Onion Chutney Recipe (Tamil Nadu Style)

Onion Chutney, also known as Vengaya Chutney, is a spicy, tangy South Indian condiment made by sautéing onions with garlic, dried red chilies, tamarind, and spices, then blending them into a smooth, flavorful paste. Typically finished with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida, this chutney is a bold, aromatic alternative to coconut chutney and pairs wonderfully with South Indian snacks like Idli, Dosa, Rava Idli, and Medu Vada.

About Onion Chutney

This recipe of Onion Chutney is a South Indian style of making it. ‘Vengaya’ is the Tamil word for ‘onion.’ Thus, this recipe is also rightly referred to as Vengaya Chutney.

Made with plant-based ingredients, this Onion Chutney is one of the easiest and quickest side dishes you can prepare at home, and it is naturally vegan too.

Along with onions, this Vengaya Chutney from Tamil Nadu uses garlic, dried red chilies, chana dal, urad dal, asafoetida (hing), curry leaves, tamarind, salt, and oil, with the chilies lending a beautiful orangish hue to the chutney.

For the best and most authentic flavor, it is ideal to use sesame oil when making this Onion Chutney. However, if unavailable, you can easily substitute it with sunflower oil or peanut oil.

The preparation of Vengaya Chutney is simple: first, the lentils, dried red chilies, onions, and garlic are sautéed; then blended into a smooth paste with water as needed; and finally tempered with aromatics and spices before serving.

Why This Recipe Works

This Onion Chutney offers a beautiful medley of flavors. Tamarind brings a subtle tartness, dried red chilies lend a hint of smokiness, garlic adds a mild pungency, lightly browned onions contribute a natural sweetness, and the sautéed lentils infuse a delicious earthy depth to the chutney.

If you are wondering which variety of onions works best for this Vengaya Chutney, you can use red onions, yellow onions, white onions, pearl onions, or even shallots – all work beautifully.

The color of this Vengaya Chutney can vary depending on the type of red chilies used. I prefer using Kashmiri red chilies for their vibrant color and mild heat, but you can also opt for Byadagi red chilies, another Indian variety known for their rich color and gentle heat.

Bursting with flavors, this Onion Chutney pairs wonderfully with South Indian tiffin snacks like rava idli, masala dosa, and uttapam. Occasionally, I also enjoy it with Poha Dosa – as you can see in the picture above.

How to make Onion Chutney

Fry Lentils & Red Chillies

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan. Lower the heat and add 1 teaspoon chana dal (husked and split Bengal gram). Then, add ½ teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram).

Tip: You can use sunflower oil, peanut oil, gingelly oil (oil made from raw sesame seeds) or any neutral oil.

2. Fry, stirring often, until the lentils turn golden. Do not burn them.

3. Then, add 2 to 3 Kashmiri dried red chilies (broken or halved and seeds removed). Stir and fry for some seconds till you see the chilies change color and turn fragrant.

Fry on a low heat, so that the chilies do not get burnt. Kashmiri red chilies give a nice color and are not too spicy.

You can also opt to use byadagi red chilies. If you are using medium hot or very hot red chilies, then add less of these.

Sauté Onions & Blend

4. Add 1 cup chopped onions and ¼ to ½ chopped garlic (1 to 2 small or medium garlic cloves). You can also use pearl onions or shallots, instead of regular onions.

Red onions, white onions or yellow onions – all work well in the recipe.

5. Sauté onions on low to medium heat and stir continuously.

6. Sauté until the onions turn light golden. Then, switch off the heat and let the onions cool at room temperature.

7. Next, transfer the entire sautéed mixture into a mixer-grinder or a small blender. Add ¼ teaspoon dried tamarind and salt to taste.

If you do not have dried tamarind that we easily get in India, add ⅛ teaspoon bottled or packaged tamarind sauce or as needed.

8. Add ¼ cup water and grind ingredients into a smooth and fine chutney. Set aside for later.

Make Onion Chutney

9. Heat 2 teaspoons oil on low flame in the same pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and cook them until they start to crackle.

10. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and 5 to 6 curry leaves.

11. Fry for a few seconds or until the curry leaves become crisp.

12. Keep the heat to low and add the prepared onion chutney.

13. Mix it with the tempering ingredients.

14. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup water. I poured water to the blender jar, swirled it around and added the water into the pan.

This ensures that leftover chutney sticking on the walls of the jar is not wasted. You can alter the consistency of the chutney by adding less or more water.

15. Mix very well and switch off the heat. Do a taste test and add more salt if needed.

16. Serve Onion Chutney with your favorite dosa, idli, medu vada or any pakoda varieties.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve this tasty Onion Chutney with snacks like idli, Uttapam or dosa.
• Pairs beautifully with rava dosa, Neer Dosa, or Set Dosa.
• Enjoy it with medu vada or Dal Vada.
• Spread it inside masala dosa or Cheese Dosa or Paneer Dosa for an extra burst of flavor.
• Pair it as a dip with pakoda varieties like Onion Pakoda, Potato Bajji or Paneer Pakora.
• Slather some chutney on toasted bread for a quick, flavorful snack.
• Serve it with Idiyappam (string hoppers) or Appam.
• Use as a side dip with Pesarattu (Moong Dal Dosa).
• Enjoy alongside hot steamed rice with a drizzle of ghee for a comforting meal.
• Can be enjoyed with chapati or paratha as a simple, satisfying spread.
• Add as a tangy spread inside sandwiches or wraps for a fusion twist.

Storage Suggestions

Store any leftovers of the Onion Chutney in a covered container or an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. I do not recommend making a large batch ahead, as the chutney tastes best when freshly prepared.

Always use a clean, dry spoon when serving to maintain freshness and avoid contamination.

Before serving, you can let the chutney come to room temperature or warm it slightly if preferred. I would also not suggest freezing this chutney, as it can alter the flavor and texture.

Expert Tips

1. Onions: This chutney can be made with different types of onions such as red, white, yellow onions, as well as shallots and pearl onions. However, scallions (spring onions) are not suitable for this recipe.
2. Spiciness: Adjust the heat and pungency of the chutney by using fewer red chilies or opting for less to medium-hot varieties. If very spicy chilies are used, the chutney can turn quite fiery. I prefer using Kashmiri red chilies, as they are mild and lend a lovely orange color to the chutney.
3. Sourness: Tamarind adds a pleasant tang to the chutney. If you do not have tamarind, you can substitute it with lemon juice. However, the flavor will be slightly different.
4. Nuts: You can add some roasted, unsalted peanuts for extra richness. Add them when the onions turn light golden and sauté for a minute. Once cooled, blend everything with water to a smooth consistency.
5. Consistency: Adjust the consistency of the chutney to your preference. Add less water for a thicker chutney and more water for a medium-thin consistency. Avoid adding too much water, as it can dilute the flavors.
6. Choice of Fat: Gingelly oil (oil made from raw sesame seeds) gives the most authentic flavor, but you can also use sunflower oil, peanut oil, or any neutral-flavored oil.
7. Scaling: The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to make a larger batch for potlucks, parties, or small gatherings.

FAQs

Onion Chutney recipe from the blog archives was first published on July 2016.