10 minute chow chow chutney recipe that pairs well for idli and dosai. Perfect for the busy weekday mornings. Recipe with video.
Chow Chow Chutney / Merakai Bajji is an excellent chutney / mash that can be made in 10 minutes. This goes well with idli and dosai. This chutney stores well in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days. Perfect for the busy days and is a very healthy chutney made with veggies. Chow Chow / Chayote is rich in amino acids and a good source of vitamin C.
I have used country tomatoes for making this recipe. Its important to use ripe tomatoes. Deseeding the tomatoes for this chutney is recommended. It results in a smooth texture. The veggies are cooked in a pressure cooker and then mashed with a masher. Do not use a blender to grind the mixture. The texture does not come out well. Mashing with a potato masher is preferred.
Here is the recipe for all purpose Idli Dosai Batter made at home. https://www.kannammacooks.com/idli-dosai-batter-recipe/
Here are the products you can buy online for making this recipe 3 Liter Stainless Pressure Cooker https://amzn.to/3rxv6D4 Single Piece Teak Wood Chopping Board https://amzn.to/3gxkG08 Stainless Steel Double Handle Potato Masher https://amzn.to/338He4e White Granite Pan with Lid PFOA Free https://amzn.to/3HDhdsD
Here is the video of Chow Chow Chutney | Merakai Chutney | 10 Minute Easy Chutney For Idli And Dosai | Merakai Bajji Recipe | Merakai Masaiyal
Ingredients for Chow Chow chutney
250 grams chow chow 2 tomatoes deseeded 1 pod garlic 3 green chillies 1 handful of coriander leaves 2 sprigs curry leaves 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon sambar powder 1 small piece tamarind 3/4 teaspoon rock salt 1/4 cup water
Tempering the chutney
1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
Method:
Peel and chop the chow chow into cubes. Deseed the tomatoes. Take a pressure cooker and add in the chow chow, deseeded tomatoes, garlic, chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, spice powders and the salt. Add in a little water and cook for 5 whistles. Open the cooker after pressure settles. Mash the chutney with a potato masher. Tempering – Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the asafoetida. Immediately add it to the chutney. Mix well. Serve with Idli and Dosai.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 5m
- Cook Time: 5m
Ingredients for Chow Chow chutney
250 grams chow chow 2 tomatoes deseeded 1 pod garlic 3 green chillies 1 handful of coriander leaves 2 sprigs curry leaves 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon sambar powder 1 small piece tamarind 3/4 teaspoon rock salt 1/4 cup water
Tempering the chutney
1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
Method:
Peel and chop the chow chow into cubes. Deseed the tomatoes. Take a pressure cooker and add in the chow chow, deseeded tomatoes, garlic, chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, spice powders and the salt. Add in a little water and cook for 5 whistles. Open the cooker after pressure settles. Mash the chutney with a potato masher. Tempering – Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the asafoetida. Immediately add it to the chutney. Mix well. Serve with Idli and Dosai.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 5m
- Cook Time: 5m
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/chow-chow-chutney/
Recipe for bitter gourd podi that tastes really good with rice and ghee. Homemade pavakkai karam podi recipe with video.
Here is a delicious podi recipe made with ground bitter gourd and spices. Bitter gourd is ground and roasted till dry. The lentils and spices are roasted and ground along to form a delicious podi. The podi stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want to increase the shelf life, use desiccated coconut instead of fresh coconut.
This podi is very slightly bitter that gets the thumbs up from my son who usually hates bitter gourd in any form. So it’s a win win at home.
After roasting the ingredients individually, the lentils are ground first to a powder. Then oily ingredients like coconut and peanuts are added and ground again. This way, the peanuts don’t release oil thereby making the podi pasty. Always use the PULSE mode in the mixie to grind the podi so the right texture is achieved. A heavy duty Indian style mixie is preferred for making this recipe.
I like to saute the bitter gourd paste in a non-stick pan so it does not stick while frying. If using a traditional metal pan / kadai, you might want to use extra oil while frying.
Here are the products you can buy online for making this recipe
Non-Stick/Stainless Steel Frying Pan https://amzn.to/347Rry7 Heavy Duty Indian Mixie https://amzn.to/3GptNKD
Here is the video of how to make Pavakkai Karam Podi For Rice | Bitter Gourd Podi For Rice Recipe | Homemade Bitter gourd Podi Recipe
2.5 tablespoon Indian Sesame Oil (divided) 250 grams bittergourd, roughly chopped 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoon urad dal 2 tablespoon chana dal 2 sprigs curry leaves 4 dried red chillies 4 cloves garlic 1 marble sized tamarind 3 tablespoon peanuts 2 tablespoon coconut 1 tablespoon jaggery 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
Clean and prep the bittergourd. Grind to a paste in a mixie without adding any water. Set aside. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and in the ground paste. Add in the salt and saute the bittergourd till it’s dry like a powder. Set aside on a plate to cool. In the same pan, dry roast the urad dal till golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.. In the same pan, dry roast the chana dal till golden. Set aside on a plate to cool. In the same pan, add in the curry leaves, red chillies, garlic and tamarind. Add in the remaining oil and saute till the chillies fluff up. Set aside on a plate to cool. Dry roast the peanuts till golden. Set aside on a plate to cool. Dry roast the coconut till golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
Take a mixie jar and add in the roasted urad dal, chana dal, tamarind, garlic, chillies and the garlic. Grind to a powder. Now add in the peanuts, and jaggery. Grind to a coarse powder. Use the pulse mode to grind. Finally add in the coconut and asafoetida. Grind for a few seconds. The bitter gourd kaaram podi is ready.
To Serve – Mix a few teaspoons of podi with rice and ghee. Mix well and serve.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10m
- Cook Time: 20m
