp
  
• Menthya/ Fenugreek seeds 1/8 tsp
• Hing/ Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Dry red chillies - 3-4 or as required
• Salt per taste or 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Grated coconut fresh or frozen - 1 tbl spn
  
• Oil 1 tsp

How to make:

• Heat oil in a pan on medium flame
• When oil is hot add black gram, chick peas, fry for 3 mins
  
• Add asafoetida, red chillies and fenugreek seeds and fry for another minute
• Empty the fried masala to a bowl
  
• Add chopped apple(1/2 inch cubes should do), turmeric, tamarind juice to the same pan
• Fry for 3-4 minutes 
• Blend this with fried masala with coconut, salt to a smooth paste
  
• Serve this with dosa/ idli. Can be used as a dip for crisp snacks.  

Lettuce Chutney

Green leafy lettuce is mostly eaten raw in salads /sandwiches. It is a low calorie food and is a source of vitamin A and folic acid. 

Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce

Serving: This recipe makes about 6tbl spn of lettuce chutney  

Ingredients:

• Lettuce - 4 leaflets
• Coriander leaves/ Cilantro - 3-4 sprigs
• Grated coconut fresh or frozen - 1 1/2 tbl spn
• Salt per taste or 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal/ Split blach gram seeds 1/2tsp
• Jeera/ Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
• Chana dal/ Split chick peas 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery/ Black sugar - 1/4 inch cube
• Green chillies 2-3 or as per taste
  
• Oil 1 tsp

How to make:

• Chop cilantro and lettuce and fry in a pan for about 5 mins and keep aside
• Take 1tsp of oil in the pan and fry urad dal, jeera, chana dal and green chillies
• If coconut is frozen microwave it for 30 secs
• Blend this masala with the fried leaves, tamarind, jaggery and coconut into a coarse paste
• Add water while grinding if required
• Mix salt and serve with idli/ dosa. This goes very well with sandwiches.

Tomato chutney

Tomatoes is an edible fruit though it regarded as vegetable. Tomato has a natural antioxidant and is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer and known to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays.
Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

Serving: This recipe serves about 2 people, when eaten with dosa or plain rice.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 2 meduim sized
• Urad dal/ Split blach gram seeds 1/2tsp
• Chana dal/ Split chick peas 1/2 tsp
  
• Menthya/ Fenugreek seeds 1/8 tsp
• Hing/ Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Dry red chillies - 3-4 or as required
• Salt per taste or 1/4 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves/ Cilantro - 1/8 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  
• Jaggery/ Black sugar - 1 inch cube
• Grated coconut fresh or frozen - 2 tbl spn
  
• Oil 2 tsp
  

How to make:

• Heat a pan on medium flame and add 1 tsp of oil
• When oil is hot add black gram, chick peas, fry for 3 mins
  
• Add asafoetida, red chillies and fenugreek seeds and fry for another minute
• Empty the fried masala to a bowl
  
• Add chopped tomatoes to the same pan (1/2 inch cubes should do)
• Add turmeric , tamarind juice, jaggery
• Fry for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell of tomato is gone
• Blend this with fried masala and coconut and salt to a smooth paste
  
• Take 1tsp of oil in a pan heat it
• Add mustard seeds and cilantro
• When mustard seeds splatter mix it to the blended chutney
  
• Serve this with dosa/ idli/ vada/ rice. Can be used in sandwiches