Kara chutney is a spicy chutney made with pearl onions (shallots), tomatoes, spices and herbs from the Tamil Nadu cuisine.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 · 2 to 3
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • ¼ cup sliced pearl onions (or shallots or chopped onions or 4 to 5 pearl onions (shallots) or 1 small onion)
  • ½ cup chopped tomatoes (or 1 medium to large tomato, chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (or 4 to 5 medium sized garlic, chopped)
  • 4 to 5 dry red chilies, (can use byadagi or kashmiri red chilies)
  • ¼ teaspoon tamarind
  • 1 teaspoon split and husked bengal gram ((chana dal))
  • 1 teaspoon split husked black gram ((urad dal))
  • salt as required
  • ⅓ to ½ cup water for grinding chutney
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))

Method

sauteing & grinding

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a pan.
  2. Lower the flame and then add 1 teaspoon urad dal (split husked black gram) and 1 teaspoon chana dal (split & husked bengal gram).
  3. On a low flame, saute both the lentils till they start turning golden.
  4. Then add 1/4 cup sliced pearl onions/shallots or 1/4 cup chopped onions.
  5. Stir and saute till the pearl onions begin to turn golden. Then add garlic.
  6. Now add 4 to 5 dry red chilies. Saute for half a minute.
  7. Next add 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes.
  8. Add salt & tamarind.
  9. Saute the tomatoes on a low flame till they soften.
  10. Switch off the flame and let the chutney mixture become warm or cool down at room temperature.
  11. Once the mixture becomes warm or cools, then add it in a chutney grinder or a small blender.
  12. Add 1/4 cup water and grind to a smooth paste.
  13. Remove the chutney in a a bowl and keep aside.
  14. Add remaining 1/4 cup water and run the grinder jar again, so that the chutney sticking at the sides and the bottom get mixed with water.
  15. Add this chutney mixed water to the bowl and mix very well.

tempering for kaara chutney

  1. In the same pan or a different pan, heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds and crackle them.
  2. Then add 7 to 8 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
  3. Saute till the curry leaves become crisp.
  4. Pour the tempering mixture in the kara chutney. Mix well.
  5. Serve kaara chutney with idli, dosa or uttapam. This spicy chutney also goes well with paniyarams.

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.