Chinna Vengayam Chutney recipe made South Indian Tamil Style. Small Onion Chutney for idli and dosa. Vengaya chutney made without tomatoes. Recipe made with Indian Shallots / Sambar Onions. Recipe with step by step pictures.
Chinna Vengayam chutney / Small Onion (shallots) chutney is an all time favorite for breakfast at home along with idli or uthappam. It also pairs so well with chapati. Whenever we used to travel, chapati with onion tomato thokku or this plain small onion chutney is what mom would pack. Chutney smeared rolled up chapatis are so so delicious. I like to make it a little spicy. There are very few ingredients in this recipe. The only thing that takes time is peeling the shallots. I like to add a little bit of regular onions to the chutney as it adds a very faint sweetness to the chutney. So now lets see how to make Chinna Vengayam Chutney , Small Onion Chutney for Idli and Dosai.
Here are other recipes from the site using onions. Onions, Small Onion / Shallots Recipes
The main ingredients for this Chinna Vengayam Chutney is small onions / Indian shallots. Indian shallots are also referred to as Sambar Onions. We will also need few cloves of garlic and regular onions for making this chutney. The regular onions gives the dish a very faint sweetness that compliments the spicy chillies so well. The onions also provide body to the chutney. If the shallots are small, keep it as is. If the shallots are big, then roughly chop them so the shallots cook evenly.
Here is the video of how to make Chinna Vengayam Chutney , Small Onion Chutney for Idli and Dosai Recipe
Heat Indian sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the chillies. I add a combination of regular Guntur chillies and a couple of byadagi chillies. The Byadagi chillies adds a very nice colour to the chutney. If you do not have the byadagi chillies, you can omit it and add only the regular dried red chillies. Saute for a few seconds only. Chillies burn fast. Just cook for a few seconds and once the chillies are plump, remove it from heat immediately. Set aside the chillies on a plate to cool.
To the same pan, add in the small onions, roughly chopped regular onions and garlic. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions sweat and will cook it faster.
Add in a marble size tamarind.
Saute for about 6-7 minutes on a medium flame.
The onions will slowly start to char and brown.
Once the onions are brown, remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit.
Grind the onion mixture to a smooth paste. Grind it along with the roasted chillies. Do not add any water while grinding. I recommend two Indian brand mixie which are heavy duty and does a wonderful job in the kitchen. Panasonic Mixie – 550 Watts and Bosch Mixie 1000 Watts . Do check the links online to buy.
Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Now we will temper the Chinna Vengayam Chutney / Small Onion Chutney. Heat Indian sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the urad dal. Let the urad dal slightly change colour to golden. Add in the mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves and the asafoetida.
Add in the ground onion paste.
Wash the mixie with quarter cup of water and add it back to the pan.
Add half a teaspoon of powdered jaggery to the chutney. I like to add jaggery along with tamarind as it nicely rounds the flavour of the chutney.
Saute for a couple of minutes until the consistency of the chutney is thick. Since the onions are already cooked, do not cook the chutney for a long time.
Serve the chutney with idli , uthappam or set dosa .
Make a huge batch of chutney as everyone would go for seconds and make sure to steam extra idlies.
Main Ingredients for the Chinna Vengayam Chutney
- 1 tablespoon Indian sesame oil
- 1 cup small onions / Indian shallots
- 1 cup regular onions, roughly chopped
- 8 cloves garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 marble size tamarind
- 6 dried red chillies (guntur variety)
- 2 byadagi red chillies (optional)
- 1/4 cup water
Tempering for the Chinna Vengayam Chutney
- 2 teaspoon Indian sesame oil / gingely oil
- 1/2 teaspoon split urad dal
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 dried red chillies (gundu variety)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1/2 teaspoon jaggery (optional)
Main Procedure for making Chinna Vengayam Chutney / Small Onion Chutney.
- Heat Indian sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the chillies. I add a combination of regular Guntur chillies and a couple of byadagi chillies. The Byadagi chillies adds a very nice colour to the chutney. If you do not have the byadagi chillies, you can omit it and add only the regular dried red chillies. Saute for a few seconds only. Chillies burn fast. Just cook for a few seconds and once the chillies are plump, remove it from heat immediately. Set aside the chillies on a plate to cool.
- To the same pan, add in the small onions, roughly chopped regular onions and garlic. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions sweat and will cook it faster. Add in a marble size tamarind. Saute for about 6-7 minutes on a medium flame. The onions will slowly start to char and brown. Once the onions are brown, remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit.
- Grind the onion mixture to a smooth paste. Grind it along with the roasted chillies. Do not add any water while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Now we will temper the Chinna Vengayam Chutney / Small Onion Chutney.
Heat Indian sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the urad dal. Let the urad dal slightly change colour to golden. Add in the mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves and the asafoetida.
Add in the ground onion paste. Wash the mixie with quarter cup of water and add it back to the pan. Add half a teaspoon of powdered jaggery to the chutney. I like to add jaggery along with tamarind as it nicely rounds the flavour of the chutney.
Saute for a couple of minutes until the consistency of the chutney is thick. Since the onions are already cooked, do not cook the chutney for a long time.
Serve the chutney with idli, uthappam or set dosai.
Author: Suguna Vinodh
Prep Time: 15m
Cook Time: 15m
Main Ingredients for the Chinna Vengayam Chutney
- 1 tablespoon Indian sesame oil
- 1 cup small onions / Indian shallots
- 1 cup regular onions, roughly chopped
- 8 cloves garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 marble size tamarind
- 6 dried red chillies (guntur variety)
- 2 byadagi red chillies (optional)
- 1/4 cup water
Tempering for the Chinna Vengayam Chutney
- 2 teaspoon Indian sesame oil / gingely oil
- 1/2 teaspoon split urad dal
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 dried red chillies (gundu variety)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1/2 teaspoon jaggery (optional)
Main Procedure for making Chinna Vengayam Chutney / Small Onion Chutney.
- Heat Indian sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the chillies. I add a combination of regular Guntur chillies and a couple of byadagi chillies. The Byadagi chillies adds a very nice colour to the chutney. If you do not have the byadagi chillies, you can omit it and add only the regular dried red chillies. Saute for a few seconds only. Chillies burn fast. Just cook for a few seconds and once the chillies are plump, remove it from heat immediately. Set aside the chillies on a plate to cool.
- To the same pan, add in the small onions, roughly chopped regular onions and garlic. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions sweat and will cook it faster. Add in a marble size tamarind. Saute for about 6-7 minutes on a medium flame. The onions will slowly start to char and brown. Once the onions are brown, remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit.
- Grind the onion mixture to a smooth paste. Grind it along with the roasted chillies. Do not add any water while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Now we will temper the Chinna Vengayam Chutney / Small Onion Chutney.
Heat Indian sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the urad dal. Let the urad dal slightly change colour to golden. Add in the mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves and the asafoetida.
Add in the ground onion paste. Wash the mixie with quarter cup of water and add it back to the pan. Add half a teaspoon of powdered jaggery to the chutney. I like to add jaggery along with tamarind as it nicely rounds the flavour of the chutney.
Saute for a couple of minutes until the consistency of the chutney is thick. Since the onions are already cooked, do not cook the chutney for a long time.
Serve the chutney with idli, uthappam or set dosai.
Author: Suguna Vinodh
Prep Time: 15m
Cook Time: 15m
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/chinna-vengayam-chutney-recipe/
Recipe for Dhaba Style Paneer Masala Recipe. Spicy Sabji / gravy made with paneer. Dhaba Style Paneer curry recipe with step by step pictures.
There is an old small restaurant called Inchara near our place. We used to frequent this place so often with Vinodh’s friends. We met there for our first date too. The place was always special. Food was always good and paneer masala was a constant order for me. Even though its been years since we went there, I have been craving it for sometime now. I made the paneer masala today and I should say that I am very happy. This recipe has been very minimally adapted from the cookbook by Pushpesh Pant.
This is a very hearty and delicious paneer gravy that goes so well with roti, naan or paratha. I like to make this paneer masala a little spicy. I have used a little bit of cream to make it a rich gravy but its totally optional. You can do without the cream and the gravy comes so delicious without the cream too.
Click the link below to find the recipes on the site that uses the main ingredient as Paneer. Paneer Recipes
Here is a video of how to make Dhaba Style Paneer Masala Recipe
Marinating and roasting the Paneer for Dhaba Style Paneer Masala Dice the paneer into half inch cubes. Add it to a bowl. To the paneer cubes, add in the salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and half a teaspoon of besan (Indian chickpea flour). Mix well to combine. Marinate the paneer for 15-20 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan (preferably non stick) and add in the paneer pieces. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the paneer is nice and golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.
Now, we will make the gravy for the Dhaba Style Paneer Masala. In the same pan in which we fried the paneer, add in a little more oil and ghee. Add in the cumin seeds and finely chopped onions. Make sure to finely chop the onions. Alternatively, you can grate the onions in a food processor and add.
Also add in the salt along with the onions. The salt will help the onions cook faster. After about five minutes of sauteing on a medium flame, the onions would be soft. Add in the ginger garlic paste and continue to saute for a good five minutes more.
The onions should nicely brown.
Once the onions are nice and brown, reduce the flame to low. On a low flame, add in the red chilli powder and black pepper powder. If you want a spicy paneer masala, adjust the chilli powder according to your taste. Add in the coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and kasuri methi. Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek powder. Saute for a few seconds. Note: If you add the spice powders when the pan is really hot and the flame is high, the spices tend to burn. So always add spices having the flame low so the spices stay fragrant and does not burn.
Add in the Besan – Indian chickpea flour. Do not add a lot of besan. I have added about 1.5 tablespoon of besan. Roast the besan along with the other ingredients for half a minute.
Grind the tomatoes to a puree in a mixie. I recommend two Indian brand mixie which are heavy duty and does a wonderful job in the kitchen. Panasonic Mixie – 550 Watts and Bosch Mixie 1000 Watts . Do check the links online to buy.
Add in the pureed tomatoes to the pan.
Add half a teaspoon of sugar to the pan. Saute for around 10-12 minutes stirring constantly so the tomato mixture does not scorch at the bottom.
Once the mixture is thick, add in quarter cup of milk and cream. Cook for a minute. The milk and cream is optional. If you are making this for an everyday curry and do not want it to be rich, then omit the milk and the cream and it still comes out really great.
Add in the roasted paneer and mix well to combine. At this stage, if the mixture is very thick, add little hot water to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
Add in the coriander leaves and let the gravy simmer for just a minute.
Remove from heat and serve. A fantastic Dhaba style paneer masala is ready.
Marinating and roasting the Paneer for Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
- 200 grams Paneer, diced into half inch cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon besan (Indian Chickpea Flour)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying the paneer
Gravy for the Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1.5 cups onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek powder)
- 1.5 tablespoon besan (Indian Chickpea Flour)
- 500 grams tomatoes, pureed in a mixie
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup cow milk (optional) – check notes
- 1/4 cup dairy cream (optional) – check notes
- 3 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
Marinating and roasting the Paneer for Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
- Dice the paneer into half inch cubes. Add it to a bowl. To the paneer cubes, add in the salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and half a teaspoon of besan (Indian chickpea flour). Mix well to combine. Marinate the paneer for 15-20 minutes. Heat oil in a pan (preferably non stick) and add in the paneer pieces. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the paneer is nice and golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.
Gravy for the Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
- In the same pan in which we fried the paneer, add in a little more oil and ghee. Add in the cumin seeds and finely chopped onions. Make sure to finely chop the onions. Alternatively, you can grate the onions in a food processor and add. Also add in the salt along with the onions. The salt will help the onions cook faster. After about five minutes of sauteing on a medium flame, the onions would be soft. Add in the ginger garlic paste and continue to saute for a good five minutes more.
- Once the onions are nice and brown, reduce the flame to low. On a low flame, add in the red chilli powder and black pepper powder. If you want a spicy paneer masala, adjust the chilli powder according to your taste. Add in the coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and kasuri methi. Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek powder. Saute for a few seconds. Note: If you add the spice powders when the pan is really hot and the flame is high, the spices tend to burn. So always add spices having the flame low so the spices stay fragrant and does not burn.
- Add in the Besan – Indian chickpea flour. Do not add a lot of besan. I have added about 1.5 tablespoon of besan. Roast the besan along with the other ingredients for half a minute.
- Grind the tomatoes to a puree in a mixie. Add in the pureed tomatoes to the pan. Add half a teaspoon of sugar to the pan. Saute for around 10-12 minutes stirring constantly so the tomato mixture does not scorch at the bottom.
- Once the mixture is thick, add in quarter cup of milk and cream. Cook for a minute.
- Add in the roasted paneer and mix well to combine. At this stage, if the mixture is very thick, add little hot water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Add in the coriander leaves and let the gravy simmer for just a minute. Remove from heat and serve. A fantastic Dhaba style paneer masala is ready.
Notes
The milk and cream is optional. If you are making this for an everyday curry and do not want it to be rich, then omit the milk and the cream and it still comes out really great.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 20m
- Cook Time: 30m
