Today I am sharing an easy, and one of my favorite chutney recipes after coconut chutney, and onion chutney. Its called Tomato Onion Chutney. This chutney is a popular recipe from South Indian states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. Each household has its own unique version, and it can be prepared in various ways. It can be served with idli, dosa, uttapam, or any other South Indian breakfast. Don’t forget to check out my green tomato chutney for another delicious option! If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out more delicious tomato recipes.
Tomato Rice using Coconut Milk Andra Style Tomato Pickle Onion Tomato Raita Tomato Soup
What is Onion Tomato Chutney?
It is a popular South Indian condiment prepared using onion, tomatoes, and spices as the main ingredients. It is tangy, medium spicy, and has a nutty aroma. This tomato chutney is also known as Thakkali chutney in Tamil Nadu.
Ingredients
Onions - I like to use red onions as they are sweeter in taste. You can also use shallots or pearl onions (sambar onions) for this recipe. Tomatoes - use fresh, ripened, and juicy tomatoes for the best taste, flavor, and color. Roma tomatoes or Red Vine Tomatoes work best. The general rule of thumb is - the quantity of tomatoes should be twice the amount of onions in this recipe. Red Chillies - Use Byadgi red chilies or Kashmiri Red Chillies to get a bright red color and heat to the chutney. If you don’t have it, use Kashmiri red chili powder instead. Garlic - use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor. Lentils - Roasted Urad dal adds great texture to the chutney. So don’t skip it. If you don’t have it, substitute it with chana dal (bengal gram). Tamarind - Adds extra tang to the chutney. You can also use store-bought tamarind paste if that is what you have in hand. If the tomatoes are too tangy, then feel free to skip this one. Tempering - mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, red chili, and oil are used for tempering.
How to Make Indian Tomato Onion Chutney
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add split urad dal and red chilies and saute until the dal turns light brown. Then add garlic, curry leaves, and onion. Saute till onions turn soft and translucent. Then add in the tomatoes, turmeric, and salt. Cook the tomatoes until they are soft and mushy, around 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat, add tamarind and jaggery. Mix everything well. Cool the mixture. Once the onion tomato mixture cools, add it to a mixer grinder or small blender. Grind it to a smooth paste without adding any water.
For Tempering
Heat oil in a small tadka pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chili, and saute till the dal turns light brown. Then, add curry leaves and asafoetida (hing). Saute for a few seconds and pour the tempering over the tomato chutney. Serve with idli, dosa, uttapam.
Storage Suggestions
This tomato chutney stays good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. So this is a great make-ahead chutney dish. You can also serve it with hot basmati rice and dal tadka with some homemade ghee. Tomato chutney also freezes well up to a month in the freezer when stored in freezer-safe containers or food storage bags.
Variation & Substitutions
Peanuts: You can also add 2 tablespoons of roasted peanuts for a variation. Chana Dal: You can substitute roasted urad dal with chana dal (bengal gram) or use both in the recipe. Coconut: You can also add 2 tablespoons of fresh shredded coconut to make tomato coconut chutney. Ginger: You can substitute garlic with ginger to make tomato ginger chutney. Herbs: To make pudina onion tomato chutney, you may add fresh mint (pudina) leaves to this chutney. For a variation, you can also add fresh coriander leaves. Spicyness: If you don’t have dry red chilies, use red chili powder. You may also use green chilies; make sure to roast them.
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