Onion Chutney is a very popular South Indian chutney recipe made using red onions, lentils, and some spices, usually served as a side with idli, dosa, upma, or pongal.
Chutney is an essential side dish for South Indian breakfast items like idli, dosa, vada, and paniyaram. Among the many varieties, coconut chutney, onion tomato chutney, and peanut chutney are some of the most popular choices.
Today, I’m sharing a flavorful onion chutney recipe that I learned from my mom. It has become a staple in my kitchen, and I make it at least once a week. This chutney also works wonderfully as a spread for sandwiches similar to green chutney. While I have used red onions, you can also use pearl onions to prepare this chutney.
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Ingredients
You will require very few simple ingredients to make this easy South Indian onion chutney recipe.
- 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.
- Garlic - use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- 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.
- Lentils: I used split urad dal and split chana dal. They add great texture and a nutty flavor to the chutney, so don't skip them.
- Herbs - use fresh herbs like curry leaves to enhance the flavor of the chutney. My mom also adds coriander leaves along with curry leaves to this chutney.
- Tamarind - Adds tanginess to the onion chutney. You can also use store-bought tamarind paste if that is what you have in hand. You may also substitute it with lemon juice.
- Tempering - mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, red chili, and oil are used for this tempering.
How to Make South Indian Red Onion Chutney
In a pan, add 1 tablespoon oil. Once it's hot, add 1 teaspoon split urad dal, 1 teaspoon split chana dal, and 4-5 dried red chilies. Saute till the dal turns light golden in color.
Then add 1 large roughly chopped onion (about 1 cup) and 3 garlic cloves and saute for 2-3 minutes until onions turn soft.
Then add 1 stalk of curry leaves, and saute till the onions turn light brown. Turn off the flame and cool the mixture completely.
Once cooled, transfer the mixture into the blender. Add 1 small piece of tamarind, ½ teaspoon jaggery (optional), salt, and blend with no or very little water until smooth.
Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small pan, add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 dried red chili, a few curry leaves, and 1 pinch of hing, and saute for a few seconds.
Add the tempering and pour the tempering over the ground onion chutney. Serve onion chutney with idli or dosa.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this South Indian Onion chutney with idli, dosa, paniyaram, paneer uttapam, neer dosa, rava upma, or paratha.
You can also serve it with hot steamed rice and dal tadka with some homemade ghee.
Storage Suggestions
This onion chutney keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week, making it a great make-ahead chutney dish.
**Tip. While grinding, avoid adding too much water if you want to store it for more days. More moisture means this chutney will spoil faster.
Tips & Variations
- Type of Onion: Try using red onions or shallots for this recipe to get the best results.
- Lentils: You can roast 1 teaspoon each of urad dal and chana dal separately and grind along with sautéed onion mixture. Lentils like roasted urad dal & chana dal add great texture to the chutney and a nutty aroma.
- Dry Red Chilies: Use Byadgi red chilies or Kashmiri red chilies to get the perfect bright red color. If you don't have dry red chilies substitute them with red chili powder.
- Roasting Onion: Roast the onions on medium-low flame till they caramelize or turn golden brown. Else, chutney will have a raw onion taste.
- Tanginess: If you don't have tamarind, replace it with lemon juice. But traditionally, tamarind is used.
Onion Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon split urad dal (split black gram) optional
- 1 teaspoon split chana dal (split bengal gram) optional
- 4-5 dried red chilies (Byadgi or Kashmiri Red chilies)
- 1 large onion (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 1 small piece of tamarind
- ½ teaspoon jaggery optional
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons water or as needed, for blending
Tempering:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- few curry leaves
- 1 dried red chili
- 1 pinch asafetida (hing)
Instructions
- In a pan, add oil. Once it's hot, add split urad dal, split chana dal, and dried red chilies. Saute till the dal turns light golden in color.
- Then add onions and garlic cloves and saute for 2-3 minutes until onions turn soft.
- Then add curry leaves, and saute till the onions turn light brown. Turn off the flame and cool the mixture completely.
- Once cooled, transfer the mixture into the blender. Add tamarind, jaggery, and salt and blend with no or very less water until smooth.
- Heat coconut oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, dry red chili, curry leaves, and hing, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add the tempering and pour the tempering over the ground onion chutney.
- Serve onion chutney with idli or dosa.
Notes
Tips & Variations
- Type of Onion: Try using red onions or shallots for this recipe to get the best results.
- Lentils: You can roast 1 teaspoon each of urad dal and chana dal separately and grind along with sautéed onion mixture. Lentils like roasted urad dal & chana dal add great texture to the chutney and a nutty aroma.
- Dry Red Chilies: Use Byadgi red chilies or Kashmiri red chilies to get the perfect bright red color. If you don't have dry red chilies substitute them with red chili powder.
- Roasting Onion: Roast the onions on medium-low flame till it caramelizes or turns golden brown. Else chutney will have raw onion taste.
- Tanginess: If you don't have tamarind replace it with lemon juice. But traditionally, tamarind is used.
Nutrition
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