Beetroot Chutney

Chutney is a side dish sauce/ condiment which can be prepared with vegetables like tomato, onion, beetroot, eggplants, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, potato, green chillies, red chillies, etc.,nuts like peanut, coconut, etc., and even with fruits and yogurt. Chutney powder is another form in which the lentils are roasted in low flame and grounded into dry powder which can be sprinkled or used as side dish. In southern part of India, it is used for tiffins like idli, dosa, vada, bajji, bonda. This sauce has a variety of tastes. Some are sweet, salty, sour, spice and mixture of all depending upon its place of origin.

The chutney/ side dish for tiffin in south India has many consistencies. Some are in the form of dip called Chutney, very liquid called Kosthu, paste like called Thuvayal. However, it's all very tasty and delicious. Thuvayal, a form of pickle is the one preserved for days and can be eaten as side dish for rice as well. Kosthu is a liquid form of chutney which is prepared by sauteing, boiling and mashing up or blending the vegetables with a traditional crockery mashing pot.

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Chutney is normally a dip form prepared by sauteing the vegetables or using raw coconut and blending them. Traditional chutney recipes are blended by using mortar and pesto which is called as "Ammi" in Tamil. It gives the smell of hard work and of course finger-licking taste.

You might be wondering how a sweet vegetable like beetroot be tasted in a chutney! So, why don't you try making my recipe below and taste it by yourself?

Recipe:

• Prep time - 20 mins
• Cooking time - 30 mins
• Serves - 4

Ingredients:

• Beetroot - 1 small or 1/2 big, grated
• Onion - 2 medium, sliced
• Tomato - 1 medium, diced
• Tamarind - a gumball size, pitted ( stone removed)
• Red chili peppers - 6 to 8 
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

-For seasoning:-

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Black gram - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Note: You can also season with vadagam ( dry spices) instead of mustard seeds and black gram.

Method:

• In a skillet or saute pan, saute all the ingredients except salt with 1 tbsp of oil for 5 to 10 mins
• Cool down completely before blending the mixture.
• Blend it with enough salt. If needed, little water can be added.
• In the same skillet, add 2 tbsp oil. Season with mustard seeds and black gram and curry leaves.
• Add in the blended chutney, cook for 5 more mins.
• Serve it with dosa or idli.

Hope you liked the recipe. I will share another interesting recipe in my next post. Your feedback and suggestions are welcome. For more updates, please do follow my blog and my Youtube channel. Have a wonderful day!