Idli and ChutneyImage Credit source: Getty Images
Chutney is a side dish which enhances the taste of food manifold and does not require much hassle in making. Talking about the food of South India, Dosa and Idli Sambar are very much liked in North India also. These traditional dishes have become popular street foods. Apart from Sambar, coconut chutney is served with all these things, hence most of the people know only about coconut chutney, but apart from this, many different types of spicy, tangy chutneys are also made in South India, which after trying once, you will also want to eat again and again.
You will find countless varieties in Indian food. When food from one place reaches another place, another new dish is prepared from it, while you will find many stories related to the origin of traditional dishes. In this article we will learn about different types of chutneys of South India.
peanut sauce
You will find this chutney made in South India quite unique which has the tangy taste of tamarind as well as the nutty flavour. For this, roast the peanuts, remove the peels and then add green chillies, tamarind pulp, ginger, garlic, salt as per taste and grind it with some water. Make a smooth paste and take it out in a bowl. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves to it.
South Indian Red Chutney
Like coconut chutney, red chutney is also served with idli and vada in South India. To make this, heat mustard oil in a pan and fry whole Kashmiri chillies in it and take them out. After this, add cumin seeds in the pan and then add chopped onions. When it starts turning golden, add chopped tomatoes, add turmeric, salt, curry leaves and cook for ten minutes and then add some tamarind water at the end. Now turn off the gas and grind it in a grinder along with fried Kashmiri chilli. After this apply tempering with urad dal and mustard seeds.
Chammanthi Chutney, Kerala
To make this chutney, dry roast urad dal, whole red chilli and curry leaves. Add roasted urad dal, onion with whole red chilli, tamarind pulp, ginger and coconut pieces along with roasted chana dal and grind it with some water. After this, apply curry leaves and mustard seeds on top. This spicy, tangy and coconut flavored chutney tastes amazing.
Make chutney with a twist
You can also make traditional chutneys by giving them a twist, like sweet onion tastes amazing in peanut chutney, whereas you can add a little peanuts to Chammanthi chutney to give it a nutty flavour. Similarly, a little Sambhar masala can be added to South Indian tomato and coconut red chutney.