Goat Cheese & Cilantro Spread (Kothamali Chutney)(East meets West)

This is a true fusion recipe which brings together the best of the west and the east - Cheese (all kinds) has pervaded the Indian cuisine for a long time now - With this recipe, I bring to you a traditional south Indian chutney made with cilantro and red chilies and other flavors (see recipe below). With adequate spicing, this chutney can easily be blended into a creamy goat cheese to make a fine spread for veggies or crusty warm bread.

Another post for Avant Garde Cookies, this is a spread which can be whipped up at short notice

Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients

4 bunches of fresh cilantro, pre-washed and stems removed

2 green chilies

2 red chilies

1 tbsp urad dal

A pinch of asafetida

¼ tsp of tamarind paste (optional)

2- 3 tsp of sesame oil

2 tbsp of water

Method
Sautee the urad, chilies, asafetida in the oil.
Add the cilantro leaves and cook for a few minutes until the water has evaporated.
Add the tamarind paste and mix it in well to the leaves.
Cool and grind, using very little water

For the Spread
1 Ounce of goat cheese
2tbsp of chutney

Method
Whisk the cheese into the chutney and keep refrigerated until use. Enjoy with raw veggies or over toasted bread or pita or as a spread for a sandwich

Onion & Peanut Chutney

A simple quick and fabulous chutney to accompany dosa, (lentil crepes) Idlis (savory cakes) or even mix in with rice. Having the kids home demands that you be quick and creative - it is always a pleasure to have them home, but the problem usually is coming up with an idea for  a meal more than making it - I am sure all you experienced chefs out there would agree - Rava Idlis and Chutney seemed like a perfect light and simple lunch to make- So we did and it was enjoyable - And what was best is although it is frigid outside, the sun shines even brighter making for good pics - Lately I have made food that I wish to blog in the evening and Jan evenings are usually gloomy and dark even by 5, making for not so great pics of really good food - Will strive to be more efficient with the daylight hours for blogging.

Here is the recipe
Ingredients
1 big red onion
1 handful of roasted peanuts (husk free)
3-4 of your spicy dried red chilies
1tsp of sesame oil

For tempering
a pinch of asafetida
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
fresh curry leaves
1tsp of sesame oil

Method
In a wok/kadai/frying pan heat the oil and add the ingredients and cook until onion is translucent
Cool and grind
Temper with the suggested ingredients

Serve with Idlis, dosas, rice or chapatis - See here with hot and delicious Rava Idlis

Enjoy

Paneer-yarams with Creamy Fennel dip

Just when I thought I'd exhausted all my ideas for leftover idli atta, of course, kuzhi paniyarams struck me. When I posted on Facebook for ideas with Fennel greens, I had a wonderful list of things I could do with it from a bunch of friends, each one of them gems which i plan to make-
But the easy and delicious one which was immediately executable was Priya's suggestion of a dip - Then I decided I would also chop the greens and the bulb and use for the kuzhi paniyarams - had a block of paneer sitting around and decided to grate that into the kuzhi paniyarams making for delicious paneeryarams :)) Nothing like a little twist to tradition, what say?

I used
1/2 a bulb of fennel,
2 stalks of fennel greens,
1/4 red onion, 1 green chili,
1/2 tsp of turmeric
3/4 cup of grated paneer,
1/4 cup of grated cheddar.
I lightly sauteed the fennel, greens, onions. turmeric and chili in 1 tsp of olive oil.

Batch 1

First batch I made, I tried to do a sandwich with the cheeses. It tasted great but made for messy pouring - so I simply incorporated the paneer & cheddar into the batter and poured the second batch like that - result = awesomeness!

Batch 2

Fennel Dip
3 short stems of fennel greens chopped fine
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1tbsp low fat yogurt
1tsp of Tzatziki herb mix
1tsp salad spice mix (this is like paprika)
mix in and serve with hot Paneeryarams.

Showcasing dip and my peeling nail polish :)