Tomato Chutney Recipe (For Idli & Dosa)

ByDassana Amit Updated
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Tomato Chutney, also known as Thakkali Chutney, is a popular South Indian condiment made with fresh tomatoes, lentils, spices, and herbs. It is commonly served with idli and dosa and is also enjoyed as a side or spread. This post shares two easy South Indian style tomato chutney variations.

Tomato Chutney Recipe : A South Indian Classic

The first variation is this simple Tomato Chutney which has no onion or garlic and is tempered with basic spices. The use of ginger in this Tamatar ki Chutney brings an earthy flavor to it. It really pairs well with the fresh, plump and tart tomatoes.

In addition to the tangy taste of tomatoes, one more ingredient which gives this Thakkali Chutney its distinct aroma and warm flavor is the use of cloves (laung/lavang). I have added just about 2 cloves, which imparted a strong aroma to the chutney.

tomato chutney served in a small white bowl with a platter of pakoda kept on the top side.

If you wish to have a less dominant taste and fragrance of cloves in the Tomato Chutney, you can reduce the quantity to one or skip it entirely. However, keep in mind that the aroma of the chutney does mellow down once you refrigerate it.

Also, as mentioned earlier, this is a Tomato Chutney recipe sans onion and garlic. But if you wish to add both these, you can go ahead with it. There’s no harm in doing so, as it only makes the chutney lovelier.

This spice, tangy and delectable Thakkali Chutney is best had with South Indian snacks like Idli, Dosa, Medu Vada, uttapam, and pakoda varieties. You can also pair idli and dosa both with Coconut Chutney and the tomato chutney.

Some more chutney varieties that pair well with South Indian snacks – Onion Chutney | Peanut Chutney | Red Dosa Chutney | Ginger Chutney.

Recipe 1

How To Make Tomato Chutney

Cook & Blend Tomatoes

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan or sauté pan, and add 1 teaspoon urad dal (split husked black gram).

urad dal added in hot oil in a pan.

2. On low heat, fry the urad dal till the lentils starts turning a maroonish brown.

frying urad dal in the pan.

3. Once the lentils get a maroonish brown color, add 2 to 3 broken dried red chilies, 2 to 3 cloves, 4 to 5 black peppercorns and 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger.

Stir and sauté till the red chilies change color and become a shade darker, but ensure not to burn any spices or even the chillies.

I have used here red chillies which are not spicy or hot and hence added 3 of them. If using hotter and pungent varieties of red chilli, add 1 or ½ of it.

dried red chilies, cloves, black peppercorns and chopped ginger added to the pan.

4. Then, add 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes) and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).

chopped tomatoes and asafoetida added to the spices.

5. Add salt as required.

salt added to the tomatoes.

6. Stir and sauté till the tomatoes soften. About 6 to 7 minutes on low to medium-low heat.

When the tomatoes have softened and cooked well, turn off the heat and set aside the sautéed chutney ingredients to cool.

Ensure that the tomatoes have softened nicely, as if they remain raw or undercooked, there will be the raw taste and flavor of tomatoes in the chutney.

sautéing tomatoes on low heat.

7. Once the tomato mixture cools, add it to a chutney grinder or a small blender. Add 2 tablespoons water and grind to a smooth and fine consistency.

You can also add 1 or 2 tablespoons more water if needed.

cooked tomato mixture with spices added to a blender jar.

Temper Chutney

8. In the same pan or a different pan, heat ½ tablespoon oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.

mustard seeds crackling in hot oil for tempering.

9. Then, add 7 to 8 curry leaves, 2 to 3 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds), a pinch asafoetida and 1 broken dried red chili (stem and seeds removed).

Mix and sauté till the curry leaves become crisp.

curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and dried red chili added to the pan.

10. Then, add the prepared tomato paste.

prepared tomato paste added to the tempering.

11. Mix thoroughly.

tomato paste mixed well with the tempering.

12. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat. If the chutney has become thick for your liking, add a splash of hot water to loosen the consistency a bit.

You can easily adjust the consistency from thick to medium, by adding water as needed.

sautéing the tempered tomato mixture.

13. Check the taste and add more salt if required.

salt added to the tomato mixture.

14. Mix again. Transfer the Tomato Chutney to a bowl and you are now ready to serve it. You can serve it warm or at room temperature.

salt mixed well with the tomato mixture.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

The Tomato Chutney is done and ready to be served with breakfast dishes or snacks like idli, dosa, uttapam, medu vada or appe.

You can also serve it with evening snacks like masala vada, onion bajji or pakoda, potato pakora and many other pakora variants etc.

This chutney can also be used as a spread on your chapati, dosa, bread toast or paratha. You can also serve it a side chutney condiment with rice in your meals.

Store any leftover chutney in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.

tomato chutney served in a small white bowl with a platter of pakoda kept on the top left side.

Recipe 2

How To Make Onion Tomato Chutney

The second variation to the original Thakkali Chutney is this easy Onion Tomato Chutney. You can alter the taste a bit here and there by just playing with the proportions of the onions, tomatoes, dried red chilies and tamarind in this recipe.

I have used an equal proportion in weight of the onions and tomatoes for this recipe variation. Also, there’s no tempering (or tadka) in this chutney as it tastes great even without it.

But you can definitely make it more flavorsome by adding a temper of mustard seeds, dried red chilies and curry leaves at the end.

onion tomato chutney served in a small white bowl with a platter of dosas kept on the top side.

At home, I usually serve this version of the onion based Thakkali Chutney with crispy dosa or soft and light idli.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped onions, 100 grams or 2 medium-sized
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 100 grams tomatoes or 2 medium-sized
  • ½ teaspoon urad dal (spilt and husked black gram)
  • 1 to 2 dry red red chilies – kept whole or broken, deseeded if you prefer
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 small piece of tamarind – approximate ½ teaspoon of seedless tightly packed tamarind
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or peanut oil or sesame oil – not the asian variety of sesame oil
  • salt as required
  • water as required for blending or grinding the chutney ingredients, optional

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or peanut oil) and add ½ teaspoon urad dal. Keep heat to low or medium-low.

urad dal added to hot sunflower oil in pan.

2. Once the lentils start to become light brown, add 1 to 2 dried red chilies.

So, by the time the urad dal turns to a maroonish color, the red chilies would also have changed color. Make sure you don’t burn them.

dried red chilies added to the hot oil.

3. Add the chopped onions and sauté stirring often, until they turn light golden.

chopped onions added to the pan.

4. When the onions become light golden, add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of asafoetida and salt as required.

chopped tomatoes, asafoetida and salt added to the onions.

5. Stir and sauté till the tomatoes soften and get cooked. This step is important as you don’t want the raw aroma of tomatoes in the chutney.

If the tomatoes start sticking to the pan, then sprinkle some water on them and continue to sauté.

sautéing the tomatoes.

6. So, as you see in the photo below, the tomatoes have cooked and softened.

cooked tomatoes.

7. Let the onion tomato chutney mixture become warm or cool. Later, add the sautéed ingredients a chutney grinder or a small blender jar.

Add a small piece of tamarind (approximately ½ teaspoon of seedless tightly packed tamarind) too.

cooked tomato mixture and seedless tamarind added to a grinder jar.

8. Without adding any water, grind the ingredients to a smooth and fine chutney. You can also make it semi-coarse, if you prefer. If you are unable to grind, then add a few tablespoons of water.

Do a taste test and add some more salt or tamarind if required and continue to grind to a fine consistency. Transfer to a serving bowl.

As I have mentioned above, you could opt to temper the onion tomato chutney with mustard seeds, dry red chilies and curry leaves. But without the tempering too, this tangy chutney tastes good.

ingredients ground to a smooth chutney without adding water.

9. Serve the Onion Tomato Chutney as an accompaniment with idli, dosa or medu vada.

onion tomato chutney served in a small white bowl with a platter of dosas kept on the top side.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

  1. You must cook the tomatoes (whichever recipe you choose), till they nicely soften and are cooked through. This is important as you really don’t want the raw aroma or flavor of the tomatoes in the chutneys.
  2. If the tomatoes stick to the pan while cooking, sprinkle some water and continue to cook.
  3. For the Onion Tomato Chutney, you can grind the chutney without any water till smooth. A semi coarse texture is also good in the chutney. If unable to grind, then add some water.
  4. Alternatively for the Onion Tomato Chutney, you can omit adding tamarind. Or use a bit of tamarind pulp or tamarind paste.
  5. For a spicier taste in either of the recipes, use 1 dry red chilli which is high in heat or increase the number of chillies if using lower or medium heat varieties.
  6. Keep the consistency thick or medium, by adding water as needed.
  7. Both the recipes can be scaled to make for more servings.

Variations

This Tomato Chutney has the main ingredient as tomatoes. While you are at this recipe, giving it a try and then making it a favorite of all your family members, I really want you to try a few more chutneys that have tomatoes in them.

These chutney recipes are also super easy and make for a great condiment during your lunches, dinner or snack parties at home. Some of them are:

  1. Kara Chutney – This spicy chutney made with shallots, tomatoes, spices and herbs is a special from the cuisine of Tamil Nadu. Can be considered as the close cousin of the other onion tomato chutney recipe that I’m going to mention in this post itself.
  2. Tomato Pachadi – This is a Thakkali Pachadi or the Thakkali Chutney, a delicacy from Andhra cuisine. The flavor profile of this chutney is spicy, sour and tangy. You’ll really miss on something fab, if you don’t give this a try.
  3. Tomato Thokku – A South Indian recipe of a kind of tomato pickle or relish is this condiment. Usually served as a side relish with steamed rice, this spiced condiment is made with tomatoes, tamarind, herbs and spices.
  4. Tomato Khejur Chutney – This is almost a dessertish sweet and spiced chutney of tomatoes, dates and Panch Phoron, a revered delicacy from Bengali cuisine. The classic way of having this variation is to pair it with the Bengali Khichdi.
  5. Momos Chutney – This is my take on the quintessential spicy, red sauce that is served with momos (steamed dumplings) across the country. I have also used tomatoes along with the red chilies and garlic cloves in this recipe. This will surely level up your experience of relishing momos at home.

Step by Step Photo Guide Above

tomato chutney in a white bowl.

Tomato Chutney Recipe (For Idli & Dosa)

Author: Dassana Amit
4.99 from 65 votes
This South Indian Tomato Chutney is a tangy and spicy chutney made with fresh tomatoes, lentils, spices, and herbs. Also known as Tamatar ki Chutney or Thakkali Chutney, this recipe is made without onions and garlic. It pairs well with idli, dosa, vada, and other South Indian snacks.
Print Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings3
CourseCondiment, Side Dish
DietVegan
CuisineSouth Indian

Ingredients

To Cook and Blend

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
  • 2 to 3 dry red chillies – broken and deseeded, I have used less hot variety of red chillies. Check point no 4 in notes.
  • 1 to 2 cloves – optional
  • 4 to 5 black peppercorns
  • 1 inch ginger – peeled and chopped
  • 1.5 cups tomatoes chopped, 225 to 250 grams or 2 large tomatoes
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
  • salt as required
  • 2 tablespoons water – for blending or grinding, add 1 or 2 tablespoon more if needed

To Temper

  • ½ tablespoon oil – sesame oil or sunflower oil or any neutral flavored oil
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves
  • 2 to 3 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 dry red chili – halved and deseeded

Instructions

Cooking and blending tomatoes

  • In a frying pan or sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and add urad dal. On a low heat, fry the urad lentils till they start turning maroonish.
  • Once the lentils get a maroonish brown color, add broken dry red chilies, cloves, black peppercorns and chopped ginger. Stir for some seconds, till the red chilies change their color.
  • Then add chopped tomatoes and asafoetida. Add salt.
  • Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften. About 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium-low heat.
  • If the tomatoes start sticking to the pan, add a splash of water and continue to sauté.
  • After the tomatoes have softened, turn off the heat and set aside the chutney mixture to cool.
  • Once the tomato chutney ingredients cool, add them to a chutney grinder or small blender.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of water or as needed. Blend or grind to a smooth and fine consistency.

Tempering Tomato Chutney

  • In the same pan or different pan, heat ½ tablespoon of oil.
  • Add the mustard seeds and crackle them.
  • Then add curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and one broken red chili. Sauté till the curry leaves become crisp. Ensure that the spices and herbs do not burn.
  • Then add the blended and ground tomato paste. Stir to mix and combine.
  • Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on a low heat. At this point you can add in a few tablespoons of hot water if the chutney looks thick to you.
  • Check the taste and add more salt if required.
  • Stir to mix. The chutney is done and ready to be served.
  • This Tomato Chutney pairs extremely well with idli, dosa, uttapam or vada varieties. You can even serve this Thakkali chutney with pakodas.
  • The remaining chutney can be stored in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.

Video

Dassana’s Notes

  1. Use tomatoes, which are fresh, red and ripe. They can be tart or sweet-tart but not unripe.
  2. If the tomato chutney is too sour or tart for your taste, balance it  by adding a few pinches of sugar or brown sugar. 
  3. Ensure to cook the tomatoes really well, so that their raw flavor and aroma is not felt in the chutney
  4. If using medium-hot chillies, add 1 to 2 according to your spice preferences. If using a hotter and spicier variety of chilli, add 1 or ½ of it.
  5. You can skip adding cloves if you do not prefer it or have any allergy towards it.
  6. You could use any neutral oil or sesame oil (gingelly oil).
  7. The recipe can be scaled up to make for more servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 741IU | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 0.03mg | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.03mg | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 27mg | Vitamin B6: 0.1mg | Vitamin C: 56mg | Vitamin E: 3mg | Vitamin K: 6µg | Calcium: 26mg | Vitamin B9 (Folate): 285µg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 13mg | Phosphorus: 24mg | Zinc: 0.2mg

Tomato Chutney recipe from the archives was first published on December 2014.

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Dassana Amit

I am Dassana Amit, a vegetarian chef and baker with decades of experience, professionally trained in Indian and continental cooking and baking. I’m also a certified pastry chef, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in plant-based patisserie. For over 16 years, I’ve shared trusted, strictly vegetarian recipes with step-by-step photos, expert tips, and practical guidance. Bringing together tradition, technique, and a love for honest, soulful vegetarian cooking.

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84 Comments

  2. Came out really well. Recipe is laid out in very easy layout. A bit too much on the sour side but that could be because I used the canned tomatoes. Thank you so much for all the effort you have put in here ❤️😍🙏5 stars

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing your feedback Bineetha. Glad you found the recipe easy to follow.

      Yes, canned tomatoes can make the chutney a bit more sour. Fresh tomatoes usually balance it better.

      Happy you liked it overall. Thanks for the kind words ❤️🙏

      Reply

  3. I love to cook as per your recipes. I was looking for the recipe of lemon chutney. But could not find. Can you please help me.5 stars

    Reply

  4. I had a craving and this hit just the spot! I used the 2nd recipe, and next time I will triple it. Thank you for sharing!!5 stars

    Reply

      1. I have been following you on Facebook for several years and have tried many of your recipes successfully. Thank you and Happy Christmas and New Year.
        Robin

        Reply

  5. I have loved this every time I make it and in-spite of making it now several times. I keep coming back to this recipe before i make it ?5 stars

    Reply

  6. Hi Dassana

    You never know, how much indispensable service you are doing through your recipes. All recipes are practical, healthy, scientific. Your recipes are reflection of your true spirit.5 stars

    Reply

  7. Superb, recipe! Much easier than my current one and just as good. I did add three tablespoons of ketchup, which gave a nice deep red color and also a sharp piquant taste! Thanks once again Dassana, I appreciate your instruction and the work you put into testing and presenting all your recipes. Nyle5 stars

    Reply

  8. Just love your website new look and it is more convenient now to search recipes. Thanks dassana for awesome recipes

    Reply

  9. Hi,
    This recipe seems really good.
    I was wondering if we can freeze it(both versions) if yes,for how long?
    Thank you in advance for your reply.
    Warm regards,
    D

    Reply

    1. making professional quality videos takes a lot of time. maybe when i have a staff i can make videos. thanks for the suggestion priya. though for some recipes i have made videos and i have uploaded them on our youtube channel also.

      Reply

  11. Awesome.. tried this and it turned out to be the star of our evening . Thank you so much for ur recipes5 stars

    Reply

  12. Chutney came out very well, thanks a lot for this wonderful receipe. Nice aroma. I love your cooking style. Overwhelmed!

    Reply

  13. I made this tomato chutney today… It turn out awesome…… My family loved it….. Thank u so very much. .5 stars

    Reply

  14. This chutney is delicious I did leave out the chili in the temper as It was hot enough for us without the extra chili. I used dried Kashmiri chilies . Love your site and your amazing detail and step by step photos. Thank you.5 stars

    Reply

  15. Tried many of your recipes, they are really good with good information. Thanks… Keep posting, God bless you.

    Reply

  17. This recipe is amazing. I have made many diffeent types of chutneys. This surpassed them all.

    Reply

  19. I just love ur recipes ……. they are very helpful….. I have almost tried 8 of ur recipes and everything came out well….

    Thank you for all ur recipes5 stars

    Reply

  27. One picture is a thousand words. Very easy to understand for people who want to learn to cook.
    Thanks.5 stars

    Reply

  28. Hi. .. your recipes are really helpful to make varieties … it’s a quick and easy guide to whatevr I wanna make.. thank u so much for posting it

    Reply

  29. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I tried it. The aroma, the look and the taste – all were awesome.5 stars

    Reply

  31. Awesome blog for working women & newly married girls….
    Ma’m ur receipes i also tried…
    All the receipes nice…

    Reply

  32. Tomato chutney is my all time favourite but i never cooked it on my own. I tried your recipe and i got compliments from my husband. I have just started cooking and getting compliments boosted my morale,thanks to you. 🙂5 stars

    Reply

  34. Hi,
    I love your website.I am a hard core non vegetarian. But for veg recipes,I follow your website. I thought I will write today cos this week I made four of your recipes,andhra tomato dal ,bhindi do pyaaza,idli with idli rava and this tomato chutney to go along with it.As always everything came out exceptionally well. Thank you very much for your wonderful recipes.

    Reply

  36. Hi Dassana,

    Just wanted to know how much cloves and black pepper need to be added as I am not seeing either in the ingredients list.

    Regards,
    Amitha

    Reply