Curry Leaves Chutney | Kadi Patta Chutney

Curry leaves known as kadi patta in Hindi, is an integral part of the cuisine of India, especially in South and West India. It is one of the most common ingredients used to temper a lot of dishes. This post, however, shares a Curry Leaves Chutney which is super simple, easy to prepare and makes for a unique accompaniment as compared to other chutneys. Since all the ingredients in this recipe of Kadi Patta Chutney are naturally plant-based, this chutney is also vegan-friendly. Make this lovely chutney at home and enjoy it with your South Indian snacks.

About Curry Leaves Chutney

A chutney is an important element in an Indian cuisine. Primarily classified as a type of condiment, dipping sauce, spread or relish, it is one of those accompaniments without which an Indian meal is quite incomplete. Just like this Kadi Patta Chutney made with curry leaves, a variety of other Chutney Recipes include the main ingredients as veggies, fruits, curd, nuts, lentils, spices, herbs, etc.

Thus, even the flavor profile of a chutney is quite varied – ranging from spicy, sour and sweet to salty, tangy and even bitter. It not only provides a balance to any meal consisting of different dishes but also elevates certain flavors in a dish. So, quite aptly, it can be categorized under the concept of the fifth taste or ‘umami.’

Even this Curry Leaves Chutney is a versatile preparation and you can serve it with any Indian snack like pakodas, Upma, Dhokla, Masala Dosa or Appe. If not so, you can use it as a spread to make delicious sandwiches, rolls and wraps at home.

Apart from this, try pairing it with your regular dal-rice or roti-sabzi combinations too. I’m sure its going to be amazing.

While making this chutney, remember not to brown the curry leaves this can lead to the chutney being bitter. Also, if you do not have roasted chana dal, then skip adding it in the recipe. Or else you can even sauté the chana dal with the urad dal till they turn golden.

More on this recipe

This super easy, fuss-free and vegan recipe of Kadi Patta Chutney is borrowed from a friend. Once, he made it for us to try. Since I loved it in the very first bite, I asked him where he’d learnt it from. To which, he replied that it was his aunt who taught him to make this particular chutney.

This Curry Leaves Chutney stays good for a week when refrigerated. So, our friend often used to make this chutney in large quantities and enjoy it for a long time with breads and rotis at home.

Even we liked this chutney so much that I had to learn the recipe from him. Today, it is favorite one at my home as well and I make it quite frequently.

Apart from curry leaves, which is the primary ingredient in this Kadi Patta Chutney recipe, fresh coconut and roasted Bengal gram (chana dal) are also added. There’s nothing much that you have to do to make it. There is no tempering too involved in the making of this chutney. This is also a no onion, no garlic recipe.

At home, we like having this chutney especially with the Rava Idli. So, whenever making these idlis, I actually end up making a batch of this chutney too with it.

In addition to this, as I’ve already mentioned earlier, you can enjoy this chutney with most of the South Indian snacks as well.

How to make Curry Leaves Chutney

Preparation

1. Rinse 1 cup of curry leaves (kadi patta) in fresh water a few times. Then dry them with a clean kitchen towel.

Dry the curry leaves thoroughly otherwise the water logged in the leaves will splutter while sauteing.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. You can use any neutral-flavored oil. Then, add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon of husked black gram (urad dal).

4. On low heat, allow the mustard seeds to crackle and the urad dal to get a reddish brown.

5. Then add the following ingredients keeping heat to low:

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger
• 1 or 2 chopped green chilies
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing).

6. Add the curry leaves and saute till they become slightly crisp on low heat. Stir often.

7. Don’t brown them as this would make the chutney bitter. Let this mixture cool down.

Making Curry Leaves Chutney

8. Then, in a chutney grinder or mixer grinder, add the sauteed curry leaves-spices-lentils mixture.

9. Also, add ½ cup grated fresh coconut, 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal and salt as per taste.

If you do not have roasted chana dal, then skip it. Or else you can sauté the chana dal along with urad dal till they turn golden in step 4 as shown above.

10. You can make a thick chutney or a chutney with medium consistency. So, add water accordingly.

11. Grind or blend all the ingredients into a smooth and fine chutney.

12. Pour into a serving bowl.

13. Serve Curry Leaves Chutney with your favorite snacks like upma, pakora, Idli, Dosa, Medu Vada or any snack.

Why use curry leaves

Like I said earlier, curry leaves are referred to as kadi patta in Hindi language. It is a basic tadka or tempering essential in most of South Indian dishes. The leaves have a typical flavor and aroma, which is infused brilliantly in any dish they are added to. You would only understand this once you’ve tried a dish made or tempered with curry leaves.

This Kadi Patta Chutney is one of my most favorite dishes featuring curry leaves. Besides being useful in the Indian culinary field, curry leaves are known for their health benefits as well. For instance, these leaves are known to possess digestive properties.

Curry leaves are also good for improving eyesight, reducing weight and are excellent for healthy and shiny hair. This is the reason why these edible leaves are also added to a lot of hair oils or even coconut oils that we use to apply on our scalps and heads.

We all know that curry leaves are an important part of South Indian cuisine. However, nowadays, many people in North India too have started using these leaves. Although, it is not really easy to source these wholesome leaves in Northern India, unless you have a plant of tree in your home. It’s just the opposite, when you are in southern or even western India, where these leaves are sold in abundance in markets.

One of the easiest ways you can use curry leaves in your diet is to make this Curry Leaves Chutney or add them in your tempering for dals, rasam, sambar and the likes.  

This Curry Leaves Chutney Post from the blog archives, first published in September 2013 has been republished and updated on December 2022.