This Peanut Chutney is a creamy, nutty, and delicious South Indian condiment made with roasted peanuts (groundnuts), garlic, onion, and red or green chilies, all ground together and then tempered with spices. It's vegan, low-carb, and can be made gluten-free.
Today, I'm sharing a flavorful Andhra-style peanut and onion chutney recipe that pairs perfectly with breakfast classics such as idli, dosa, pesarattu, and vada.
Every household has its own recipe. This peanut chutney features onions, garlic, and dry red chilies, imparting rich flavor without the addition of coconut.
Unlike coconut chutney, this chutney doesn't get spoil easily or become rancid, making it ideal for packing in kids school lunch boxes or taking on day trips.
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What is Peanut Chutney?
Peanut chutney, also known as groundnut chutney or palli chutney is a popular side dish from Andhra Pradesh made from roasted peanuts, onions, garlic, dry red chilies, and a blend of spices. A final tempering (tadka) adds depth and flavor to this delightful condiment.
This chutney is a great side dish for South Indian breakfast dishes like idli, dosa, uttapam, vada, upma, etc.
Ingredients
You will require very few simple ingredients to make this easy Indian peanut onion chutney recipe.
- Peanuts - This is the main ingredient for making this chutney. I like to use raw, unsalted peanuts for this chutney with the skin on. Rub off the peanut skin when dry-roasted if you don't like it. You can also use store-bought unsalted roasted peanuts.
- Onions - I like to use red onions as they taste sweeter. You can also use shallots or pearl onions (sambar onions) for this recipe.
- Garlic - use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Dried Red Chilies - Use dried red chilies to add heat to the chutney. If you don't have it, use green chilies or red chili powder instead.
- Split Urad Dal - Adds great texture to the chutney, so don't skip it. If you don't have it, you can substitute it with split chana dal or white sesame seeds.
- Cumin Seeds - add great flavor to the chutney.
- Tamarind - adds tanginess to the groundnut chutney. If you don't have tamarind paste, you can use store-bought. You can also substitute it with lemon juice or yogurt.
- Tempering - I used mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, red chilies, and oil for tempering.
How to Make Peanut Chutney (Groundnut Chutney)
Dry roast ½ cup peanuts in a pan on medium flame until golden brown. Remove and let them cool. You can also roast the peanuts in the air fryer.
In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil, add ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera seeds), 1 teaspoon split urad dal (optional), and saute until the dal turns light brown.
Add ¼ cup onion or shallots, 3 garlic cloves, 3-4 dried red chilies, and saute until the onions turn soft and light brown. It roughly takes 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool completely.
In a blender jar, add roasted peanuts, sautéed onion-garlic mixture, 1 small piece tamarind (or tamarind paste), salt to taste, and ½ cup water (or as needed). Blend until you achieve a coarse or smooth paste, depending on your preference. Adjust the consistency with more water if needed.
For Tempering:
Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small tadka pan, add the following ingredients
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon split urad dal
- 1 dried red chili
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
and saute for a few seconds until the dal turns light brown.
Transfer the prepared chutney to a bowl, and pour the tempering over it.
Serve groundnut chutney with idli, dosa, paniyaram, roti, or as a spread in sandwiches and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
- This peanut chutney goes well with South Indian breakfast dishes like idli, palak moong dal dosa, paneer uttapam, medu vada, paniyaram (paddu), or chapati.
- This chutney can be served as a side dish with steamed sona masoori rice and homemade ghee, or ven pongal.
- Groundnut chutney can be served as a dipping sauce with Indian snacks like onion pakoda, punugulu, idli fry, or Mysore bonda.
Storage Suggestions
This peanut chutney stays good for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. So this is a great make-ahead dish.
Tip: While blending, ensure not to add too much water to the chutney if you want to store it for several days, as more moisture can cause it to spoil faster.
After refrigerating, if the peanut chutney thickens, simply add a small amount of water and stir before serving.
Tips to Make the Best Peanut Onion Chutney
- Peanuts: Always use high-quality peanuts. Ensure they are fresh and not rancid. Roast the peanuts thoroughly until golden brown on a medium-low flame to avoid a raw taste in the chutney.
- Lentils: Lentils, like roasted split urad dal, add a nutty aroma and texture to the chutney.
- Roasting Garlic: Many traditional recipes use raw garlic, but roasting helps eliminate the pungent smell.
- Tang: Adding tamarind gives a tang to the chutney.
- Consistency: You can make the peanut chutney thick or thin by adjusting the water as per your preference.
Variations
- No Tamarind: If you dont have tamarind, replace it with a little lime juice, or yogurt (curd).
- Peanuts: You can make this chutney with or without peanut skin. Also, if you have store-bought roasted peanuts, use them directly in this recipe.
- No Onions: If you dont want to use onions, replace them with the same quantity of fresh shredded coconut.
- No Garlic: You can skip the garlic and use ½ inch of ginger instead, skip both garlic and ginger altogether, or substitute them with a pinch of hing (asafetida).
- Vegetables: Another way to incorporate peanuts into chutney is by including vegetables like capsicum, creating a tasty capsicum peanut chutney.
- Fresh Herbs: You can also make mint peanut chutney by incorporating fresh herbs like mint (pudina) for a refreshing twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Peanuts are rich in protein, healthy fats, and dietary fiber. Hence, this chutney is good for health.
Peanuts have a very low glycemic index, do not increase blood sugar levels, and are hence, good for diabetic patients.
I don't prefer removing the peanut skins as they are loaded with nutrients. However, if you prefer having them removed, dry roast them on medium-low heat till they have brown spots. Transfer to a wide plate and cool at room temperature. Then, rub the peanuts between your palms to peel the skin.
No. Use gluten-free asafoetida or skip asafoetida while preparing the tempering for the chutney.
Peanut Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanuts
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon split urad dal optional
- ¼ cup onion (or 4-5 pearl onions/shallots)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3-4 dried red chilies (or green chillies)
- 1 small piece of tamarind
- ½ cup water for grinding or as needed
- salt adjust to taste
For Tempering:
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon split urad dal
- a pinch hing (asafetida)
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 1 dried red chili
Instructions
- Dry roast the peanuts in a pan on medium flame until golden brown. Remove and let them cool. You can also roast the peanuts in the air fryer.
- In the same pan, heat oil, add cumin (jeera) seeds, split urad dal and saute until the dal turns light brown.
- Add onion/shallots, garlic, dried red chilies and saute until the onions turn soft and light brown. It roughly takes 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool completely.
- In a blender jar, add roasted peanuts, sautéed onion-garlic mixture, tamarind, salt, and water. Blend until you achieve a coarse or smooth paste, depending on your preference. Adjust the consistency with more water if needed.
- Heat coconut oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chili, curry leaves, and hing, and saute for a few seconds until the dal turns light brown.
- Transfer the prepared chutney to a bowl, and pour the tempering over it.
- Serve groundnut chutney with Idli, dosa, paniyaram, roti, or as a spread in sandwiches and Enjoy.
Notes
Tips
- Peanuts: Always use high-quality peanuts. Ensure they are fresh and not rancid. Roast the peanuts thoroughly until golden brown on a medium-low flame to avoid a raw taste in the chutney.
- Lentils: Lentils, like roasted split urad dal, add a nutty aroma and texture to the chutney.
- Roasting Garlic: Many traditional recipes use raw garlic, but roasting helps eliminate the pungent smell.
- Tang: Adding tamarind gives a tang to the chutney.
- Consistency: You can make the peanut chutney thick or thin by adjusting the water as per your preference.
Variations
- No Tamarind: If you dont have tamarind, replace it with a little lime juice, or yogurt (curd).
- Peanuts: You can make this chutney with or without peanut skin. Also, if you have store-bought roasted peanuts, use them directly in this recipe.
- No Onions: If you dont want to use onions, replace them with the same quantity of fresh shredded coconut.
- No Garlic: You can skip the garlic and use ½ inch of ginger instead, skip both garlic and ginger altogether, or substitute them with a pinch of hing (asafoetida).
- Vegetables: Another way to incorporate peanuts into chutney is by including vegetables like capsicum, creating a tasty capsicum peanut chutney.
Nutrition
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