Peanut Chutney Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Peanut Chutney
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 21, 2023 • 2 min read
This Andhra-style peanut chutney adds a bright, flavorful streak to a multitude of dishes.
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What Is Peanut Chutney?
Peanut chutney, also known as palli chutney or groundnut chutney, is a gluten-free side dish made from peanuts, chilies, curry leaves, and a blend of spices. This regional chutney variation comes from Andhra Pradesh in Southern India.
Popular foods to eat with peanut chutney include masala dosa, toppings-laden uttapam, idli rice cakes, upma (savory porridge), and pachadi (traditional raita or yogurt-based condiment), as a component of a classic South Indian breakfast, or as an accompaniment to fried street food favorites like vada and punugulu.
3 Tips for Making Peanut Chutney
Like tomato chutney and coconut chutney, recipes for peanut chutney vary by household and preference:
- 1. Use unsalted peanuts. The type of peanut you use to make this chutney is up to you. The side dish can be made with raw or roasted peanuts, skin on or off, but using unsalted peanuts is optimal because it allows you to control the salt content of the finished dish.
- 2. Temper the spices in hot oil. The act of tempering spices in hot oil (also known as tadka) enhances both their aroma and flavor. Add the spices to the chutney for the perfect finishing touch before serving it with paneer (uncured cheese) or paratha (unleavened Indian wheat bread).
- 3. Adjust to your preference. If you want a more intense heat, use raw garlic instead of sautéing it with chilies and ginger. Swap tangy-sweet tamarind for a salty, spice-forward chutney. If you can’t find curry leaves at the grocery store, dried lime leaves or bay leaves will work in a pinch.
Peanut Chutney Recipe
makes
1 1/2 cupsprep time
5 mintotal time
15 mincook time
10 minIngredients
- 1
Fry the raw peanuts in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat, until browned. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- 2
In the same pan, add the chilies, ginger, urad dal, 10 curry leaves, and sauté them until softened and glossy. Transfer to the plate of peanuts.
- 3
Let all of the ingredients cool, then add them to the bowl of a food processor or grinder with fresh tamarind and garlic cloves, then season with kosher salt. Add a ½ cup of water and blend, adding more water a tablespoon at a time until a chunky paste forms. Transfer to a bowl.
- 4
In the original pan, heat 2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and hing, and fry until the mustard begins to sputter and pop. Add the 2 remaining curry leaves and fry briefly until blistered and glossy, then pour over the peanut paste and mix to combine.
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