Vegan Masala Recipe
Tomato Chutney Recipe (For Idli & Dosa)
This South Indian tomato chutney cooks ripe tomatoes with chilli, lentils and aromatics until jammy and bright. A mustard-seed tempering makes it especially good beside idli or dosa.
Recipe by Craig LogueHow our recipes are created
From the kitchen
What to expect
Tomatoes are cooked down with urad dal, ginger, and red chilies, then finished with a quick tempering. The chutney is smooth with a clean tang and enough body to sit well on idli or dosa.
Serving idea
Best served simply
Serve with idli, dosa, uttapam, or medu vada, with a little coconut chutney on the side if you like.
Cook the recipe
Method
- 1
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add 1 teaspoon urad dal and fry until it turns a deep maroon-brown without burning.
- 2
Add 2 to 3 dry red chilies, 1 to 2 cloves if using, 4 to 5 black peppercorns, and 1 inch ginger. Stir for a few seconds until the chilies darken slightly and the ginger loses its raw edge.
- 3
Add 1.5 cups tomatoes, 1 pinch asafoetida, and salt to taste. Cook on medium-low heat for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes soften and reduce.
- 4
If the mixture starts sticking, add a splash of water and keep cooking until it turns jammy and the moisture cooks off.
- 5
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
- 6
Transfer to a small blender or chutney grinder. Add 2 tablespoons water, or a little more if needed, and grind until smooth.
- 7
For the tempering, heat ½ tablespoon oil in the same pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- 8
Add 7 to 8 curry leaves, 2 to 3 fenugreek seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida, and 1 dry red chili. Let the curry leaves crisp up, but do not let the spices burn.
- 9
Add the blended chutney back to the pan and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a little hot water if the chutney is too thick.
- 10
Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
A few useful notes
Notes
- Frying the urad dal to a deep maroon-brown gives the chutney a rounder, nuttier base; if it turns dark too quickly, lower the heat at once.
- Keep the tomatoes cooking until the moisture reduces well. A watery tomato base will make the chutney loose and flat.
- The tempering should stay brief. Fenugreek seeds and curry leaves can burn quickly, and burnt methi turns the chutney bitter.
- This chutney thickens as it cools. Add a spoonful of warm water when reheating if needed.
- Store in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. It reheats well over low heat, and a little extra salt after chilling can bring the flavor back.
- If you want a sharper chutney, use all of the dried chilies; for a milder version, remove the seeds before cooking.
Gather everything first
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
- 2 to 3 dry red chilies, broken and deseeded
- 1 to 2 cloves (optional)
- 4 to 5 black peppercorns
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1.5 cups tomatoes, chopped (about 225 to 250 grams or 2 large tomatoes)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing; optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tablespoons water, for blending or grinding; adjust as needed
- ½ tablespoon oil (sesame oil, sunflower oil, or any neutral oil)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
- 2 to 3 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 dry red chili, halved and deseeded
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