“There was an old Person of Putney,
Whose food was roast spider and chutney,
Which he took with his tea,
within sight of the sea,
That romantic Old Person of Putney.”
Edward Lear, (1812-1888)
No, no! My chutney recipe has no spiders! This is very much vegetarian and goes well with idlis, as a side dish with meals and also as a dip with salted crisps.
A couple of months back my sister-in-law had come visiting with her son. She hails from Andhra Pradesh and hence my trusted source for some authentic peanut chutney recipe. Since then I have made it a number of times, each time making some changes to suit the tastebuds of my family. Finally I hit on the perfect combination that goes down well on my dining table.
Though the purpose of this dish is to serve as a chutney it can successfully fulfil your needs for a dip too. The consistency can be adjusted according to the need.
This peanut chutney also serves as my alternative to peanut spread. A great way to enjoy the peanut spread without the guilt of having sugar.
A few tips for this recipe:
- This recipe calls for roasting of all the ingredients. I roast the peanuts and chilli in a pan but when it comes to the garlic I prefer roasting it on an open flame. But it is also possible to roast the garlic in the pan too, like the other ingredients.
- The curry leaves I used here are dry ones that I store in my fridge. However, Freeze Dried fine Curry Leaves Powder
- The quantity of chilli can be modified according to personal preference.
Peanut chutney, spread or dip. A handful of ingredients combined to deliver a lip smacking dish within minutes.
Ingredients
- Peanuts - 1/2 cup
- Garlic - 5-6 cloves
- Dry red chilli - 2
- Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Heat a heavy bottom pan.
- Add the peanuts to the warm pan and dry roast on a low flame. DO NOT ROAST ON HIGH FLAME.
- The peanuts will be done when they turn a shade darker. Do not over roast them or else they will give a burnt taste.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the peanuts to a bowl. Allow to cool.
- In the same hot pan add the red chillies. No need to turn on the flame. The pan will be hot enough to roast the chillies.
- Cook the garlic cloves on an open fire. The peel will turn black and crack open. (Please refer to tips above)
- When the peanut has cooled down add all the roasted ingredients, curry leaves, salt and half a cup of water to the grinder.
- Grind to a smooth paste.
- Adjust the consistency according to your preference.