Losne chutney (Garlic chutney)

Garlic chutney goes very well with all kinds of dosas especially coconut dosa ( pan polo) I like this chutney especially because the ingredients are fried in ghee and it gives this chutney a different taste. You can even spread this chutney on bread toasted with ghee.

What you will need:
14-16 pods of garlic
1 cup grated fresh/frozen coconut
6-8 dried red chillies
small amount of tamarind
2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
salt to taste

How to prepare:
Heat a teaspoon of ghee and fry the garlic and keep aside.
Heat another teaspoon of ghee and fry the red chillies and then add the grated coconut. Fry until the coconut turns slightly brown.
Grind together red chillies, coconut and tamarind into a paste. Do not add too much water. Now add the fried garlic and salt and grind until smooth.

Green Vegetable Pulav

This is the traditional way of making pulav and it takes a little longer than the quick fix pulavs. But whenever we have friends over for dinner, I usually prepare this as it smells really good and tastes just great. You can make this pulav with plain rice also and it tastes just as good, but basmati rice gives a different aroma to this preparation. I do not like adding potatoes to this pulav, but you can add it if you like.

What you will need:
2 cups white basmati rice
1.5 cups of vegetables ( carrot, beans, peas and cauliflower )
a small bunch of coriander leaves
few mint leaves (optional)
6-7 cashews
4 green chillies
Whole garam masala (1" cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom , mace blades)
1" ginger
2 pods of garlic
2 medium sized onions sliced
1/2 cup of fresh/frozen coconut
1/4 cup ghee/oil
salt to taste

How to prepare:
Wash the basmati rice, drain the water and keep it aside.
Grind coconut, green chillies , ginger, garlic , cloves, cinnamon, mint and coriander leaves into a smooth paste.
Heat the ghee/oil in a pan and all the whole garam masala and the cashews.
Now add the onions and fry them until they are golden brown. Now add the ground paste and fry until the raw smell goes away.
Add the rice and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the vegetables and salt and after 2 minutes add 4 cups of water. Cover and cook until done. Serve hot with raitha or kurma.