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Lakshmi's Cookbook Videos

Chettinad Chutney


Last week my elder bro Nag and family visited us from the US. Akila, my sister in law, is a great cook and enjoys cooking for all of us. Whenever they visit, she takes over the kitchen from me and I only assist her. I make sure to update my recipe collection when she is here. This chettinad chutney is one among the recipes I learnt this time. Just fell in love with the color and taste of this chutney. She not only made this chutney, but also served it right into my hands along with crispy hot dosas.  That just made it tastier. 

 Onion and tomato are by themselves tasty, and tamarind just takes it one notch higher. The fried curry leaves add a touch of their own. This chutney goes well with idly and dosa. I prefer using gingelly oil for this dish, as it gives a very tasty flavor.  Enjoy your breakfast with this tangy chutney! 

Preparation time: 5 minutes| Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Course: side dish| Cuisine: South Indian.

Ingredients:

Onion-4
Tomato-3
Chillypowder-2 tsp
Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
Salt-as needed
Tamarind extract- 2 tblsp
Curry leaves- a little
Mustard seeds- ½ tsp
Oil -2 tblsp

Method

1.       Heat ½ tblsp oil in a kadai. Add chopped onions. Fry until it becomes dark brown in colour.
2.       Now add chopped tomatoes and stir well. Once tomatoes are mashed, add chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Fry till everything is mixed well.
3.       Cool it. Then transfer to a mixie jar and pulse it two or three times.
4.       Now heat the rest of the oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves.
5.       Add the ground paste and stir well. Then add tamarind extract and let it boil.
6.       Switch off flame when the chutney reaches your desired consistency.
7.       Serve and enjoy with idly or dosa.

Notes:

·       The colour of chutney depends upon the colour of the fried onion. So decide accordingly.
·       Increase or decrease the quantity of chili powder according to your spice preference. If it turns out to be very spicy in the end, add a spoonful of gingelly oil  while serving to reduce the spice.
·       When you grind the onion tomato mixture, make sure you don’t grind it into smooth paste. It has to be coarse. So use only pulse.

Step by step pictures

 heat oil in a kadai 
and add onion
 fry until it turns brown
 add tomatoes and mash well
 add chili powder, turmeric powder and salt
 stir and mix everything well  
 cool it and pulse into
a coarse paste in the mixie
 heat oil in the kadai 
and add mustard seeds
   add curry leaves
 add ground paste
stir well
 add tamarind extract 
and let it boil
switch off when quantity reduces
and oil floats on top.


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