Restaurant style kara chutney – Sumathy akka’s Kalavai chutney

Tamilnadu hotel style kara chutney. Restaurant style spicy chutney for idli and dosa. Recipe with step by step pictures. Kalavai Chutney.

Sumathi Akka’s Kalavai Chutney / Restaurant style kara chutney
This recipe is one of a find. Sumathi Akka owns a very famous paniyaram shop in Sannathi street, Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu. People wait here for more than an hour to eat her paniyarams.This kalavai chutney is what she serves to her customers along with her paniyarams. A potpourri of ingredients go into making this one of a kind chutney. This is one of our current favorites at home. Recipe adapted from here.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the urad dal, channa dal, dried red chillies and peanuts. Saute on a low flame until the lentils are roasted and brown.

Roasting the lentils on a low flame is key. When the lentils are brown, remove from pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
Note: This chutney is made a little spicy. Adjust the red chillies according to your taste.

In the same pan, add in oil and the sliced small onions (Indian shallots / sambar onions). Saute the onions till they are soft.

Add in the salt and the tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes are soft. It will take about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Take a mixie and add in the cooled lentil mixture and the cooled onion-tomato mixture.

Grind the mixture to a paste. Add about half a cup of water and grind to a paste. The texture of the chutney should not be very thick. Grind to a pour-able consistency.
Note: If using country tomatoes which can be sour, no need to use tamarind. If the tomatoes are not very sour, then add a marble size piece of tamarind while grinding the chutney.

Tempering
Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the urad dal and curry leaves. Let the urad dal brown. Add it the chutney.

Serve the chutney with paniyaram and dosa.

Restaurant style kara chutney - Sumathy akka's Kalavai chutney

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Kalavai Chutney. Tamilnadu hotel style kara chutney. Restaurant style spicy chutney. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients

For the chutney

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon channa dal
• 1 tablespoon urad dal
• 1 tablespoon peanuts
• 5 dried red chillies
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 15 small onions / sambar onions (Indian shallots)
• 2 country tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• marble size tamarind (see notes)

For tempering

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the urad dal, channa dal, dried red chillies and peanuts. Saute on a low flame until the lentils are roasted and brown. Roasting the lentils on a low flame is key. When the lentils are brown, remove from pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
2. In the same pan, add in oil and the sliced small onions (Indian shallots / sambar onions). Saute the onions till they are soft.
3. Add in the salt and the tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes are soft. It will take about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
4. Take a mixie and add in the cooled lentil mixture and the cooled onion-tomato mixture. Grind the mixture to a paste. Add about half a cup of water and grind to a paste. The texture of the chutney should not be very thick. Grind to a pour-able consistency.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the urad dal and curry leaves. Let the urad dal brown. Add it the chutney.

Notes

If using country tomatoes which can be sour, no need to use tamarind. If the tomatoes are not very sour, then add a marble size piece of tamarind while grinding the chutney.

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