Kara Chutney – a spicy South Indian style chutney which pairs well with idli, dosa and South Indian snacks.
Chutney as a condiment has earned a special place in Indian cuisine. It is served as an accompaniment with various dishes. There are various types of chutneys prepared with various ingredients reflecting the culture and traditions to the region they belong. Whether served as a side dish, spread or a dip, they elevate the taste of the dish they are accompanied with. There are over 20 types of chutney on this blog. You can check the recipes here.
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About Kara Chutney
Kara Chutney is a South Indian style chutney made with onion, dry red chillies, tomatoes and other flavourful ingredients. The chutney pairs excellently with idli, dosa, uttappa, vadas etc. Kara chutney literally translates to spicy chutney, however the spice level of the chutney can be adjusted to suit individual preference. To make the Kara chutney, onions, red chillies, tomatoes and garlic are cooked along with chana dal and udad dal. These ingredients are then blend to a fine paste to which a tempering of mustard, udad dal, red chilly and curry leaves are added.
List of ingredients to make Kara Chutney
Lentils : Chana dal, Udad dal
Veggies : Onions and tomatoes
Spices and herbs : dry red chillies, garlic
Other ingredients : tamarind, oil and salt
For tempering : oil, mustard seeds, udad dal, curry leaves and dry red chilli
Step-wise recipe with instructions
Heat oil in pan. Add chana dal and udad dal. Saute for few seconds.
Add garlic and dry red chillies and saute for few more seconds.
Add chopped onions. Sprinkle salt. Saute.
Add tamarind and saute.
Once the onions soften, add tomatoes.
Saute till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
Allow this to cool completely. Once cooled, transfer to a mixer jar.
Blend to a smooth paste.
For tempering, heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, udad dal, curry leaves and dry red chilly.
When the ingredients start spluttering, pour the tempering into the chutney. Kara Chutney is ready to be served.
Recipe Card
Kara Chutney | Spicy Kara Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tbsp udad dal
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 dry red chilly
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- a marble sized ball of tamarind
- salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp udad dal
- few curry leaves
- 1 dry red chilly
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan.
- Add chana dal and udad dal. Saute for few seconds.
- Add garlic and dry red chillies and saute for few more seconds.
- Add sliced onions. Sprinkle salt. Saute.
- Add tamarind and saute.
- Once the onions soften, add tomatoes.
- Saute till the tomatoe sturn soft and mushy.
- Allow this to cool completely.
- Once cooled, transfer to a mixer jar.
- Blend to a smooth paste.
- For tempering, heat oil in a small pan.
- Add mustard seeds, udad dal, curry leaves and dry red chilly.
- When the ingredients start spluttering, pour the tempering into the chutney.
- Kara Chutney is ready to be served.
Recipe Video
More Chutney Recipes
Coconut Chutney
Green Chutney
Mint Corainder Chutney
Neer Chutney
Orange Chutney
Onion Chutney
Tomato Coconut Chutney
Raw Mango Chutney
Khatti Meethi Kairi Chutney
Phalahari Chutney
Pumpkin Peel Chutney
Plum Chutney
Traditional Mangalorean Chutneys
Brahmi Chutney / Thimare Chutney
Brined Mango Chutney
Brined Jackfruit Rind Chutney
Horse gram Chutney
Chutney Powders
Shengdana Chutney
Flax Seeds Chutney
Vada Pav Chutney
Tilkut
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