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!
Chettinad Kara Chutney Recipe | Onion Tomato Garlic Chutney
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:
- Onion Chutney
- Tomato Chutney
- Coconut Chutney
- Bombay Chutney
- Ginger Chutney
- Peanut Chutney
- Gongura Chutney
- Zucchini Chutney
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
Many more to come!!…..STAY TUNED!!
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Happy Cooking 
Cheers!!
Padma.
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.