Sweet and Spicy Tamarind Chutney For Dosa

What kind of chutney is this?? This is what I used to hear from whomsoever I share this chutney with.  Finally, they end up asking for the recipe. As far as I know, this chutney is not known to many except the Naidu community located in southern part of Tamil Nadu. This chutney looks similar to North Indian tamarind chutney but we use this as side dish for all varieties of Dosa.

It has distinct flavor of spiciness, tanginess and sweetness all blended well in a single dish. We are used to this dish for more than a decade.

Basic Information:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the Chutney:

Tamarind – 1 Lemon size ball

Dry red chilli – 4 nos.,

Garlic – 3-4 cloves

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Asafoetida – a big pinch

Water – 1/4 to 1/2 cup

Jaggery – 1/4 cup, powdered

Salt – to taste

For the seasoning:

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Asafoetida – a pinch

Small onion / shallots – 5 nos., finely chopped

Method:

1) Slightly wash tamarind and soak it in 1/4 cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes. You can directly grind it. but soaking make the job easier.

2) After 15 minutes, grind it along with dry red chilli, garlic, asafoeida and curry leaves.

3)
When all the ingredients are ground well, add powdered
jaggery. Continue grinding till you get the smooth consistency and find no
trace of jaggery.

4) At last, add salt and mix well.

5) In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let it crackle.

6) Add curry leaves and chopped onion. Add asafoetida.

7) Saute till the onion becomes soft and translucent.

8) Add the seasoned, sauteed onion to the chutney.

9) Mix well and serve with dosa. Goes well with all dosa varieties.

Notes:

1) If you use dark tamarind, reduce the quantity slightly less than the
measurement specified. You can also substitute with a tamarind paste.

2) The
chutney should have a equal balance of spice, sweet and sour taste. So adjust dry red chilli and jaggery according to the tamarind.

3) Do not skip to add onions while seasoning. If you don’t have small onions, add usual red onions.

4) This chutney stays good for 2 weeks when stored in refrigerator.

5) Do not heat this chutney directly in flame. For heating it, just keep the bowl in hot water. Serve in small quantity.