Onion chutney with its vibrant red color and the sweet, spicy and garlicky taste pairs perfectly well with the crispy Indian crepes (dosas) or soft and spongy Idlis. Or if you are like me you can enjoy just the plain chutney in a bowl. LOL 🙂

Onion chutney is a restaurant favorite of mine and I love to dip my big bite of crispy and soft doses in the Onion and Coconut chutney combos. I usually ask for extra chutneys. Tastes divine! As a kid I used to love my Onion and coconut chutneys soo much that I would just eat them without anything to dip. Not much has changed since 🙂

In an attempt to recreate my favorite version I have tried few variations of this recipe at home. Finally I have settled on this recipe that has become a family favorite. Kids dig it if I don’t make it too spicy ( sometimes I tend to add few extra chillies). It would a great sauce even for kids pasta 😀. Will share recipe once I give that a try. This chutney is mainly made of onion and chillies with hint of garlic and tomato.

Onion is so staple that If I don’t have them in my pantry I feel I have nothing to cook with even if I am not cooking with it. Such is my love for onion.Lately onion has also become a super food for hair growth and I have added it to my hair care list as well!

Along with all its great health benefits, Onion is also believed to enhance one’s worldly attachments according to the Hindu culture. So its usually avoided during festival seasons and the practice is common in India and some other parts of the world. To follow or not, its one’s own choice. Here is my version of Onion chutney. Chopped onion and garlic are sauteed in some oil and then ground with few tomato pieces and red chillies.
Onion Chutney | Vengaya Chutney

Ingredients:
Bedigai or kashmiri chillies – 1-2nos.
Regular red chillies -2 nos.
Garlic cloves – 3-4 nos
Ginger – small piece
Tomato – 1/2 (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil, curry leaves and Mustard for tempering
Method:
1. Cut onion into cubes. It can be rough as this is going to be ground.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the onion slice to sauté for couple of minutes.
3. Add a the chillis , garlic and ginger to the pan once the onion is translucent.
4. Add in the tomato now. Give it a couple of minutes to release its juices.
5. Once all of it is cooked, turn off the heat and let it cool.
6. Now add salt and grind it all in a blender into a smooth paste.
7. Temper it with mustard and curry leaves.
Tip:
- Do not ground it hot as it will build pressure and burst open. Not safe.
- You can totally skip the Tomatos and make it purely onion chutney.
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