Chutney Trio – South Indian Recipe

Chutneys are integral sides to South Indian cuisine. Without chutneys, certain meals are not complete! Today I will be sharing my three favorite chutneys that I make all the time for my family that pair well with South Indian cuisine. These chutneys are mostly served with Idli, Dosa, Upma, Uttapam, Appams, Pongal, etc. Chutneys really enhance the food and elevate it to the next level.

• 

Coconut Chutney

Coconuts are a quintessential part of South Indian cuisine. Most of the meals are cooked in coconut oil, curries are made with coconut milk and most of the chutneys have fresh coconut. This is a basic version of coconut chutney I have grown up eating and am still fond of it. This chutney is very easy and quick to make. It does not have much taste on its own but when paired with an entree, it completely elevates the dish and brings them to life.

Ingredients

For coconut chutney

1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut

2 tbsp roasted chana dal

2 green chilies

1 inch ginger

Salt to taste

2-3 tsp of water – use as needed to grind into smooth paste

For tempering

1 tsp oil of choice

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal (split black gram)

3-4 curry leaves

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1-2 red dry chilies

Method:

Take all the ingredients to make chutney and grind into a smooth paste. Add 2-3 tsp of water, a little at a time as needed if its too thick while grinding. Remove and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a small pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to splutter, add urad dal and roast until golden. Add curry leaves, red chilies and asafoetida. Roast all ingredients for 15 seconds and pour the tempering on the coconut chutney. Mix the coconut chutney thoroughly to get all the tempering mixed well. Your chutney is ready to be served! Store the chutney in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Tomato Chutney

Tomato chutney is my all time favorite because it is spicy and has perfect tang to it. It goes well with any Indian cuisine, North or South! During my childhood, my mother used to make this on a weekly basis. I remember how I used to look forward to breakfast every morning before school and my mouth still waters thinking of it. The yummy chutney is so good with hot thepla! The combination is out of this world! This summer my garden has been producing lots of tomatoes and I have been putting them to good use making this side dish! My husband loves to eat this chutney with Papad and I continue to eat mine with my yummy Spinach-Fenugreek Thepla. To be honest, this chutney is good with everything and anything! It is a recipe that everyone must try in lifetime!

Ingredients

For tomato chutney

3 medium tomatoes chopped

1 inch ginger piece

4-5 cloves of garlic

2 red dry chilies

2 green chilies

1 tbsp cashew nuts

1 tsp tamarind paste

2 tbsp oil

For tempering

1 tsp oil of choice

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal (split black gram)

3-4 curry leaves

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1-2 red dry chilies

Method

Heat oil in a medium size pan. Once hot, add dry red chilies, ginger, garlic, cashews, tamarind paste. Mix well and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add green chilies, chopped tomato, and salt. Mix thoroughly and cook on low-medium until tomatoes are mushy. This process takes approximately 15 minutes. Once tomatoes are cooked thoroughly, remove in another pan. Once cool, blend into a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a small pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to splutter, add urad dal and roast until golden. Add curry leaves, red chilies and asafoetida. Roast all ingredients for 15 seconds and pour the tempering on the tomato chutney. Mix the chutney thoroughly to get all the tempering mixed well and your chutney is ready to be served! Store the chutney in the fridge in an airtight container up to 5 days.

• 

Green chutney

Green chutney is the most versatile. This recipe is something I experimented and it’s a fusion recipe. This chutney pairs well with all types of food. I use it for sandwiches, panini, south Indian meals, and even appetizers like Samosa or Aloo tikki. There are probably 10 versions of green chutney out there so it’s possible each household makes it slightly different. Even I have 3 different versions of green chutney that I make, depending on the mood and food that its complimenting.

Ingredients:

For green chutney

1 tsp oil

1 cilantro bunch, chopped

1-2 jalapeno peppers

4-5 garlic cloves

2 tbsp of peanuts

2 tbsp shredded coconut (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup onions

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup water – needed to make fine paste

salt to taste

For tempering

1 tsp oil of choice

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal (split black gram)

3-4 curry leaves

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1-2 red dry chilies

Method

Heat oil in pan. Once hot add onions, garlic, green chilies, peanuts. Roast until onions are translucent. Remove and let it cool. Once cool, add cooked ingredients in your blender along with cilantro, coconut, salt, lemon juice. Blend into fine paste- use water as needed for blending.

Heat oil in a small pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to splutter, add urad dal and roast until golden. Add curry leaves, red chilies and asafoetida. Roast all ingredients for 15 seconds and pour the tempering on the green chutney. Mix the chutney thoroughly to get all the tempering mixed well and your chutney is ready to be served! Store the chutney in the fridge in an airtight container up to 2-3 days.

•