Recipe

Onion tomato chutney: easy, tangy and full of flavour

Name: Onion tomato chutney: easy, tangy and full of flavour
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 1½ cups
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon neutral oil; 1 teaspoon chana dal; 1 teaspoon urad dal; 2 dried red chillies, to taste; 1 large onion, roughly chopped; 3 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1 small piece ginger; Salt, to taste; 2 teaspoons oil for tempering; ½ teaspoon mustard seeds; 8 curry leaves

A quick South Indian-style chutney with onion, tomato, ginger and a crisp mustard-seed tempering.

Prep: 10m
Cook: 20m
Serves: 1½ cups

Red-orange onion tomato chutney served with idli and dosa

Ingredients

1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 teaspoon chana dal
1 teaspoon urad dal
2 dried red chillies, to taste
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small piece ginger
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons oil for tempering
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
8 curry leaves

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Fry chana dal, urad dal and dried chillies until lightly golden.
Add onion and ginger; cook until the onion softens. Add tomatoes and salt, then cook until jammy and most liquid has cooked away.
Cool for 10 minutes, then blend to your preferred texture with a splash of water only if needed.
For the tempering, heat 2 teaspoons oil, pop the mustard seeds and add curry leaves. Spoon over the chutney. Serve with idli, dosa or rice.

Make it your heat level

Start with one dried chilli if you prefer a gentle chutney. The tomato should taste sweet and cooked before blending; this is what gives the chutney its rounded, less sharp flavour.