Cottage Cheese in Sugar Syrup!

Low Calorie Cottage Cheese Dessert recipe | Source

Quick n easy Dessert ideas

I LOVE DESSERTS! But what to do about the high calories?

It's smarter to look at portions than to count calories.

-----Randy Jackson

Cottage Cheese/ Paneer low calorie dessert | Source

I love Dessert but it has to be Low Calorie Dessert!

© Chitrangada Sharan, March 2012
All Rights Reserved.

• Most of you will agree with me that for regular day to day cooking, the recipes which can be prepared with minimum or very few ingredients and that too very quickly are preferred.
• I always love cooking recipes with minimum ingredients and the ones which can be ready in few minutes.
• Too many preparations are meant for grand parties or weddings or other ceremonies.
• Desserts are a must in Indian cooking. And since you eat it daily, there can not be anything better than a low calorie dessert.
• Here is one such dessert option, which you would enjoy making and serving to your loved ones!

What is Paneer?

-----Cottage cheese or Paneer as it is commonly called in India, is a versatile and favorite ingredient, for the vegetarians and is enjoyed both in sweet dishes, sweets or salted recipes.
-----It can be easily prepared at home, by curdling hot, boiling milk, with lemon juice or curd.
------After curdling,pass the milk through a sieve, discard the liquid and use the paneer/ cottage cheese.
-------Paneer/ cottage cheese is readily available at supermarkets, dairies as well.
--------Paneer or cottage cheese can be prepared at home as well. ( see link).
---------It is a simple and low calorie dessert.
--------I always keep Paneer in my refrigerator, because it is so easy to turn it into a great recipe and that too very quickly.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 15 min

Ready in: 30 min

Yields: 4

Home made Cottage cheese/ Paneer | Source

Other related hubs by Chitrangada Sharan

• How To Make Fresh And Pure Panner or Cottage Cheese ...
  Paneer or Cottage Cheese is a popular option for vegetarians in India. It is so versatile, it can be cooked both as a sweet as well as salted recipe. Have you tried making fresh Paneer it at home-----
• How to make Palak-Paneer or Spinach and Cottage cheese
  Spinach or Palak combined with cottage cheese or Paneer, is nutrition combined with taste. In addition it is a dieter's delight, since it is low in calorie and does not use too much fat or oil.

Ingredients

• 200 grams. Cottage cheese or Paneer
• 2 tablespoons castor sugar
• 1/2 cup dry coconut, grated
• 1/2 teaspoonful green cardamom, powdered
• 1 teaspoonful raisins

1. Take one litre of milk and put to boil. When it is boiled, add lemon juice and it will curdle. Pass through sieve and let the Paneer/ Cottage cheese cool/\.
2. Cut the cottage cheese into small pieces, such as square or triangles, as you choose.
3. Take a pan suitable for boiling liquids. Place a glass of water to boil, on medium flame. After 2 to 3 minutes add grated coconut, raisins and cardamom powder. One fourth water will evaporate by this time. Remove from fire and do not over boil, as the paneer will become hard.
4. When the sugar syrup looks ready with a two thread consistency, add Paneer/ Cottage Cheese.
5. Boil for another two minutes and then take it off the heat.
6. Transfer in a serving bowl and add thin shredded almonds and saffron, if you like. You may even decorate it with Silver foil, which is how the Indian sweets are decorated to give an attractive finish.

Indian Sweets Shop | Source

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Other Dessert Recipes Made With Paneer

Paneer is a very popular food item in India and can be combined with some other ingredients to make delicious sweets.

• Rasgullas~~~ the sweet dumplings in sugar syrup.
• Rasmalai~~~ is made with soaking flat Rasgullas in thick and creamy milk syrup, containing the richness of saffron and pistachios.
• Sandesh~~~ is pure paneer or chenna, mixed with green cardamoms or similar flavours.
• Chamcham~~~ is another favourite sweet made with chenna or paneer, with a lovely sunshine yellow colour.

To Conclude:

• My children just love Paneer and why not!

It is so low in calories and can be made so easily at home without much fuss.

• It is a good idea to make Paneer and store it in your refrigerator. In most Indian homes, you will find Paneer readily available in the refrigerator.
• But it is advisable to keep in deep refrigerator, otherwise it may become stale. You can take it out half an hour before cooking, so that it gets back at room temperature.
• With changing times, people are becoming more health conscious. So they prefer low calorie food, and the above recipe is an example of that.
• No ceremony is complete without Sweets, in India. And Paneer provides a huge variety in sweets. Almost every state in India has a different variety of sweet to offer.

Low fat, low sugar Paneer Dessert recipe | Source

 

The paanwala today, a few have become tech savvy and have outlets in airconditioned malls and shops. Some have their own websites where paan can be ordered and delivery is made as per the customers' choice at their homes.
One paanwala in New Delhi, Pandey Paan, claims to have served all politicians and all Indian Presidents since Indian Independence. He serves over 75 varieties of paans and all his products are tobacco free.
Pandey has served paans to President, Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton & former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

About Paan

Paan is a traditional digestive and mouth freshener used in India, since ancient times. It is chewed and eaten usually after meals but it can be consumed any time of the day.
Paan is consumed in many Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bamgladesh, Sri Lanka, Philipines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vitenam and Laos,
Paan has several ingredients that go into its preparation. Four things that are necessary to make a paan are :

• Betel leaf
• Catechu paste
• Areca nut
• Slaked lime paste

Different variations of paan are built from here. Different regions in India also have their own variations.
After adding the various ingredients to the betel leaf, it is folded into a triangular shape called a "Bida" or "Gilauree".
Some people add tobacco to the pan which then makes the paan harmful to health.
Paan was invented by the scholars of Ayurveda thousands of years ago. Reference to paan found in the ancient Indian vedic text " The Bhagvata Purana" goes back to about 5000 years. It references Lord Krishna as having eaten paan.
The popular tradition of paan eating was started by Queen Noor Jehan, mother of Emperor Shah Jehan, who got the famous Taj Mahal constructed.

Betel leaves

betel leaves the foundation of paan making ingredients | Source

Betel Leaf (Paan)

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Varieties Of Betel Leaves

There are 3 types of betel leaves that are used in making pan. They are:

1. Kalkatta - A dark green colored leaf
2. Banarasi - A light green colored leaf
3. Maghai - A leaf available in both shades of green but having smaller leaves than the above two varieties.

Kalkatta leaf is the most popular of all.

The Paanwala

The person who makes paan is called "paanwala". Paan can be bought at almost every street corner of India. The pan shop is not a big or elaborate structure. In fact it is a small wooden structure about 5 feet by 5 feet. You can see one such structure in the picture below.

Paan Shop

Click thumbnail to view full-size

A paan shop | Source

Different Types Of Paan

Some of the main types of paan that are prepared are :

• Sada Paan - It is the simplest type of paan. Most of the time areca nut, catechu paste and slaked lime paste is added to the betel leaf. Menthol powder, cardamom or clove can be added if the customer so prefers.
• Meetha Paan - It is a sweet paan with along with the above some spices like fennel seeds, cinnamom powder etc, gulkand, tutty fruity etc being also added.
• Tambakhu Paan - It is a sada pan to which tobacco leaf powder is added.
• Trento/olerno paan - It is a mint flavored paan.

Within these broad types, the leaves can be interchanged or different combinations of ingredients can be made as per the customer's choice.
Some more types of paan can be seen in the pictures below.

Different Types Of Paan

Click thumbnail to view full-size

South Indian Paan | Source

Super Tower Gulkand

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Ingredients Used In Paan

In the picture below, you can see some of the ingredients used in making paan. They are :

• Betel leaf - the leaf of the vine Piper betle.
• Areca nut- the seed of the plant Areca catechu. Both roasted and unroasted seeds are used. It is also called betel nut.
• Katha - catechu paste made from the bark of the plant Acacia catechu.
• Slaked lime paste - made with water.
• Gulkand - rose petals candied in sugar.
• Grated coconut.
• Spices - fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon powder, cloves, nutmeg powder wtc.
• Tutty frutty.
• Syrup of powdered rose leaves.
• Menthol powder
• Camphor powder.
• Dried dates.
• Hara patta - dried green leaves.
• Tobacco powder - This is ONLY USED for those who are used to consuming tobacco and ask specifically for its addition to their paan.
  

Different Ingredients Used In A Paan

the array of ingredients used in paan | Source

Making a paan

paanwala making a paan | Source

Watch How Paan Is Made In The Video Below

Paan Chewing - Some Research & Views

Though the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), accept scientific evidence confirming that chewing paan and consuming areca nut is cancer causing, there is research that underlines the health benefits of betel leaf and some of the ingredients used in paan, barring tobacco of course, which does cause cancer.
Read the following :
Read about the medical benefits of some of the ingredients that are used in paan
Read about the medical benefits of the Betel leaf. You can read the entire research article here. It will download as a pdf file.
Read about the benefits of betel leaf chewing.

More About Paan

Paan is also served in traditional ceremonies like marriages, receptions and religious festivals. It is a refreshing indulgence anytime of the day. Eating an occasional pan is a treat some people enjoy. Consuming paan regularly stains the teeth and gums permanently a reddish color because of the catechu paste.
For many of the regulars these paan shops have become a meeting place for friends to get together for a chit chat especially in the evenings or at night. Many paanwalas have installed small television sets that serve to entertain their customers whenever there is a cricket match going on and one can find hordes of people crowded around the paanwala's shop during such matches.
Truly, for the paanwalas the business is as brisk as ever and most of them keep their shops open well into the night to serve their clientele.

List of Tourism operators in India. Best Hotel, Tour, sightseeing Packages in India

India is a paradise for tourists. It has a wide range of climatic zones and geographical features like snow capped mountain peaks, beautiful rivers, tropical forests, islands beaches etc. India Gate, Taj mahal, Shimla, Manali, Ajanta, Ellora, Sundarbans, Jaipur, Kerala, Cape Comorin, Andaman are must see destinations for Indian as well as foreign tourists. 'Eco-tourism' is also popular in India, centred around forest and Hill tourist spots where one can enjoy the pristine beauty of India's natural landscapes while engaging in activities like Trekking and camping. Eco tourism is popular in the evergreen hilly state of Kerala and India's North-eastern states of Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya etc. Himalayas are the tallest and majestic mountains in the world and India is proud to house them. Places like Manali, Shimla, Mussoorie and Srinagar are top tourist destinations in the Himalayas where you can witness the mesmerising view of snow clad peaks of the tallest mountains in the world.
Government of India promotes tourism through its own agency 'Incredible India'. Various State governments are also operating their own tour agencies in India. They provide facilities such as Hotel/ Bus booking, sightseeing at reasonable prices. The quality of service and hospitality is very good. Apart from this, Indian Railways is also conducting packaged tours to many popular destinations in India through their commercial arm IRCTC. The package rates are perhaps the lowest offered by any agency in India. I have listed the government Tourist agencies state-wise below and the important places in the particular state
Incredible India: Run by Central Government Ministry of Tourism. Approved agency with certified tourist guides. Incredible India offers Hotel, Transport (Rail/Bus) as well as Shuttle facilities. Tourists can buy authentic Indian made handicrafts, tribal products and herbal medicines at affordable cost.
visit incredibleindia.org for more details

1. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation
Hptdc.nic.in, hptdc.gov.in
Important Places: Shimla, Manali, Dharamsala, Beas River, Rohtang Pass

2. Delhi Tourism
Delhitourism.gov.in

Important Places: Red fort, India Gate, Akshardam Temple, Humayun’s Tomb, Purana Qila, Zoological Park

3. UP Tourism (Taj Mahal)
www.tajmahal.gov.in
Important Places: Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort

4. Kerala Tourism
keralatourism.org

Important places: Cochi, Thekkady, Guruvayur Temple, Ashtamudi Backwaters, Alleppey

5. Tamilnadu Tourism Development corporation
ttdconline.com

Important Places: Mahabalipuram, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Tanjore Temple, Ooty hill station, Kodaikanal hill station

6. Karnataka state tourism Development corporation
Karnatakatourism.org

Important places: Bengaluru Silicon city, Lal Bagh, Mysuru, Coorg Valley, ISKCON temple, Bandipur sanctuary

Other state government Tourist operators:
RAJASTHAN- tourism.rajasthan.gov.in
ANDHRA PRADESH- aptdc.gov.in
JAMMU & KASHMIR- jktourism.org
GUJARAT- gujarattourism.com
MAHARASHTRA- maharashtratourism.org
BIHAR- bihartourism.gov.in
ANDAMAN & NICOBAR- andamans.gov.in

IRCTC: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) conducts regular packaged tours to various tourist locations in India. Discount offers are provided for bulk bookings. The rates are one of the lowest offered by any operator in India. Tour packages combining 3 destinations costs as low as INR 10,000
Visit irctc.co.in to check tour packages

Palace on Wheels: ‘Palace on Wheels’ is a Luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan state government. The train passes through important destinations and heritage places like Jaipur, Udaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh etc

Deccan Odyssey: Similar to Palace on Wheels. Runs through the state of Maharashtra
Kerala Sea plane Service: Commercial sea plane service by Kerala Tourism to enable tourists enjoy the scenic beauty of Kerala’s evergreen landscape and backwaters
Private online agencies: Some of the renowned online Tour/Travel agencies in India are Yatra.com, Makemytrip.com, thomascook.in etc. You could book Hotel/Bus, tour/sightseeing packages with them

Tiger Express: Recently, IRCTC launched the 'Tiger Express', a special tourist train that would take tourists to the national Parks of Bandhavgarh, Kanha etc in Central India and explore the majestic Tigers of India. The 5 nights/6 days tour package includes Tiger safari, sightseeing and accommodation in 3-star hotels

Parasailing at Goa: Goa is the most preferred destination for beach activities in India and is a foreign tourist's paradise. There are bars, casinos and water sports in Goa out of which Parasailing is an exhilarating experience. Tourists throng to experience the thrill of bring suspended high in the air above the sea and enjoy the adrenaline rush while being pulled by a speed boat. Many operators provide the service at reasonable prices.

Medicinal/Ayurvedic Tourism: India is the repository of medicinal knowledge since ancient times and even now India is famous for its natural indigenous medicinal systems of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani etc. People can get natural treatment for various ailments and also for general body rejuvenation. There are many centres in Kerala which offer Herbal massage treatment for various problems.
Herbal therapies are provided for problems like Diabetes. Yoga and exercise therapies are also provided. You can read my hub below regarding Ayurvedic Medicine treatments in India

Gulab jamun is a popular dessert of South Asia. Countries such as India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh are familiar with this dessert. As it is made in rosewater, the dessert got its name ‘gulab jamun’ in which ‘gulab’ is derived from Persian meaning rose. The word ‘jamun’ relates to the jamun fruits or java plums grown in Asian countries. The traditional method of preparing this dessert is from milk solids. 

History of gulab jamun

Gulab Jamun originates from Afghanistan. As it is made in sugar syrup scented with rose water, it got its first name ‘gulab’. Later saffron was widely used in place of rose water. Sikhs claim that gulab jamun was prepared by a Sikh chef named Sajjan Dhillon first to impress the king of Jaladabad. Some others claim its origin with some other stories. The dessert also became popular in Turky, during the Ottoman Empire that was called ‘lokma’ in Arabic language.

Gulab jamun recipe from milk solids

‘Khova/Khoya’ made from milk is what is traditionally used for preparing gulab jamun. Khova is milk cheese that is obtained by boiling and reducing milk in a wok for a longer time. You can replace khova with skimmed milk powder or condensed milk as preparing khova is time consuming.

Cook Time

Prep time: 45 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ready in: 1 hour 5 min

Yields: 10 gulab jamuns

Main ingredients | Source

Ingredients

• 1 small cup refined flour or maida
• 1 small cup skimmed milk powder
• 2 small cups sugar
• 2 small cups water
• 1 tbs baking soda
• a pinch saffron
• 4 to 5 cardamom pods
• 1/2 cup oil or clarified butter

Click thumbnail to view full-size

Dough preparation | Source

Instructions

1. Make the sugar syrup by boiling water and adding sugar to it. When it dissolves completely, stir it well to get a light solution. Mix powdered cardamom and saffron with it and keep aside covered.
2. Next step is preparation of dough. Flour and milk powder have to be kneaded well in a bowl by pouring milk little by little. Baking soda makes the mixture soft. If the mixture is hard, then sprinkle some water and knead well so that soft, small balls can be made out of the mixture.
3. Make small balls without forming any cracks and holes. Cracks may lead to disintegration of the balls while frying. Uniformly molded small balls would bring up attractive and appetizing gulab jamuns.
4. Fry these balls in a wok of oil or clarified butter on medium flame. You can fry one at a time, but not more than three. Ensure that the balls are fried uniformly and have the brown color. Also frying on high flame may cause break-up of the balls. When done, transfer these balls to the bowl containing sugar syrup.
5. After being soaked in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 hours, the balls turn to sweet ‘gulab jamuns’.

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In North India, gulab jamun is a common dessert that has a dignified place in the dining table. As commercial powder for making gulab jamuns is available now-a-days, making this dessert is very easy. But gulab jamuns made from khova are the real jamuns whose taste is lingering that can’t be obtained from using others.

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Nutritional facts for gulab jamuns

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 ball
Calories	143
Calories from Fat	72
% Daily Value *
Fat 8 g	12%
Saturated fat 3 g	15%
Unsaturated fat 5 g
Carbohydrates 17 g	6%
Sugar 16 g
Fiber 0 g
Protein 2 g	4%
Cholesterol 10 mg	3%
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Cook Time

Prep time: 3 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ready in: 33 min

Yields: serves two people

Ingredients

• 1 cup Long grained rice, (Basmathi rice)
• 1 Onion -, (large, finely sliced)
• 2 Red chilies, (slit lengthwise)
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 1 Cinnamon stick, (2 pieces)
• 2 Bay leaf
• 10-12 Cashew nuts, (break into small pieces)
• 4-5 Badam (Almond)
• 10-12 Dried grapes
• Salt to taste Salt to taste
• 4 tbsps Ghee

Cashew and Almond are getting fried in Ghee

Hot ghee with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves

Sauteed Red chillies, sliced onions in Pressure Cooker

Rice getting sauteed in the Cooker

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed vessel, add 3 tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt. Once hot, reduce the flame; add the cashew nuts, almond and sauté till it becomes golden brown. Remove the sauteed ingredients and place it in a separate cup.
2. Add the raisins(dried grapes) in the same vessel, and saute for a few seconds and place it with the sautéed cashew and almond.
3. In a pressure cooker, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and once ghee is hot, add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Allow it to splutter.
4. Add the red chilies in the cooker and sauté for few seconds.
5. In the same pressure cooker add the sliced onions and fry till it becomes golden brown.
6. Now add the drained rice and sauté on low flame for 4 minutes. Do not over mix, as the rice might break. Add 2 1/4 cups hot water and required amount of salt. Close the lid and allow the cooker to give 4 whistles. Switch off the flame when whistles are done.
7. Wait till the pressure gets released, remove the lid and mix well the sautéed cashew, almond and raisins.
8. Garnish the dish with sliced Cucumber, Sliced Tomato & chopped coriander leaves(if required). Serve hot with chicken curry or paneer curry or egg curry or potato curry.

What is idli?

During your visits to South Indian restaurants, especially at morning times, you might have come across most people eating some white round objects served in a tiffin plate along with some small bowls containing chutney and/or sambar. These white rounded pieces are known as idlis and they constitute the most popular south Indian breakfast recipe. The Idlirawa is made up of boiled rice flour ( rough flour) and idlis are cooked in steam. So they are very healthy and soft to eat.This recipe is so much popular and consumed daily, very often, because of this healthiness and easy to digest factor. Further, with the addition of chutney or sambar, its taste becomes superb, lucrative and spicy. The cost is also very affordable which further contributes to its popularity.
Right now, I shall deal with the preparation of Idli recipe and its side dish Chutney. In some later hubs, I may deal with other side items of idly such as sambar, chilli powder and various types of chilli powders.

Idli with chutney

Idly (topped with cow ghee) served with Chutney in the tiffin plate | Source

Ingredients required for preparing Idli

Ingredient	Quantity	Description
Black gram	150 grams	Dehulled (white)
Idli Rawa	300 grams	sold in markets as idli rawa (rough flour)
salt	one teaspoonful (flat)	refined iodized powder
water	350 ml	150 ml for grinding and 200 ml for mixing

The above quantities are for making 24 idlis (6 serves)

Requirements for preparing idli

Dehulled (white) black gram 150 gram to be soaked for Idli | Source

Idli Rava measured of 300 grams | Source

Idli cooker container and its frames displayed | Source

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How to prepare Idlis

• Soak the black gram (known as urad dal in Hindi, mina Pappu in Telugu) in a bowl with water in the previous evening itself. Allow it to soak for at least 4 hours.
• Before going to sleep, wash the black gram and remove the water. Put the grams into your grinder jar. Add water for grinding so that the water levels to the grams in the jar and the black gram completely immerse into the water. Normally for 150 gram soaked black grams, the water required for grinding is 150 ml but water is to be added in parts to avoid spilling out while grinding. Grind it for 30 to 40 seconds and remove the jar after unplugging.
• Now, take a big bowl and measure 300 grams of idli rava into it and add water to it so that it gets wet. It will require 200 ml. of water. Then add the above ground paste of black gram to it and a teaspoonful of salt and mix them all thoroughly with your hand and leave it for the entire night placing a lid on it.
• Next morning, when you are ready to prepare the breakfast, take the idli cooker and remove the frame from it. Fill water in it until it reaches to more than half of the mark indicated at the bottom of the vessel so that water does not touch the idli frame plates while boiling and spoil your recipe.
• Apply some oil or ghee to the idli plates before putting the idli paste into it.
• Then place the idli mix/paste into the places provided in each plate of the idli frame and spread it evenly so that it does not touch each other or spill down into the vessel.
• Now, put the plates one upon another on to the frame so that the holes for the passing of steam are not aligned with holes of upper plate as shown in the image below. Then place the frame of plates into the cooker container and close the lid.
• Light the stove and place the idli cooker on it and let it cook for 12 to 13 minutes. The whistles may be coming continuously but it will take full 12 minutes to get cooked well.
• In the meantime, you can prepare your chutney or do any other work.
• After 12-13 minutes, remove the cooker from flame and allow it to set for one or two minutes.
• Next, remove the plates from the idli cooker and keep each plate separately for one minute so that they can be easily removed from the frame plates with hand or spoon.
• Remove the idlis, each piece separately, from the frame and keep them in a hot box or serve immediately in tiffin plates along with the side dish if people are ready to eat. You can apply some ghee over the idlis for taste and energy.

Cook Time for idlis

PREPARATION TIME	COOK TIME	READY IN
Soaking time (4 hours) and time involved in keeping the idly mix to set for whole night or for at least another four hours at any day time not to be counted as preparation time. So preparation time is 1 minute for grinding and another 3, 4 minutes for mixing and 5 minutes for spreading in idli frame plates= total 10 minutes	maximum 15 minutes	25 minutes

To serve six persons 4 idlis each

Black gram ready for grinding with water added | Source

Idli plates with oil to be applied and idli mixture kept ready for preparation | Source

Idli plate filled with idli mix | Source

Idli frame ready for putting into idli cooker | Source

Ingredients required for "Idli Chutney"

Ingredient	quantity	description
Fried Bengal gram (split)	100 grams	dry fried grams dehulled (packets available in markets)
coconut	25 grams	cut into small pieces
green chillies	two	cut each into 2, 3 pieces
salt	one small spoon (flat)	iodized salt
a bit of ginger	small piece (equal to 1/4 chilly)	raw root (not dried)
turmeric powder	a little bit (say 1/8 tea spoon)	for colour and taste
water	100 ml	for grinding
curd	one or two table spoons	for taste (optional)

These quantities are for six persons or serves

Bengal gram, coconut, green chillies and a piece of ginger for making chutney | Source

Chutney preparation instructions

1. Cut the coconut into small pieces for grinding.
2. Cut chillies into pieces by making 3 to 4 pieces of each chilly.
3. Make ginger also into small pieces.
4. Take the grinder jar and put all the above pieces into it.
5. Add split Bengal gram also into the jar. (If fried gram is not available at your place, you may buy the raw (but split) Bengal gram and dry fry it in your pan until its colour changes slightly to a bit reddish and use it. It may consume a little bit extra water to grind. But it is also as tasty as fried gram.
6. Put one teaspoonful of salt into it and a little bit of turmeric for colour and flavour.
7. Add some water, say 20 to 30 ml and grind for 5 seconds. Then add some more water of same quantity and grind again for 8 to 10 seconds. Again add the balance water out of 100 ml and grind for another 5 seconds. The chutney will be ready now.
8. Remove the chutney into a bowl and you may add some curd to it for a better taste.
9. You can top it with some mustard seeds(big) and a little bit of asafoetida both fried in a little bit of oil for better flavour.
10. Now, you can serve this chutney along with the idlis in the tiffin plates as shown above.

Cook time for chutney

Prep time: 10 min

Ready in: 10 min

Yields: serves six people

Chutney before topping after mixing curd | Source

chutney ready for serve after topping | Source

Precautions to be taken while preparing idli

1. Be careful to see that Idli mix does not become too liquid. The above-mentioned quantities of water are carefully given after practical experience. But sometimes, water consumption changes according to the quality of the gram seeds and rice flour. So always maintain a plus point by adding a little bit less water while grinding or mixing the idli mix. You can add extra water at the time of preparation also if it is too thick for spreading in the cooking plates.
2. Take care while adding water in the idli cooking vessel for steam. Even though the manufacturers mark the borders for keeping water levels on the cooker vessels, it is wise to keep the water level only within 2/3 of the marking line.
3. Turn off the stove or flame within 15 minutes of the cooking time for idlis to get them soft and to avoid burning in some rare cases.
4. Chutney can be either dry/ solid or liquid according to your tastes. Solid chutney may be uncomfortable while eating as the idlis are also dry and your mouth may get dry. So a little bit soft and liquid is preferable as per my experiences.
5. Always serve idlis warm. Cold idlis lose their taste and deter your enjoyment.
6. If the idli mix or chutney is in excess of your requirement, you may adjust the quantities or you can put the extra quantity in the fridge to be used by next day.

Now go, prepare your idli with coconut chutney recipe confidently and enjoy, win kudos.