Onion Relish for Sakinalu

I love chatting up my ammamma (maternal grandmother) on the phone. You know why? Because she tells the best stories. Stories about her childhood, about her hometown in Telangana (state in southern India), and her favorite dishes. 

She made the long journey from India to US and is currently staying with my family. I'm so happy because I can go visit her whenever I want to and listen to more of her stories. She always has something new to tell me. 

My favorite part of the conversations are always about food. She knows how much I enjoy cooking and trying new dishes and snacks. A popular Telangana snack is sakinalu.  

Sakinalu served with onion relish

Sakinalu is circular in shape (as shown above) and is crispy and crunchy. It is made with rice flour, some spices, sesame seeds, carom seeds, salt and is fried in oil. 

My ammamma used to get this snack especially made for us whenever we visited her in India. Her relatives made kilos of this snack, packaged it in gallon sized ziplock bags and distributed to all the family. It's best when eaten within a month's time otherwise it will go stale. 

Sakinalu can be enjoyed on its own or with onion relish or chutney (shown below).

The main ingredient or highlight of this relish is the onion, hence the name. It's best to use sweet onions but if those are not available, you can also make with regular onions as well. Check out the recipe for the relish below: 

Ingredients

1 large (about 4" wide) white or sweet onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)

1/4 tsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1-1/2 Tbsp dry coconut powder, grated

Procedure

Heat oil in a medium saucepan on low and add chili powder. Stir for 15 seconds and then add onions, brown sugar and salt. Continue to cook on low heat stirring frequently for 10 to 15 minutes or until the onion is well cooked and water is evaporated and the chutney comes together without sticking to the pan. Next add the coconut powder and mix well. Cook for an additional minute and remove from the stove. 

The spicy and sweet flavors in this relish pair well with the Sakinalu. Sometimes, I wonder...which do I love more? Sakinalu or the relish...especially since I put a teaspoon of the relish on each of the piece of the snack. At this rate, I usually run out...but I can always make more because now I have recipe. 

Whenever I eat this snack, I think of my ammamma and all of her stories...looking forward to seeing her again soon...

How do you enjoy sakinalu? What chutney do you eat it with? Drop us a comment. 

Cool Cucumber Salsa

Didn't think we would see much sun this summer...especially with all the rain in the last couple weeks. However by clockwork, in the third week of June, the sun came up and dried up all the rain. Additionally, in the last week, it scorched us all with temperatures in the high 80s and 90s. It hardly gave us time to adjust to climate and temperature changes. It's important to keep cool and stay refreshed in this weather.
Some of the ways, we stay cool is by enjoying yummy delights like mangoes, spritzers, iced teas, and salads. Summertime also brings a lot of families and friends together for backyard parties. We came up with this new fusion recipe for a salsa that incorporates cucumbers...and not just as a garnish but as the main ingredient. It has a bit of everything; heat, sweet, tang, and surprisingly crisp flavor.

Ingredients:
- 1 long firm Green Cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 2 Green chilies, chopped
- Walnut size ball of Tamarind
- 1½ tbsp of Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp of Dhanjeera powder
- ¼ cup Coriander, chopped
- ½ tsp Salt (adjust to your taste)


Add a little water and soak tamarind until soft (or microwave for 30-40 seconds) and put aside. Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and use chop mode to mix all the ingredients well. Helpful Hint: Do not pulse until it's a smooth paste unless you want to drink the salsa. Pour out the mixture into a presentable dish and enjoy with your favorite chips.

It's September - Time To Spice Up Condiments

If you have ever been to an Indian restaurant, one thing everyone can count on is the different kinds of chutneys (sauces) that are served with the food. The last time I went to this restaurant called Dosa Hut, the waiter brought over my Masala Dosa order with 3 chutneys. I tried all of them and in end stuck with the coconut one which wasn't too spicy.

In 2008, my family and I went back to my native country (India) for vacation and had the time of our lives. Since we haven't been back in a while, a lot has changed; especially the restaurants scene. A lot of new places popped up and enticed customers with their unique dishes. I couldn't believe my eyes when our relatives took us to this restaurant in Himayatnagar (suburb in Hyderabad) for lunch.  The restaurant's name is Chutney's. Hmm, I wonder what they are famous for? Below is a picture of the chutneys that were already placed on our table before we ordered our entrees. More chutneys accompanied our dishes so we had a loads to choose from. It was fun trying different chutneys or sauces with our dishes. I will definitely go back to this place when I visit again.

So in light of our trip to Chutney's, we've decided to dedicate the month of September to chutneys and raitas.  

In the US, most people know of  chutneys as sauces that are served with food like condiments (mustard sauce and ketchup). And for the most part, they are right. Tamarind and coriander chutneys are used like condiments on top of snacks like chaat, samosas, tikkis, and other such foods. However, in South Indian cooking, there are other types of chutneys that we prepare which are eaten with rice and/or naan. These chutneys are more like curries that are more hearty and flavorful. Below are a few that we whip up often for their nutritious value and taste:

Chutneys

Tori or Chinese Okra

Raitas (Yogurt based)

Bell pepper

Spinach

Long Squash
Tomato
Beet Root
Eggplant