No more promises, guys—I haven’t been very good at keeping them! Work, travel, and everyday life have kept me busy, and when I finally get some free time, I sometimes become too lazy to update the blog.
I’ll keep posting recipes whenever I can. Thank you so much for all your support. Your encouragement is a wonderful boost and keeps me motivated even when I’m unable to update regularly.
This is a simple and spicy tomato-onion Kara Chutney that always reminds me of breakfast at restaurants back home in India. The flavor comes very close to the chutneys served with South Indian breakfast dishes.
I especially love this chutney with rice idli, dosa, rava dosa, paniyaram, and Ven Pongal. If you enjoy spicy food, this is definitely a finger-licking chutney!
The color and flavor of the chutney may vary depending on the type of tomatoes and the number of dried red chilies used. This is also a very flexible recipe—you can increase, reduce, or skip some ingredients according to your taste and still get a delicious chutney.
Kara Chutney / Spicy Tomato Chutney
Recipe Details
Chutney
South Indian
Sashi
15 minutes
2
Ingredients
For the Chutney
- Vine tomatoes – 2 medium
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Green chilies – 2 (optional)
- Dried red chilies – 5–6
- Onion – 1 large, chopped
- Salt – to taste
- Grated coconut – 3–4 tbsp (optional)
- Asafoetida / Hing – a pinch (optional)
For Tempering (Optional)
- Sesame oil – 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Split urad dal / Black gram – 1/4 tsp
- Chana dal – 1/4 tsp
- Dried red chili – 1
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Preparation
- Chop the onion and tomatoes separately.
Cooking Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Add the green chilies, if using, and the dried red chilies. Sauté for about 5–10 seconds.
- Immediately add the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become completely soft and form a thick mixture.
- Add salt to taste, mix well, and remove from the heat.
- Allow the cooked mixture to cool completely.
- Transfer it to a blender. Add the grated coconut and asafoetida, if using.
- Grind without adding water until you get a thick, smooth chutney.
Tempering
- Heat the sesame oil in a small tempering pan.
- Add the mustard seeds, split urad dal, and chana dal.
- When the mustard seeds begin to splutter and the dals turn lightly golden, add the dried red chili and curry leaves.
- Pour the tempering over the ground chutney and mix well.
Tips
For Garlic Flavor: Add a few garlic cloves while sautéing the dried red chilies.
For Ginger Flavor: A small piece of ginger can also be sautéed along with the chilies before grinding.
Adjust to Your Taste: Increase or reduce the tomatoes, chilies, coconut, or other ingredients depending on the flavor and spice level you prefer.
Sesame Oil: Using sesame oil for tempering gives the chutney a wonderful traditional aroma and flavor.
Raw Onion Variation: If you enjoy the stronger flavor of raw onion, you can grind it directly without sautéing.
No Added Water: Grind the chutney without water to keep it thick and flavorful.
Serving Suggestion
Serve Kara Chutney with rice idli, dosa, paniyaram, rava dosa, Ven Pongal, or your favorite South Indian breakfast.
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