onion chutney recipe for dosa and idli. there are many types of chutneys made with various veggies and onion chutney is one of them. so if you do not have coconut and want to make chutney for idli or dosa, then do not despair. you can easily make this onion chutney.

this chutney is also called as vengaya chutney in tamil language. as onions are known as vengaya in tamil language.

onion chutney has complex flavors – the slight tartness of the tamarind, the smokiness of the red chilies, the slight pungent flavor of garlic, the sweetness of the onions and the earthy flavor of the lentils.

since it has so many flavors combined in one, it goes very well with tiffin snacks like rava idli or masala dosa or uttapam. this time, i served onion chutney with poha dosa.

the color of the chutney will vary with the type of red chilies used. i prefer to add kashmiri red chilies as they are low on the heat quotient and give a good color. you can even use byadagi red chilies.

how to make onion chutney

1. heat 2 teaspoons oil in a pan. lower the flame and add 1 teaspoon chana dal and ½ teaspoon urad dal.

2. saute till the lentils or dals turn golden. do not burn them.

3. then add 2 to 3 kashmiri red chilies (broken or halved). stir & saute for some seconds till you see the chilies change color and become aromatic. saute on a low flame, so that the chilies do not get burnt. kashmiri red chilies give a nice color and also do not make the chutney spicy. you can also use byadagi red chilies. if using medium hot to very hot red chilies, then reduce the quantity.

4. then add 1 cup chopped onion and 1 to 2 small to medium garlic cloves (chopped). instead of regular onions, you can also use pearl onions or shallots.

5. mix the onions and begin to saute on a low to medium flame. keep on stirring onions while sauteing them.

6. saute till the onions turn a light brown. then switch off the flame and let the onions become warm or cool down at room temperature.

7. then take the entire onion mixture in a chutney grinder. add ¼ teaspoon tamarind and salt as per taste.

8. add ¼ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. keep aside.

tempering for onion chutney

9. heat 2 teaspoons oil in the same pan. keep the flame to a low. add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.

10. once the mustard seeds crackle, then add a pinch of asafoetida/hing & 5 to 6 curry leaves.

11. saute till the curry leaves become crisp.

making onion chutney

12. keep the flame low or sim and now add the ground chutney.

13. mix the chutney with the tempering ingredients.

14. add ¼ to ⅓ cup water. i added the water to the grinder jar, swirled it and then added the same water in the pan. this ensures no wastage of any chutney that will be stuck to the bottom and sides of the jar. you can make this onion chutney slightly thick or of medium consistency by adding less or more water.

15. mix very well and then switch off the flame.

16. serve onion chutney with tifin snacks like oats idli, oats dosa or rava dosa or uttapam. you can also refrigerate this chutney for 3 to 4 days.

more chutney recipes for you!

1. tomato chutney
2. kara chutney
3. peanut chutney
4. coconut chutney
5. onion tomato chutney

STEP BY STEP PHOTOS ABOVEmany of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips to help you make it easily and perfectly.

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Onion Chutney

4.83 from 17 votes

this is a quick and easy onion chutney (vengaya chutney) recipe for idli, dosa and uttapam.

Author:Dassana Amit

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:15 mins

Course:side dish

Cuisine:south indian

Servings (change the number to scale):2 to 3

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

INGREDIENTS

main ingredients

• 1 large onion or 120 grams or 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 to 2 small to medium garlic cloves - chopped
• 2 to 3 kashmiri red chilies
• 2 teaspoons oil (can use sesame oil or sunflower oil or peanut oil)
• 1 teaspoon chana dal (bengal gram)
• ½ teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
• ¼ teaspoon tamarind or a small piece of tamarind
• salt as required
• ¼ cup water for grinding
• ¼ to ⅓ cup water to be added later

for tempering

• 2 teaspoons oil (can use sesame oil or sunflower oil or peanut oil)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) - optional
• 5 to 6 curry leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

making onion chutney

• heat 2 teaspoons oil in a pan. lower the flame and add 1 teaspoon chana dal and 1/2 teaspoon urad dal.
• saute till the lentils or dals turn golden. do not burn them.
• then add 2 to 3 kashmiri red chilies. saute for some seconds till you see the chilies change color and become aromatic. saute on a low flame, so that the chilies do not get burnt. kashmiri red chilies give a nice color and also do not make the chutney spicy.
• then add 1 cup chopped onions and 1 to 2 small to medium garlic cloves (chopped).
• mix the onions and begin to saute on a low to medium flame. keep on stirring onions while sauteing them.
• saute till the onions turn a light brown. then switch off the flame and let the onions become warm or cool down.
• then take the entire onion mixture in a chutney grinder. add 1/4 teaspoon tamarind and salt as per taste.
• add 1/4 cup water and grind to a smooth paste. keep aside.

tempering onion chutney

• heat 2 teaspoons oil in the same pan or a tadka pan. keep the flame to a low. add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.
• once the mustard seeds crackle, then add a pinch of asafoetida/hing & 5 to 6 curry leaves.
• saute till the curry leaves become crisp.
• keep the flame low or sim and now add the ground chutney.
• mix the chutney with the tempering ingredients.
• add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water. i add the water to the grinder jar, swirl it and then add the same water in the pan. this ensures no wastage of any chutney that will be stuck to the bottom and sides of the jar. 
• you can make this chutney slightly thick or of medium consistency by adding less or more water.
• mix very well and then switch off the flame.
• serve onion chutney with dosa, idli or uttapam. you can also refrigerate this chutney for 3 to 4 days.

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