Italian Recipe: Spaghetti puttanesca

Spaghetti puttanesca  is a spicy, tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish.  The ingredients are typical of Southern Italian cuisine: tomatoes, olive oil, olives, chili pepper, capers, garlic.

Ingredients:

400 gr spaghetti

400 gr peeled tomatoes or tomato puree

2 tablespoon parsley

8 filler anchovy

100 gr pitted olives or gaeta olives

4-5 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of capers in salt 

2 cloves of garlic

1 fresh chili or powdered chili pepper

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water and drain the cooked spaghetti.
2.  Heat extra virgin olive oil and fry chili and garlic. Stir well on a low flame.
3. Add capers and olives and stir for few minutes.
4. Add tomato puree and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, until you have lovely tomato sauce consistency.
5. Add parsley leaves.
6. Add drain spaghetti into it and stir well.

Your Spaghetti puttanesca is ready to serve. Serve hot with more olives and parsely leaves.

Sweet Raw Mango Chutney (Methamba) (Jam)

This is the season of Mangoes.. The King of fruits.

Mangoes are widely used in Indian Cuisine.

In Maharashtra, a spicy, sweet and sour semi-solid side-dish called meth-amba is made from unripe mango slices, jaggery and fenugreek seeds. They can be served with poories and polies, like jam.

This is one of my favorite recipe using 'Raw Mango'.  This recipe has tangy and sweet taste. That's the reason this dish is kids favorite. 

So learn how to prepare Raw Mango Chutney (Jam).. 

Ingredients:

2 raw mangoes peeled and sliced

1-1/2 cup jaggery

1 tea spoon fenugreek seeds

1 tea spoon mustard seeds 

pinch of salt

pinch of asafoetida (Hing)

1 tea spoon turmeric powder

1 tea spoon chili powder

1 tablespoon oil

Method

1. In a pan, heat oil,add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
2. When  mustard  seeds and fenugreek seed splutter add asafoetida and  raw mango.
3. Cook for a while till the mangoes become soft and tender.
4. Add turmeric,chili powder and pinch of salt.
5. Mix well and cook it for a minute.
6. Add jaggery and mix well.
7. Cook it for a 1/2 minute
8. Allow to cool, then chill and serve.

Serve this with poories,chapati or with bread like jam. Enjoy.. :-)

Tamarind Chutney (Tamarind Ketchup)

Tamarind(Imli) Chutney (Tamarind Ketchup)

This tangy chutney can be used as a dip or stir-in sauce for numerous Indian snacks.

This exotic sweet and sour chutney is a delicious condiment. This chutney can be called as ketchup also.
A very popular chutney served with many chat dishes.
Those who love the taste of tamarind would love this chutney.
So let's start.. :-)

Ingredients:
200 gm Tamarind (Imli)
100 gm Jaggery
1 tea spoon Cumin seeds powder
1/2 tea spoon black salt
Salt to taste
1 tea spoon Chat Masala
1 tea spoon red chili powder

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
2. Remove the seeds of tamarind and make extract.
3. In the pan,heat 1 tea spoon of oil and add cumin seeds into it. Cook till they splutter.
4. Add 2 cups of water, tamarind water, red chili powder, cumin seeds powder, chat masala, jaggery and black salt and salt to taste. Bring to boil.
5. The jaggery melts completely.
6.  Simmer over low heat until the mixture turns a deep chocolaty brown and is thick enough.This should take 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce will be thin, but it will thicken upon cooling. 
   
7. Bring the sauce to a boil and turn off.
8. Allow to cool, then chill and serve.

Your tamarind chutney is ready to serve.

You can serve this chutney with various chat items like Batata Wada,Samosa, Kachori.

So enjoy this sweet and tangy Tamarind Chutney.