Posts Tagged ‘Condiments’
This chutney combines some classic Indian flavors-ginger, chili, coconut, cilantro, fennel, and cardamom. It goes well simply on buttered toast or could be used as a dipping sauce for samosas. Whisk in some oil and vinegar and you’ll also get a really flavorful salad dressing!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 serrano, chopped or to taste
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 teaspoon light muscavado sugar
- 1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed
- salt to taste
Directions:
- Heat oil. Add fennel seeds and innards of cardamom pods. When they pop, add ginger and serrano. Stir for 10 seconds. Add vinegar and stir again for another 10 seconds.
- Add coconut along with 1/2 cup of water, raw sugar, and salt. Stir for 10 seconds. Let cool. Blend along with cilantro. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency. Enjoy!
These are chewy, spicy, and sweet candy-like confections but work wonderfully in savory dishes where you want a sweet and spicy flavor at the same time. This variety is crystallized with raw cane sugar as opposed to white sugar. I bought it at my local health food store but you can also look for it online.
Fats carry flavor and as little as a half a tablespoon per serving for a dish can go a long way. Without flavor, our taste buds do not register satisfaction from foods we eat. We end up feeling deprived and then get tempted to reach out for junk. There are many types of cooking fats, butter being one of distinct flavor. I use it occasionally and variably with other oils. And why not—it’s certainly not a highly processed food. All it is an immediate by product of cream. In fact, some ayurvedic treatments include ghee (clarified butter). And forget those butter “substitutes”-I can’t even pronounce half of those ingredients on the label (TBHQ?!?!). Whereas unsalted butter has one simple ingredient: cream (and of course a natural byproduct of bacteria, lactic acid, to help in the formation of the butter curds) . As always with dairy, opt for organic.
