Shwetha Bhat is passionate about food and cooking. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and share her recipes.

Sweet, Tangy and Spicy

Chutney is a traditional Indian condiment that can be either sweet or savory. It is a primary accompaniment with every Indian meal, as it complements many different dishes. It can be made from fruits or vegetables, and typically we add herbs, spices, vinegar and jaggery (or sugar). There are many different recipes and variations, depending on the region.

North Indian style tomato chutney is a finger-licking spicy, sweet and tangy chutney that is made with tomatoes, spices and a few other basic ingredients. This dish is inspired by South Indian chutney, and it's very tasty and delicious. You can adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. It's extremely simple and quick to make with very few basic ingredients, all of which are readily available. It will keep longer than the South Indian tomato chutney.

Adding cloves gives a distinct aroma and flavor to this chutney. The recipe contains no onions and no garlic.

Serve this chutney with dosa, paratha, uttappam, upma, rice and snacks.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 2-4 ripe tomatoes, washed and finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1-2 red chilies, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon methi (fenugreek seeds)
• 1 teaspoon saunf (fennel seeds)
• Salt, to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1-2 bay leaf
• 1-2 cloves
• 1-2 teaspoons jaggery
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Wash and finely chop 2-4 ripe tomatoes. Set aside.
2. In a frying pan, heat the oil. Add fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and red chilies. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until they turn brown.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and a little salt to taste. Cook over medium heat till the oil starts to ooze out from the sides.
4. Add about 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking. Cook over low heat till tomatoes cook properly and turns mushy.
5. Meanwhile, in a pan, add vinegar, bay leaves and cloves. Cook over low heat till the vinegar has reduced by half.
6. When the tomatoes are cooked properly, add the vinegar mixture to the tomato mixture.
7. Add the jaggery. Mix and cook over low heat till it achieves the consistency of chutney. Adjust salt and jaggery if required.
8. Serve this chutney with dosa, paratha or snacks.

Photo Guide

Notes

• I used only red chili for spiciness. You can even add red chili powder and green chilies to make it spicier.
• Always use good quality ripe tomatoes for better results. It also gives a nice color to the chutney.
• If you want to store this chutney, dehydrate this chutney completely, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
• If you feel your chutney is too tangy, add little more jaggery or sugar to balance the sourness.
• Cook tomatoes properly to avoid getting the raw smell of tomatoes in chutney.

© 2020 Shwetha bhat