Pour 1 teaspoon oil to a hot pan. Add chana dal, urad dal and red chilies to the hot oil and fry until the dal turns light golden.

Add garlic, ginger, green chilies and curry leaves. Fry until the dal turns deep golden to light brown. Add cumin seeds, stir and remove all of the fried ingredients to a plate.

To the same pan, pour 2 teaspoons oil. Add carrots, salt and turmeric. Stir fry on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 mins until the raw smell has vanished. Covered and cook for 2 to 3 mins until tender. Turn off the heat and cool.

Add the cooled lentils, ginger, garlic, chilies, cumin and curry leaves to a grinder jar and make a slightly corse powder. (To make it kids’ friendly, grind the chutney without chilies, set aside their portion and then add the chilies at the last stage & grind.)

To this add the carrots and lemon juice. Pour ¼ cup water. Grind to a smooth or coarse chutney to suit your liking. Scrape the sides grind.

Taste test and add more salt if you want. Carrot chutney is thick at this stage, good to serve with rice, paratha, roti or dosa. If you want it to be runny, pour more water and grind it to the consistency you like.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, crushed garlic and dried red chilies. Fry until the leaves turn crisp. Add hing and turn off. Pour this over the carrot chutney.

Add chopped ½ cup chopped carrot, ½ cup chopped or grated coconut, 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal, (fried gram), 2 green chilies, ½ inch ginger or 1 garlic clove, ⅓ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and to a blender jar.

Add tamarind or 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice. Blend everything well to a smooth chutney.

A thick pachadi goes well with rice. If making carrot chutney for rice, use little or no water. If making for breakfast, pour little water and blend. Use water as required to make a thin or thick chutney to suit your taste.