So, after years of following a gazillion food blogs and channels, finally, here I am, with my first post that’s really more about finally DOING something that I love so much and that also occupies more than 95% of my mental space! (95% of the time)
I know the photography is as far from perfect as can be, and maybe the writing a little too sketchy, but hey after only 6 years (eye rolls) of starring dreamily at blogs, channels and beautifully written posts, I did finally get out here!!
As Indians, we love a little extra dash of flavor with every bite and we keep on inventing new ways to excite our taste buds. And hence behold the chutney, sincerely doing its duty to every Indian Household since forever!
My first memory of having chutney was at my hometown in Kerala. All good things come from mothers and grandmothers and this one did too. My maternal grandmother is a great cook (like most grandmothers) and she makes a smacker of a raw mango chutney, also called ‘manga chammanthi’ in Malayalam. She used to make hers on this huge huge grind stone; now if I were asked to grade the respect that each of the cooking tools/equipments received in my grandmother’s kitchen, this grind stone would definitely be number 1! Not many people were allowed to use it and we kids were definitely not allowed to be near the stone. She made all her masala pastes, spice powders and chutneys on this grind stone and that is also why despite using the same ingredients, no one can still replicate her recipes, that and of course that magic wand that is her hand! Now, of course, the grind stone has been replaced with a modern grinder, grandma still makes her famous chutneys and curries when we visit her, and delicious they are, but definitely not the same. Her raw mango chutney was my particular favourite; raw wild mangoes, sea salt, cumin, birds’ eye chilly from her garden and lots of freshly grated coconut and maybe a few sprigs of curry leaves (also freshly pluck from the garden), grinded to perfection on her trusty grind stone! That chutney was in itself enough to convert every meal into a feast.
This one however, is not my grandmother’s recipe, but I promise, it is delicious! Living in Rajasthan, I dearly miss my dose of coconut chutneys made with fresh coconut. A friend had introduced me to the idea of making chutneys with nuts and I decided to play with the recipe a little more to change it almost ninety percent, but the result was delicious, the flavours are robust and they marry together to make a chutney that is lipsmackingly good. It would go well with almost anything, and it also great as a dip or even a spread on breads.
Ingredients:
Peanuts- 75 grams
Lime- 1 whole
Cilantro- half a bunch
Green Chilli- 1 whole(less if you prefer less heat)
Garlic- 2 fat cloves (actually depends on how much you like the garlic flavor)
Ginger- 1 inch (chopped into pieces)
Natural Yogurt- 2 tablespoons
Cumin Powder- half a teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Olive Oil- 1 tablespoon
Method:
Dry roast peanuts and allow to cool
Bring all ingredients together in a grinder jar and grind until smooth, avoid using water, instead add a little bit more yogurt or even olive oil to get the grinder going.
Once done, transfer to a bowl, drizzle olive oil on top and garnish with cumin powder and paprika (optional)
Full recipe: Peanut Cilantro and Lime Chutney