Restaurant Style Kara Chutney

Tamilnadu hotel style kara chutney. Restaurant style spicy chutney for idli and dosa. Recipe with step by step pictures. Kalavai Chutney.

Sumathi Akka’s Kalavai Chutney / Restaurant style kara chutney This recipe is one of a find. Sumathi Akka owns a very famous paniyaram shop in Sannathi street, Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu. People wait here for more than an hour to eat her paniyarams.This kalavai chutney is what she serves to her customers along with her paniyarams. A potpourri of ingredients go into making this one of a kind chutney. This is one of our current favorites at home. Recipe adapted from here.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the urad dal, channa dal, dried red chillies and peanuts. Saute on a low flame until the lentils are roasted and brown.

Roasting the lentils on a low flame is key. When the lentils are brown, remove from pan and set aside on a plate to cool. Note: This chutney is made a little spicy. Adjust the red chillies according to your taste.

In the same pan, add in oil and the sliced small onions (Indian shallots / sambar onions). Saute the onions till they are soft.

Add in the salt and the tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes are soft. It will take about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Take a mixie and add in the cooled lentil mixture and the cooled onion-tomato mixture.

Grind the mixture to a paste. Add about half a cup of water and grind to a paste. The texture of the chutney should not be very thick. Grind to a pour-able consistency. Note: If using country tomatoes which can be sour, no need to use tamarind. If the tomatoes are not very sour, then add a marble size piece of tamarind while grinding the chutney.

Tempering Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the urad dal and curry leaves. Let the urad dal brown. Add it the chutney.

Serve the chutney with paniyaram and dosa .

For the chutney

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon channa dal
• 1 tablespoon urad dal
• 1 tablespoon peanuts
• 5 dried red chillies
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 15 small onions / sambar onions (Indian shallots)
• 2 country tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• marble size tamarind (see notes)

For tempering

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the urad dal, channa dal, dried red chillies and peanuts. Saute on a low flame until the lentils are roasted and brown. Roasting the lentils on a low flame is key. When the lentils are brown, remove from pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
2. In the same pan, add in oil and the sliced small onions (Indian shallots / sambar onions). Saute the onions till they are soft.
3. Add in the salt and the tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes are soft. It will take about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
4. Take a mixie and add in the cooled lentil mixture and the cooled onion-tomato mixture. Grind the mixture to a paste. Add about half a cup of water and grind to a paste. The texture of the chutney should not be very thick. Grind to a pour-able consistency.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the urad dal and curry leaves. Let the urad dal brown. Add it the chutney.

Notes

If using country tomatoes which can be sour, no need to use tamarind. If the tomatoes are not very sour, then add a marble size piece of tamarind while grinding the chutney.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Category: Chutney
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

For the chutney

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon channa dal
• 1 tablespoon urad dal
• 1 tablespoon peanuts
• 5 dried red chillies
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 15 small onions / sambar onions (Indian shallots)
• 2 country tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• marble size tamarind (see notes)

For tempering

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the urad dal, channa dal, dried red chillies and peanuts. Saute on a low flame until the lentils are roasted and brown. Roasting the lentils on a low flame is key. When the lentils are brown, remove from pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
2. In the same pan, add in oil and the sliced small onions (Indian shallots / sambar onions). Saute the onions till they are soft.
3. Add in the salt and the tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes are soft. It will take about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
4. Take a mixie and add in the cooled lentil mixture and the cooled onion-tomato mixture. Grind the mixture to a paste. Add about half a cup of water and grind to a paste. The texture of the chutney should not be very thick. Grind to a pour-able consistency.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the urad dal and curry leaves. Let the urad dal brown. Add it the chutney.

Notes

If using country tomatoes which can be sour, no need to use tamarind. If the tomatoes are not very sour, then add a marble size piece of tamarind while grinding the chutney.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Category: Chutney
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/restaurant-style-kara-chutney/

Recipe for mulaikattiya kollu kurma. Sprouted horsegram kurma. Excellent side dish for chapati and dosa. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This recipe is again from my aunt Sarasu athama. Most of her kurma recipes use copious amount of poppy seeds. It gives the kurma, the thickness and the velvety texture and of-course a good sleeping dose after the meal. Most of the traditional curries are a little time consuming as it requires a paste or a powder to be ground from scratch. The magic is in the ground masala. Here is the recipe for mulaikattiya kollu kurma. Sprouted horsegram kurma.

How to Sprout horse gram It is very easy to sprout lentils at home. I have already shared the recipe for sprouting moong dal / moong bean here below. The same recipe can be followed for sprouting horse gram too! https://www.kannammacooks.com/sprout-moong-mung-beans-moong-sprout/

Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the black pepper, cumin seeds and the dried red chillies. Do not use a lot of black pepper or the taste of the curry will be over whelming. Roast the seeds on a low flame for a minute. Add in the chopped onions and shallots (Indian sambar onions). We use a combination of both regular onions and shallots for this recipe.

Add in the salt and saute till the onions are soft.

Add in the curry leaves and the tomatoes. Country tomatoes (naatu thakkali) is used for this recipe as it has a more sour taste that is preferred. Saute the tomatoes for about five minutes till the tomatoes are cooked and soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Grind the cooled mixture to a fine paste.

Soak the poppy seeds (khus khus), cashews and almonds (optional) for about ten minutes in half a cup of water and add it to the mixie and grind it to a paste. Use the soaking water for grinding.

Grind everything to a very fine paste.

Take a pressure cooker and add in the ground masalas, sprouted horsegram, curry leaves, coriander powder and turmeric powder.

Add in two cups of water. Be generous with the water as the curry will thicken while it cooks and if the kurma is very thick, it will scorch at the bottom. So make sure you add enough water to the pan so the kurma does not burn at the bottom.

Add in 6-7 whole green chillies for flavour. Do not cut the chillies. Add it as whole.

Cook the kurma in a pressure cooker on a low flame for 20-25 minutes. Make sure the flame is on low. Ignore the number of whistles. After the said time, let the pressure from the cooker settle on its own. Open the cooker and add in half a cup of coconut milk. Home made or canned coconut milk works just fine. If you are hard pressed for time, use canned coconut milk. Coconut milk adds a very nice flavour and a rich mouthfeel to the curry.

Serve the curry with chapati or dosa .

• 2 tablespoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 dried red chillies (preferably gundu variety)
• 1/2 cup regular onions, chopped
• 10 - 12 Indian sambar onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 - 3 sprig curry leaves
• 3 tomatoes, chopped (naatu thakkali / country tomatoes)
• 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (khus khus)
• 10 cashews
• 5 almonds (optional)
• 1 cup sprouted horsegram
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 6 - 7 green chillies
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

1. Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the black pepper, cumin seeds and the dried red chillies. Roast the seeds on a low flame for a minute. Add in the chopped onions and shallots (Indian sambar onions). Add in the salt and saute till the onions are soft.
2. Add in the curry leaves and the tomatoes. Country tomatoes (naatu thakkali) are preferred for this recipe. Saute the tomatoes for about five minutes till the tomatoes are cooked and soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Grind to a paste.
3. Soak the poppy seeds (khus khus), cashews and almonds (optional) for about ten minutes in half a cup of water and add it to the mixie and grind it to a paste. Use the soaking water for grinding.
4. Grind everything to a very fine paste.
5. Take a pressure cooker and add in the ground masalas, sprouted horsegram, curry leaves, coriander powder and turmeric powder.
6. Add in two cups of water. Be generous with the water as the curry will thicken while it cooks and if the kurma is very thick, it will scorch at the bottom. So make sure you add enough water to the pan so the kurma does not burn at the bottom.
7. Add in 6-7 whole green chillies for flavour. Do not cut the chillies. Add it as whole.
8. Cook the kurma in a pressure cooker on a low flame for 20-25 minutes. Make sure the flame is on low. Ignore the number of whistles. After the said time, let the pressure from the cooker settle on its own.
9. Open the cooker and add in half a cup of coconut milk. Home made or canned coconut milk works just fine. If you are hard pressed for time, use canned coconut milk. Coconut milk adds a very nice flavour and a rich mouthfeel to the curry.
10. Serve the curry with chapati or dosa.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu