This simple Tomato Chutney is the perfect accompaniment to my homemade soft idlis and crispy masala dosa. The chutney is made with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and finished with a tadka of curry leaves and mustard seeds. This is my go-to recipe for a simple chutney to enjoy with idlis and dosas because it comes together using basic pantry staples.
I grew up eating South Indian food only at restaurants. Being a north Indian, my mom rarely made dosa at home. When I started cooking, one of my goals was to learn how to make a good crispy dosa and soft idlis. I have talked in detail about this journey on my homemade idli dosa batter post. It took me years of trials, errors and recipe testing to finally learn how to a make crispy dosa and super soft idlis.
But once you start making these regularly in your kitchen, you also learn to make all the accompaniment that comes with them like a simple sambar, homemade coconut chutney, my favorite peanut chutney and this simple tomato chutney.
Simple Tomato Chutney for every season!
India is a country of spices, achar (pickle) and chutney. There are way too many chutneys, and everyone has their own way of making them.
Chutneys always reminds me of my nana ji (grandfather), he would not have his lunch until and unless there was some sort of chutney on the table. He was very particular about it. Mom made a chutney for him every day with whatever was in season. The most common one was of course the cilantro chutney but then there were also chutneys made with whatever was in season – raw mango, gooseberry etc.
Being an Indian, chutneys are an integral part of my lifestyle, and I always have a jar of my homemade mint chutney in my fridge. Sometimes, I experiment with different chutney flavors like sweet and spicy peach chutney. This tomato chutney, however, is as basic as it can get and is perfect for all seasons. And it goes with so many things- not just idli and dosa.
For this recipe, I used only 2 dried red chilies. If you love spice, feel free to double or even triple the amount. Me and Sarvesh aren’t huge on spice, so I have kept it to a minimal.
The process is super simple- cook the ingredients until the raw smell goes away then grind to a paste and that’s about it! A simple tadka (tempering) of curry leaves and mustard seeds in the end is optional but highly recommended.
How to Make Simple Tomato Chutney
- Sauté the chana dal, then the onions and garlic
Once the chana dal is golden brown, remove it on a plate and then add the onions, garlic and dried red chilies and cook them for around 3 minutes. You can add more chilies at this point for a spicier chutney.
- The tomatoes go in next!
Cook the tomatoes until they are soft and mushy. And that’s all the cooking you have to do for this recipe.
- Blend the chutney
Pop all the cooked ingredients into your blender and blend to a smooth paste. There’s no need to add water here as there’s plenty of moisture in the tomatoes.
- Pour over the tadka
A simple tadka is optional but recommended. I make mine with curry leaves, mustard seeds and hing. And the chutney is ready to be served!
Storage Tip
This chutney stores well in the refrigerator for a week, so you can make it in advance to pair with your dosa or idli. I prefer this chutney chilled (just a personal preference). If you do not have it right away, you can skip the tadka and store it. Pour over fresh tadka before serving.
Simple Tomato Chutney (for Idli & Dosa)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil, use oil of choice, I used avocado oil
- 1&½ teaspoon chana dal
- 3-4 large garlic cloves
- 1 small onion, chopped, 100 grams, I used white onion
- 2-3 dried red chilies, adjust to taste
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped, 350 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, optional, for bright color
Tempering/Tadka
- 1 teaspoon oil, use oil of choice
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch hing, also known as asafoetida
- 5-6 curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a kadai/pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add 1 & ½ teaspoon chana dal and cook for around 2 to 3 minutes or until the dal is golden in color. Remove the dal from pan and set aside.
- To the same pan add 3-4 large garlic cloves, 1 white onion (small/100grams) and 2-3 dried red chilies. Increase the number of red chilies as per your taste. Cook for around 3 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Then add 2 medium tomatoes (350 grams), along with ½ teaspoon salt and stir. Cook the tomatoes until they are soft and mushy, around 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the kadai from heat.
- Let everything cool down a bit and then transfer to a blender along with the roasted chana dal. Grind it to a smooth paste. I also added ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder while grinding (for color) but that’s optional. Transfer chutney to a bowl.
- To make the tadka/tempering, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add pinch hing (see note 1) and 5-6 curry leaves. Sauté for a minute until the curry leaves turn little crisp.
- Transfer the tempering to the tomato chutney and mix. Enjoy tomato chutney with dosa/idlis or even parathas.
Notes
- To make this chutney gluten free, make sure to use gluten free hing or you can skip it.
- You can also add more flavors to this chutney- like you can add ginger or even roasted peanuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
