Ground Nut Chutney

Ground nuts have many health benefits. Some of them are

• Peanuts are rich in energy and contain many health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.
  
• They are especially, rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acids that help to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol". Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids helps to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.
  
• These nuts are good source of dietary protein compose fine quality amino acids that are essential for growth and development.
  

Here is a chutney that can be used as a side dish for your breakfast.

What we need

• First we would require quarter a cup of roasted ground nuts.
• A cup of grated coconut.
• 3 to 5 sambar (small) onions.
• 5 to 7 red chillies depending on how spicy you want it to be.
• A small piece of tamarind.
• Quarter cup of curry leaves.
• Quarter tea spoon of mustard seeds.
• Quarter tea spoon of urad dhal. This is optional.
• 1 to 2 table spoons of oil.
• And some salt to taste.

Method

1. We need roasted ground nuts for this. But if you  are not able to find some you can get some dry ground nuts and roast them yourselves. Then remove its outer skin.
2. Slightly fry the red chillies without oil.
3. In a mixer first blend the roasted ground nuts. 
4. To this, add  grated coconut, onions, red chillies, tamarind,  sufficient water and blend well.
5. Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
6. Add the mixture (step 4) and salt to the stuff in the pan and mix well and heat it a little.
7. The ground nut chutney is ready.   

Andhra Kara Chutney

Here is a very pungent chutney from Andhra. This is good to be taken with Idlies, Dosas, Chapathis and Parathas. Let us see how it is done.

What We Need

• Sambar Onions - 20 to 25 Nos
• Garlic - 10 numbers
• Red Chillies - 5 to 7 Nos
• Tomatoes - 2 numbers
• Tamrind - A Little
• Salt - To Taste
• Oil - 4 Table Spoon
• Urad Dhal - 1/4 Tea Spoon
• Curry Leaves - 10 Nos

Method

1. Peel the onions' and garlics' skin and keep it as a whole (do not cut).


2. Cut  tomatoes into pieces.


3. Heat oil in a pan (3 table spoons) first saute red chillies and keep it aside.


4. In that same oil saute sambar onions.


5. While onions are a little sauted to that add garlic and saute it well.


6. Then add tomatoes, tamarind pieces and salt and saute well.


7. Allow it to cool.


8. Blend it in a mixer with red chillies without adding water.


9. Check salt while blending.


10. Then heat oil (1 table spoon) in another pan and add urad dhal and curry leaves. Turn off the stove.


11. To that add blended chutney and mix well.


12. Andhra Kara Chutney is ready.

Note: Serve for 3 people.