Onion Chutney

Onion chutney  is a wonderful and flavourful accompaniment that is served with a variety of South Indian breakfast dishes such as Idli, dosa, upma, appam or Rava dosa or rice. Made with the piquancy of onions, sweetness from tomatoes, sourness from tamarind; mildly spiced with and acquire vibrant colour from red chillies, the onion chutney is a super luscious dish highlighting your meal with an extra zest.

There are a number of variations that can be made to this simple Onion chutney recipe and if noticed in different restaurants, they come in diverse colours such as yellow, orange, slightly pinkish etc. This differs because of the red chillies or other ingredients used in making of the chutney.The main key ingredient for acquiring a striking and robust colour to this amazing chutney is the use of Kashmiri red chillies which gives a beautiful and appealing colour and spice to the chutney.

Not very fiery or hot but balances the spice right to suit your palate and induces your taste buds to eat more.Onion chutney is also known as Ulli karam in Telugu, a very famous Andhra recipe which is served along with Pesarattu, Mysore bonda, vada, Uttapam etc. Chutneys plays a vital role in most Indian cuisine, especially south Indian gastronomy.

As Indian food is rich and vibrant in its taste and flavours, most cuisines are experimenting in intermingling  a melange of spices, fresh herbs, vegetable and fruits to originate new variants of chutneys.  There are a variety of chutneys that are paired with the right dish to elevate and enhance to give a harmonious relish to the dish.Some of the popular chutney that goes well with most Indian street foods is Chaat green chutney, sweet and spicy tamarind chutney etc.

Lahsun ki chutney, Brinjal chutney, Sweet Sour Spicy Pineapple chutney taste good with roti, chapatti, paratha…;  while coconut chutney, peanut chutney, Til ki chutney (Sesame seeds chutney) can be savoured with any south Indian Breakfast.With rice, you have myriad of chutney recipes such as Mint chutney, Tomato chutney, South Indian Red Hot chutney with papad, Dosakaya pachadi (cucumber chutney) and many more to complete your meal with.

Chutney acts as an appetizer and sometimes good for digestion.They add their own flavour when served with other dishes. Chutney has a semi-liquid consistency and usually one ingredient (main ingredient) predominate the taste by which the name of the chutney is derived. Other common ingredients that are included in the chutney are green chillies, asafoetida, tomato, cumin, coriander seeds, lime, peanut, sesame seeds, fried dal, ginger, garlic, coriander, mint, coconut etc.

Chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for few days but it’s always better to have it fresh. Versatility of Onion Onions is a vital ingredient in most of the global recipes used in salads, stir fries, curries or gravy based dishes. They are extensively used in most veg and non-veg preparations.Onions can be consumed either raw, pickled in vinegar, fried in oil, baked or boiled. They are a boon to mankind that makes us cry while curing us of several illnesses at the same time.

It is often called the ‘King of vegetables’ mainly for its pungent taste. There are many varieties of the onions available in the market such as white, yellow, red and green globes. They also differ in size, colour and taste.  The smaller onions come in many varieties such as the green onion, or scallion which includes chives, leeks and shallots. The smaller the onions, the more pungent they are.  They are the ones that make your eyes water when you cut them, when the organic sulphur is released.

Onion has endless health benefits and is powerful for its anti-septic and anti-bacterial properties.Onion is rich in vitamins A, B and C.  It is a potent source of folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, chromium, iron and dietary fiber. Just by eating half a medium raw onion daily can significantly lower cholesterol and help prevent heart attacks. Whether you eat it raw or cooked, onions help to lower blood pressure naturally. It also thins the blood, dissolve blood clots and clear the blood of unhealthy fats.

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How to make Onion Chutney: Ingredients:

Onions, chopped     -           3 nos

Red chillies, dry       -           4 nos

Cashew nuts              -           50 gms

Asafoetida (hing)     -           1

pinch Jaggery                      -           1 tsp

Salt                             -           to taste

Tamarind                   -           20 gms

Tomatoes                   -           2 nos

Directions for spicy onion chutney: Heat oil in a pan and add red chillies, tamarind, onions, hing (optional) and sauté till the onions are cooked or soft. Add salt, tomatoes, cashew nuts and mix. Add jaggery, mix and switch off the flame. Allow cooling and blend to a coarse paste in the food processor.Serve with a quicky rawa dosa.

Onion chutney is easy to prepare and is a pleasing blend of sautéed onions, tamarind and red chilies that has a perfect balance of sweet, hot and tangy flavours that merger into good and quick chutney to be served with Idli and dosa. It’s very simple healthy chutney that can be made in a jiffy and tastes excellent when made fresh.Enjoy preparing.