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 (bengal gram) and ½ teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram).
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 tiffin 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!
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Easy Onion Chutney
By Dassana Amit
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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I like the way you describe every step. It helps people like me who get a load of doubts;) . All your recepies which I have tried turn out yum. Thanks!!
thanks a lot ramya. glad to read your feedback. most welcome and happy cooking.
Nice recipe. Served with idli and everyone liked it.
Good
Very tasty. And very easy method given by you madam.
Thanks and welcome.
Thank you very much for sharing your recipes . Tried the onion chutney and it turned very tasty . 🙂
welcome monica and thanks for the feedback on onion chutney.
Hello mam I am a very big fan of ur cooking. U make cooking so easy. I am following many of your recepies. I would like to request continue your andriod app which was a available previous. That becomes very easy to refer any recepie. Since the app has been removed I am facing a lot issues.
thanks shraddha. whenever we get a good app software, we will launch the app. i know using app was easier as i myself used to use it.
Hi, thank you so much for helping me .i have tried so many recipe,and its really good .i like this site thanks again for helping us
Welcome Chandana. Nice to know that recipes posted on blog have came out well.
Hi!
Thank you so much for helping me out everytime I need to prepare something.
I will be trying this chutney tomorrow.
Could you please tell me which mixie you use, mine is no good 🙁
Thank you in advance.:)
welcome. i use preethi mixer grinder blue leaf model which has four jars. it does an excellent job of grinding chutneys as well as making idli, dosa and medu vada batters.
Ive tried this recipe..its came out well
Thanks PaviThra for your positive feedback on onion chutney recipe.
Not just this recipe, I follow your desert n many more recipes, and they turn out great/good , thank you????
Welcome Ranjitha. Thanks for your positive feedback.
Your recipes are fabulous! We just had a great dinner – thanks to you!
I’m a huge fan of your fantastic work. Thanks again.
thank you much vimala and welcome 🙂
Hi,insteade of tamarind can I use lemon juice.
lemon juice will give a different taste than tamarind. if using lemon juice, then add just a few drops of it without making the chutney too tangy.
One of the best sites i have come across.
thanks so much jyothi 🙂
You r awesome mam!
thanks savi for your kind words
Thank you for such wonderful recipes
welcome denise
awesome recipe….it was just superb
thanks for the feedback madhusmita 🙂
Hi Dassana,
i was looking for this kind of recipe and it looks delicious like all your recipes. Thanks for sharing. I will surely try this 🙂
welcome salony
nice and easy to understand all your recipes would also request if you could include some health recipes as well
there are quite a number of healthy recipes on the blog. if you are looking for any recipe, then you can easily search with the search button on the top.
wow I will surely try this
thanks avanti 🙂 do keep us posted about your views.