This Red Chutney for Dosa is a spicy and tangy condiment made with roasted Bengal gram, dried red chilies, tamarind, garlic and onion. The ingredients are blended to a smooth or slightly coarse paste. It is traditionally spread inside Mysore Masala Dosa but also tastes good with idli, vada and uttapam. Store in the refrigerator and use as needed.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons roasted Bengal gram ((bhuna chana dal))
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves (- small to medium sized)
  • 3 to 4 Kashmiri dried red chilies
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind (- seedless)
  • ¼ cup onions (- roughly chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut (- unsweetened)
  • salt (as required)
  • 3 tablespoons water (- for grinding chutney ingredients)

Method

  1. First prep by rinsing and chopping onions and garlic. Set aside the remaining chutney ingredients.
  2. If you prefer, soak red chillies in water in hot or warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. You can even blend them straightaway without soaking.
  3. Take all the ingredients in a small blender or chutney grinder.
  4. Add very little water and grind to a fine, smooth and thick consistency.
  5. Transfer to a small bowl.
  6. Serve the Red Chutney with Mysore Masala Dosa or any plain dosa. Or use it as a spread on dosa or uttapam.
  7. The above recipe will give a small bowl of chutney that is enough to be used as a spread for 8 to 9 dosa.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.