I was introduced to this chutney in Hyderabad. Instead of the traditional sambhar, this chutney comes with idlis and dosas. It is bright and pungent. It took me a while to start to love this chutney, but now it is an essential part of the morning dosas table.
The chutney is simple and bright red, warning of spice and pungentness, as is traditional for this region. The plainer coconut chutney tempers it, perfectly complementing the idlis and dosas.
This is another cookbook from Chandra Padmanabhan that I adore. The recipes vary across India's southern states, and each turns out very well. Like this one, the recipes are authentic and wonderfully flavoured. This cookbook is for those who want to go beyond the ordinary and enjoy very localized cuisines from the South.
For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons oil
8 tablespoons ginger paste or grated ginger
2 tablespoons garlic paste (optional)
1/4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4-5 dried red chillies, or to taste
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 tablespoons jaggery
Salt, to taste
Water, as needed
To temper:
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 dried red chilli
10 curry leaves
Heat the oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic (if using), cumin seeds, and red chillies and fry for 5 minutes, until the ginger is no longer raw and caramelized into a nice golden colour.
Add the tamarind paste and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Add the cooked paste to a blender with the jaggery and salt. Purée with just enough water to get the ingredients spinning in the blender to a smooth, thick paste. Remove it to a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a small pot and add the mustard seeds. They will pop in 10 seconds. Add the dried red chillies and curry leaves. Pour over the chutney. Serve at room temperature.
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