This is a slightly unusual, but extremely tasty chutney. It breaks the monotony of having the usual coconut/tomato/onion chutneys with South indian breakfast mains like idly, dosa, upma etc. This chutney is delicious and versatile in that it has a variety of uses. Add some cream, oregano, pepper and use it as a pasta sauce, or use it as a spread for grilled cheese sandwiches. Either way, it is yummy and different.
Ingredients for grinding the chutney:
- Red bell pepper/capsicum – 2 nos.
- Onion – 1 nos.
- Red chillies – 2 to 3 nos. ( i used 3 of the byadagi variety)
- Oil to fry – about 3 tsp
- Garlic – 2 pods, peeled and chopped finely
- Salt – to taste
Ingredients to temper:
- Jeera – 1/4 tsp
- Black mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – 4 or 5
- Asafoetida – a generous pinch
- Oil – 1 tsp
Recipe:
- Chop the bell pepper and the onions into cubes. No need to be thorough as we are going to grind it later.
- Heat oil in a pan of your choice.
- Add the garlic and sauté quickly just for 2-3 seconds until the raw smell is gone – take care not to burn the garlic.
- Add the red chillies and sauté quickly for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions and bell pepper.
- Now fry this mixture for about 2-3 minutes on a medium-high flame until the capsicum and onions are soft. They need to be soft but firm to the bite. Do not add any water during the process.
- Cool this mixture down to room temperature.
- Pulse this mixture in a blender or mixer after adding salt.
- Add little or no water based on what consistency you prefer your chutney to be.
- Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl. Adjust salt if required.
- Heat some oil in a small pan and add the items under the ‘to temper’ list.
- Add the hot tempering to the chutney and mix well.
- Serve with breakfast/dinner mains or skip the tempering and get creative with this chutney 🙂 !
Try it !! 🙂
a burst of flavor 