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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
30 minPrep: 20 minCook: 10 minServes 4South IndianVegan
tamatar ki chutneythakkali chutneyTomato Chutney
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.
Useful equipment
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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.
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)
- •salt, to taste
- •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
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.
Learn the technique
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