Tomato Chutney

This is Nanima's recipe for tomato chutney, as a child, I remember eating this with 'everything', it's great as an accompaniment to regular food or on a piece of toast, it's genius !!

Ingredients:

500 gms tomatoes

1 large onion - finely chopped

2 tablespoons oil (sunflower/canola/vegetable/peanut ...... just not olive oil)
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (also called onion seeds or kallaunji)

1/2 inch piece of ginger .... grind to a coarse paste
2 big cloves of garlic .... grind to a coarse paste

1 level teaspoon salt
2/3 - 3/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder

Method:

- heat oil in a pan and add nigella seeds (let them sizzle ..... for 20-30 seconds)
- add chopped onions, sorte on medium heat till the onions are translucent

- add ginger & garlic paste and stir for about a minute to cook the ginger & garlis

- Add tomatoes, then add salt, red chilly powder and garam masala.

- Cover and cook on a low heat till the tomatoes are soft and mushy soft.

- Remove cover, add sugar and stir through till the sugar dissolves and cook on a low-medium heat till the chutney thicken and starts resembling a runny jam.

- let the mixture cool, store in a sterilized bottle and refrigerate ........ there are few things in this world more satisfying than the flavors of your childhood !!

Sindhi Kadhi

This comes from my mum-in-law's kitchen ....... its simple, easy, quick & delicious :)

Ingredients:

250 gms okra (try eggplant, beans or capsicum, for a change)

1 large potato

2 tomatoes (medium size)

1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)

3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (msmt for commercial asafoetida, if using fresh/pure asafoetida.... you'll only need a 2 pinches)

1 green split green chilly (optional)

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon chilly powder

salt to taste

1.5 cups water

fresh coriander (1/4 bunch)

Method:

- wash, dry and shop your veggies - into chunks

- in a pressure cooker add oil, let it heat up then add mustard seeds when they start to crackle add cumin seeds, asafoetida, split green chilly

- add the chickpea flour and reduce the heat to low immediately and keep stirring the flour till it starts to change color to a deep gold

- add okra & potato chunks and (dry) stir for 3-4 minutes

- then add the tomatoes and salt to taste stir through add 1 cup of water and lock in the pressure cooker, in a futura, after it reaches the pressure whistle reduce heat and cook for 4 minutes. In a regular pressure cooker it take 2-3 whistles

- on opening the cooker, add fresh coriander & stir through gently

serve hot with rice ...... happiness :)