- 1
Start with heating two teaspoons of oil in a pan set over medium heat.
- 2
You can use the oil of your choice, but you might find that some of the more classic choices, sesame or peanut oil, do chutneys some natural justice. They give the flavours a much deeper feel.
- 3
Now, add two finely chopped shallot onions once the oil is hot. Shallots are moderately sweet compared to their cousin, onions.
- 4
They complement the flavours that will be in the chutney.
- 5
Add one clove of garlic with them, chopped or crushed.
- 6
Let the shallots and garlic saut for 2-3 minutes, until they soften and shrink a little bit. Stir frequently so that they will not burn.
- 7
Add roasted peanuts. The peanuts should be pre-roasted. If not, lightly roast them in a dry pan before starting with this step.
- 8
Saut in it with the shallots and the garlic for another 2-3 minutes, making sure that the peanuts are well coated in oil and slightly toasted.
- 9
This enhances their nuttiness, which forms the foundation flavour of your chutney.
- 10
Add a handful of fresh coriander leaves and a few mint leaves to the pan.
- 11
The fresh herbs give a chutney freshness and aromatic lift.
- 12
Add four green chillies, depending on how hot you like your chutneys. The chilli will give the spice, but the herbs will keep it in balance.
- 13
Saut everything together until the leaves of coriander and mint wilt slightly for 1-2 minutes.
- 14
At this point, the mixture should smell fragrant, and all the ingredients should have been well mixed.
- 15
Once you have saut ed the ingredients, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.
- 16
It is essential to stop the mixture from burning out in the pan and helps blend the chutney very smoothly.
- 17
Pour the mixture into a mixer jar.
- 18
Add a small piece of tamarind the size of a marble to give it the sour note as tamarind gives it a sour flavour that goes well with peanuts' richness.
- 19
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to season the chutney and pour in 1/2 cup of water to facilitate blending.
- 20
Grind everything into a smooth paste. If the chutney becomes too thick or does not hold together well, it needs just a little bit of extra water.
- 21
The consistency should be thick enough to hold onto yet spreadable and good for dipping to some degree.
- 22
While running the chutney, prepare the tempering or tadka.
- 23
Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- 24
When hot, add one teaspoon of mustard seeds and let it splutter.
- 25
Now add 1/2 teaspoon of urad dal, split black gram, which gives a subtle crunch to the chutney.
- 26
Add one dried red chile and a few fresh curry leaves. Saut for about 30 seconds until the leaves crisp up and the dal turns golden.
- 27
Combine the tempering mixture with the ground peanut chutney.
- 28
Stir everything together well so the chutney absorbs the flavours of the mustard seeds, the curry leaves, and the dal.