Ginger Chutney

½ cup packed tamarind (imli) seeds and strings removed
½ cup water
1 cup ginger (peeled and cut into small pieces)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar or jaggery
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground red pepper

Tadka

2 teaspoons oil
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
½ teaspoon red mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
1 dried red chili broken in to three pieces 
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 pinch asafetida (hing)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 stem curry leaves removed from the stem

Mix tamarind and water. Soak for fifteen minutes or microwave for one minute. Let it cool. Remove if there are any seeds remaining. Place tamarind, ginger, salt, brown sugar, and cumin seeds, in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Transfer this in to a glass bowl and mix red pepper. You can adjust salt, sweet, and sour tastes according to your liking at this time.

Heat oil in a small pan, add fenugreek seeds; fry until brown. Add mustard, urad dal, red chilies, and cumin; fry until urad dal becomes light brown. Quickly add asafetida, turmeric, and curry leaves. Mix with spoon and add the spices to the chutney immediately. Mix thoughroly. Store the ginger chutney in a glass jar with tight cap in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for two weeks if used carefully using dry spoon to serve.
This chutney tastes good with rice, any dosa, wada, bajjies and as a sandwich spread.
Suggestions: 
(1) Fry one tablespoon sesame seeds in low heat without oil until light brown. Grind it in to powder with half a teaspoon salt. Mix with ginger chutney.
(2) Crush half a teaspoon ajwain (vamu) seeds and mix, one teaspoon sesame seed powder, and two tablespoons ginger chutney in to thick paste. Use this to stuff green chilies to make green chili bajjies. 


Ponganalu

1 cup thin poha 
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rice flour
½ cup yogurt
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch of baking soda or 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all these nine ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside for few minutes.

2 green chilies
1 small onion 
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves (cilantro or kothimeri) (optional)

Cut green chilies, onion, ginger, and coriander in to fine pieces. Mix with poha mixture.

Spray ponganalu plate cups with cooking oil spray or oil. Heat the plate in medium low. Pour one tablespoon of poha mixture in to each cup and fry for three to four minutes with cover until light brown. Remove the cover. Turn ponganalu over and fry for three more minutes. Remove them on to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all the poha mixture is finished coating the ponganalu cups after each batch. Tastes good with any chutney.

Variation: You can make ponganalu if you have any left over idli batter for unexpected guests.

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