Amaranth Chutney - Thotakura Thokku

Growing up, Rajgira or Amaranth seeds/flour were the healthier substitute for rice and wheat flours.
But the leaves of amaranth (Thotakura) were a yummy staple in a few South Indian households, including mine.

We would make dals, fried vadas, quick sautés, but my favorite was and still is the thokku ( mash/chutney). Rich in Iron, Vit-C,Vit-A amaranth leaves are as nutritious as they come and Mom’s recipe made it it a treat to eat.

The recipe has many variations ..
Some of the ones I personally recommend :

1. Adding a 1/4 cup of dry roasted peanuts or dalia before blending. 
2. Adding fresh raw mango as well when roasting the leaves
3. Using Green chilies instead of red ones
4. Using broth/whey instead of water while grinding 
5. Making it more thicker ( as my mom does, rather than saag like that my family prefers) 

The Original Recipe : yields about 2 cups of thokku ( saag consistency)

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of amaranth leaves -washed  
• 2 tomatoes - chopped 
• 1 medium onion chopped 
• 6 -8 pods of garlic chopped
• 4 dried red chilies
• 2 tbsp oil for roasting , 2 more fur tempering
• Tamarind ( 1/2 inch ball) 
• Salt to taste

Tempering 

• Urad seeds
• Mustard seeds
• Methi (fenugreek) seeds 
• Curry leaves 
• Hing powder
• Dried red chilies
• Save a few pieces of garlic and onion for tempering 

The ingredients are simple , not many spices, as the idea is to highlight the flavor of the Amaranth.

Method:

1. Take 2 tbsp oil in a nonstick pot and let it warm up (not hot) , once warm , add the red chilies, garlic and a pinch of salt , roast till they are aromatic (no need to brown the garlic)
2. Spoon out the chilies and garlic in a  bowl or the blender directly, leave most oil back in the pot , to this add onions and tomato and sauté for 5 mins 
3. Once the onions and tomatoes are mushy add the amaranth leaves and mix them up , leave on medium-high for 2-3 mins till amaranth leaves wilt and shrink. Cook for a 1 min more. 
4. Take the mix into the blender with salt, tamarind and the garlic and red chilies that were roasted. You can add water to make it saag like or leave it out as make it paste like blend. 
5. In the same sauté  pot ( I am a cook-in-one-pot person) , add 2-tbsp oil , add all the tempering dry ingredients and wait for mustard to splutter and seeds to turn brown, add the curry leaves, and garlic and onion pieces
6. Add the blended chutney to the pot and mix well and let it simmer for 2 mins. 
7. Thokku is ready to be served! 

My Version Mirch ka Salan

Mirch ka Salan is a famous Hyderabadi recipe and a popular side for the famous biryani , however not being a meat eater and living with roommates who consumed only Satvik food or non spicy food made my recipe evolve over the years, I have returned to making the Salan with onion and garlic, however I have left some of the spicier ingredients to when my kid grows up!

It’s needless to mention, but I will anyway, the original recipe is my mother’s, and like every one in Hyderabad she also had her own recipe, likely that if you taste the famous Paradise Biryani Salan it won’t taste the same as mine or moms, but just as tasty :)

The Mirch ka Salan can be adapted to any vegetable Salan - I have seen eggplant, okra, zucchini.

Ingredients ( serves 4)

4 jalapeños, deseed if you want no spice
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/4 cup peanuts with skin
1/4 cup desiccated coconut, sub fresh grated coconut if not available
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus  khus)
1/2 tsp cumin ( jeera)
1 tbsp sesame seeds.
1tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 nickel sized tamarind
Garam masala powder ( 1/2 teaspoon)
Cinnamon powder ( optional) just a dash
Oil ( coconut or peanut)
Salt

Method :

In pan take about 2 tbsp oil, coconut oil is what I always use, it elevates the coconut taste in the dish. But you can use any other oil.

Submerge the peanuts in water and microwave for 2 mins to soften them.

Add jeera and roast, add ginger garlic paste and roast for a min

Add onions and salt and sauté till it softens

Add poppy seed, sesame, Garam Madala, cinnamon powder , piece of tamarind

Add the softened peanuts sauté for 3-5 mins on med flame.

Cool and grind to a smooth mixture - this is very important, the mixture should be a smooth paste with no gritty peanut pieces.

In the same pan, add 1/2-1 tbsp of oil and add the slit and deseeded jalapeños
Roast till they are charred on all sides and become slumped ( my mom usually roasts on fire, but it’s not an option with the smoke alarm going crazy, but you can roast in the regular oven or a toaster if you want)

Put the jalapeños aside ( add them at the end to the mix)

In the same pan, take another tsp of oil and put some more jeera seeds, turmeric powder, add the ground mix, with a little water and stir.

At this point if you want more spicier Salan add the jalapeños into the gravy or leave them out till the last min.

Keep the flame on low, cover the Salan and boil for atleast 10-15 mins to let the tastes blend in.
Keep stirring in 5 min intervals

Add jalapeños if you haven’t already - adjust consistency, salt or sour or spice if needed and garnish with cilantro

Serve hot!

Enjoy!

Sweet Peppers chutney

Sweet peppers chutney is a wonderful sweet-sour-salty chutney. The ingredients themselves add the sweetness, so no need to add any additional sugar! Goes well with dosas and idlis!
If sweet peppers are not available, sub with 2 bell peppers ( red or orange) , red works better.

Ingredients: (makes about 8oz of chutney)

10 mixed color sweet peppers. ( I get mine from Costco) chopped
1 Onion chopped
1 Roma tomato chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Nickel sized tamarind
Oil
Salt

Tempering

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal
1-2 dry red chilies
2-3 curry leaves.

Method:

In a pan, heat abou 2 tbsp oil, add the ginger and chopped onions and sauté till they turn brown.

Add the chopped sweet peppers , tomato and salt, sauté till all the peppers are well roasted and soften, if you prefer more sweetness then char the peppers, add tamarind and mix in while the peppers are hot, so it blends in.

Let it cool completely, then coarse grind the mix. Try not to add any water.

In the same pan before, take another tbsp of oil and add the tempering mix, wait till the mustard splutters, then add the coarse ground mix, and sauté for 5 mins, this will reduce the water in the chutney , bringing all the chutney together.

Serve hot or cold, garnish with cilantro if desired.