Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (2024)

By Dassana Amit
Last Updated: February 8, 2023

Vegan
4.92 from 36 votes37 Comments

Step by StepJump to Recipe

This onion chutney recipeis a great alternative to coconut chutney when you do not have coconut to make it. Make this onion chutney recipe in 20 minutes and serve with South Indian snacks like Rava Idli, Masala Dosa or Uttapam.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (2)

Table of Contents

  1. Why Onion Chutney Recipe Works
  2. How to Make Onion Chutney (Stepwise Photos)
  3. Expert Tips for Vengaya Chutney
  4. Recipe Card

Why Onion Chutney Recipe Works

Firstly let me tell you that this is a South Indian recipe of onion chutney. It is also known as vengaya chutney as onions are called vengaya in Tamil language.

This chutney has complex flavors that taste so good. The tamarind adds a slight tart flavor while the red chilies add a smoky flavor to the dish. Garlic makes this chutney slightly pungent, the lightly browned onions add sweetness, while the lentils give a delicious earthy flavor.

This dish is bursting with flavors and goes very well with tiffin snacks such as rava idli, masala dosa, or uttapam. On this occasion, I served onion chutney with Poha Dosa.

The color of the chutney will vary depending on the type of red chilies used. I prefer to add Kashmiri red chilies as they are low in heat and have a beautiful color. You can also use another Indian variety of mild chillies known as byadagi red chilies.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Onion Chutney

Fry Lentils and Red Chillies

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan. Lower the heat and add1 teaspoon of chana dal (husked and split bengal gram). Then add ½ teaspoon of urad dal (split and husked black gram).

TIP: You can use sunflower oil, peanut oil or gingelly oil (oil made from raw sesame seeds) or any neutral oil.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (3)

2. Fry stirring often until the lentils turn golden. Do not burn them.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (4)

3. Then add 2 to 3 Kashmiri red chilies (broken or halved and seeds removed). Stir and fry for someseconds till you see the chilies change color and become aromatic.

Fry on a low heat, so that the chilies do not get burnt. Kashmiri red chilies give a nice color and are not too spicy.

You can also use byadagi red chilies. If you are using medium hot or very hot red chilies thenadd less.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (5)

Sauté Onions

4. Add 1 cup of chopped onions and ¼ to ½ chopped garlic (1 to 2 small or medium garlic cloves). You can also use pearl onions or shallots instead of regular onions.

Red onions, white onions or yellow onions, all work well in the recipe.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (6)

5. Sauté onions on a low to medium heat and stir continuously.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (7)

6. Sauté until the onions turn light golden. Then switch off the heat and let the onions cool at room temperature.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (8)

Blend Sautéed Ingredients

7. Next transfer the entire onion mixture into a mixer-grinder or a small blender.Add ¼ teaspoon of dried tamarind and salt to taste.

If you do not have this dried tamarind that we easily get in India, add ⅛ teaspoon of bottled or packaged tamarind sauce or as needed.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (9)

8. Add ¼ cup of water and grind ingredients into a smooth paste. Set aside for later.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (10)

Temper Spices

9. Heat2 teaspoons of oil on a low heat in the same pan. Then, add ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds and cook them until they start to crackle.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (11)

10. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and 5 to 6 curry leaves.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (12)

11. Fry for a few seconds until the curry leaves become crisp.

Make Onion Chutney

12. Keep the heat to a low and add the ground chutney.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (14)

13. Mix the chutney with the tempering ingredients.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (15)

14. Add ¼ to ⅓cup of water. I poured water to the blender jar, swirled it around and added the water into the pan.

This ensures that leftover chutney sticking on the walls of the jar does not go to waste. You can alter the consistency of the onion chutney by adding less or more water.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (16)

15. Mix very well and then switch off the heat.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (17)

Serving Suggestions

Serve this tasty onion chutney with snacks like Idli, Dosa, Rava Dosa or Medu Vada. You can also eat it as a dip with various pakoda varieties like Onion Pakoda, Potato Pakora or Paneer Pakoda.

I also like to have it with toasted bread. I slather some onion chutney on the bread and enjoy it.

Storage and Leftovers

Store any leftovers in a covered container for 1 to 2 days. I would not suggest to make ahead a large batch of this onion chutney. Simply make the quantity you need.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (18)

Tips

Expert Tips for Vengaya Chutney

  • Onions:This chutney can be made with different types of onions like red, white, yellow onions including shallots and pearl onions. However, scallions (spring onions) cannot be used for this recipe.
  • Consistency:You can alter the consistency of the chutney to suit your taste. For a thick chutney add less water and for a medium-thin chutney add more water. Be careful not to add too much water because the chutney will become thin and the flavors will become diluted.
  • Spiciness: The heat and pungency of the chutney can be reduced by using fewer red chilies or chilies that are less to medium-hot. If spicy pungent chilies are used, the chutney becomes hot and spicy. As you see in the recipe, I have used kashmiri red chilies that are not spicy and give the chutney a lovely orangecolor.
  • Sourness:The sour element in the chutney comes from tamarind. If you don’t have tamarind on hand then you can use lemon juice instead. It will taste slightly different though.
  • Scaling: Easily make a large batch of this onion chutney recipe if serving for pot-lucks or small get-togethers.

FAQs

Which mixie do you use?

I use the Preethi mixer grinder blue leaf model. It does a great work of grinding chutneys as well as making batter for idli, dosa, and medu vada.

What can I use onion chutney for?

Onion chutney can be served as a dipping sauce with snacks like rava idli, masala dosa, or uttapam.

Can I add peanuts in the onion chutney?

Yes of course. Use roasted peanuts (unsalted) or roast them separately in a separate pan. When the onions are light golden, add them and sauté for a minute. Later grind or blend everything in a blender.

More Tasty Chutney Recipes!

Moderate30 minutes mins

Chutney Recipes

Tomato Chutney Recipe (2 South Indian Variations)

Moderate15 minutes mins

Chutney Recipes

Moderate20 minutes mins

Chutney Recipes

Peanut Chutney Recipe | Groundnut Chutney

Moderate20 minutes mins

Chutney Recipes

Kara Chutney (Tamil Nadu Style)

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (23)

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney

By Dassana Amit

This onion chutney recipeis a great alternative to coconut chutney when you do not have coconut to make it. Make this onion chutney recipe in a jiffy and serve with tiffin snacks like rava idli, masala dosa or uttapam.

4.92 from 36 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Cuisine South Indian

Course Side Dish

Diet Vegan

Difficulty Level Easy

Servings 2

Units

Ingredients

Main ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped onions – 120 grams or 1 large
  • ¼ to ½ chopped garlic or 1 to 2 small to medium garlic cloves
  • 2 to 3 kashmiri red chilies
  • 2 teaspoons oil (can use sesame oil or sunflower oil or peanut oil)
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal (husked and split bengal gram)
  • ½ teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
  • ¼ teaspoon tamarind or a small piece of tamarind
  • salt as required
  • ¼ cup water or as needed, for blending/grinding
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup water or as needed, to be added later

For tempering

  • 2 teaspoons oil (can use sesame oil or sunflower oil or peanut oil)
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves

Instructions

Frying lentils and red chillies

  • Heat oil in a pan. Lower the heat and add chana dal and urad dal.

  • Fry stirring regularly until the lentils turn golden. Take care that you do not burn them.

  • Then add the kashmiri red chilies. Fry for some seconds until you see the chilies change color and become aromatic.

  • Fry on a low heat, so that the chilies do not get burnt. Kashmiri red chilies give a nice color and also do not make the chutney spicy.

Sauteing onions

  • Then add the chopped onions and chopped garlic.

  • Mix the onions and begin to saute on a low to medium heat. Keep on stirring onions while sauteing them.

  • Saute until the onions turn a light golden. Switch off the heat and let the onions become warm or cool at room temperature.

  • Transfer the entire onion mixture in a small blender or mixer-grinder. Add tamarind and salt as per taste.

  • Add water and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Tempering Spices

  • Heat in the same pan or a tadka pan. Keep the heat to a low. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.

  • Once the mustard seeds crackle, add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and curry leaves.

  • Fry for a few seconds until the curry leaves become crisp.

Making Onion Chutney

  • Keep the heat to a low or sim and now add the ground onion chutney.

  • Mix the chutney thoroughly with the tempered ingredients.

  • Add water. You can make this chutney slightly thick or of medium consistency by adding less or more water.

  • Mix very well and then switch off the heat.

  • Serve onion chutney with dosa, idli or uttapam.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve this tasty onion chutney with snacks like idli, dosa, rava dosa or uttapam. You can also eat it as a dip with various pakoda varieties like onion pakoda, potato pakora or paneer pakoda.

  • I also like to have it with toasted bread. I spread some onion chutney on the bread and enjoy it.

Storage and Leftovers

  • Store any leftovers in a covered container for 1 to 2 days. I would not suggest to make ahead a large batch of this onion chutney. Simply make the quantity you need.

Video

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney

Amount Per Serving

Calories 117Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 588mg26%

Potassium 109mg3%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 230IU5%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 29mg145%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

Vitamin C 55mg67%

Vitamin E 3mg20%

Vitamin K 1µg1%

Calcium 39mg4%

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 306µg77%

Iron 1mg6%

Magnesium 11mg3%

Phosphorus 27mg3%

Zinc 1mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Like what you see?

Stay up to date with new recipes and ideas.

This onion chutney recipe post from the blog archives (July 2016) has been republished and updated on 20 April 2021.

Quick Onion Chutney Recipe | Vengaya Chutney (2024)

FAQs

How long should you leave chutney before eating? ›

6. Allow to Mature. Chutneys are best eaten after a long maturing period so we recommend storing them in a cool, dry dark place and leaving them for no less than 8 weeks before opening them.

Does chutney have to be canned? ›

Fruit-based chutneys are usually cooked, then canned or refrigerated. Other chutneys like cilantro, onion, coconut, etc. are usually eaten fresh, with minimal, if any, cooking.

Is chutney a sauce or spread? ›

Chutney is a condiment (Also referred to as a sauce, which is handmade and crafted with various ingredients) used to add flavour to food. Unlike your traditional sauces, chutney is made of chopped fruits, vinegar and spices that are cooked into a chutney spread.

How do you remove excess water from chutney? ›

If the chutney is too runny then in our opinion the best solution is to put it into a pan and bring it back to the boil, then simmer rapidly until it is the required thickness. If you can do this in a couple of deep frying pans (not aluminium) then it should help to speed up the process.

What is chutney and how do you use it? ›

Many Indian recipes are not considered complete without chutney to accompany the meal. Chutneys can be served as a dipping sauce for naan, a condiment for different curries, an accompaniment to the popular street food dabeli, or even as a spread on toast to add bursts of concentrated flavor.

Do you leave chutney to cool before putting the lid on? ›

Take the chutney from the heat and remove the jars from the oven. Fill with the warm chutney, pressing down well. Half screw on the lids until the jars are cool: then it is OK to tighten.

Which vinegar is best for chutney? ›

Vinegar used in making chutney must be good quality and have at least 5% acetic acid content. Any good brand white, malt, wine or cider vinegar should possess the correct qualities. Brown sugar is used for darker coloured chutney but where a lighter colour is required granulated sugar is recommended.

Do you put homemade chutney in jars hot or cold? ›

Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot. This rule applies to all jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys.

How do you know when chutney is ready to jar? ›

The chutney is done when you can scrape a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and the chutney does not flow back into the gap. Meanwhile, to clean the jam jars, preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.

What thickens chutney? ›

Some popular thickening agents for chutney include:
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a common thickening agent that is widely available and easy to use. ...
  • Flour: Flour can also be used to thicken sweet chutney.
Dec 20, 2021

What do Americans call chutney? ›

Stateside, chutneys are somewhere between a jam, a relish, and a jelly, but in India, that's just the tip of the chutney iceberg.

What do we call chutney in English? ›

chutney in American English

(ˈtʃʌtni) noun. a sauce or relish of Asian origin, often compounded of both sweet and sour ingredients, as fruits and herbs, with spices and other seasoning. Also: chutnee.

What do you eat with chutney? ›

Ideas on What to do with Chutney
  1. Mix with sour cream for a dip.
  2. Add to barbecue sauce.
  3. Add to mayonnaise and use with sandwiches.
  4. Serve over a block of cream cheese or goat cheese as a appetizer.
  5. Spread on bread in grilled cheese sandwiches.
  6. Add to stuffing for turkey.
  7. Add to chicken salad.

Why is my chutney so runny? ›

If the chutney seems too runny, cook it for another 5-10 minutes and test again. You may also like to give the chutney the odd stir as you cook it, to prevent the mixture at the edges of the pan from catching.

How do you take the bitterness out of chutney? ›

Well, my mum adds some sugar or jaggery to the mix to give a sweeter taste. Try adding either of those and see if it helps. I was about to suggest that! We always put jaggery in our chutney and it turns out perfect.

Why is my chutney so vinegary? ›

If you made a double quantity it may take longer for the acid in the vinegar to mellow, unless you used a particularly wide pan that would help the vinegar to evaporate more easily. So it is worth tasting the chutney before you transfer it to jars, to make sure that the mixture is not too acidic.

What to use onion chutney for? ›

Chutneys are ideal to be used alongside curry dishes. Fruit and onion based chutneys add amazing flavours to Indian dishes, especially to the side of a fiery Mandra Curry! There's nothing nicer than indulging in some cheese and biscuits with a spoonful of chutney to dip them into.

What's the difference between onion chutney and onion relish? ›

Relish is a flavouring, usually sweet and sour, which consists of finely chopped vegetables or fruit, vinegar and sugar. Whereas chutney is more sweet and fruity, relish usually contains cucumber, courgette, tomato, rhubarb or onion, and the pieces of fruit or vegetables are somewhat coarser and crunchier.

How can you tell when chutney is ready? ›

As it thickens, stir more frequently and watch that the sugar does not begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. The chutney is done when you can scrape a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and the chutney does not flow back into the gap.

Can you eat freshly made chutney? ›

Cider vinegar and orange juice provide the liquid and the chutney is thickened by the apples and dried fruits as much as by the time spent cooking it. The smaller proportion of vinegar means that the chutney does not need time to mellow and can be eaten straight away.

Why do you leave chutney to mature? ›

Ideally all chutney should have some time to mature in a cool, dry place away from bright light. Over this period the flavour of the chutney mellows and becomes less acidic or "vinegary".

How long does chutney stay fresh? ›

After opening condiments, you can refrigerate them for the following times: ketchup, co*cktail or chili sauce 6 months. chutney, 1 to 2 months. horseradish, 3 to 4 months.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated:

Views: 6089

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.