The Healthy Chutney: Onion Chutney
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About The Healthy Chutney: Onion Chutney
As a child, I vividly remember my mother's bold attempt to introduce onion chutney alongside our usual dosas. Resistant to change, my siblings and I dismissed it, and it quietly disappeared from our family table. Ironically, both my mother and mother-in-law—whom I consider true culinary experts—have always avoided onion-based dishes, except for the occasional pakora. This aversion meant that onion chutney never found its way back into my kitchen—until recently.
Last week, with only onions left in my pantry and my mother-in-law away, I decided to finally give this chutney another try. To my surprise, it didn’t taste like onions at all! Instead, the flavors melded into something reminiscent of peanuts and cabbage, utterly delicious and completely unexpected. Known as 'Ulli pacchadi' in Telugu, this humble chutney is a testament to the hidden goodness of onions—a vegetable so versatile that it’s produced in over 20 billion pounds worldwide each year!
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Recipe Time & More
Ingredients
- 2 onion (medium sized)
- 1 tsp Cumin Seed
- 2 tbsp Split Black Gram (Urad Dal, urad dal split black)
- 1.5 tbsp Tamarind Pulp (based on your preference for tanginess)
- 2.5 Red Chillies (dry)
- 1/2 tsp Jagerry
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1.5 tsp Salt (or as per taste)
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds (Rai, or seasoning for seasoning)
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 1/2 tsp Oil
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Instructions
- Slice onions into medium pieces and keep aside. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, dry red chilies and sauté for a few seconds. Add urad dal, saute and let it turn golden yellow. Transfer this into a small dish and let it cool.
- In the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil, add the chopped onion pieces and saute well for 4-5 minutes, until the raw odour of onion disappears. Turn off the heat and cool. Grind the urad dal, cumin seeds and red chillis to a coarse powder. Add to this
- Grind to make a paste. Add a little water (2-3 tablespoons) for a thinner consistency. Do not add more water as it may turn out to be runny.
- For seasoning, heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and turn off the heat. Pour this seasoning over the chutney. Mix and savor this chutney with idlis or dosaTMs.
Recipe Notes
Ensure the onion pieces are well fried.
Additional Tips
- For a deeper, sweeter flavor, try caramelizing the onions slowly over low heat before blending; this will mellow their sharpness and add a subtle complexity to the chutney.
- If you prefer a chunkier texture, pulse the mixture in short bursts and fold in some finely chopped raw red onions at the end for added crunch and a fresh bite.
- To enhance the smoky notes, briefly roast the red chillies and cumin seeds in oil until aromatic before adding the onions—this step boosts both aroma and depth of flavor.
- This chutney keeps well in the refrigerator for up to five days; store it in an airtight container and bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
Tried this recipe?Mention @plattershare or tag #plattershare!
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Recipe Nutrition
Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Sodium: 855mg | Sugar: 1g
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Aparna Parinam
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I’m loving this recipe already!
Such a perfect dish! Thank you.
This is exactly what I was looking for!
This is fantastic! Thank you for sharing.