I love tartness in every form. In my childhood and even now I love to eat raw tart mangoes, and in cooking I love pachadi because there is some tartness in every pachadi recipe. I love the lemon tartness too and I use it in most of my cooking.
When I came to US, I used to think seeing these tomatillos as green tomatoes and used to always wonder how they are wrapped inside the dry shell or cover.
Then slowly when I started to experiment these tomatillos in cooking I came to know the difference.
So here is the recipe, it is so yummy and finger licking and can be served with steamed rice and melted ghee (clarified butter). I remember my mom's cooking whenever I do pachadi of any kind, because she is a wonderful cook who does not use lot of ingredients but the recipe turns out to be great and of course finger licking food.
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4 medium size tomatillos cubed
2 medium size yellow Onions cubed
2 pods of Garlic
2 dry Red Chili (one for pachadi and another for seasoning)
2 small Green Chili
1 bunch Mint leaves washed
1/4 cup Cilantro washed
1 tbsp Chana Dal
1 tsp Urad Dal
1/2 Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Amchur powder
Salt to taste
1/4 Red Onion chopped
1 sprig Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Method:
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1. In a pan add 1 tsp oil, and when it's hot add dry red chili, green chili.
2. Add chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and garlic saute until they turn golden brown.
3. Now add tomatillos and onions and turmeric powder and cover and cook them until the tomatillos are cooked and soft but not mushy.
4. Now open the lid and cook until the water is gone on medium high heat.
5. Now add the Amchur powder, salt, mint leaves and cilantro.
6. Saute it until the mint leaves and cilantro wilt down a bit for about a min or so.
7. Now off the flame and let it cool down and then grind it in a mixer to a paste (no need to add water) and keep it aside in a serving bowl.
8. For seasoning: Take another pan add rest of the oil, add mustard seeds, when they start to sputter add asafoetida, curry leaves and chopped onion and saute it until the onions turn golden brown.
9. Add this seasoning to the pachadi and mix well ans serve with steamed rice and ghee.
Re-posting this recipe to participate in an event hosted by Sravani from Srav's Culinary Concepts with the event name as "Cooking Concepts: Roti Pachadi/Chutney"
