Ginger pachadi / Raitha

Ingredients:

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Fresh grated coconut - 2 tblsps

2-3 green chillies

Yoghurt - 1 cup

Salt as required

Seasoning:

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Curry leaves - few

Method:

Wash, scrape and grind the ginger with the chillies, coconut and salt.

Beat the curds and add the ginger paste.

This mixture is the pachadi.

Heat the oil and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Add this to the pachadi and mix well.

Serve chilled with sambar rice,vatral kuzhambu rice, pulav or any mixed rice.

Inji thogaiyal / Ginger Chutney

Ingredients:
Ginger - 1 Big piece
Urad Dhal - 1 Tblsp
Dry red chillies - 7-9
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
Coconut - 3-4 tsps (Optional)
Curry leaves - Few (Optional)
Salt - as required
Hing - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Peel off the skin of the Ginger and cut into cubes and wash nicely.
Take a kadai put 1 tsp oil and add Urad dal and Dry red chillies and roast till golden brown.
Now take a Mixie Grinder and put the cut ginger pieces,Urad dal,red chillies,tamarind, hing, salt,grated coconut and the curry leaves and wet grind into a semi smooth paste.
Now the Ginger Chutney is ready to be eaten
You can have this thogaiyal with either Hot rice with little dollops of ghee or even have it as a side dish with Idli or Dosa.

I always incorporate a lot of ginger in my cooking as ginger is very good for digestion or for nausea.The very taste and flavour of ginger will bring back your appetite if you had lost it.Ginger in any form is quite healthy and tasty especially the chutney.I also grate ginger and add it to Upma and other dishes for an added flavour since it is quite strong and enhances the dishes' taste.

Although Ginger is very strong and pungent, when added to any preparation along with other spices or herbs dominates and stands out by itself to give us a beautiful flavour and aroma and unique taste.