Recipe for easy and quick chutney made with besan / kadalai maavu, onions, tomatoes and spices. Perfect side dish for idli and dosai. Recipe with video.
This Kadalai Maavu / besan chutney is locally called in Tamilnadu as Bombay Chutney. I think it would have got the tag “Bombay” because of its similarities to the Maharashtrian dish Pitla. This is usually served with idli and dosai. A slightly thicker version is served as a side dish with poori. In some places, boiled potatoes are mashed and added at the end to get a creamy texture.
This is a very popular street side dish as it’s very economical to make. Simple ingredients used in fewer quantity results in relatively huge portion sizes which in turn helps with the margins of the vendors. The dish can be put together in 15-20 minutes. Also, no grinding is involved which is another plus.
The whole dish comes together in 15-20 minutes. Here is a tip for making a lump-free besan slurry. While mixing besan flour with water, do not add all the water at once. Add little water to the besan flour and make a thick paste. Then, dilute the paste with more water. This way, the flour does not lump up. This works for most kinds of flour. (Jacques Pepin taught this tip in his KQED show years back. Thank you @jacquespepinfoundation)
I have already shared a similar recipe here. This rottu kadai chutney recipe is slightly spicier and packs a punch.
Here are the things you can buy online for making Rottu Kadai Bombay Chutney
BIG Tri Ply Deep Fry Stainless Steel Saute pan https://amzn.to/347Rqdx
Teak-wood Chopping Board https://amzn.to/3hZa4qm
Stainless Steel Double Handle Potato Masher https://amzn.to/338He4e
Carote Knife https://amzn.to/3IWGrnd
Here is the video of how to make Rottu Kadai Bombay Chutney
Rottu Kadai Bombay Chutney
Recipe for easy and quick chutney made with besan / kadalai maavu, onions, tomatoes and spices. Perfect side dish for idli and dosai. Recipe with video.
- Total Time: 20m
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Ingredients
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 dried red chilli, broken
1 sprig curry leaves
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 green chillies, chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 cup water (divided)
2 tablespoon besan flour
2 tablespoon coriander leaves
1/2 of a lime, juiced
Instructions
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, minced ginger and green chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Saute for a few seconds.
Add the finely chopped onions and saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the chopped tomatoes, salt, and a little sugar to balance the sourness of the tomatoes, asafoetida, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix everything well to combine.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Mash everything with a potato masher. The tomatoes should be completely mashed.
Add a cup of water and let it come to a boil.
In the meantime, make a slurry with besan flour and a cup of water. Once the water comes to a boil in the pan, add the slurry. Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Finally, finish with a generous sprinkling of coriander leaves and lime/lemon juice.
Serve with idli and dosai.
Notes
Here is a tip for making a lump-free besan slurry. While mixing besan flour with water, do not add all the water at once. Add little water to the besan flour and make a thick paste. Then, dilute the paste with more water. This way, the flour does not lump up. This works for most kinds of flour.
- Prep Time: 5m
- Cook Time: 15m