Thursday, December 14, 2006

Indian Winter # 1 : Garlic Greens Chutney

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Garlic Greens Chutney decorated with a garlic greens braid

Although garlic is available (in almost the whole world?) all year around, the green chive-like shoots on garlic are to be seen in the markets here in Pune only during winter which is from November to January. When you spot these and some more veggies in the markets, you know it is winter.

Growing garlic greens is rather easy, I have heard. I have also been planning to do it for some time now. But I guess, I don't have a green thumb like Inji Pennu. I don't know whether it's the lack of dedication or interest or just the lack of enough water(?), but my plants often die prematurely. :( Shammi, maybe you relate to me?
Well, anyway, the point is that I cook with garlic greens only when they are available in the market, which they are right now. Lots of them. Among other things, what I also made with them is this chutney. Let me add that this one is entirely my creation. I mean, ok, it's just a simple recipe and no diagram for making rockets, but heck, it's mine!!!

By the way, in case you want to grow garlic greens at home, Martha Stewart has got some help to offer.


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(Left to right) Garlic greens with fresh cloves at one end and roasted, skinned peanuts

Recipe for Garlic Greens Chutney

Makes 1 cup.

Ingredients:

7-8 stalks of garlic greens
½ cup roasted, skinned peanuts
½ cup beaten yogurt
1 large chilli
1 tsp chopped ginger or ginger paste
a pinch sugar
salt to taste

1 tsp oil
½ tsp cumin seeds

coriander leaves for garnishing (or a braid made with three green garlic stalks)

Method:

1. Wash the garlic greens. Remove the roots at the end and discoloured stalks, if any.
2. Mix all ingredients in the first list (i.e. upto salt) in a grinder and grind until you have a smooth paste. Take this paste out into a serving bowl.
3. Heat the oil in a Tadka ladle. Once hot, add the cumin seeds to it and take the ladle off heat. The cumin seeds will pop in the hot oil. Let the oil cool a little.
4. Add the Tadka to the garlic greens-peanut paste. Either mix and serve OR leave the Tadka on top; it makes for an interesting garnish.

Serve this chutney as an accompaniment with any meal. In case you don't mind having garlic for breakfast, you could serve it with Idlis or Dosas too.

Notes:

1. In case you do not have access to garlic greens, you could use regular garlic too. The chutney will still taste good. However, if you can make garlic greens available for yourself, then I'd highly recommend it, because the greens lend a unique depth of flavour to the chutney.

2. If you have much more garlic greens on hand than what this chutney requires, try using them in place of regular garlic in any dish. You won't regret, I guarantee.
I would like to send this first post in my series 'Indian Winter' to Kalyn for her Weekend Herb Blogging. I know, it's gonna be a 'Holiday Special' edition this time around, but then we don't have holidays here in India. :(

32 comments:

FH said...

Dear girl! Are you trying to make me jealous of you?!:D Where do I go to get Garlic greens now,got to wait until summer to grow some! Your dish looks great and I will try this when I get some greens.
Vaishali,you missed my 'Our 20th' post btw!

Anonymous said...

Hey, Vishali. Never made this chutney before...

And whatever do you mean "we have no holidays here..." All we have are holidays!! :) including Christmas! As Indian as chai. So, let's be Merry! Happy Holy-days.

Priya said...

I have never ever seen garlic greens...in fact I even forgot there might have greens !!! With such a start I think the Indian Winter series is only going to make all of us here GREEN!! :-P

And the recipes I tried from your blog were truly amazing and all the praise showered on them was just what was due :-)

Shammi said...

Oh Vaish... totally empathise with your garden woes! :) Actually I tried growing some garlic last year (basically planted those pods that were already growing!) but they're still in the pot because I dont know when thy're ready for harvest Does Martha Stewart have anything to say about that?

Never mind, I'll check for myself! How lazy can I get! :)

Anonymous said...

Anything I plant refuses to grow. However, wild garlic flourishes. I thought I was yanking out weeds. One stem refused to yield and snapped in my hand and suddenly there was this heavenly smell! I thought it was some sort of opiate that transported me into some sort of nirvana on earth. I dug deeper into the soil and found these strange looking bulbs that looked like a cross between green onions and garlic. But I couldn't bring myself to cook with them though as I had just cleared a huge pile of dog poop from the flower bed in which these were growing! Yeow! Maybe next spring and summer!

Which chilli did you use in the chutney? Green or red? And what about in the phodni? A red chilli in the phodni is amazing. It oozes spicy oil back into the chutney! Yum! Yum!

Vini K said...

Hi Vaishali,

Never heard of garlic greens..the dishes sure do look tempting.Maybe I will gro the garlic greens on my own here..

swapna susarla said...

hai vaishali

this is my first time to ur blog...u have a nice blog over here...i was stayed in pune for 1 year..then i know about these garlic greens.
but i don't know about this chutney....it is looking great...thanks for sharing..

Manjula said...

Ive been always looking for chutnies without coconut. Will surely try this one

indosungod said...

Congratulations first on your very own garlic chutney. I have not seen them in grocery stores but I can try growing them in summer. Can I substitute with chives?

Inji Pennu said...

Loved your idea of Indian Winter instead of the "Indian Summer" we usually hear. :)

If I use garlic pods, instead of the garlic stalk, wont I have to use lesser amount of garlic since pods are more spicy?

I like any posts with my name being mentioned..hehehehe.. Just kidding! Moved to a another blog:
http://myinjimanga.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

That looks and sounds absolutely amazing, Vaishali.

You rock!

Anupama said...

Vaishali, Garlic Chutney looks lip-smacking. Looking forward to tasting some good food at your place when I see you.

Krithika said...

your 'original recipe' rocks ! have never used garlic greens. may be i should start growing some.

Lakshmik said...

Cannot wait to have this chutney with steaming idlis. Thanks for the recipe.

Anonymous said...

Hi Vaishali...Chutney looks devine. ..~grin~...Its been a long time since I have seen green garlic. Thanks for sharing...you brought back good memories...~smile~

Sunila said...

Hi Vaishali,
have been to ur blog a few times and 1st time am leaving a comment.ur entire blog seems yummmy to the core.the garlic greens chutney i will surely make coz i luv anything garlicy.i bought some greens a few weeks back and didnt know what to do with them and made some sabji with tomato in it and also used in salads.c ya!

Mahek said...

lasanichya kandyala mast veeni ghatali ahess
will try this chutney !!
bye
mahek

KA said...

Vaishali
Great chutney recipe, I am going to try this one.

Anonymous said...

Have never seen this here ! Would love to try this one.

Btw that green looks very pretty :)

Unknown said...

Love the garlic greens, I tried growing them once, but the pigeons got the better of me! They taste great in a regular coriander chutney too, gives that ZING!

Funny that all us bloggers in India are going gaga over winter vegetables (greens) - stuff is so fresh, u cant help but write about them.

Mandira said...

Vaishali - after reading your post, I spotted garlic greens in the indian store. I had never noticed it before. Looks delicious.

Anonymous said...

where are the Indian winter recipies???? Is it spring in India alredy??

Unknown said...

Hello
Thanks for this Garlic Greens chutney. First time am looking at the garlic shoots, thanks for the photos. Try this Garlic pickle -real tongue tickler:
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/5632-post27.html

Chef Jeena said...

Hi there, nice recipe it looks delicious :) Feel free to visit my blog too :)


Click here for jeenas food recipe blog :-)

Shella said...

Once again, I never thought anybody could put to use the greens of the smalls garlic pods!!

I will definitely try it .

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Show you said...

Serve this chutney as an accompaniment with any meal. In situation you don't ideas possessing garlic for breakfast.

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