pujaskitchen: Chutney's

Peanut chutney

Ingredients

peanuts   - 1/2 cup
shallots (sambar onions) - 3 no's
red chillies - 3 no's
tamarind     - small marble size
jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp

For tempering
oil - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
jeera seeds      - 1/4 tsp
hing         - a pinch
curry leaves - 1 string

Method

1. Roast the peanuts and remove the skin.
2.Take a jar add peanuts,salt,jeers.shallots,red chillies,tamarind and little water grind into paste.
3.Transfer it into the serving bowl.
4.Heat a pan with oil add items as mentioned above in tempering crackle it and pour it on the chutney.
5. serve with any dosa,uttappam.idli or as desired breakfast.

Health benefits of peanuts

Peanuts are rich in energy and contain health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.
- They compose sufficient levels of mono-unsaturated fatty acids especially oleic acid. It helps to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good cholesterol” level in the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.
- These nuts are a good source of dietary protein compose fine quality amino acids that are
  - Research studies have shown that peanuts contain high concentrations of poly-phenolic antioxidants, primarily p-coumaric acid. This compound has been thought to reduce the risk of stomach cancer by limiting the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach.
  essential for growth and development.
- Peanuts are an excellent source of resveratrol, another polyphenolic antioxidant. Resveratrol has been found to have protective function against cancers, heart disease, degenerative nerve disease, Alzheimer's disease, and viral/fungal infections.

Furthermore, studies suggest that resveratrol reduce stroke risk by altering molecular mechanisms in the blood vessels (reducing susceptibility to vascular damage through decreased activity of angiotensin, a systemic hormone causing blood vessel constriction that would
elevate blood pressure), and by increasing production of the vasodilator hormone, nitric oxide.
- Recent research studies suggest that boiling enhances antioxidant concentration in the peanuts. It has been found that boiled peanuts have two and four-fold increase in isoflavone antioxidants biochanin-A and genistein content, respectively. (Journal of agricultural and food chemistry).

The nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E (a-tocopherol); containing about 8 g per100 g. vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant which helps maintain the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting from harmful oxygen free radicals.

The nuts are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates. 100 g of peanuts provide about 85% of RDI of niacin, which contribute to brain health and blood flow to brain.
- The nuts are rich source of minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
Just a hand full of peanuts per day provides enough recommended levels of phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins, and protein.

courtesy by:
www.nutrition-and-you.com

MINT CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

Jeera -1 tsp
Ginger -1/2 tbsp pieces
onions -1/4 cup slices
Urad dal -1 tsp
Tamarind -1/2 gooseberry size
Cooking oil -2 tbsp
Mint leaves -1 bunch nearly 2 1/2 cups
Red chillies -5 no's
Coriander seeds -1tsp
salt as per taste

Method:

Put a wok on the flame pour oil add urad fry it add jeera , coriander,onions,ginger,red chillies fry it for 3 min.
And add mint leaves and tamarind fry it till the mint leaves get reduced and cool it for a while.
Put this into the mixer with salt grind it into a paste.
And sever this chutney with curd rice,idli's or as desired.