Chatni Pudi and Upma

The typical Indian dinner table is incomplete without it's usual set of pickles and  chutneys.

At my Mother's, we have a  small tray on which she arranges bottles of pickles and small containers like these (usually for Ghee) or these (for chutney) and is carried to the dining table for every meal (in my case, I prefer to leave it on the table to save that extra- read unnecessary, effort).
My Mother makes this awesome chutney. My Mother also makes awesome upma. The combination of Upma and Chutney (Mom made) is awesome... getting kinda repetitive, isn't it? But it is.... awesome. Honestly! 

This chutney poodi/podi/pudi (call it what you will) is a recipe handed down from Mother-in-law to Daughter-in-law.

I always referred  to the chutney as  'Bijapur' chutney. Mom almost always had a big bottle (complan/ horlicks bottles, now empty, washed and dried without a trace of the previous occupant) sitting on the shelf and would take out a few spoons in a small bowl or a container ( and sometimes a 'vati') and keep it on the dinner table. We would  help ourselves, sometimes adding perhaps a spoon of yogurt or just smearing it on the inner side of a phulka (which was already generously smeared with ghee), rolling it like a cigar to eat it or, mixing it with yogurt rice. But to me, the best combination was with either poha or upma. A small spoon of the chutney would liven up snack.

250 gms (approx 1 cup + 1tbs) Roasted Gram/ Daliya /Phutane/ DaaL ( the one used in Chivda)

1 cup Sesame / Til

2 cup grated  Dry Coconut

3/4 cup Jeere

100 gms (approx. 7 tbs)  *Byadagi Mirchi (dry red chiles)

Handful Curry leaves

1 tsp Asafetida
Salt

(*Byadagi is a variety of dry red chile)

Roast Sesame and keep it aside.

Roast grated coconut keep it aside

Roast jeera thereafter keep it aside

Add some oil to the frypan to fry the curry leaves
In the same oil(unless you added a few drops and it was consumed for the curry leaves) fry Byadagi Mirchi pieces.
Cool the mixture

Put everything together and the roasted gram (daliya)and salt and asafetida and grind it. 
Chatani is ready to serve.

For Upma: (serves 4)

1 cup Rava/ Coarse Sooji / Farina - Roast the rava to a golden color, using 1 tsp oil. Set aside.
1/2 medium sized Onion, chopped (optional)
2-3 Green Chiles (+/- to taste)
Few curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Chana Daal
1 tsp Urid Daal
1/2 cup Yogurt
3 cups Water
1 tsp grated Ginger
Salt to taste
2 tsp Sugar
2 tbs Oil
2 tbs Ghee
Chopped Cilantro ( about 2 tbsp ) to garnish


Heat Oil in a wok / kadhai
Add the mustard seeds, chana daal and urid daal. The mustard seeds will pop and the daals will turn a nice golden brown.
Sprinkle with cumin seeds
Add asafetida, chopped green chiles and curry leaves
Add the chopped onion, cover and cook till the onion is translucent and thoroughly cooked.
Add 1/2 cup water to the yogurt and whisk. Add the grated ginger to the whisked yogurt.
Once the onion is cooked, add the water, the whisked yogurt
Add salt and sugar and bring all this to a vigorous boil
Reduce heat and slowly add the rava, stirring and mixing constantly to prevent lumps
cover and cook on medium heat until the water has evaporated 
Add the ghee ( I add it along the sides of the kadhai/ wok and then mix it in)
Cover and cook for 2-3 mins
Garnish with cilantro and serve with some chutney on the side.

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