Kothamali Thogayal (Coriander Dip)

A simple dip or chutney or even can be prepared as a coriander rice. This is something that would help us on a lazy day. I tell you, winter makes me so lazy. Lazy is just not the word. Hasini asks me sometimes, mommy if you sit down to watch TV, "what am I going to eat?" So, during winter, lots of hubby cooking days comes :) and my hubby is a very happy man cooking for me. But, he never wants me to comment or criticize after eating. Well, who will criticize when food is served at a cozy couch (esp., after marriage)?

A simple thogayal for you, which can also be prepared with mint or curry leaves. So enjoy with your favorite tiffin either idli, dosa, or for variety rice, or even for your curd rice.

Nutty (Walnut) Chutney

I have come across quite a lot of recipes about walnut chutney. Well, this is an easy one and tasty too!

This is my first entry for Blog Hop Wednesday @ Radhika's Tickling Plates. It is just so exciting to know so many bloggers around the world. And the more interesting fact is that to try out their recipes.

I am so happy to adopt this recipe from Princy's Spicyfood blog. I have included and excluded couple of ingredients and the original recipe goes here.

You need:
Walnuts - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup (slightly lesser proportion to walnut)
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 4 to 5
Mint paste - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - 5 sprigs

Add everything to your mixer and grind with little water to make the chutney. Add salt in the end and grind once for the salt to mix thoroughly. Garnish with some chopped walnuts.

You can serve for a variety rice or dosa or idlis. Or you can cut down the coconut and use it as dip for sandwich.
Note: Do not add more mint or coconut, if you like the nutty taste of walnut. 


The walnut gives this nutty aroma and a creamy texture to the chutney. This gives some uniqueness.
 I'm send this for Healthy Cooking Challenge of Edible Entertainment

Health benefits of Walnuts

The nuts are rich source of energy and contain many health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.

They are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (about 72%) like oleic acid and an excellent source of all important omega-3 essential fatty acids like linoleic acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and arachidonic acids. This is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.

Eating just as much as 25 g each day provides about 90% of RDI (recommended daily intake) of omega-3 fatty acids.

In addition, they are also excellent source of vitamin E, especially rich in gamma-tocopherol; contain about 21 g per 100 g (about 140% of daily-required levels). Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen free radicals.

These nuts are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates.

They also very are rich source of minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Copper is a cofactor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as co-factors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis. Selenium is an important micronutrient, which functions as co-factor for anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidases.

Walnuts oil has flavorful nutty aroma and has an excellent astringent properties; helps to keep skin well protected from dryness. It has also been used in cooking, and as “carrier or base oil” in traditional medicines in massage therapy, aromatherapy, in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.

Munch a handful of walnuts a day and you will have enough recommended levels of minerals, vitamins, and protein.

Gobi Paratha

I love parathas, what ever be the filling. Rather than the routine rotis, I prefer to have parathas. It is very easy that they can be had with curd or pickle.
When my mom was with me last time, I never tried to be in kitchen. And now I never let her in, and love to cook all that I can for her. My mom is a great lover of Gobis and she enjoys all dishes made out of it! So I thought I would try Gobi Parathas. When I was looking for recipes on cookbooks, I came across some recipes which is layered parathas. Somehow I dint want to try that now, rather I adopted the traditional method to prepare the Parathas. I would surely try the layered one ssometime later.



You need:

Cauliflower - 1 cup minced
Onion - 1/4 cup, minced
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cumin / jeera - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Oil to saute
Salt - to taste

Heat oil in a skillet, add the cumin powder or the seeds. Once cumin splutters, add the onion and saute unitl the onions are golden brown. Now add the ginger garlic paste (i nalways use fresh minced ginger and garlic). Next add the garam masala, chilli powder and salt to taste. Mix well and then add the miced cauliflower. Cook this on low flame with covered for about 10 mins. You can sprinkle very little water. There should not be too much of water as it will make the roti mushy.
It should like this -

You can add some paneer for an added taste. And finally add finely chopped coriander leaves.

We need to make the dough. We will need 4-5 cups atta/whole wheat flour, salt and a little warm water. Mix in the salt and add water little by little to the atta to make a firm dough. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Make lime-sized balls. While you make the dough into small balls, make the gobi masala also into small balls so that they should be 1/2 the size of the dough balls. And then roll out each dough to a circle. Now fill in the gobi masala and close the dough and press it flat. Then again roll out to a circle.

Little of the masala might come out, it is ok. It often comes out for me. Sometimes I tend to keep more of the masala and it muddles so badly, oops! It happens every time I prepare Parathas, and still I love to prepare the way they come for me.
Now you can cook them on hot griddle. First cook one side, then go to other side. Make sure you take them when they are golden brown. Don't forget to add a pickle or little curd.

 I made methi chutney to dip in the parathas. And they were just great!

Coconut Chutney

The coconut chutney is almost used with all dosas and idli types. One a normal serving style, this is the basic chutney served with other chutneys. I usually add the extra coriander-mint flavor to the coconut chutney and make it green chutney.
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup roughly chopped coriander with 2 tsp chopped mint
3-5 green chillies
1/4 cup bengal gram
1/2 tamarind
mustard, oil for tampering
salt to taste

Grind finely the coconut, coriander, mint leaves, green chillies, tamarind, bengal gram well. Add water to desired consistency. Tamper the mustard seeds and add to the chutney. Add salt to taste. Serve with hot dosa or idli. This can be refrigerated for a day for 2.

Vegetable uthappam

Vegetable Uthappam with coconut-(raw) mango thogayal
Vegatable Uthapam is a savory rice-lentil pancake. There is no hard and fast rules for the vegetables to be added.  It is thick dosa stuffed with vegetables.  The batter is made of para-boiled rice and Urad dhal with some salt. This lentil is a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high  fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. This lentil are also a good source of two B-vitamins, protein and iron with with virtually no fat. Brightly colored vegetables are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. Vegetables are a powerful source of antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players  in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes.

You need
2 cups of Dosa batter
1 cup vegetables (thinly cut onion, carrot, capsicum)
2 tsp finely cut cilantro
4 finely chopped green chillies
ginger (optional)
Oil for dosa

For making Uthappam, heat a iron griddle, once hot take a ladle of batter and spread to form a circular one. Take a handful of chopped mixed vegetables and spread over the dosa and add a tsp of oil around the batter.

Cover it and cook for 2-3 mins in medium heat and once one side is well cooked, flip and now cook the other side without covering for a minute. Once well cooked remove and serve hot with coconut-mango(raw) thogayal - recipe follows.

Coconut-(raw) Mango Thogayal 

You need
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tsp grated raw mango
4-6 red dry chillies
salt to taste
Slightly roast the chillies and grind with the other ingredients to form a thick paste. Tamper with mustard seeds and serve with hot Uthappam.

Sandwich chutney

Sandwich chutney is also the green chutney which is used for almost everything! It is so yummy, sometimes we have it with idli, dosai also!

Onion Thogayal

Everytime I make chutneys for idli and dosai. It has become a routine side dish. We had a very heavy lunch and I thought I would make a not a heavy side dish! I also don't have much time, and something different frmo the routine one. Then I thought I would prepare onion thogayal, which is one of my favorite made by my grandmother.