Raw Onion Chutney

When it comes to chutneys, people usually go for mint or mango but little do they know of another tasty and appetizing condiment: onion chutney.

Onion chutney can be eaten with parathas, naans, rice and just about anything you can think of. You can even put a little on crackers topped with a little cheese and you have made your very own hors d’oeuvres. Try this chutney recipe and don’t be surprised if you and your family become fans. This recipe stores well. You can store it in a storage container and eat later, and it will still taste as delicious as freshly prepared.

Health benefits

Chutneys are usually very healthy as they contain vegetables and spices as their main ingredients. You can skip the tempering or tadka to make it even healthier. This chutney is quite healthy as the sweetness is derived from the caramelized onions and no sugar is added.

Ingredients

Large onion (chopped): 1

red chilies: 3

garlic cloves--chopped: 2

tsp sesame or sunflower oil: 4

tsp Bengal gram: 1

tsp split black gram: 1/2

tsp tamarind: 1/4

cup water: 1/2

tsp mustard seeds: 1/2

tsp asafetida: 1/2

curry leaves: 3-4

salt to taste

How To Make Raw Onion Chutney

1. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of oil.
2. Add the Bengal gram and split black gram and sauté until they turn golden.
3. Add the red chilies and keep sautéing until they become aromatic. Make sure not to burn them.
4. Add the chopped onions and the garlic cloves and keep sautéing.
5. Reduce the heat to low-medium and let the onions become tender.
6. Remove from the flame when the onions become golden brown.
7. In a chutney grinder, add the onion mixture along with the tamarind, salt and water. Grind until it forms a smooth paste. 

Tadka (tempering)

1. In a small sauce pan, heat 2 tsp of oil.Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
2. Add the asatoefida and curry leaves. Sauté until they become crisp.
3. Add the onion chutney to this mixture along with ¼ cup water.Keep stirring for a minute or so and remove from flame.
4. Serve this spicy and tangy chutney with, dosa, dhokla, idli, parathas or rice.
5. Keep refrigerated when not being consumed.

Trivia

1. There are dozens of different types of chutneys. Know a vegetable? There is probably a chutney already!
2. Chutney isn’t exactly a sauce as sauces tend to be only runny. Chutneys usually have solid chunks or pieces of the main ingredients. The closest thing to a chutney is called a relish.