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Chettinad Kara Chutney Recipe | Onion Tomato Garlic Chutney | Spicy Kara Chutney Recipe (Side Dish for Idli Dosa) – Chettinad Kara Chutney is prepared with pearl onions, the most important component that lends the unique taste to this chutney. This Onion Tomato Garlic Chutney is Spicy & tangy…. Pairs well with most South Indian breakfast items!

South Indian restaurants are famous for its array of chutneys served with idli. In Tamil nadu, the restaurants serve a white Coconut Chutney, Coriander Chutney and this kara chutney with hot idli….and of course that typical Hotel Tiffin Sambar! Of all the chutneys, this spicy red chutney is my all time favourite.

There are myriad range and variations to this spicy and tangy red coloured chutney, each region has its own variation and way of preparing it. This spicy kara chutney goes best with all south Indian breakfast/tiffin recipes. Today we will learn how to make kara chutney following this simple recipe with video and step by step photos.

Variations with kara chutney recipe

You can also use regular onions instead of shallots (Chinna Vengayam).
Skip Garlic if you do not like the flavour. But, i would definitely not recommend it though as garlic gives a nice flavour to the chutney.
You can also add 2 green chilies along with red chilies.
Follow THIS recipe for another variation by frying the onion tomato mixture.

Steps to make Chettinad Kara Chutney

Instructions

Add shallots, both varieties of dry red chillies, peeled garlic pods, chopped tomato & cumin seeds. sugar and salt. Grind them together to a coarse paste in a blender and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Season with dry red chillies & mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add black gram/urad dal. Sauté until the lentils turn golden brown. Add in a few curry leaves & stir for a minute.
Add in the ground mixture & mix well.
Stir occasionally & cook for 5 minutes.
Then add in thick tamarind extract, required salt & a little jaggery powder.
Mix well & cook covered for 5 minutes. Stop at this stage for runny consistency of kara chutney & proceed to the last step. Make sure the raw smell goes away. You can skip the oil & just add asafoetida. This has a less shelf life & you must use it within 5 days.
For a thick kara chutney with longer shelf life, cook further until the oil leaves the side of the pan and all the moisture evaporates.
Finally add 1 tablespoon Sesame oil/Gingely oil & 1 tsp asafoetida. Mix well & cook for 2 more minutes.
Turn off heat and allow it to cool and transfer to an airtight container.
You can refrigerate and use for about 3 to 4 weeks to serve with Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Paniyaram, Upma, Masala Dosa, Ghee Roast or combine with any meal.

Tips For Making Best Kara Chutney Recipe

This chutney is spicy and vibrant as it uses red chilies. I use a mix of regular red chillies & Kashmiri red chilies to retain the colour and tame down the heat a bit. If you prefer spicier chutney then you can also use just the regular dark chillies or even the round dried red chilies. If you completely want it mild, just use only Kashmiri red chilies. You can use more or less chilies in the chutney to suit your taste.
I suggest you use Gingely oil/Sesame Oil to make kara chutney. Gingely oil enhances the flavour and taste by leaps and bound when compared with using regular oil. It is also very good for health. You can also mix a little Gingely oil with the chutney while serving. This helps to reduce the heat of chutney.
Addition of tamarind gives a nice tang to the chutney, also helps in keeping the chutney well for more time.
Use plump desi variety tomato (country tomato) for this spicy tomato chutney recipe.
The consistency of the chutney is up to you. But, for longer shelf life, you will have to cook it until all the moisture evaporates. You will have to use a little more oil too!

Print Recipe

Chettinad Kara Chutney Recipe | Onion Tomato Garlic Chutney

Chettinad Kara Chutney Recipe is prepared with pearl onions. This Onion Tomato Garlic Chutney served with South Indian breakfast items is Spicy & tangy.

Course: Chutney (Side Dish), Chutneys

Cuisine: Indian (South Indian)

Keyword: Kara Chutney, Chettinad Kara Chutney, Onion Tomato Chutney, Onion Tomato Thokku, Side Dish for Idli Dosa, Spicy Chutney, Red Chutney,

Author: Padma Veeranki

Ingredients

To Grind:

20 Dry Red Chillies Equal quantities of Kashmiri & Regular
100 grams Shallots Peeled
100 Grams Tomatoes 2 Large, Roughly Chopped
10 Garlic Pods Peeled
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

For the seasoning:

3 tbsp Sesame Oil Divided
3 Dry Red Chillies Broken
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Black gram/Urad dal
A sprig of curry leaves

Other Ingredients:

3 tbsp Thick Tamarind Extract
1.5 to 2 tsp Salt Or as required
2 tsp Jaggery Powder
1 tsp Asafoetida

Instructions

Grind all the ingredients under the section "To Grind" to a coarse paste in a blender and keep it aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Season with dry red chillies & mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add black gram/urad dal. Sauté until the lentils turn golden brown. Add in a few curry leaves & stir for a minute.
Add in the ground mixture & mix well.
Stir occasionally & cook for 5 minutes.
Then add in thick tamarind extract, required salt & a little jaggery powder.
Mix well & cook covered for 5 minutes. Stop at this stage for runny consistency of kara chutney & proceed to the last step. Make sure the raw smell goes away. You can skip the oil & just add asafoetida. This has a less shelf life & you must use it within 5 days.
For a thicker kara chutney with longer shelf life, cook further until the oil leaves the side of the pan and all the moisture evaporates.
Finally add 1 tbsp Sesame oil/Gingely oil & 1 tsp asafoetida. Mix well & cook for 2 more minutes.
Turn off heat and allow it to cool and transfer to an airtight container.
You can refrigerate and use for about 3 to 4 weeks to serve with Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Paniyaram, Masala Dosa etc.

Recipe Video

Notes

You can use more or less chilies in the chutney to suit your taste.
I have used equal quantities of onion & tomato. You can alter the quantities for variation.
Use Gingely oil/Sesame Oil for best taste & flavour.
Addition of tamarind gives a nice tang to the chutney, & also helps in keeping the chutney well for more time.
The consistency of the chutney is up to you. But, for longer shelf life, you will have to cook it until all the moisture evaporates. You will have to use a little more oil too!
Do not compromise on the oil quantity for longer shelf life.

If you are looking for more chutney recipes do check out other Chutney Recipes and Pickle Recipes from blog!!

Few popular chutneys from blog:

Many more to come!!…..STAY TUNED!!

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Happy Cooking

Cheers!!

Padma.