South Indian Roadside Kara Chutney

Street Food is popular wherever you go in the world. And Tamilnadu in India is not an exception. You will find stalls selling steaming Idlis, Dosas etc for breakfast as well as in the night. And what go with it is the tasty Chutneys. There are umpteen numbers of Chutneys from simple Chilli Chutney to the elaborate Coconut Chutneys. One of the most popular chutney is the Kara Chutney. Kara means spicy. You can make it less spicy by adjusting the quantity of Chillies or by selecting less spicy Chillies. It is an easy chutney to make. Let us see how.

Ingredients:

Oil – 2 tsp

Dried Spicy Red Chillies – 4

Dried less spicy Red Chillies – 4

Garlic Pods – 7

Onion – 1 (chopped)

Chopped Medium sized Tomato – 2

Salt to suit taste

For tempering:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Urad Dal – ½ tsp

Curry Leaves – from 1 sprig

Method:

Heat a tsp of Oil in a pan. Add the Chillies. Roast them crispy and transfer to a plate.

Add Garlic Pods to the Pan and chopped Onions. Roast till the Onion turns golden. Transfer to the plate.

Add ½ tsp of Oil to the pan. When it becomes hot, add the Tomatoes. Stir well. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes in medium flame. Transfer to another plate.

Now, blend the Red Chillies, Garlic and Tomatoes in a blender or mixer to a fine paste with little water. Add the Onion and Salt. Blend it coarsely. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat a tsp of Oil. Add the Mustard Seeds and allow them to crackle. Add the Urad Dal. In a few seconds, add the Curry Leaves. Stir and pour the tempering to the Chutney and mix.

The tasty Kara Chutney is ready.