Crisp Chilly Chutney

Crisp Chilly Chutney 

(Doodhi / Ash gourd peels with chillies)

This is one of my favourite chutneys. Hot soft rice with a spoon of homemade ghee and salt, sprinkled with this chutney and you wont need anything else. It is a dry chutney and goes well with curd rice, give that extra crispy bite to the soft texture of curd rice. In sandwiches too it gives that extra crunch to soft fillings. Sprinkled on salads it gives a wonderful bite and heat to the cold salads. 
I like it a little extra brown so I have made it that way but you can just keep it a little green if you prefer. It should be roasted on medium heat till everything becomes crisp.
Try it. You will never throw away the ash gourd/ pumpkin peels again.




When Chef Mireille announced Chillies as the main ingredient for the ongoing event 'Taste Of Tropics' I had to share this recipe.


Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped peels of Doodhi/Ash gourd
1/2 cup chopped green chillies 
1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
1 heaped tblsp white seaseme seeds
1 heaped tblsp flax seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp asefotida powder
1 tblsp vegetable oil 
salt to taste

How to proceed:
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or wok. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds. asefotida, stir for 10/15 seconds. Add curry leaves, chopped chillies and choppes Ash gourd peels. Now on medium heat stir continuously for 10 minutes or till 3/4th done. Now add the sesame seeds and flax seeds and continue stirring till everything is crisp or till flax seeds stop popping. Add salt to taste and give one last stir and remove from heat and let cool. Keep in a air tight jar till it lasts. 

Note: 
*Use any kind of chillies that you like. Hot or mild the choice is yours.
*You can use red Pumpkin peels too or any from the same family vegetables. 
*If you want some sourness to your chutney add one piece of kokum or tamarind along with chillies and remove it after it is done. 
*I use filtered groundnut oil or sesame oil. But you can use any vegetable oil.