Chutney: everything you need to know about India’s favourite condiment, from an expert who learned at her grandma’s side
From sweet and sour to hot and spicy, tempered in oil or raw, wet or dry, served as a side dish or a dip, India’s countless versions of the chutney can be enjoyed at any time
There’s a particular kind of reverence associated with the word chutney in Indian cuisine. It came to me through witnessing my grandmother and mother in the kitchen, cooking up a dozen or so varieties. Growing up in Karnataka, in South India, I have a love for coconut, one of the key ingredients in chutneys here.
Coconut and tomato chutney served with podi idli. Photo: Ruchira Ramanujam
A chutney in Karnataka is employed in myriad ways – as a side dish for breakfasts of idli or dosa, as a dip for starters such as deep-fried vadas or bondas, or as a condiment in a full-fledged midday meal, to be mixed and eaten with hot rice and ghee.
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My fondest memories are of watching my maternal grandmother cook in her old-fashioned ranch-style house. She would be hunched over the grinding stone, known locally as oralu kallu, throwing in all manner of shallow-fried lentils, coconut, tamarind pulp and other ingredients, depending on the meal of the day and the mood, grinding it all into a sizeable mass of chutney.
She’d also magically transform something that many disliked – such as beetroot – into a delectably flavourful chutney. She’d always top her chutneys withmustard, cumin, black gram, curry leaves and lots of asafoetida, all of which were tempered – fried with a little oil – to add even more flavour to the dish.
Heerekaayi chutney is made with ridge gourd peel. Photo: Ruchira Ramanujam
My mother’s chutneys were popular, not just in the family, but also in the neighbourhood. It was evident that the art – or science – of it had been imprinted on her genetic framework. She used coconut in pretty much chutney,whether or not the recipe called for it. My mother’s genius lay in the fact that she could turn virtually anything into a chutney: from vegetable peel to the pith of citrus fruits. If I had to pick a favourite from my culinary lineage, it would have to be heerekaayi chutney, made with the peel of the ridge gourd.
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A red chilli chutney typical in north Karnataka. Photo: Ruchira Ramanujam
Within Karnataka, there are many regional variations and a chutney from the north, locally known as karandi – is a regular feature in the everyday meal. It is made predominantly with red chillies and garlic, with a bit of tamarind and jaggery (sugar) lending the sour-sweet edge. It is extra hot, and usually eaten with sorghum flatbreads (jolada rotti) and rice.
