Easy Tomato Onion Chutney

Those were the days I hate to eat idlies. My grandma used to prepare dosa specially for me. But now, I am having idlies almost every week and every day since it is quicker and easier to prepare. Not sure how things have changed, I started liking it. Never thought of a perfect breakfast other than idlies after liking it 🙂

By the time idlies are in the stove, I quickly prepare a chutney to accompany them. Most of the time, the chutney would be based on the ingredients which are available at the time of preparation. Every time it looks new, unique and versatile. But my MIL who is an expert in cooking sometimes prepares traditional recipes with a twist. I wish to learn from her all the time, but only few times I get recipe from her without fail. I got this chutney recipe also from her. She used to prepare this only for idly and sometimes for for chapathi. No wonder, The thin and slight variation of the same chutney tastes good with chapathi too. She adds channa dal while seasoning which gives a nice crunchy taste which I have not added here as I prepared it to accompany idlies. Off to the recipe now.

Basic Information:

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes, chopped

2 onions, chopped

3 dry red chillies

3 garlic cloves, chopped

A small piece of tamarind

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

a pinch asafetida

1 sprig curry leaves

Salt to taste

Video Recipe:

Method with step by step pictures:

1) Chop onion and tomato roughly. Peel the skin of garlic.

2) Add everything (onion, tomato, garlic and tamarind) to a mixie and make a paste of it.

3) Heat oil in a kadai/frying pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sizzle.

4) Throw curry leaves and add asafoetida.

5) Lower the flame and add the ground tomato onion paste slowly to this.

6) Add 1/2 cup of water to this. Adjust the water quantity as per your requirement. Add salt and mix well.

7) Cook till the raw smell goes off or till the required consistency reached.

8) Serve hot with idly or dosa.

Serving Suggestion:

1) Serve it as a side dish for idly and dosa for breakfast or dinner.

2) It also goes well with different kinds of adai.

Notes:

1) I wanted my chutney to be thick and so I cooked till it reaches thick consistency.

2) You can also add channa dal while seasoning to get the crunchy taste.

3) It taste good for couple of days in refrigerator if properly cooked and handled.