1001 Indian Blended Curries

An Introduction
One-page cookbooks offer a new, easy way of looking at cooking. They are aimed at the amateur cook. No cooking terms
are used, no knowledge is assumed on the part of the reader, no complicated steps are listed out, no exact measurements are
given and there is absolutely nothing to memorise.
Learn one recipe and cook a thousand more
Each recipe is broken into three easy parts, which are also numbered. You can mix and match these numbered building
blocks (one from each column) to prepare a new dish.
For example: In the following cookbook, a coconut thuvaiyal can be prepared by combining coconut (column 1, block 6),
mustard and red chilli (column 2, block 0) and tamarind paste (column 3, block 1). Similarly, make Kottimeera pachadi with
the number 300.
Easy to refer
One-page cookbooks are designed for easy reference. Hang it in the kitchen and thousands of recipes are right there, in front
of you!
Focus on creativity, not manual skill
One-page cookbooks encourage creativity by not focusing on details or on manual skill. Recipes that are too complicated
have been given a miss. All the listed recipes have been designed so a novice can cook it - on the very first try.
This table lists 1000 easy blended curries from 000 to 999. The three digits denote the base, additives and flavouring.
Master Recipe :: In a blender, add a base from column 1 & an additive from column 2. Add two pinches of salt and two
chilies (fresh/ dried). Blend to a smooth paste with a spoon of water. Optionally, mix in flavouring from column 3 & serve.


Base (1 handful) Flavouring Souring
0.: Salad vegetables Take a handful of cut vegetables
that you can eat raw (onions, tomatoes, radish, carrot
etc.,).
0.: Mustard + Red chili Heat half a
spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard.
Wait till itstops popping. Add a dry red
chili.
0.: None
1.: Cooked vegetables In a pan, heat a spoon of oil.
Add a handful of finely chopped vegetables. Stir for
around 5 minutes till they are cooked. (Eggplant,
Garlic, Onions, Capsicum, Ginger etc).
1.: Mustard + Green chili + Curry
leaves. Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch
of mustard, a slit green chili and a
couple of curry leaves.
1.: Tamarind paste Take
half a spoon of tamarind
paste.
2.: Nuts Take a handful of Peanuts/Cashew nuts /
Almonds I Pistachio.
2.: Mustard + Cumin Heat a spoon of
oil. Add a pinch each of mustard, cumin,
a couple of curry leaves and a red chili.
2.: Lemon Take the juice
of half a lemon.
3.: Herbs Take a handful of chopped herbs like
Cilantro, Mint or Curry Leaves.
3.: Mustard + Curry leaves + Asafetida
Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of
mustard, two curry leaves, a red chili
and a pinch of asafetida.
3.: Gooseberry Take a
spoon of chopped
gooseberry.
4.: Seeds Heat a pan. Add a handful of Sesame seeds /
Coriander seeds / pumpkin seeds etc., Dry roast them
over a low fire for a couple of minutes, stirring often to
avoid burning.
4.: Mustard + Curry Teaves + Fenugreek
Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of
mustard, 2 curry leaves and a pinch of
fenugreek. Sir for a minute.
4.: Yogurt Take half a cup
(100 ml) of curd ( need not
be blended. Just mix in
base and flavouring)
5.: Pulses. Heat a pan.Add a handful of lentils. Roast
till they redden. (Lentils like Tuvar dal / urad dal /
Bengal gram are normally used).
5.: Mustard + Lentils Heat a spoon of
oil. Add a pinch of mustard, a couple of
pinches of urad dal, a pinch of curry
leaves, a pinch of asafetida and a dried
5.: Lime Take a spoon of
sour lime juice.
red chili. Stir for a few seconds and
remove from heat.
6.: Coconut Take a handful of grated coconut.
6.: Mustard + Curry leaves + Garlic
Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of
mustard, a couple of curry leaves and a
finely chopped garlic clove. Stir for a
minute.
6.: Kokkum (Kodumpuli)
Take a couple of small bits
of kokkum soaked in
water.
7.: Fruits Take a handful of skinned mango / pineapple
7.: Roast & Ground Spices Heat a pan.
Add a dry red chili, two pinches each of
coriander seeds, tuvar dal, a pinch each
of pepper & Bengal gram. Dry roast and
grind.
7.: Mango Take half a
handful of skinned &
chopped sour, raw mango.
8.: Leaves Heat a spoon of oil. Add a handful of leaves
(Young tamarind leaves, young neem leaves, Sorrel
(Gongura etc.,). Cook for a couple of minutes. Add a
pinch of jaggery.
8.: Your favourite flavouring Heat a
spoon of your favourite oil. Add a pinch
of your favourite spices.
8.: Fusion Take a spoons
of a souring agent like sour
cream I wine / soy sauce /
a variety of vinegars.
9.: Any combination of the above. 9.: Any combination of the above.
9.: Any combination of the
above.
Sample Recipes :: Tamil Coconut Thuvaiyal 601 :: Tamil Paruppu Thuvaiyal 501 :: Andhra Kottimeera pachadi 300 :: Tamil
Eggplant Masiyal 112 :: Andhra Allam Pachadi 151 ::Andhra Kobari Velluli Pachadi 661 :: Tamil Carrot Thayir pachadi
014 :: Andhra Kobari Pachadi 600 :: Kerala Chena Arachu Kalakki 104 :: Konkani Tambli 641 :: Punjabi Radish Chutney
023 ::
A variety of blended curries are eaten all over India. Called as
Chutney, Thuvaiyal, Masiyal or Tambli they all belong to
the blended curry family. Their names change depending on
the building blocks used.
Thuvaiyals are made by blending raw / boiled vegetables /
roasted pulses with red chili and tamarind. Masiyals / Kotsu
are made by blending boiled/ grilled vegetables with green
chilies and lemon juice. Chutneys are made by blending raw
vegetables / herbs usually with coconut and green chilies.
Konkani Tamblis are made by blending coconut with yogurt..
These blended curries are called pachadis in Andhra.
International blended curries: The equivalents of Indian
blended curries exist in many cuisines. Replace chilies with
pepper , add olive oil, garlic and lemon juice to a Indian
blended curry and you get a range of 'International blended
curries' . For example, toasted sesame seeds blended with
sesame /olive oil, lemon and salt give the famous Tahini..
Mix in boiled and mashed chickpeas with Tahini and you
have the famous Hummus. We'd have probably named it
Channa chutney.

Instead of chickpeas, mash soaked and boiled double beans(
fava beans) with lemon, salt, garlic, olive oil and chili and
you get the Fava of turkey or Bigilla - the famous Maltese
dip. Mix in grilled and mashed eggplant and lemon juice to
Tahini and you have eggplant Chutney or Baba Ghanoush,
another famous Middle eastern dip. Mix in chopped tomatoes
and pepper powder to Baba Ghanoush and you have the
Greek dip Melitzanosalata . Blend roasted peanuts to a paste
and you have the eternal favourite Peanut butter. Add chilies
and tamarind and it becomes Peanut chutney. The humble
mustard when ground to a paste with turmeric , salt and
vinegar ( or wine / honey) becomes the delicious mustard dip,
so popular in the west. We'd probably call it Kadugu
Thogayal. If Avacados had been known in India, we'd
certainly have had an Avacado chutney by pureeing its flesh
with salt, pepper and lemon juice. But now, we only know it
as Guacamole. Another famous Middle eastern dip, Walnut
chutney or Muhammara is made by blending walnuts, bread
crumbs, chili, garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil .