How to Roast Red Chillies | Kitchen Basics

During my initial days of cooking,while writing down recipes given by my MIL,I always wondered about the ingredient - roasted red chillies.At home,amma added red chillies as is to the coconut and made masala.But most recipes from South Canara(Mangalore side) used chillies in the roasted form.

MIL always has a big container of roasted chillies ready to be added to make chutney or any coconut based masala required for most of the curries in our cuisine.Initially,I roasted the required amount of chillies and used but that was tedious.So I started doing this.It is not actually a recipe or such.Just a method to keep the chillies roasted and ready to be used.

I use a mix of regular red chillies and Byadgi chillies.It gives the required spice and a lovely colour to the curry.You could use either chillies or a mix of both like how I am doing.

In a kadai add a couple of Tbsp of coconut oil and 

roast the byadgi chillies for about 5 minutes.

Then mix in the regular chillies 

and roast further for 10-15 minutes.The chillies become crisp and break when you crush it.That is the stage when you should switch off the kadai and let it cool down completely.Store in an airtight container.

Here are some recipes which use the roasted red chillies

Kellya Koddel

Palak and Vegetables Ambat

Alambe Saung

Ambya Gojju

Karaate Saglen

Onion Tomato Chutney | Chutney Recipes

I absolutely love the fiery red chutney which accompanies dosa/idli in South Indian restaurants.Somehow I never tried it at home since Ajay only prefers coconut chutney.Even at home,amma always made chutney with coconut.But I badly wanted to try making the red chutney so I asked Selvi,my house help if she knows to make it.This is her recipe and believe me,it's awesome.

Most recipes call for either Onions or Tomatoes but this one uses both.I like to pair it with idli mostly because the heat of the chutney perfectly balances the bland taste of the idli.It tastes delicious with Ghee Dosa too.

Onion Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

Oil - 2 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 4-5,depending on your heat preference
Onion - 1,sliced
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Tomatoes - 3 medium,chopped
Salt to taste
Jaggery - a small piece,about a tsp

Method

In a kadai add oil and saute channa dal till golden brown.
Add the chillies and saute for a minute.
Remove the dal and chillies and keep aside.
In the same pan add onions and curry leaves and saute till the colour changes to golden brown(about 5 minutes on low-medium flame).
Mix in the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes soften and become pulpy(about 5 minutes).
Switch off the flame and add salt to taste and jaggery.
Grind to a slightly coarse paste in the mixer jar - the consistency of the chutney depends on your preference.I like it not to be too smooth with a bit of texture.
You can serve it as is or add a tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil.

Step by step Method

In a kadai add oil and 

saute channa dal 

till golden brown.

Add the chillies and saute for a minute.

Remove the dal and chillies and keep aside.

In the same pan add onions and curry leaves and saute till the colour changes to golden brown

(about 5 minutes on low-medium flame).

Mix in the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes soften and become pulpy

(about 5 minutes).

Switch off the flame and add salt to taste and jaggery.

Grind to a slightly coarse paste in the mixer jar - the consistency of the chutney depends on your preference.I like it not to be too smooth with a bit of texture.

You can serve it as is or add a tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil.