Green Cilantro Chutney/Pesto

A staple found at most Indian homes is the green  or tikha chutney made from fresh cilantro leaves, green chilies, lime juice, jeera/cumin and salt and oil. Some people like to add fresh mint leaves and make a mint chutney also. This chutney has various uses, use it for chats, bhelpuri or  simply spread it on a slice of bread and make a sandwich or use it as a dip for cutlets, kebabs or fries. I like to dip salty potato chips into this chutney and eat it as is..tastes awesome; the salt of the chips and the tang of the chutney sings ballet in my mouth, and awakens my tastebuds like nothing can..

Another way to use the chutney is going the fusion foods way...I like to use it as a pesto on a pita and make a home made pizza in few minutes..(that's another post I promise of a Chutney Pizza)..it will taste good on some cooked pasta also...but today am going to share my mom's way of making this chutney and storing it for some not so great nights, add a spoon full to some pulav rice and make some tava pulav, or add some to the batate wade batter, the options are endless on the creative ways to use this chutney.

You will need;

2-3 cups of fresh washed cilantro leaves

2-3 green chilies

2 tspn jeera/cumin seeds

Salt to taste

1 Tbspn Lime Juice

2 Tbspn oil

water as needed for grinding into a thick paste

In a grinder/food processor take all of the above cilantro, chili, cumin, lime juice and salt and take little water enough to grind it into a thick paste, grind it and when storing add the oil and mix well. The oil along with the lime juice prevents the cilantro from turning black and increases the shelf life. Store in a refrigerator, it would stay good for about 7-10 days.

Hope you all make this zesty and yummy chutney and also share with me how you make it at home.

Linking this to Julies EP Series

Love Ash.

Kasuri Methi Poori--Namkeen Poori

The Tikhat/Namkeen poori was a staple in my home, anytime we had unexpected guests, we had to travel in trains for long distances, school picnics or the 4pm snacktime with chai, my mom made these hot piping pooris. She made few changes every now and then, sometimes adding more of ajwain seeds/Carom Seeds or adding little dry methi/fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi or at times adding some cilantro to the dough, all times they were gone before they could be served on a plate or she could even turn around.

Like me, even my kids love these poori's, and demand that I make them at least once a week and give them in their lunch box. I have cut down on deep frying and using a lot of oil, so we have a pact that I will make them once a Month. Everything in moderation, you see.

You will need;

1 cup whole wheat flour--(will make about 15 small poori's as shown in pictures)

1 tbspn fine sooji or semolina

1 tspn ajwain or carom seeds

1 tspn red chili powder

1 tspn turmeric powder

1 tspn cumin and coriander powder

1tsp salt or as per taste

1/2 tspn sugar-optional

1tbspn kasuri methi or dry fenugreek leaves

water to knead the dough--this dough is slightly hard and not like chapati so use less water to knead the dough

Oil for deep frying

In a bowl, take the flour and semolina and add the dry powders, salt and sugar, add the kasuri methi leaves and knead into a hard dough . Keep aside for 10 mins.

In a wok, take oil for frying, take only as much as the pooris will immerse, I would say about 2-3 cups of oil, and heat it till it smokes once and then reduce the heat to medium.

Make small round balls of the dough and roll each one out (try rolling like thin cookies). I use a round cookie cutter to make the poori's.. they look cute if they are all of the same size. Fry each one of them in the hot oil, one at a time. DO not rush and be extremely careful when frying. The ideal way to fry poori's is to slide the poori from one side of the wok. DO Not throw the poori's in the hot oil, the oil will splutter and splash and burn your hands.

Once you slide in the poori in the hot oil, let it puff up from one side, once it puffs up, turn it and let the other side puff up.. once both sides are puffed , drain them on some paper towels to remove excess oil and enjoyy them hot or cold, either ways they are delish

They stay good at room temperature for about a couple of days, never tried for more than that. I make them in small batches as per my need for the day.

Hope you do make these today and enjoy simple pleasures of home food.


I am sending these poori's to Archan's Event Fast Food not Fat Food. I know that the poori's are fried, but they are really not fat food if you enjoy them once in a while.

Love Ash.