We Andhras love our Pachadis (chutney/condiment) and in our home pachadis are revered. Seriously. Mom makes the BEST pachadis you can ever imagine. The aromas that fill the kitchen during the preparatory process is something that has to be experienced. For instance, take today’s pachadi which calls for green chilies. The aroma of green chilies roasting is simply intoxicating while the sizzle of tempered spices hold promise of an eternally pleasing meal to come.

Am blogging a favorite recipe today. It includes my favorite greens and vegetable – methi and carrot. Love the refreshing colors and flavor combination of carrot and fenugreek in a pachadi avatar. Clean, simple and delicious.

Lemon Cucumber aka Dosakaya is a cherished vegetable in Andhra cuisine. Pachadi (Chutney), Pappu (Dal) and Avakai (Pickle) are the common preparations. I have blogged a pickle as well as a pappu recipe using Dosakaya. Armed with firm, farm fresh Dosakaya, we prepared a tangy spicy pachadi that makes for a memorable side with rice and a dollop of ghee.

Today’s recipe differs from the earlier blogged Endu Tomato Pachadi in terms of the seasoning. Asafoetida aka hing is replaced with crushed garlic, mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves that are tempered in hot oil before combining with the tomatoes. This lends depth of flavor and strikes a balance between the acidity and fruity sweetness of sun dried tomatoes.

A perfect summer time chutney that makes use of farm fresh red tomatoes. Fresh coconut finds a place here but the pachadi highlights the predominate sweet-tart flavor of tomatoes and its gorgeous pink-orange color.

Fresh coriander is hard to come by during summer and when available, its exorbitantly priced. My vegetable vendor who supplies fresh vegetables, grown in his small farm, brought 2 bunches of fresh coriander. Delighted, I put my favorite herb to use by way of an easy breezy chutney to go with out morning breakfast, Dosa.

Home grown pudina along with fresh coriander leaves and plump, ripe, juicy red tomatoes from farmer’s market, sauteed with cumin, green chillis and split gram dal, blended to a coarse paste and tempered with asafoetida and curry leaves. Yields a simple, quick and satisfying pachadi that went down really well with Idli, our morning breakfast.

The winning combination of roasted eggplants and tart-sweet tomatoes is a match made in heaven. Roasted eggplant lends a deliciously smoky edge while balancing out the tart flavor of tomatoes. Works great as a dip, or pachadi to go with rice or side with rotis. Whatever you have it with, its culinary bliss.

Raw mango not only adds a tangy punch to this earthy pachadi but enhances the taste of sauteed brinjals that are blended in roasted cumin, red chillis and garlic and tempered with mustard seeds and aromatic curry leaves.

Summer has made its way into our part of the world and am trying to make optimum use of fresh coriander before they make an exit from the local farmer’s market. Bought 6 large bunches and prepared green chutney yesterday. Today, I used the left over coriander along with home grown pudina and coconut to make this easy breezy chutney to go with our morning breakfast, idli.